April 11, 2016
Another Day On The Road: Route 5-km472 to km330.
I'm making an effort these mornings, having got on the road shortly after nine, which is early here. There's nothing much to distract my attention as for the fourth day, I bowl along, or ride quickly and unhindered on this smooth vehicle wide dual-carriageway shoulder. The only thing I see to my side are fields of golden ripe maize with the blue ridge of the mountains beyond.
Not long after starting I see the signs for road works ahead. The worse case scenario here would be if they'd reduced the road to a single lane, having ripped up the surface on the other lane and shoulder, so I'd have to ride in the narrow coned off single lane with traffic. Though not to worry, when I get there, they've coned off just the shoulder, which I can still ride. The surface has tracks cut across with a disc-cutter now and again, which I've to slow to crossover; and, on two occasions, I've to move out to pass their machines. Then after two kilometres the road works finish.
The only other thing I would like to mention is, I have now left Patagonia behind. I'm not sure where it ends on the Chilean side of the Andes. However, for me Patagonia is most memorable for the bleak landscape on the Argentine side. A unique landscape of steppes, or plains, usually plateaus which can stretch out for a long way with spurs of rocky hills off at a distance on either side, until a steep step, or BARANCAS down to a broad valley with a meandering river fringed with a band of pale green willows and generally greener in the vicinity, contrasting with the brownish expanse hitherto. And usually with extensive blocks of ALAMOS (tall popular trees planted in regular straight lines) enclosed land around estancias, or villages. Then on the other side of the valley a barancas step back up to yet another plain. The main rivers such as Rio Chubut and Santa Cruz are ice rivers, fed by melt water from glaciers and snow in the Andes.
Many valleys have no river but a wide band through them of marshy greenery with pools, the habitat of flamingos and black neck swans, though seasonal rivers, usually called AROYAS.
I won't be boring you with more detail of the road apart from late on, just when it looked to be all fenced in farmland without much possibility of finding a hidden place to pitch the tent, I come to a deserted farmhouse with a rusty wicket gate into the garden in front, so here I am for the night with a thick overgrown bramble hedge hiding me from the road.
Today's ride: 142 km (88 miles)
Total: 8,148 km (5,060 miles)
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