Salto

October 13, 2010

Tim and Kate are great people, thought not knowing them well, suffice to say both quite their jobs in the US to perhaps live a dream to travel a whole year in South America. Now at the beginning of that year they plan to slowly bus their way to the end of the world, Ushuaia, there get a reduced priced last minute passage on a ship to Antarctica. Tim quizzed me on the eastern seaboard of Patagonia their preferred route south. With enthusiasm I told them about Puerto Madryn the beginning of the Welsh historic trail across the desert to the Chubut river and so on. They are the type of diverse people you meet in hostels or in this case they were waiting for a bus after a stay on an estancia while I cycled past. That is one of the great pluses of travel whether it be by bike or whatever.

There were two girls from Austria staying in the hostel when I arrived on Sunday. They too were at the beginning of a one year duration journey in South America. There was one other guy from the US, that was as busy as it got as he like the others checked out Monday morning. I and the guy on reception being the only people the remainder of my stay in the hostel in Salto.

I would have preferred company as Pablo the guy on reception wasn't mush, but you cannot always win. I did get the journal up to date and this page would not be if I had anything better to do. I've just finish dinner of pasta with mince and cream sauce which I cooked myself in the hostel kitchen. It'll set me in good stead for the road tomorrow. While I's eating I could hear the rain on the glass skylight in the common area. I hope there isn't more rain on the way for the days ahead.

I planned to take some photos today but while Salto is a good place for services and the people are the usual Uruguayan friendly there really isn't any thing nice or special about the city. It's just like so many other cities in this part of the world full of ugly twentieth century architecture. So I skipped that plan. I then sat in a cafe and had lunch of pizza with anchovies washed down by beer then to finish a double espresso. The whole time I's there the TV was on CNN en espanol which was like reality TV. Reporting from the scene of the mine rescue in Chile, the cameras focused for the whole hour I's there on Sebasian Pinera and Evo Morales presidents of Chile and Bolivia respectively. Both presidents said the same nice public relation stuff in there speeches. The rest of the time Pinera chatted jollily away on his Mobil while Evo stood with his hard hat firmly on looking around himself.

Back at the hostel I'd a good go through my stuff and took six diaries, a small camera and a gas camping stove to the post-office to post home it all weight 2.6kg or the same as my tent so I'm glad I no longer will be carrying that around. I'd a haircut too. The barbers shop was interesting. The whole premises had shelves upon shelve of old magazines and books of every type. As the barber trimmed around my ears a woman came in asking to see some children's books. He put down the scissors and got on a chair to reach a pile on a high shelf and handed it to the woman waiting. A minute or two later she'd chose one for her child and asked how much, 'fifty pesos' said the barber as he trimmed away at my neck.

The other things I got sorted was the front hub serviced and I collect my laundry in the morning. I did a little surfing on CRAZY GUY this afternoon and read about another guy who like me, couldn't get any money out off the local bank's ATMs in Brazil, so I'm not alone. I can see me having to get to a place big enough to have an international bank if I begin to run out of REALS, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. Presently as I write it's been chucking it down outside so I'm glad to be in the hostel and not the tent tonight.

Old cranes on the waterfront before I gave up on finding something interesting to photograph.

Thur 14th Oct

It rained all night and was a damp grey morning when I first looked out this morning, but I could see that the cloud would break up so it would not rain anymore today. I got everything packed and the bike ready before going to the laundry to collect my clothes. The guy took my docket and looked over a few clear plastic packs of clothes and returned nodding 'this afternoon, return this afternoon'. It took a few moments for it to sink in that I wouldn't be leaving Salto today. If by the tone of this I come across as bored that's because I am.

This old car was outside the laundry. Eh is that a personalised number plate. Notice the guy by the doorway with his mate, could he be the driver and is his name THE HAT?

1 auto menos 1 car less. Two girl cycletourists from Cordoba (Argentina) that I saw on the street.

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