August 9, 2010
Salta to Cafayate. Days 1 and 2.: Rolling at last.
Saturday 7th Aug. Salta to near Cabra Correl. 69km Map 3.
I awoke and looked at my watch to see that it had already gone 9.45, so I rushed out of bed, got dressed and was in time for breakfast which finishes at ten in the hostel. I organized my gear, hitch-up the bob-trailer and made it out on the road at eleven thirty. It wasn't the earliest of starts but at lease I's rolling. It was a bright sunny morning chilly to begin with but would warm up to be a fine day. The traffic wasn't too bad, in anycase there was a cyclelane for the greater part of the way out off the city. Thereafter it was back to riding on the edge of the shoulderless road. The road the same road I rode last Sunday, route 68 to Cafayate which is southbound, a contradiction since this journal is called Northbound. The first part though is south then east to northeast. The actual over all direction is eventually northbound. I stopped at the same cafe that I'd stopped at on Sunday for lunch of empanadas, locro washed down by a litre of beer. In many places in Argentina the litre bottle of beer is all thats available. It's meant to be shared by two or more. It's of coarse a great thirst quencher but after a litre I was feeling quite heavy and could've closed my eyes there and then and slept in the warm afternoon sun.
It didn't help either that the road onwards was gradually uphill which was only noticable by being in the middle ring and second smallest spocket at the rear. Then came a sweeping downhill where on a bend an oncoming bus was met at the same time as I by a drinks delivery truck driven out off control, not slowing for a moment and making a close shave with the oncoming bus forcing me to make a quick exit onto the gravel shoulder.
The countryside was all culitivated farmland and as such it was looking as though it maybe hard to find a place to wildcamp. After passing through a village at five I decided on looking for a place along the road. I didn't need to look too long as less than a kilometre onward was a wide roadside margen with tall scrub and a clear space behind which was out of veiw of passersby. That evening it was back to eating dry food, polenta in packet soup with cheese for extra flavour after so long eating in restaurants. Normally, while in a city, by the time you've bough all the ingredients for a good meal you have spend as mush or usually more than if you went out to a restaurant anyway.
Day 2 Sunday 8th Aug. Near Cabra Correl to Cafayate. 123km.
I awoke at seven, got out of the sleepingbag at twenty minutes past. Luckily it is rated minus17 as it was an extremely frosty morning. There was white frost on the panniers and the inside of the tents fly sheet. It would be very slow to warm up too. On emerging from the tent the sun had not risen yet instead had only began to glow red in the eastern sky. The morning here in this season is very late indeed. I could've got on the road earlier than the quarter to nine that I did if it had not been for the fact it was so cold that I spend mush time with my hands between my legs warming. I'd to dig into the right hand pannier to find my warm full finger gloves. I couldn't find my warm alpaca cap, I hoped it wasn't gone.
It was almost midday before I began to feel warm enough to take-off some clothes. By that time I'd reached the hamlet of Alemania. I thought this had maybe been a German colony but it's only a disused railwaystation. Theres lots of railway track, old corrigated iron sheds, lots of empty buildings. The station buiding dated 1916 has been preserved as the library and is worth the stop though. It's well builded in brown stone with parapets on top. It's got red sloping veranda on three sides with decorative blue woodwork under the eaves.
The road all morning was gradually uphill which was only noticable by the gear, middle ring at the front and second largest spocket at the rear. There were a few downhills but they were in the minority. The countryside was in transition from broad flat cultivated valley to a narrow gorge with dramtic mountains on either side. Below the road for mush of the way there was a brown silty river. Green thorny scrub grew on the flat areas. There was a chaos of red sandstone cliffs and other formations below the bare mountains which were brown close up and purple in the distance.
At two thirty I's passing a place with a board out advertising empanadas. I was quite thirsty as I'd only tap-water to drink. I just don't like tap-water as I don't find it refreshing reserving it for cooking and only drinking it when I've nothing else. I prefer to drink coke or something else. However here I was able to buy a litre and half bottle of coke. The shop was very old fashion with old weightind scales. I was able to take a photo as the family running the place had left the shop unattentad and were out the back eating lunch when I called so I'd to clap to bring someone out to serve me.
Notwithstanding one long downhill after a parking area and veiw point called Tres Cruces (three crosses), the day was hard going or else I've become soft having been off the bike so long. In general there was a little bit downhill then a little uphill and it continued like this which had the effect of me not being able to find a comfortable riding rythym as I was contantly changing gear to suit the terrain. It turn out to be a long day as it was nightfall when I reached Cafayate. There I checked into the hostel Ruta40.
As it had been a long day I certainly wasn't in the mood to go to the supermarket and then come back and cook. The receptionist at the hostel recommened a good restaurant serving homemade regional specialities ten blocks from the plaza, a little far to walk I's thinking, but it proved to be as good as she said at half the price of the touristy places near the plaza. I'd both empanadas and humita, which is a ground savoury maize rapped in a maize leaf, for starters and Locro for main coarse at a low price that couldn't be matched if you bough the ingredients and cooked it yourself.
Day 3 Monday 9th Aug. Remain in Cafayate.
I remain in Cafayate as it was too late to write up the journal last night. The hostel is pretty good. A comfortable dormitory bed though last night I would've slept anywhere after a hundred and twentythree kilometres. Breakfast OK with decend orange juice. And there's Wi Fi so today I'll try to draw a line on a google map to show the route.
Today's ride: 193 km (120 miles)
Total: 193 km (120 miles)
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