Argentina
Bariloche to Mendoza
SPOT Track of Bariloche to Mendoza ride.
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Daily Notes:
Tuesday, March 23
Bariloche to Confluencia
65km / 15636km; 3.3h / 878h; 560m
Easy day to get used to riding again. Also, Jose Bernabei (the bike mechanic) had pointed out the nice place at Confluencia to stay for the first night. Riding along the lake at first and then following the river to the confluence was very scenic. Makes me enjoy riding again. I reach the goal after 65km around 7pm with 1/2 hr to sunset. I have dinner at the local restaurant overlooking the two rivers. I pitch my tent and enjoy a quiet and restful sleep for my first night.
Wednesday, March 24
Confluencia to Piedra del Aguila
140km / 15777km; 8.5h / 886h; 1500m
Very, very hard day with lots of hills, incl. the 600m Paso Chacabuco,
and not enough daylight due to late start around 10:15am. Barely
made it to goal 15min after sunset, thanks largely due to long descent
over the last 15-20km.
Thursday, March 25
Piedra del Aguila to Picun Leufu
96km / 15872km; 5h / 891h; 500m
A lot less strenuous than the day before, with much less hills and just under 100km.
Friday, March 26
Picun Leufu to Neuquen
132km / 16005km; 5.2h / 897h; 500m
Picking up the daily distance a bit, but again few hills. The biggest challenge now are the long distances between towns. At least I have one town every 50-60km or so. The next couple of days this will be different… Getting good information at tourist info in Neuquen. Unfortunately, the hotels are more expensive and of lower quality (hot and sticky, with lots of mosquitoes in the room).
Saturday, March 27
Neuquen to 25 de Mayo (Puente)
153km / 16160km; 7.8h / 905h; 600m
A long day, wind mostly from the side, so little impact. Long stretches to the next town. The first 30km are nice, with many poplar alleys and two towns easy riding (except climbing out of Neuquen in the morning traffic). An elderly man stops and chats with me – he had met another German recumbent rider years ago and would have liked to invite me, but for the fact that he lives in Zapala (where I’m not headed). Then the next 100km pretty much nothing but desert. And to make things worse, a flat rear tire right at the start… I bring plenty of water and coke, and I find it mostly a mental challenge to go these distances without anything in between… At 130km I reach the first gas station near the town of Catriet. Rest with coffee and water. Then another 25km or so to the Puente at the intersection North from 25 de Mayo. I pitch my tent again next to the water – quiet but lots of mosquitoes…
Sunday, March 28
25 de Mayo to Algarroboda del Aguila
162km / 16323km; 9.1h / 914h; 850m
The longest day and hard due to headwind. More than 9 hrs requires an early start and not a lot of rest stops, since daylight is less than 12 hrs now… Also a couple of moderate hills (150-200m), which make for slow going uphill, but awesome cruising down. Very happy to finally make it to goal after more than 160km. This town doesn’t have much to offer. I stay at a little place which offers a great hot shower (for 3 pesos, less than 1$) and dinner plus breakfast coffee for 30 pesos.
Monday, March 29
Algarroboda del Aguila to Bar El Descanso (Cochico + 45km)
145km / 16468km; 5.9h / 920h; 70m
Very flat stage; hot; good tailwind in afternoon, hence 1.5h = 45km
past original goal of Cochico.
Tuesday, March 30
Bar to Monte Comán
96km / 16565km; 4.8h / 925h; 30m
Again very flat and hot stage; nice break in the middle in General
Alvear. Rarely had a flatter day than this: Only 27m total after nearly 100km and max speed for the day at only 26 km/h (never downhill)!
Forgot to get cash and had trouble paying in Monte Comán…
Asked at half a dozen restaurants, but no dice. Finally I find a supermarket which accepts my VISA! So I can buy and cook pasta with vino for dinner…
Wednesday, March 31
Monte Comán to Las Catitas
153km / 16718km; 8.5h / 933h; 250m
Very hot day; started riding at 7:30am at sunrise. Long stretches
along former railroad tracks. Then flat rear tire which took long to
find hole in tube and patch. Lost almost 1hr in heat. At Ñacuñan 62km
rest next to police checkpoint. Due to headwind only 17.5km/h average speed, thus more than 8hrs on the bike and little rest time. Nice evening mood with less wind and less heat. Finally to goal by 7pm. Found ATM and then quick email check, followed by dinner. Camped at hospedaje and got a hot shower. Over night thunderstorms and a bit of rain.
Thursday, April 1
Las Catitas to Mendoza
93km / 16810km; 4h / 937h; 150m
Fast, flat ride with slight tailwind and cool, overcast weather; all
distance along divided 4-lane highway, mostly with good shoulder,
except last 20km before Mendoza, which was a bit scary. Stopped at
33km for coffee (and restroom), then just roadside stops to refuel
with Coke. Riding into town at 2:30pm and then finally a “victory lap”
on Plaza Independencia was an indescribable feeling which I will never
forget! I had covered the distance from Bariloche to Mendoza, some
1239km, in 9 days of riding (counting first and last half days as one
full day). That’s 138km and 7hrs / day without rest day for 9 days!
San Juan and La Rioja Provinces
Monday, April 12
Miami to Mendoza
Flight Miami – Santiago – Mendoza;
Return to Hotel Horcones, where my bike, trailer and bags had been
stored. Relaxed afternoon, good food and Skype with Jill. To bed by
11pm.
Tuesday, April 13
Mendoza to Talacasto
227km / 17041km; 8.8h / 947h; 700m
Early start at 8am just after sunrise. Chilly air, but slight wind out
of the South. Through Mendoza city traffic with plenty of traffic
lights, then past airport and onto open roads. Moderate tailwind makes
for good average speed. I cover the first 100km in less than 4hrs. Avg
speed 28km/h; the road is totally flat – at 100km I have only 40m
elevation! So I reach the one larger town, Villa Media Agua, 115km, at
12:30pm, way too early to stop for the day. I eat a large salad and
buy more juice to stay hydrated, even though I drink comparatively
little due to the cool temperatures (15C).
After lunch a bit slower at first, then with good tailwind to San Juan
and rest at 169km for coffee and Internet. It’s only 3:30pm. So I
decide to go even further with the tailwind and 3+ hrs of daylight
remaining.
After San Juan 10 km more at high speed to Villa General San Martin.
Thereafter the road bends to the West and starts climbing into the
hills. It’s very dry up here, similar to the desert-like stretches
South of Mendoza. I end up climbing more than 400m, which reduces my avg speed quite dramatically and I’m concerned for the first time
whether I can make it to the next settlement called Talacasto. It’s
little more than a kiosk at an intersection, but there is a good
chance I can at least get water and probably shelter from the wind for
my tent overnight.
Beautiful landscape in the warm light of the setting sun. It’s colder
when I stop for photos due to the wind (by now 20km/h). Once I get
over the crest the road descends into a bowl. With the tailwind and my trailer weight I accelerate until I top out at 76km/h! Then another
flat section and sunset. Finally I arrive at the intersection as
daylight is fading – definitely maxed out today’s distance at 227km! I
get some coffee, sandwiches and more juice. I set up my tent behind
the kiosk building out of the wind. Into the sleeping bag at 9pm – for
11hrs of rest and warmth.
Wednesday, April 14
Talacasta to San José de Jachal
106km / 17147km; 5.2h / 952h; 350m
I sleep until about 8am and get up for some photos at sunrise. Then a
good breakfast with cereal and milk; I am not in a hurry, as today
will be a shorter distance (105 km) and I want the sun to heat up the
chilly air. And there is still S wind – tailwind for the second day in
a row! Probably too good to be true… Well I start with tailwind
during the first hour, then the wind subsides and swings over to the
East (now from the side). I stop at a Refugio at an intersection at 53
km to eat and drink, as well as to apply sunscreen. There are some
workers arriving in a truck loaded with firewood who also make their
lunch break here. As I’m about to leave I discover that my rear tire
is half deflated! A slow leak again; as it turns out this is caused by
the tube rubbing on the inside against the tire which is coming apart
in one section (looks like a manufacturing defect). I tape up the tore
and patch the tube, then pump up the tire and 1/2hr later I’m on the
road again.
Now it’s much slower going due to the variable wind. I stop at one
place called Niquivil and get a tomato salad as a late lunch. I get a
huge portion with egg bread, all for just 5 pesos. I struggle to
finish the salad, which is rare. It’s great food, except the remaining
25km on the bike are not ideal, as the full stomach doesn’t like to
ride… There is a bit of uphill, but soon I get to San Jose de
Jachal. Now I have at least 1.5 hrs before sunset, so I can find a
place to stay, Internet, buy food and have dinner. Here some
restaurants don’t open for dinner until 9pm! Reminds me of Alaska,
where I once arrived at a nice family restaurant at 9:05pm, hungry as
always after a long day on the bike, and they were already closed! Not so in Argentina; I have a Milanesa, followed by some huge ice cream
from the Heladeria across the Plaza. Then back to the hotel and skype
with Jill. To bed at 11pm as tomorrow will be a long day.
Thursday, April 15
San José de Jachal to Villa Union
150km / 17297km; 7.3h / 959h; 900m
Very brisk morning air, only about 10C/50F. Fall is coming, some trees
leaves are starting to turn yellow. I start in long pants and long
sweater over my standard short bike outfit.
The first 10km to the East into the rising sun with nice light effects
for photography. Then entering the Cauquenes La Cienaga, a beautiful
Canyon area with a narrow, windy and steep road leading through it
(all paved). I take plenty of pictures, even ride back up one stretch
for a second descent filming video. These 35km are some of the finest
I have seen in all of South America. After a short, steep descent I
pause at a police check-point to eat, drink and apply plenty of
sunscreen. The next leg is some 70km across the Pampa without anything in between. There are lots of Socalled “Badenes”, long dips in the road where water crosses the road when it occasionally does rain.
Problem is that then a lot of mud and gravel remains in the dips,
which means you have to be careful rolling through the dips. There are
also some long slopes to climb, not very steep, but 100m up and down
every now and then. After 40km of that I look for a place with shade
for a lunch break. At 75km I notice a large tree close to the road in
a dry riverbed. There are also tire tracks from the road to the tree,
so I’m clearly not the first cyclist to have this idea. The shade is
nice, almost a bit cool, but that’s a welcome change from the intense
sun all day. I eat bread, cheese, a tomato and banana – light foods –
and drink plenty of water and juice. Refreshed I resume the ride.
There is a nice downhill to the valley floor when I pass two
hitchhikers at the turnoff to a mine. I have a feeling I might see
them again later… There is also a little tailwind so I can quickly
finish the 30km to the intersection near Guandacol. Here at 105km I
rest again with more food and water. Since it’s only 3:30pm I decide
to continue to Villa Union, another 45km with a little pass to cross.
I take my time riding uphill and stop several times for photos and to
take on the view. Eventually I crest the pass and can roll down into
the next valley – like the final glide after a long day of
hanggliding! A quick stop at a tourist info at the intersection of
Ruta 40 and the road to Villa Union. I find a nice hostel (Laguna
Brava) and there are the two hitchhikers again, who arrived just a bit
earlier. I take a shower, then walk to the Plaza and find WiFi for
some email. Later I eat a large Pizza, followed by a Skype session
with Jill. Now I’m really tired and ready for some deep sleep…
Friday, April 16
Villa Union to Chilecito
114km / 17411km; 7h / 966h; 1400m
Slow start due to getting up at 8:15 and slow, but big breakfast,
showing my bike to Livia and Oliver (the two hitchhikers) and then
getting stopped at a police check point just outside Villa Union. It’s
10:30 by the time I’m turning West on Ruta 40 and start my day in
earnest. And it’s a long and steady climb up into the foothills
surrounding the valley.
I get up to 1400m (from 1150m) and ride along a plateau on a fine,
flat road, listening to the rest of the audiobook on Magellan’s Great
Voyage around the world some 500 years ago.
The km click by slowly and it’s getting very hot. I stop to apply
sunscreen and drink, then continue. Then the road worsens and soon the pavement ends and it’s gravel for the next 40km or so! At 40km I reach a small group of houses and stop there in the shade. I can even buy some coke to hydrate and refresh. Still, 600+m ate still waiting to be climbed, and it’s almost 2pm, later in the day than I wanted. Slowly I continue uphill, enjoying the scenery and the challenge posed by the
pass. I take a few photos here and there; soon I can see the top of
the pass called “Cuesta de Miranda” at 2020m. I reach the top around
4:45pm and spend only minutes before heading down the other side. It’s too bad I’m pressed for time ad I would have liked to take more photos and just enjoy the views and scenery.
The first 10km or so is still gravel and a narrow road with often
steep drops, so I need to descend very carefully. Then the pavement
begins again and I can let it roll. The next 20km just fly by at
speeds between 45-55 km/h. Compared to the first 60km – which took me 5h to complete – this feels like a mad rush. I’m thinking how much
less you see, say from a motorcycle at even higher speeds, when you
have to pay so much more attention to the road. Anyway, I enjoy the
long downhill – over 1000m descent, haven’t had this kind of descent
since Mexico some 6 months ago! Soon I’m at the bottom and turn North again on Ruta 40. People here are really curious about my bike and greet me enthusiastically and take pictures. My leg muscles get really cold and stiff and the remaining 15km to Chilecito are not pleasant. There is also a bit more traffic and it’s again uphill, some 150m by the time I reach the center of Chilecito.
It takes me a while to find the much advertised Hostel Paíman; it’s
annoying that I get so many different directions when I ask people
here. Finally I find it and decide to stay; there is another cyclist,
Diego from Buenos Aires, who is also riding North from Ushuaia and
crossed the same pass as I did a bit ahead of me.
Later I have dinner and skype with Jill. Tonight I’m very tired;
perhaps a rest day or half day would be in order…
Mendoza to Salta
Saturday, April 17
Chilecito to Pituil
82km / 17497km; 4.5h / 971h; 890m
Today I’m aiming for a semi rest day since my legs are still very sore
from yesterday’s pass (and the last 4 days altogether). So I sleep
late (8:30), then have a leisure breakfast, and plan to start riding
in the afternoon.
After breakfast I explore Chilecito by walking up some 75m to a big
cross on top of a hill, which offers excellent views of the entire
little town. Then I walk back to the central plaza and the restaurant
where I ate last night as they have WiFi… I check email and write a
new Blog post over a second cup of coffee. Then I head back to the
Hostal Paíman to get my bike.
It’s about 1:30pm by the time I start rolling through the center of
town. I try to find the Ruta 40, but there are no signs. From memory
of my map and an earlier look at Google maps I figure I need to get a
bit to the West. So I ride along what appears to be the main road, but
it goes far West and worse, it goes steadily uphill. I ask three
people whether this is the Ruta 40 North – and they all answer
affirmative! Eventually I ask again and I’m being sent nearly all the
way back! I can’t believe it, but I rode nearly 10km and climbed 150m
in the full midday heat for nothing! But mistakes like this happen
sometimes, and ther is no use fretting over it now.
When I continue on the right road there is a series of long sloped
descents and ascents due to the uneven valley floor, often some
150-200m over the course of a 10km straight stretch of the road.
I pass the Chilecito garbage dump and the smoke of smoldering fires.
Beyond that the landscape is beautiful and fairly untouched. Big
mountains on either side of the North-South valleys. With the initial
detour and the multiple hill climbing it’s getting late in the
afternoon and I decide to only ride to the next little village called
Pituil. So I take my time, stopping a few times and enjoying the
scenery and tranquility of this place.
Eventually I reach Pituil around 6:30pm and look for the usual: A
place to stay, dinner and Internet access. At first it looks like
there is hardly anything going on here – the central plaza seems very
quiet and devoid of any activity. But then I learn about a Hospedaje,
which also supposedly has Internet! As there is temporarily nobody
home there I decide to look for dinner first and find a little place
where they bake an oven-fresh Pizza for me as their only guest. Then
back to the Hospedaje and there is a friendly, elderly woman named
Rosa who manages everything there. So I stay there and read about the many cyclists who have stayed here over the years. I also get to use her Internet (via LAN cable), which she only got a few months ago 
So I get to skype again with Jill… To bed by 11pm for 8hrs of deep sleep.
Sunday, April 18
Pituil to Belén
152km / 17647km; 7.5h / 979h; 930m
The alarm sounds at 7:30am – why do the nights seem so short when you need more sleep? Anyway, I got a long way to go today so I need to get up and ready. Some improvised breakfast with one cup of coffee and some fruit and cookies. The maitre de maison, Rosa, gives me company, but she also talks a lot; when she starts talking about Argentinean politics I politely but firmly remind her that I need to leave. At 8:45am I ride into the morning sun in nice, cool morning air. I
quickly shed the long pants as there is no wind and the sun warms me
up quickly.
After 35km there is a 200m descent to a beautiful valley with several
villages, so the next stretch of 15km is like one “Zona Urbana”. I
stop at 50km for a second breakfast and then buy some more soda and at another mini-market a 5l bottle of water. I need to prepare for a
70-80km stretch with no villages in the full midday heat. A short
stretch West on Ruta 60, then Ruta 40 again leads North. (Ruta 60 is
the road which leads up to the Paso San Francisco, where we had been from the Chile side for Ojos del Salado.) I cross the Rio Salado,
which is an almost completely dry river-bed. Then a 150m hill in the
full heat (33C) – hopefully there will be some flat stretches ahead!
Another downhill and then a straight road to the horizon – I measure
it to be 24km long! At its end I stop at 103km and rest in the shade
of a tree next to a little bridge. I drink another liter of water
mixed with Tang and eat some fruit and the remaining cookies.
I enjoy the freedom to be able to stop wherever I like and watch the
landscape around me. When you travel by bus or car you don’t nearly
see as much as from the bicycle.
I continue with some up & down while listening to the audiobook on
Emotional Intelligence – an interesting contrast to the sheer endless
roads. At 135km I’m approaching the village Londres; a road-biker,
Pedro, rides up to me and we chat a bit. He hands me a cereal bar,
very nice. I stop at a plaza in Londres to drink the 1.5l soda bottle
with the cereal bar and a banana. Londres is an old settlement, with
several nice plazas and Ruta 40 – unlike wit more modern towns – winds right through town! Refreshed from the stop I tackle the last 15km to
Belen in beautiful evening light. Rolling through Londres with the
light at my back, good music in my ears and a slight downhill, all heads
turning for my curious bike + trailer, at that instant I know again
that I made the right choice, both with the recumbent bike and with the entire trip in the first place!
Then I reach Belen, find a hostel right on Ruta 40, get some dinner
and icecream, and do some email and skype with Jill.
Monday, April 19
Belén to Hualfi
63km / 17709km ; 4.25h / 983h; 1030m
Today I decide to have another semi rest day, meaning I will have a
leisure morning and only ride in the afternoon. First I have some
breakfast and then I walk up to the Statue of the “Virgen de Belén”.
At 175m above the town this path provides a commanding view of the
town and surrounding valley. After returning I visit the cathedral at
the central plaza and have another triple icecream. Some more shopping for juice and fruit before I do a final email check and prepare to get ready.
I start riding at 1:30pm. One downside of this method is that it is
now very hot with intense sun – so I missed the cool morning hours…
Even though it won’t be a long distance, there is some significant
uphill in the cards today. The road climbs about 600m to Hualfin, and
with frequent up’s & down’s I will have about 1000m at the end of the
day. Luckily I have some tailwind developing now in the afternoon. A
beautiful river canyon just North of Belén makes for a scenic start.
Then it opens up wide but the road continues to ascend slightly. The
tailwind is faster than I ride uphill, so it provides some cooling
from behind, an unusual, but certainly welcome feeling.
Multiple cars pass me which appear to participate in some rally along
the Ruta 40 based on their stickers and equipment they carry.
I enjoy the afternoon ride in the sun. In the distance up on the
mountains I see white-gray fields. First it looks like snow and
glaciers, but since it’s so dry and hot here I can’t quite believe
there would be glaciers. What at first appear to be crevasses turn out
to be sand dunes! I don’t know where this sand is coming from but
there are definitely large fields of sand up there.
After a little village called El Eje the pavement ends and some
gravel / sand stretch starts. Together with some steep up&down this
slows me down dramatically. Hopefully this stretch (someone said 35km) won’t take too long to cross; it should be the last gravel section until Bolivia.
In beautiful evening light I reach the village of Hualfin, where
friendly locals provide me with fresh picked grapes from the
surrounding vineyards. I find a nice little hostel, take a hot shower
and have dinner in the nearby comedor – to the sound of a loudly
commented soccer match on TV. (You know you’re in Argentina when… Gooooooaaaaal!)
I walk a km or so to another Hosteria with WiFi so I can do email and
Skype with Jill. To bed by 11pm after walking back in crisp night air
under the stars.
Tuesday, April 20
Hualfi to Santa Maria
116km / 17827km; 7.5h / 990h; 800m
Breakfast around 8am and buying some juice next door prior to leaving
around 9am. Again the sun warms quickly, so no long pants required.
The first 30km turn out to be quite hard: Bad ripio, often deep and
soft sand, 500m climbing to gain 400m, surprisingly one river crossing
with 15cm deep water, lots of construction traffic… I need to get
off and push the bike three times for about 1km each time. It takes me until 12:40pm and exactly 3h of riding to reach the pavement again at
30km!
Then the road crosses a high plain around 2250m, past an airstrip, and
it gets quite hot and windy. Dust devils swirl around the plain with
variable winds. My main concern is my limited supply of water, as I
bypassed Los Nascimentos on the construction zone road. Lots of heat and no shade anywhere other than what me bike and panniers provide.
Then a nice downhill which lifts my spirit. Finally I get to “Punta
de Balasto” at 82km and find running water to cool my head and a
place which sells Coke to quench my thirst. I sit in the shade and
relax for 1/2h.
Now it’s another 35km to Santa Maria. There is a bit of a headwind now (which prevents me from listening to my iPod music as the wind noise
becomes too loud), but the road slowly descends which compensates a bit. I stop at San Jose some 14km before goal to drink the rest of my
coke. Lots of curious kids here, so I am telling my story for the
umpteenth time…
The rest should be an easy roll to the finish – but there is a
veritable dust storm brewing and the town is under a haze of dust,
very eerie looking. At times hard work against the stormy headwind
blowing dust in my face, but finally I make it to the center of Santa
Maria. at a tourist info I find all required info and soon have cash
from an ATM and a hostel just one block from the central plaza.
After a hot shower I get some more juice, check email at a Cyber
Internet provider, and order a steak for dinner. An icecream for
desert, but no more email as I’m just too tired.
Wednesday, April 21
Santa Maria to Cafayate
80km / 17907km; 4.5h / 995h; 400m
After breakfast at the nearby restaurant I first have to repair a flat
rear tire. It’s the same type of slow leak caused by the tire coming
apart on its onside and rubbing against the tube, which eventually
rubs open. I take care of this in the courtyard of the Hostal Doña
Amalia, where it’s cool, clean and quiet. I also clean the rear wheel
while I’m at it – it has seen quite a bit of road and dust since
Mendoza.
I buy some juice and get on the road. I’m crossing a wide river bed
via a narrow bridge to get back onto Ruta 40. At the intersection
there is a chance encounter with a film crew of two on a little
motorcycle; they are out filming for a local cable TV station. So
there you go I’m giving my second TV interview (after the one in
Guatemala City)! In Spanish, of course (or maybe Spanglish). The road
is of poor quality here, and soon I can’t tell whether it’s a paved
road with lots of potholes or a gravel road with some patches of
asphalt. Soon thereafter it’s just gravel and sand, which goes on for
about 15km! Had I known that it would get this tough – borderline
unrideable – I would have taken the slight detour (paved). But I pass
some farms drying fresh peppers and meet three motorcycle riders who
enjoy this stretch a bit more on their Enduros.
Finally I’m back on asphalt and the bike rolls with so much less
resistance I feel it’s going forward almost by itself.
I stop at Colalao, a small village at 45km for lunch.
After lunch strong headwind kicks in for tough last 25km or so. Nice
vineyards and hotels next to the road. Stop at campground but decide
to keep looking. Nice cafe and restaurants at central plaza. WiFi and
email check over coffee. Stay at Hostal El Balcon 1 block from central
plaza. Cooking dinner (pasta with ham and vino) in hostel, later skype
with Jill.
Thursday, April 22
Cafayate to La Viña
106km / 18014km; 5.75h / 1001h; 600m
I get up at 7:15 to have breakfast and prepare for an early start.
However, I end up sending sone email and skyping with my cousin Rudi
in Vienna. By the time I’m ready to leave it’s 9am. Matt from Los
Angeles, who started riding in Buenos Aires, is going the same
direction so we decide to ride together.
Beautiful morning light and ride towards the Quebrada. We meet
Ricardo, a local rider who is touring Tucuman and Salta regions with
minimal weight – and tells about dufficulties in navigation and
communication in Bolivia.
Soon we are in the midst of colorful rock formations and stop
frequently for photos. The red sandstone paints a quite unique
scenery. With the lush greens along the river. We pass the Obelisque
and the Garganta de Diablo, a steep gorge. Even though we are
following the river downstream and end up 500m lower for the day,
there is still quite a bit of climbing involved with up&down along the
river. At 40km we stop in the shade for a lunch snack.
Later at 73km we meet two Finnish riders going the opposite way and
chat with them a little bit. Some strong headwind gusts as the last
couple of day beginning around 3pm. When we get out of the mountain ridges we have another 20km to go. It almost starts to rain. I pass
both the 1000 hr and the 18.000 km mark practically simultaneously.
When we get to La Viña we first have a cup of coffee, then check in at a hostel, take a hot shower, study the map and my Bike-Book for the
road going North and finally have dinner across the street.
Friday, April 23
La Viña to Salta
102km / 18116km; 6h / 1007h; 400m
Late start around 11am; distance “only” around 90km and no major
hills. It is, however, quite cold today, at least 10-15C colder than
yesterday. Autumn is coming!
Nice ride initially, with more green – so probably also more rain. We
get a few raindrops, but it stays mostly dry all day.
Lunch at 50km at a little place where locals go to eat – we would call
it a dive: cheap, but very tasty food. We get a dozen empañadas and
hot veggie soup to warm up.
After lunch continuing in long pants and shirt due to cooling off
while sitting for lunch. The rest (40km) turns out to be some of the
least pleasant riding since Bariloche, due to more traffic and several
close passings by buses and trucks. Then we follow the directions I
got from the B&B and promptly these directions send us out West to the airport. It takes about 5km before we suspect that this is wrong; we ask and need to turn around and backtrack; so 10km extra before we finally get to the center of Salta. Lots of traffic and along this
route I can’t see why some refer to Salta as the most beautiful city
in Argentina. Maybe I’ll see that tomorrow. I finally reach the
Bloomers B&B at 6:30pm and check in with my bike – I’m glad to have
completed this big stretch from Mendoza to Salta.
Salta to Bolivia border
Tuesday, April 27
Salta to San Salvador de Jujuy
100km / 18216; 5.5h / 1012h; 800m
I go to the customs counter at the post office at 9am to send home a
package of things I don’t absolutely need; this will drop my weight by
about 4.5kg. After some opening and repacking I can finally send this
on it’s way and then retrieve my bike from the Bloomers B&B to start
my ride around 10am.
The road R9 goes North to La Caldera. There at 25km I stop at the
Hosteria La Caldera, which Gray Clark had pointed out to me from his
previous trips to the Salta region. I have brunch there and enjoy the
relaxed pace. At noon I continue riding, now via a narrow and winding
road climbing into the hills. Once over a little saddle at 1550m the
road descends gradually into a dense cloud forest. This is a perfect
road for cycling: Paved smooth road, little traffic, one turn after
another, slight downhill rolling, cloud forest – what more could you
ask for?
Later I pass the 5 fingers of a reservoir and get to the little
village with another dam, the Dique La Cienaga, stopping for photos
and to drink some juice.
Another flat 25km or so and I reach San Salvador de Jujuy. A busy
provincial capital, it reminds a bit of Salta, but can’t quite match
it’s flair. I consult a tourist info booth at the central Plaza
Belgrano and find a hostel a few blocks away. After a hot shower I go
to have dinner and skype with Jill from the nice restaurant Miralejo
right at the plaza.
Wednesday, April 28
Jujuy to Purmamarca
67km / 18283km; 4.6h / 1017h; 1400m
I have breakfast from 8-9am at the Hostel. Then I decide to spend a
little more time in the city, a kind of minimal cultural program: I
visit two churches, the Cultural Center, the public library and the
history museum. I also buy some groceries before heading back to the
Hostel and getting ready to leave at noon.
Initially there is lots of traffic in the city and lots of school kids
on the streets. As expected, the road leads uphill, slowly but
steadily. I will watch my altimeter more today than my odometer for
progress towards today’s goal – to gain some 1,000 m of altitude
(which typically requires climbing some 1,250 m or so).
As I continue I pass the little villages of Yala and Leon. Both
subscribe to some model of ecotourism. Roadsigns declare this to be
one of “the most beautiful landscapes of the country”. Good thing they
point this out, as I would not have noticed otherwise 
Around 2000 m the scenery changes and the forest subsides, giving way to grassy meadows on both sides of the wide riverbed. I notice a
Cabañas place called “El Caserio” which looks very nice and also flies
the flags of Argentina and Austria. In hopes of talking to some
countrymen and perhaps even some Austrian food I ride over there;
turns out it’s only the flag of a local soccer team, though… But
still nice talking to the landlord with his two Labrador dogs.
Back on the road I’m lucky to be at the right place at the right time
and catch a slow moving truck for Trucksurfing, hanging on to the back and let the truck’s engine pull me uphill. I thus cover the next steep
150m (vertical gain) at 15-20km/h, rather than at 5-7km/h. Hard on the left arm and elbow, but lots of fun.
Then I stop at a little kiosk for dome juice. Unfortunately they don’t
offer light meals or salads, for a full blown meal this is not the
right time at 4pm as I still have about 2hrs of riding ahead of me.
Listening to audiobook (Emotional Intelligence) I continue in the now
changing landscape: Less trees, some cacti, grassy meadows…
Eventually reach the turn-off to Paso Jama (road to Chile), which I
follow 3km uphill to Purmamarca. Here I pitch my tent at a campground
and stroll the village and find a Cyber Internet provider for email
and Skype. Into the sleeping bag by 11:30pm.
Thursday, April 29
Purmamarca to Humahuaca
72km / 18356km; 4.25h / 1021h; 1050m
I sleep until 9 and then have some coffee and type my daily notes for
yesterday. I also stop by the Cyber to check email. Then pack away my tent -quite dusty this place here – and get ready to ride.
I’m pleased to see that the sun is burning off the thin layer of
clouds and starts to warm up the morning air. I need a light sweater
for the first 3km and 120m downhill; that was the extra effort
required yesterday to get up here. Once in the valley below I shed the
extra layer and can ride comfortably; it’s already 11am after all.
Beautiful scenery along the Quenrada de Incahuasi with Manu different
colors of sandstone. Then stop for lunch in Ticara at 25km. Great
almuerzo completo for just 12 pesos ($3)!
Continuing in warm sunshine with tailwind into the valley. Riding is a
lot of fun today, with relatively short distance, hence a lot of time
for breaks and good conditions. One noteworthy geographic feature is
that I’m crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, so I’m riding in the
tropics again. That said, since I’m clbing up to the altiplano, it’s
getting cooler every day, not tropically hot. Another stop at 45km
for coffee at the very upscale Hotel Huacalera. Email check thanks to
WiFi; among others trying to coordinate Sajama climb.
Continue around 4:30pm for last leg, some 25km to Humahuarca. Nice
afternoon light for the various Quebradas along the way. I arrive at
goal around 6pm and roll through the village in search of a
campground. Once the tent is set up I take a shower and then walk to
the village center for the usual: WiFi and restaurants for dinner.
Friday, April 30
Humahuaca to Abra Pampa
88km / 18445km; 6.2h / 1028h; 1100m
Long day of climbing over a pass near 3800m, the highest I’ve ever cycled so far. Slow but steady going uphill, good road, weather cooperating, no rain, overcast.
Saturday, May 1
Abra Pampa to Villazon, Bolivia
81km / 18526; 4.3h / 1032h; 200m
Getting up early at 7am, packing my stuff, small breakfast and on the
road by 7:45am just before sunrise. I want to make sure I cover some
good distance prior to any wind or even (forecast) rain setting in.
It’s brisk, probably no more than 10C/50F, but I’m making good
progress at average speed of 20km/h since it’s pretty flat. Every 20km
I stop for 5min to eat a few cookies and drink. Interestingly, there
are lots of dogs chasing me this morning, often running as much as
200-300m from their yards to the road. I take several pictures of
these various dogs.
The landscape turns more and more barren, with snow-covered mountains on the horizon. After 3.5h of riding and a bit more than 70km I roll into La Quiaca, the last town in Argentina. I stop for a small lunch, since I have just some Argentinean pesos left.
Then I cross the border and get my passport stamps; it’s the first
time I’m entering Bolivia!
I ride past all the little shops and street dealers – everybody calls
you amigo or friend, I wonder why – and I ride straight to the
train station. Just finding it isn’t easy, as it is a non-descript
building hiding the train tracks. Then I find out they don’t accept US
dollars, so I need to find an ATM to obtain some Bolivianos. Just
finding an ATM turns out to be tricky. People often don’t give exact
descriptions and more than one bank is closed. Finally I find an ATM;
then my Visa Checking card isn’t accepted there, so I need to use one
of my credit cards instead. Then back to the train station and buying
the ticket. The bike and trailer need to be checked in separately next
door, there I get a ticket stub, then back to the original counter to
pay, then back to the luggage counter for another receipt… With all
the bags I need to carry back & forth this is quite an act. At long
last I have all tickets and can relax in the waiting hall – it’s
another 1.5h until the train departs. Time to eat, drink and type
these notes.
The 9hr train ride turns out to be quite an adventure – I need a rest
day after that odyssey. Perfect to go on a daytour out to the Salar de
Uyuni…
Links:
Blog: http://tlausser.com/blog
Website: http://www.panamericanpeaks.com
Peaks: http://tlausser.com/blog/peaks
Rides: http://tlausser.com/blog/rides
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tlausser
Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/tlausserPicasa
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/tlausser
Donations: http://www.firstgiving.com/tlausser
