Week 110: to Remedios: not done with hills yet

May 3, 2017

"I guess we still need to get out of the foothills of the Andes" Rachel says as we continue to go up and down, and around and over into new valleys. There's a light drizzle as we set off.

The first 15km to Vegachi was what we chose not to do yesterday as it was a another climb, not too bad today as we start out fresh, but trying to do yesterday would have taken longer. The town is off the main road and looked poorer with dirt streets, so didn't see the hotel where we had planned to stay. Then the road seemed to flatten out a bit. A local cyclist out on a training ride talks with Patrick then goes ahead. We see him again on his return ride.

The landscape is beautiful rolling green hills. We stop once for a coffee and cookies. There is not a lot along this stretch but enough shops periodically to have a break. At Otu, there is a hotel and fancy resort that was closed. Almost to Remedios, there is another long hill. As we enter the outskirts of the town, we were getting worried that the hotel we saw on googlemaps exists for real. We reach a gas station and opposite is the Hotel Torres de Angola.

The room is very nice and big, Wifi, TV, cold shower (it's still not hot enough for Rachel to enjoy a cold shower). We check in and after carrying up the gear, bikes in the room, we go for lunch in the restaurant downstairs. An excellent almuerzo of pork chop with fruit glaze, flavored rice, french fries, plantain. We rest in the room, watch sports on TV and movies in English, work on updating the journal. Basically, waiting for the next meal. Dinner was another fantastic meal of grilled meat, roasted potato with sour cream and a waldorf-like salad.

Watch out for loaded mules. We had not seen this sign before.

A rainy morning. But we don't mind, it can be very hot here, we'll take the cloud cover.

These large leaves look like hands that ball into a fist as they shrivel up.

Mules seem to be the form of transportation in these hills.

We take a break at this small restaurant and get an audience.

Hotel "Torres de Angola. Very nice place for the night.

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 31,266 km (19,416 miles)

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