January 2nd. started off dull and cloudy and eventually descended into drizzle and finally proper rain. The advantage of this was that the horseflies decided to take the day off and we could finish the ripio at our own pace. At the tiny hamlet of Puelche, which has a ferry we picked up the asphalt again. Continue reading
We first visited the cactus garden next to the archaeological ruins. On display were different varieties of cactus of different sizes, many of them either in flower or about to flower. Continue reading
Heading North Despite still feeling delicate we headed off next day and managed 40 kms including some height gain to the town of Vulcan. Just before we reached the town borders we met fellow cyclists Marcelo and Patricia (http://ciclistaviajero.com). Continue reading
We broke our golden rule about using a municipal campsite at the weekend and paid the price. It turned out there was a disco next door to the Salta campsite and every Saturday there is a lively and noisy scene there until about 5.30am. Continue reading
Cafayate is quite a touristy town, well organised and developed but not so big that it is overwhelming. There are three museums there and the town is surrounded by vineyards where you can taste the different wines. Continue reading
The hostel in Belen turned out to be a real find. It was well-built and all the services worked. There was even slow wi-fi in the rooms. Continue reading
We had a relaxing, if frustrating, day off in Villa Union, where the promised wi-fi ‘paratodos’ (for everyone) in the main plaza didn’t work. The computer shop nearby advertising wi-fi paratodos directed me to the petrol station which had an open network and I spent an undignified hour on the kerb reading emails. Continue reading
We had been told the Argentinian Automobile Association had free wi-fi in their café, so we paid them a visit before leaving San Jose de Jachal, dutifully buying two coffees to find out the password. The wi-fi wasn’t working, other people were also having problems and there was no one in the office to put it right. Continue reading
Just as we left the campsite at Calingasta the drizzle started. The sky was overcast and it was clear we would need our wet weather gear at some stage. We cycled alongside a small river with trees, houses and a variety of plants that were not pampas. The road was a series of ups and downs for about 45km so pleasant and not too tiring. We were heading towards some North Wales style black clouds, with blue sky above us and more black clouds behind. Continue reading
Fourteen years ago Rob and I cycled the ‘Great Divide’ off-road cycle route in North America. The route follows the water divide as much as possible through the continent starting in Glacier National Park in Canada via the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Mexican border in New Mexico. After finishing the ride we planned to tackle South America next. Continue reading