January 26, 2016
Preulitimate Day: km2895 to km3001 (route 3).
These fellows with cycle helmets that look like they're for time-trailing, stand astride racing-bikes in a large pack of cyclists filling an entire village street talking bike while waiting for the race to start. Then from the front there's a call for attention and a few words are said before a collective clicking in of clip-less pedals is heard as the whole pack start moving forward. The frontmen are already riding fast down the road in a stretching out of the pack into a long line of cyclists.
Well that was that. I wake up. The sleeping-bag soaked on the outside with condensation and the sun streaming through and the tweeter of birdsong. At last a good day. Though will the calmness now mean the wind rising late morning.
I take my time with my morning routine with the sleeping-bag slung out over the tent to dry, eventually getting on the road shortly before ten. Since late yesterday afternoon, the landscape has transformed from open pampa to widely spaced dwarf forest with mountain peaks ahead. By late morning the forest has filled out and is full height and the mountains ever closer.
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I reach the small town of Tolhuin and quickly find La Union bakery in time for lunch. The bakery is famous with cyclists as there's a free hostel for cyclists at the back. And so there's always lots of cyclists either going to or coming from Ushuaia here. Usually the clean bikes and clean cyclists, straight form civilisation, distinguish those that have just started in Ushuaia; while, the bedraggled are those on the road in Patagonia many weeks heading to Ushuaia. Most of the cyclists I see at the bakery are of the latter group. Southern Patagonia not being an easy environment, the cold and strong wind and long distances between places to buy proper food leading to mild malnutrition has taken it's toll on riders. It shows in reddened faces, sunken eyes and swollen lips.
Anyway I have been looking forward to getting here. I pull off a number ticket by the counter and wait my turn to get served, purchasing six empanadas de carne for seventy-five pesos. I also see there is free hot water for filling mate thermas flasks, so instead of wasting money on a soft drink I go back out to my bike and return with my cup and teabags to make tea.
I enjoy my tea with sweet vanilla pastries, then read my book, but after a short while can't keep my eyes open with that full stomach afternoon drowsiness taking hold, so I give in and sleep for what must be twenty minutes.
I am back on the road at half three. Just after leaving Tolhuin the road descends to Lago Fagnano, a long narrow lake like a Norwegen fjord with steep mountain slopes, wooded three thirds of the way up, on either side. The lake is my companion below on the right for near enough the rest of the day.
At six o'clock I meet a Danish cyclist heading north. He gives me good information on a good lakeside place to camp, having himself lunched there. Saying it is fifty-five kilometres from Ushuaia, which is ideal distance-wise, as I'm looking for a short day tomorrow, arriving in Ushuaia no later than noon.
At this stage it is twenty-five kilometres to go and it takes almost two hours. The place is just where the road begins to climb to Paso Garibaldi. I turn off into a mirador over Lago Esconcidado, the beginning of the old road, descending to the lakeside where there are fogones (fire places), but because the old road is rarely used this facility looks unused and presently there's no one about. I find a good place to pitch the tent on the lake shore and spend a relaxing evening.
Today's ride: 106 km (66 miles)
Total: 4,635 km (2,878 miles)
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