I have never actually hitchhiked before, so, I guess there is a first time for everything.
99% of the time, I’m actually not super “down” with hitchhiking. As a woman, it feels dangerous—both to get into a random car, and to pick a random person up. Plus, whenever I see someone on the side of the road, it always seems like an inconvenience to stop, so I've always hated the idea of making someone else feel that way about me.
But after our harrowing experience on the glacier, and the non-immediate appearance of a tour bus to take us home, I was more than happy to get into a warm car with a couple of strangers. And when our new friend Ayelet started approaching random cars to ask for a ride, I ran up behind her and put on a big grin, as if I were a puppy at an adoption fair hoping to get picked.
The couple that stopped for us were so nice. They were a little perplexed as to why the three of us were 30 minutes outside of town without a ride, but they spoke decent English, and Ayelet and I both speak decent Spanish, so we were ok on making conversation about their home in Brazil, about El Chalten, about San Francisco, Israel, the tour, our travels, and all the other small-talky things you discuss when with strangers.
When hitchhiking, unexpected detours can’t be helped
Just as El Chalten came into site, our driver announced he needed to stop for gas, which in El Chalten can be a 20 minute affair. (There is only one station, with only one pump. Not only do you have to wait in a long line to get it, but you have to wait for the attendant to pump your gas, since you aren’t allowed to pump it yourself.
With the car turned off, it started to get cold in the backseat. Plus, I really had to pee. But, we kept making small talk, and pretended we didn’t mind the wait.
After getting gas, we stopped again for about 5 minutes while our driver photographed the condors flying by. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw our bus drive by. (Apparently they hadn’t forgotten about the tour group after all.)
We were all dead tired and wanting to get back to our hotels, but, it’s commonly understood that when you’re getting a free ride, whoever picked you up makes the rules. So Ayelet, Dan, and I all exchanged tired looks, but kept our impatience in check, and Dan took a picture of the condors too.
When we got into town and were finally dropped off, I wondered if we were not making a faux pax by not paying our new friends. But by the time I got a chance to ask Dan if we had some cash, they had closed the door, and were on their way out of town.
I still don’t think I could ever be one of those travelers who goes from place to place using their thumb, but I do think I have a new understanding of some of the benefits of hitch-hiking. You meet really kind and generous people, you have interesting conversations, and there's something to be said for the unexpected moments you're likely to face on the road.