The beginning of PATAGONIA. Day 2.

January 9, 2011

Morning started settled and overcast, the cloud, though, clearing by mid-morning, the day becoming sunny and remaining calm. This far South the heat is no longer a problem. The road was long and monotonous and would remain thus the whole day. Looking ahead at the flat horizon on either side of the road and looking at the road itself which blended into the sky. It was a day to just keep riding and riding hoping to cover the distance to the next place as quickly as possible. The only worth of such days are the getting eventually to a place of interest and a feeling of achievement that you endured the monotony and rode the whole way under your own steam.

I felt lucky to arrive at a YPF service station at eleven in this area of few houses. Here I had a sandwich and coffee. I bough a big bottle of grapefruit Fanta for the rest of the day which was a stretch of 120km to Carmen de Patagones.

In places there is no vegetation cover, so on windy days the sand blows.

Of all the recent rain, many laneways like this were flooded.

The road dips into a hollow with a lagoon in it's middle and rises out the other side.

The only diversion was in the afternoon, where the road dipped down and across a salty lagoon and then followed a long gently rise up the other side. Later towards Carmen de Patagones I was glad that a long stretch of nothingness was at last coming to an end as I saw the first sights of civilisation.

Having read in another journal that there is camping in Viedma which is the city across the river, I ride straight on across the bridge to where I had the usual ride into a city-centre looking out for the info-centre. It is not easy spotting things even obvious things after having rode 170km. One building looks like the next. It being a Sunday evening and the Summer holidays, the street along the riverfront was full of holidaymakers. I rode by the info-centre without seeing it, and after mush looking I ask someone whom directed me back to it.

My question to the young man behind the desk got a shock reply. "Camping, si trenta kilometres", 30km to the camping-site at a seaside resort called El Condor. It was now ten minutes to nine and the sun was going down. What about hostels I ask. "Tanpoco" came the negative reply and he confirmed that Carmen de Patagones across the river had neither camping-site nor hostel either. The cheapest hotel on a list he showed me was 120 pesos (£20) which is more than I's prepared to pay.

Disheartened, I rode out of town. My first intention was to stop at a service-station I'd seen on the way in and ask could I camp there. "No" said the attendant, in a friendly polite manner. I then Had to get used to the idea of riding towards El Condor and perhaps find a place to wild-camp on the way. It was now dark and not easy to see anything, moreover there was too mush traffic on the road so I had to ride on the bumpy grass verge which sloped down into a reedy ditch. It was the same on both sides of the road, so, no place to camp. I was now getting used to the idea of riding the whole way to El Condor.

After what most have been an hour riding on the rough grass verge, while the car headlights came constantly, I come to a sign, El Condor 20km, so I'd as yet only covered 10km. I was disappointed that progress was miserably slow. It was only a short while more though until that constant traffic was greatly reduced to a car in either direction about every 5 minutes so I could ride safely on the road, riding off when headlights announced the approach of a car.

I could now see the lights of the town ahead. But after what was more than a half hour they didn't seem to be getting any closer. Although riding now on the road I could only ride slowly as there was no moon to show the way. It was another what seemed a long while until there was no mistaking that the rows of orange street lights were near. shortly then-after, I turned off the road into town and was relieved to ride on a well lit street.

I really needed food as I had not eaten since 11am and it was now midnight. I asked a young man outside an ice-cream parlour, or more like, he spoke to me first, speaking in English as if I've a sign on my head saying -English spoken here- He gave me what remained of a big tube of ice-cream which he couldn't finish which was mush appreciated but at the same time he was irritating as he asked, "and have you learned any Spanish". Perhaps if you would give me a chance, was my thought, as he talked incessantly asking me questions and not waiting for answers.

Eventually after a long walk by the seafront he leads me to a place I could buy a sandwich and he gave me directions of how to get to the camping-site afterwards.

Today's ride: 211 km (131 miles)
Total: 8,440 km (5,241 miles)

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