November 13, 1999
Day 22 San Martin de los Andes: Meeting Diego
Staying with Diego
We get up at 6am, first light. The gravel road beat us up badly yesterday. We hurt all over. Yesterday, Patrick fell over, just as we are leaving the National Park on the border...that just never happens. He has some scrapes but thinks he also bruised a rib...the bumps on the road this morning hurt.
We get back on the road and prepare for another 25km struggle to the main road. We aren't complaining, the views are awesome, the road though corrugated now is firm enough to ride.
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Yesterday we had a section where the sand was so fine and loose that the tires sank, no way to ride. This must be what cycling in the Sahara is like. We are pleasantly surprised when after only about 6 km the road crosses the river, and we find a narrow-sealed road. This sure wasn't on our map but that has been wrong before.
The sealed road lasts about 15km following a valley with wide green grasslands. This could be Montana. We see big flocks of vultures feasting on rabbit roadkill. Then the surface stops, back to gravel for the last 10 km to route 235. We make it! Five km of smooth asphalt cruising takes us into Junin de los Andes. The Tromon pass road has been hard work, but certainly worth it for the desolation and spectacular scenery.
In Junin de los Andes we buy some food and drink and have lunch in the city park. We fill our water bottles and head out to San Martin de los Andes another 42km. The road is great, smooth and not too steep. Just a long gradual climb to the airport halfway and then back down.
We are disappointed to find the ACA campground still closed for the season. The grounds keeper offers us a place to camp for the night, but there are no facilities. We are planning to take a rest day tomorrow. We check out some cabanas, but prices are very steep $50 per night.
After a tour of the town where we see several expensive looking hostelries' and cabanas, we decide one more try at the tourist information. We wanted to know if a campground 5 km out of town was open. It isn't. There is a reasonably priced ($25/night) hostel we could try. When Patrick comes out of the tourist building, Rachel is talking to an Argentinian, Diego. He has travelled extensively in Europe and offers us a place to pitch our tent behind the little house he rents.
Diego speaks English very well and refuses all payment because he received the same hospitable treatment during his travels and feels he can repay like this, paying it forward. Of course we accept. We pitch our tent behind his A frame house, along a small river.
In the afternoon we go out to eat some pizza and drink Quilnies beer, this is the best Argentinian beer according to Diego.
Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 1,017 km (632 miles)
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