October 5, 2010
Route 5.: The way to Tacuarembo.
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This morning was one of those dewy mornings were, grass, the leaves on the trees are dripping wet and the tent's fly sheet is soaked inside and out. And there wasn't much point in waiting for the sun to dry things out not if you like to be on the road early. Additionally there were tall trees blocking the sun so I had to pack the tent wet.
Its 10.30 am and I'm sitting by the roadside having a break. This morning the road is straight. There are lots of slow drags up where I feel the heat of the sun on my back, feel the sweat run down my chest but when I cross the top and begin to swoop down to the next hill it's suddenly too cold for a short sleeve cycling jersey. While I sit here relaxing I hear a Wood pigeon as well as lots of small birds. It's an idyllic setting, woodland on either side of the road and wide grassy verges.
A negative thing about Uruguay however are long stretches without a shop so it's well to have a few days supply of food along. Today's lunch was the last of the food I'd originally bough in Rio Grande, Noodles with a satchel of beef flavouring and a sweet of polenta with dulce de leche. Theses are the types of food that never expire but I do like when I can to eat fresh fruit and veg, bread etc. A positive I've already realise about Brazil is the food with it's buffet restaurants at service station with lots of veg in the lunch menu and not just meat, empanadas, milanese like in either Uruguay or Argentina.
I had both tent and sleeping bag out in the sun at lunchtime drying. I've been feeling lethargic today so spent more time than the usual 15 minutes sat under a tree reading. I don't know whether it's because I'm tired or what. The scenery is nice, the weather fine but days like this I wish I could go home even just for a day.
The remainder of the way to Tacuarembo was uneventful apart from lots of small groups and individual racing cyclists on afternoon training rides. One I saw before setting off after lunch was ambling along looking at his pulse-meter. A little later a big logging truck past me and the same guy was sat in behind pedaling his heart out on his return to town.
On arriving in town there was the usual 5 Ks or so added to the daily total by cycling a round looking for things like the banks. The first bank had a big queue out the door waiting to use the ATMs. There a guy took my photo with his camera phone. Another asked how many thousand kilometres I'd cycled. I told him three and a half which he thought was an awful long distance to cycle. With money out of another bank's ATM where there was no queue I went off looking for the bus terminal which I'd received directions for from the person who told me that was the only place there was a tourist info. I asked two other people on the way before eventually finding my way there. I got a map of the city and a place to stay marked on it two block from the plaza. There was a camping-site which if it had of been close I would gone to but it was 7kms away and I like to be close to services on days when I'm not cycling.
Tonight as I write I've found out there isn't mush wifi availability here in Tacuarembo. There is a network in the main plaza which is the only one I've found so far but it only works for short periods before breaking down and you wonder what's going on. You check you're still connected which you are but see the words, No Internet access. Buggery! I've got six days worth of journal to up-date.
Today's ride: 80 km (50 miles)
Total: 3,534 km (2,195 miles)
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