May 14, 2016
Inland: km958 to km1065.
Round the coast is a scenic bay with crashing waves on a white sand beach set against rugged brown hills. And an old seal proceeding factory on a rocky natural quay complete with stark smokestack, as if about 1900 sealers sailed up the coast and arrived and commented "nice bay, lets spoil it by building an ugly factory and pollute the air with smoke". A little on where the bay curves round, there are beach picnic tables complete with cane parasols, which, although not hidden from the road, would have been an idyllic place to camp if I'd had pressed on a little further yesterday. And further on there's a short steep incline over a headland, where at the top there's a layby for parking and path down to a seal colony on the rocks below.
Approaching Chanaral there's more coastal industrial plants, not sure what, perhaps a desalination plant, as water is a big issue here and seawater seems to be the only readily available local water source. The road which had been single-carriageway, is now dual-carriageway again bypassing town, which is a chaotic place of shabby pastel painted wood frame houses. There is a fine dust over everything and light brown haze. The original town, the older looking part from about 1900, is up a steep slope headland in from the beach, but in latter years the town has spread out along the beach. The road itself passes hard by the shore and is a route 5 service stop with two petrol stations, cheap hotels, roadside restaurants and fast food shops, small grocery shops, saving me having to ride into town. I pick up a few basic food items and large bottle of coke and keep going.
The town is at the mouth of a dry valley which the road follows inland with a gradual climb all the way for 12 kilometres, where there's a fork, the valley road continuing to a place, perhaps a mining settlement called "El Salvador Amargo". Whereas 5 swings sharp left, beyond which is a posada, today's lunch stop, then climbs a side valley leading to a major climb gaining a lot of altitude and the road turning west on the other side, means I've a wobble inducing crosswind on the long descent into a barren landscape, red orange in places, tan and black in others and late in the afternoon chocolate brown.
with nothing much to stop for and a desire to get as far as possible, I ride until after sunset, when I halt by a dry lagoon in the low depression of a valley. I push the bike off the road down to it and find a level spot to camp by a mound of soil.
With the tent up and having had supper, the temperature plummets before I notice while fixing photos on the computer and I've to get into the sleeping-bag to keep warm. When finished I sleep immediately.
Today's ride: 107 km (66 miles)
Total: 9,661 km (5,999 miles)
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