Day 26 – January 16th 2016 – Route
The team woke up early. And we were welcomed in again by Fabio to have coffee and freshly baked bread. What hospitality! We then hit the road and cycled from the border to a police station in the middle of nowhere. A long day on the bike and we racked up almost 90 kilometers. It was a good mix of a quiet road with some unpleasant hills and some pleasant downhills. We actually bumped into a pair of Brazilian cyclists heading the other direction. Christian, a Chilean cyclist heading the other way joined us that evening. A pleasant evening with the new friends and a good nights sleep. James also found a machete on the roadside! (which complements the penknife and Stanley multitool already found on the trip!)
Day 27 – January 17th 2016 – Route
Christian mentioned it was his birthday so we sang him happy birthday and gave a gift of biscuits. We got on our bikes in the hope of getting to El Calafate. Everyone had pretty low energy, the wind became strong and there was not much to look at so the ride was pretty boring. We were also low on snacks which didn’t help. There was a hotel on the map but when we arrived the hotel was not there anymore. We managed to find a local man and asked if we could camp on his land and he agreed. He showed us a wind free spot by the river – super nice. We finished the evening with a go on the tyre swing and a bathe in the river.
Day 28 – January 18th 2016 – Route
We all got up at 05:15 and were on the road at 06:30 in an effort to beat the wind. It worked and we cycled the 45km in 2.5 hours. We went straight to the supermarket and bought breakfast. After a lot of searching we found 2 nights accommodation in a nice hotel. The rest of the day was spent paying bills and catching up with washing (clothes & ourselves) – oh the glamour. We rounded off the evening with an all you can eat meat extravaganza shared with Vincent & Mimi!
Day 29 – 20th January 2016
Ate so much breakfast that we felt sick. Went to the hardware store for some bits & pieces for the next part of the trip. The rest of the day was filled with a trip to the Perito Mereno glacier – which was spectacular. Nice to not be on the bike!
Bit surprised to see the small petrol motor located in the bike frame James with the extended range fuel tank clearly visible. Will be putting through a letter to UCI to notify contravention of rule 14 (c).
Best not tell the others. No doubt you are keeping hydrated at altitude. Well done both of you. Keep the pedals turning and watch out for wild sheep. Your long lost antipodean relative (by marriage)
Hi H,
We have not been attacked by sheep yet. We have eaten them and the merino wool is keeping us warm on the trip.
If only I had a petrol motor – on the hills I dream of motorised transport!