Don Arturo: A tough day

February 1, 2018

We were up and on the road well before nine o'clock this morning. Then we remembered we hadn't had breakfast so we turned around and stopped in at the mercado to buy some. Then we remembered that we hadn't filled our water bottles and so it was back to the hostal to fill them up. As we got going again Leigh realised that she didn't have her jacket so we once again went back to the hostal where she found it hanging up in the room we had occupied. In the end it was after nine once we really got going.

The route was mostly upwards for thr first thirty nine kilometers with a surface that started off quite well but ended up being badly corrugated and covered with loose gravel. As we approached the top of the climb the southern wind that we had been cycling into got stronger and the last ten kilometers or so was really hard work. Both of us felt quite flat for most of the day - maybe last night's bottle of wine having the final say.

At a river crossing at the top of a small waterfall we met a group of four American cyclists traveling on a guided tour with a meat wagon in attendance. They weren't into camping or carrying their own gear so this was their way of cycle touring. There are no rules.

At the top of the downhill. No corrugations here but still lots of loose gravel.

I have found an "informal" formal campsite on ioverlander.com about forty eight kays out of Cochrane. Called "Don Arturo" it is simply a patch of uneven grass in the front yard of an old couple's homestead and includes the use of their bathroom. They also sell pan and jams etc. There was one other cyclist there when we arrived, a chap of French Canadian origin called Paul from Vermont in the USA. We were joined by six young Chilean cyclists later in the evening. We spent an enjoyable time chatting with Paul after supper on a range of subjects. He is a retired Industrial Engineer and is cycling northwards so he had some useful information about the road that lay ahead of us.

The campsite filled up once the six amigos pulled in.

Today's ride: 49 km (30 miles)
Total: 1,001 km (622 miles)

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