January 2, 2011
LaPrida -Villa Cerra Ventana
Dawn saw me well rested and anxious to get on the road as soon as I'd completed the morning routine of breakfast and the final packing of everything on the bike. The sun rose just as I set off. There would be no calling it a day shortly after midday today, today I planned to keep on going till evening. The reason, the map showed the next town on my planned route to be Tornquist, 195km away, so I resolved to ride most of it today. I only had a little food so would rely on getting to Tornquist early tomorrow at the latest.
The first 25km was North with a light crosswind, then at a great big roundabout in the middle of open countryside, my road went West. This road had a smooth surface unlike the patchy one I'd been on, but it was a National road and therefore had quite allot of trucks. Thankfully though, the now tailwind bowled me along rapidly and after just 10km, the busy road split off South West and my road continued West as a quiet Provincial road, albeit with the return of the middling quality road surface. There were parts that were smooth and other stretches which were patchy and badly corroded old ash-felt.
But I should not complain as it was a wonderful morning, the sky had cotton wool clouds which let the sun through while slowing down the rate at which the day warmed up.
The countryside was no longer so flat. It was in transition from Pampa to low rolling hills.
I stop for the usual mid-morning break at a bus-shelter and watch a Friesian cow with her calf in a small enclosure. The calf is looking around it curiously, perhaps it didn't mush like it's small new world of enclosed pasture and wished for something better*.
And better it would get the farther I the cyclist rode. The road became a gentle roller-coaster, up and over, down and gradually up to the next summit. Wheat-fields on either side had low round hills in them. And off ahead I see the outline of mountains.
Actually those mountains I saw, Cerra de Ventana, or, The mountain of the Window, so-called because of a peak with a hole in it, were my ultimate goal for the day. I was aware of them after research on the Internet on the province of Buenos Aires before leaving home.
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I had already bethought the possibility that this was to be a long stretch sans refreshments. I had enough tap water and although meager, enough food. But there was a road junction ahead and thence perhaps a service station.
The service-station came earlier than expected, well before the junction, and it was 12.20, time for lunch. I had lunch of Milanesa in a sandwich, which is steak fried in batter. It was washed down by a cold beer.
There were three guys sat at another table which were the only other customers which remained silent. I sat with my back to them and watched the TV which can be interesting sometimes. It showed the President of Brazil in Brasilia stood in an open Limousin waving as his motorcade passes through the streets. Jogging along side keeping up with the President's Limousin are the body guards formally dressed in black and white. Now, not only is it very warm in Brasilia at this time of year, too warm for a shirt and tie even standing still, but these guys were running dressed like this. Just how would they have the energy left to tackle anyone.
The forecourt of the petrol-station was a rustic place where hens pecked in the dirt. A rooster took a fright as I rode away running in front of the wheel.
An hour ahead, I arrive at the road junction and another big roundabout in the middle of open countryside. Here as predicted is a petrol-station and I stop for a cold drink. By the roadside a line of flags on flagpoles blew vigorously in my direction. Glad I wasn't going the opposite way.
Onwards, the roller-coaster continued. There were verdant green plots of not yet in bloom Sunflowers but the dominant colour was gold, wheat everywhere and dust rising from busy combine harvesters.
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Around about four there were lots of nice tall Eucalyptus plantations by the roadside. I still had cold drink from the last petrol station rolled inside my mat. So I stop here for an afternoon snack of biscuits and the cold drink was Grape-fruit Fanta which was really nice. I spent another half hour sat against a tree trunk with my head in my book while a pleasant cool breeze blows in under the trees.
The early evening saw the road pass through hill country, where wheat-fields were reduced to small plots running up to rough pastures with rock out-crops and rugged hills. It looked like Scotland on a fine Summers evening.
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The road became particularly rough on this stretch though, being old corroded lumpy ash-felt, so I had to ride slowly and swerve around really bad bits.
As the sun got lower in the sky, I came to a Y-junction with Tornquist straight on and Villa Cerra Ventana 12km on the left, a village with a fancy sign with all facilities including camping which I had not noticed on the ACA map but it was there indicated by a white circle. It was dilemma time, as ahead too a big sign indicated, Monument Natural Cerra Ventana, and which way should I go, I didn't Know, so I took the map out to have a look.
A car coming from the left road slows and pulls over, it's driver gets out and precedes to tell me that the village where he has just been is a nice place. He talked quite allot, all the usual stuff and amazement at how far I'd cycled he expressed while I am anxious to get away as it would be dark in an hour. Eventually, I politely say goodbye and take the left to the village he recommended.
The closer I got to the village, the more I wished I'd cycled straight on at the junction, as there was nothing to see here and the traffic was now constant. The camping-site though was a plus, a pleasant grassy park and only a few other campers. It was ran by an active man with thin rim glasses and smiling eyes. He had a shop at his house at the park entrance and there he gave me a cold beer so I relaxed in the fading sunlight.
* Note of the day. A Friesian, is a black and white cow named after the part of Holland it originates from. In Argentina, the breed is called Hollanda argentino.
Today's ride: 174 km (108 miles)
Total: 7,962 km (4,944 miles)
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