Sat 10th Dec: Lago Cardiel to 20km west of Gobernador Gregores

December 10, 2016

Packed with only the tent to take down: the lake "Lago Cardiel" in the background.

This photo is terrible, with smudges on the lens and the camera has moved while I panned. It is taken while there's strong wind on my back, meaning wind chill when stopped for any length of time, and, there's rain on the way, so worrying about photos is low on the priority list today. Anyway, this is the turn off for the old route 40. The new road continues 60km east to Gobernador Gregores, which is a useful service town for travellers on the road.

It takes a bit of time riding back up the track to the road. The 40 then a steady climb away from the lake, levelling out upon a vast plain with distant hills on either side. And I take a final glance back at the last of Lago Cardiel's turquiose strip of water as it disappears beyond the horizon behind me. And soon I'm passing the left turn for old Route 40. They the road builders must've had a gold to kill two birds with one stone; namely, to link Gobernador Gregores with a good tarmac road; and, provide a service centre for those travelling on Route 40 with all the passing business in accommodation and shopping such a stop would bring. Anyway, it was 470km between Tres Lagos which hasn't very much, north to the larger town Perito Moreno on the old 40. While the new road 40 has detoured east on former provincial roads to the sizable town: Gobernador Gregores.

The day itself is bright and sunny with a swift southwesterly breeze pushing me along east. And although doing well over 30km per hour, the plain seems never ending; going on and on. Wild horses at this moment run along the inside of the roadside fence, frightened of me and not knowing to turn and run away from the fence, back from the road; instead of running ahead.

At last, the plain ends when the road swings left: the wind changing to a battering crosswind. Then swings back on itself, right, as it drops downhill to a green valley: the valley of the Rio Chico, with farms within tall tree windbreaks. And continues east along the valley with level pastureland to the left and rising ground to the right, for about twenty kilometres to a tee-junction where the right turn is to Piedra Buena, 200km away on Route 3: the left, almost doubling back on the road I've come to a forest of elm tree windbreak that contains the town of Gobernador Gregores.

Before the junction though is a memorial to the farm workers who were shot by the army in the 1921 Rural Workers Strike. Apparently there's a mass grave somewhere here. On an interpretation board there's a map of the province of Santa Cruz, with the trail of death the army left after the massacres of striking workers at estancias throughout the province.

The small town of Gobernador Gregores is a lively and vibrant place with all the holidaymakers. Founded in 1922 and formally called Canjon Leon, until taking the name of the provincial governer Juan Manual Gregores in the 1930s. I learn this by reading the historic reference board in the plaza.

I get a town map at the tourist office with the municipal campsite marked, intending to have the rest of the day off here; but, the campsite is small and it being the weekend, is already near full with screaming children running around. It doesn't look like I'd have a restful day of it.

The La Anomina supermercado is shut until five, so I have to wait out the afternoon to shop, then set off about six, cycling on for a couple of hours to a sheltered roadside culvert campsite.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0