Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cut it up, and the clouds of flies that swarm about it whilst it is hanging in the sun, it is apt to
spoil even the most ferocious appetite.
One day, as I was riding along, partly dazed by the heat and sleepy with boredom, I sud-
denly became aware that the sun was hidden behind a dark cloud. Shortly after, the light be-
came dim and I expected a heavy thunderstorm to break, but presently I recognised this dark
cloud to be a swarm of locusts, a swarm so large that it was at least an hour before they
had passed. Obviously even locusts had no desire to settle in so desolate a region as the one
through which I was riding. A few days later we came to a part where some of these pests had
settled, and only he who has seen an invasion of locusts knows what this means. The ground
was covered with a thick carpet of them, every cactus plant and shrub was overhung with a
grey mass, and some clung together in clusters, hanging down like bunches of grapes. At first
the horses shied a little and refused to move, and when one flying along hit their heads they
gaveanervousjump.However,verysoontheyfoundoutthattherewasnodangerandwalked
along, leaving a patch of mashed bodies behind with every step, the crushed locusts being de-
voured at once by the others. Luckily we were out of the infested area within a few hours and
I was looking forward to reaching better parts again.
Semi-deserts and even real deserts have their charms, and it is probably owing to this that
peoplewhoarebornandraisedinsuchwillalwaysreturn;whatparticularly struckmeinSan-
tiago del Estero were the marvellous sunsets. After some of those scorching days, when even
the cactus plants appear to suffer from the merciless sunrays that seem to penetrate to the very
bones, and when even the little parrots keep quiet in some shady spot, then the sun often sets
behindadarkcurtainofred.Thecactusplantsstandoutinblacksilhouettes,lookinglikefant-
astic beings stretching their octopus-like feelers towards the sky as if in agony, or again they
look like human arms groping in all directions. The shrubbery, standing out black against the
crimsonhorizon,remindedmeoftheclassicalJapanesesilhouettepictures.Assoonasthesun
has disappeared below the sea of flame nature seems to breathe once more and the first shrill
shrieks of some night birds can be heard or, maybe, the silence is broken by the ugly, cough-
like bark of some prowling fox.
My faithful horses stuck to their work like heroes, and in spite of the fact that they had
eaten next to nothing for several days, and the lack of water, they seemed as fit and willing to
move as they had been in the fertile sections far behind us. I felt like spurring the horses to a
fast gallop when we entered the first forest land, for now we were out of Santiago del Estero,
and our first real victory was won. My face was scorched and burnt, and my lips cracked with
the salty sand and dust, but I was happy and proud, for we had crossed the region experts had
told me no horse could cross from end to end, unless it be an animal raised and trained in this
part.
