November 18, 2010
The streets of Loreto.
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It was another bright sunny morning. I left the camp-site and cycled into town as I needed to get some cash out of the bank. While outside the bank a woman passing on a bike asked "I'm curious, where are you from?" I say and answer her questions on where I'd been and where I was going, to her reply of "que linda viaje", what a nice journey.
Today my pedal was making an awful crunch and crack sound on every cycle. It is now on it's way out and will soon need replacing. The cassette and chain is at the point now where if I have to start from dead without any momentum the chain slips, so that'll soon need to be replaced too.
The itinerary is again flat pampa with pine plantations to relieve the open-ness. I reached a small village at ten where I buy and drink a bottle of coke, beyond which is a Gendarmeria Nacional check-point but this morning they waved me on with a friendly "como te va" hows it going. Just after I hear a familiar drag sound, the trailer wheel was flat. As it's a low quality tyre it goes flat too often. I find a hole and patch it then line the tyre with old inner-tube to reduce the chance of a further puncher.
Ahead, again today were the plumes of white smoke from grass fires and large tracks of blacken countryside which had already been burned. A little father I reach a road junction and turn South West on Route 118 which had almost no traffic. There were few trees and thereby no shade. On either side were reed bound ponds and bog, while cattle stood and looked on at me from the dryer pasture. I eventually reach a single row of pine-trees where I sit down to lunch.
The afternoon was warm and thirsty in which I's thinking of a cold drink alot. A place called Loreto was marked on the map and rightly located for a three o clock stop. On entering town, the few shops I saw were all shut and the streets were lifeless. The only human noises were the gaggle of children in a school playground. I cycle round some of the streets off the plaza having to get off and push as the unpaved streets are lose sand and as such unrideable, it was warm and fustrating, especially when I couldn't find another shop which was open. I cycled back around the empty plaza and out off town more thirsty than I'd hitherto been and had to resort to drinking the warm tap water in the water bottle.
Having covered 130km, the ball of my left foot was feeling sore today too and the palms of my hands hurt from road vibrations, on reaching a place called San Miguel which was my goal for the day. I was glad to reach the petrol station on the way into town and sit in the air-conditioned cafeteria where I drank a cold beer. The owner saw me and came in asking me where I came from, did I speak German and if I needed a shower or anything just ask. A big brown dog came over to the table to have a look at me. I gave it a pet, with it's bright eyes it looked up at me then opened it's mouth began to pant. It was warm too.
At the info centre the girl didn't have a plan of the town but directed me to the municipal camping site which was at the other side of a long unpaved street, namely it was unrideable lose sand. As I push the bike along people stop and gawk at me. I spot a place with rows of fruit and veg outside so decide on buying what was needed for the evening meal. As I pick up tomatoes and a pepper a little boy comes out the door to watch but when I look over at him he ducked and hid behind the boxes of apples and when I went in to pay he hid behind his mothers skirts, too shy to be seen.
The rest of the way to the campsite I avoid the street as best I could riding along the consolidated ground along the front of the houses as mush as possible. As I set-up the tent three little boys sat on the grass watching me. "Oh no I'm going to have an audience" I dread as I like to be alone. One had his face turned sideways and the eye that was turned forward almost closed. I continued putting the tent up and then look round quickly to see the eye lid fully open to reveal a eyeball without a normal pupil, instead it was all white revealing bloodvessels. A horrible sight, I looked away.
Today's ride: 134 km (83 miles)
Total: 5,857 km (3,637 miles)
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