February 25, 2000
Day 126 Resistencia to Salta: a long bus ride across Chaco
Resistencia
We get up at 6, east some pastries and carry our gear downstairs. On the sidewalk we assemble our gear on the bikes and set off for the bus station, about 5km from here. It's still dark but traffic is light this early.
We have to search a bit, the city map is confusing, but we do find the bs station at about 7am. There are two buses to Resistencia this morning. The early one already left but Patrick gets two tickets for the 8:30 one. For 1000Guyanies we can check in our bags and bikes. The guy globs glue on the seats and sticks a tag on each. Patrick hopes the glue is water based.
The bus leaves at 830! It seems to be sold out but not so. As soon as the bus leaves the terminal it stops, and several women carrying large plastic bags get on and make their way back. They seem to know several of the other passengers already on the bus and a guy who is buddy-buddy with the drivers.
Over the next two hundred kilometers we witness a smuggling scene that seems to be well rehearsed and not really contested by anyone.
About a half hour we have cleared the sprawling suburbs of Ascuncion and head north to cross the river. There we go west and then south to the Argentine border.
All this time the women are busy, unpacking their merchandise, mostly clothes and women's underwear and stuffing it in "safe" places. Like under the seats and back rest and in their own clothes. At the checkpoint we must first have our passports stamped by both Paraguayan and Argentinian officials, then we must take all our luggage off the bus and line up for a customs check.
A guy helps Patrick haul our gear to the front of the line where he waits while Rachel queue up in line. The bikes stay in the compartment under the bus and as far as can tell, never get checked.
We are passed through last; the customs agent decides against opening the large duffle bag filled with our front panniers and tent, but instead asks if we have any hashish or cocaine. What a joke! All during the queuing the "ladies" have been busy going back and forward to the bus, especially after it had been checked, several bags disappear back into the bus and do not come back out for checking. We can't believe no officials doesn't notice.
After an hour-long charade, we are all back on the bus and head south into Argentina. The ladies cannot relax yet though, about 20km further is another drugs checkpoint and again we have to all exit the bus and pass by a drug sniffing dog. Our passports and hard luggage get checked and off we go again.
In Formosa we stop at the bus terminal and part of the passengers get off. The ladies are now trying to sell off some of their merchandise to us. Just out of Formosa is the final checkpoint. A couple of cops get on the bus and look around without really trying (why would a guy needing a newspaper have the curtains closed? Well maybe because the lady across the aisle has her pants stuffed with bra's and doesn't want bright light on her bulges).
When the bus pulls out and, on the move, again, a noise of crackling plastic fills the bus and doesn't stop until we reach Resistencia. The ladies are re-packing their wares in the original baggies. We wonder how much money they made this morning.
We get to Resistencia at about 3pm and we decide to go straight on, there will be a bus to Salt leaving at 630pm. We spend the time sitting on a bench near our luggage and wait for the time to pass. It doesn't feel as hot as in Paraguay. The bus pulls in on time, Patrick loads the bikes, and nobody seems to bother helping and off we go. The ride across the Chaco takes all night, 13 hours to be exact. This bus isn't as comfortable as the one we took to Posadas, but Patrick manages to pass the time quickly in a sleep that isn't restful. We stop around midnight at a bus stop in a small Chaco city and then we are in a huge downpour.
Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 4,108 km (2,551 miles)
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