October 1, 2016
Sat 1st Oct: San Rafael to 18km < Sosenado
The horse is on a long tether connected to a stake so it cannot wander off. Someone will I suppose be along first thing in the morning to move the stake, to move the horse to fresh pasture, so I'm anxious to pack up and be away when they turn up.
Its early when I push the bike back out along the railway lines to the road, pass a roadside property, a building site where no one has turned up for work yet.
I turn left at the road and pass a few kilometres with orchard farms either side that surround the edge of the city, continuing out into hilly country. And before long I'm riding up a good stiff climb up through the hills. Cresting through a narrow gap between two hills reveals a lengthy descend to a featureless broad plain to a far horizon, looking like a dry seabed.
Its a featureless landscape. I pass a salt lake on the left called "Salinas del Diamante". A bit further on the right I pass a turning, the southern end of the un-tarmacked route 40: the northern end you remember I passed the right turning for yesterday.
Its a ride where thoughts go elsewhere, there not being much to occupy the visual senses as I pedal along at a fair pace, thankful the day has remained calm.
I create a character for JP McCraicken. I think about the journal guestbook. I would've thought there would be more messages when my rim split a while ago. Or how about a simple few words of thanks. No one cares if i stop posting it would seem.
Further on my thoughts turn possitive. Namely to rebuilding my mountain bike for offroad touring. A return to Iceland, or perhaps a spring ride to the North Cape in Norway on snowy roads, so in effect offroad.
The road stretches out ahead dead straight, going south west. By three o'clock the hazy outline of the Andes come into view, and not much further I reach a large grove on the right-hand side of elm and eucalyptus trees that are widely spaced so as to provide ample place to pitch the tent.
I have a relaxed late afternoon in my grove campsite catching up on writing and doing some bike maintainance. I discover my deraileur jocket wheels are well worn. I hope for a good bike shop in Malargue that stock spare jockey wheels. That'll be a Monday morning job.
Might need some more cash while there. Hard to think this is Saturday, having lost track of days.
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