Las montañas de Barreal (Sunday November 28th--Day 19)

So these are the Andes. Maybe it is the sheer magnitude of the peaks, the vast length of the range, or the fact that I`m in South America...but these mountains seem completely unsurmountable. It`s as if their snow-covered peaks and jagged slops mark the end of the world. They`re holding us all together...or keeping something hidden. They`re completely in control, and I cannot conquer them. It`s the way mountains are supposed to be, I suppose. But I want them, nonetheless. Even though I`m overwhelmed and distanced with an intense feeling of awe, fear, respect, and curiousity.
This stretch of the Andes that rises above the Calingasta valley is known as the Cordilleras. These peaks have been sacred for centuries, dating back to when the Incas from Peru would come down the valley to trade and mine in the Mendoza area. From my perch on the Precordilleras accross the valley, I can see seven major peaks, two of which are the highest in the Americas. I can understand why they´re sacred. Untouchable.
I spent the morning hiking in the Precordilleras, a colorful, rocky, dry, desert mountain range that runs parallel to the Cordillera. Even though the peaks look so close, I can tell by the shadows of clouds on the desert below that they are miles and miles away. From my cliff, I looked down on the lush, shady, tranquil town of Barreal that I spent the morning lazilly wandering through the willow`covered streets and I wondered if the familes, the people, the households I saw are moved by these mountains. Are these mountains as feared, loved, and revered as much as they should be? Or are they taken for granted? Who knows. But for now...I can sit in peace and know for certain that one person in Barreal fears, loves, and revers these mountains.