North Argentina

Before leaving Baroloche we drive up to the ski slopes (Carra Catedral) and check out the local waffles and ice creams and then we leave heading north on Ruta 40 again and then Ruta 22 to avoid more gravel and we travel though Tres Lagos and finally arrive in Zapula where we have to queue for petrol for an hour.

Lots for gravel roads again so we stop for good lunch in Chos Malal and ice creams. There is still a fuel shortage which apparently is quite normal here in Argentina so we are glad we can do 330 kms without using our spare fuel we always carry. On checking our e-mails we find our new tyres will be at the bus station in Meddoza for our arrival.

It is now very hot again and so we stop for a paddle in a stream dammed by some local lads and Roly admires the solid Travitine picnic table and benches here in the middle of nowwhere which must weight over four tons! Generally there is never any shade for about 150 kms at a time as the area is so dry. We have another late evening and find a terrible camp site which we decline so move on another 70 kms to finally find a camp site just off the edge of the huge plateau we had been driving over and manage to pitch out tents just before it gets dark.
16/01/08
Roly discovers a bottle of beer has leaked inside his pannier and therefore every is now beer soaked! Roly repacks and decides to move tools out of panner to ruck sack even though heavy weights are generally better lower. We are heading for San Rafael but as soon as we leave Malargue we notice a huge change in the landscape. We are now surronded by tress, grass, bushes and fields being cultivated. Trees line all the fields and roads and we even see tractors mowing the grass verges. All this is a huge contrast from the last month. There are also huge water canals feeding all the fams (Finca). We stay tonight with John and Annette( both world bike travellers) ( John away on another short bike trip South in Chile for two weeks). John and Annette are from Norfolk and have decided to live out here and run a small finca growing walnuts grapes and olives. Annette gives us a great reception and feeds us well and we get to do out first machine clothes wash. We also met Tom from Ireland who has also moved out here. Tom helped us find the Finca as our directions didnt tell us what a finca was! we know how!
The Finca is a maze of water channels which each finca gets access to on a strict rota fed from the main water cannel running down each road. We stay up until 0300 talking and making plans as John and Annette spent three years on their world bike travels.
After San Rafael we head for Mendoza with huge mountains to our left in a hase and we finally reach there and find the bus station ( were we are to collects our new tyres) by 2015. The bus station is huge with 64 bus bays and the cargo depts close at 2000 hrs.. We leave to find a local hostal ( with the help of 2 guys on a moped) and in the end find a hostal as the first two were full. The door to the hostal ( just wide enough) has two steps and a marble floor so we proceed to remove our panneirs and manage to drive the motor bikes up into reception for the night. The following morning we collect our tyres and then do a days sight seeing in Mendoza ( nothing to see much so go and see the local snake zoo ( about 30 horrible examples ). we fit Rols new front tyres but decide to fit Daves when we get to our next stop.
19/01/08 8Friday) We make it to S. J. de Jachael where we find a Municapal camp site which is a bit rough but a good palce to fit the new tyres. The night is noisy as we discover the camp site is a meeting place for 16 - 20 year olds with cars, bikes and head banner music and finally the noise gets so bad by 0500 we decide to leave and so pack up in the dark.
We head east on gravel again after getting fuel and coffee in town and travel though a fantastic valley and see out first Catcus follwed by many more. By luch time we arrive in Chilecito and shop again for out staple diet so we can camp tonight! Its extremely hot in town and Roly is please to move on.
The road soon turns to gravel and sand and bridges are replaced with river crossings with boulders in them. Although only 300mm deep and some time 30 metres wide you seem to get wet up to the knees. At one crossing Dave hits a submerged boulder and his chain comes off locking up the rear wheel at the waters edge. With local help we drag the bike clear of the water and replace the bent chain onto the bent sprocket and then limp another 10kms to a camp site 2 kms off the road also though another river. By now its getting dark so we just again have time to set up camp and eat in the dark. The following morning Roly has a free shower compliments of the local termal water supply and we pay 2 Ar$ each for camping ( about 33 pence each). Roly then unpacks his bike to reduce weight and travels into town ( though river) to borrow a 30mm socket and spanner from a local mechanic as Dave needs to change his sprockets and chain with a new set. We travel on though more rivers and sand and stop for lunch in where Roly picks up a dose off Delly Belly! We spend the night in El Carmen in a small Hostal as after a ranny drive though Ruta 9 and the high mountains we are both wet. Nice drive though the clouds but rarther spolit by the late hour and the rain.

23/01/08 Dave needs to replace the sprockets and chain set as he didnt manage it at the last stop and we had also managed now to buy a 30mm socket in Salta.