Arriving in Santa Lucia at the Carretera Austral, i was somewhat taken aback when there was a perfect asphalt road starting just a few hundred meters out of the village. I’m not a dirt road fanatic in the sense that i grumble at any sign of asphalt, but in my mind the carretera austral was… Continue reading carretera austral
Category: people
los alerces
The road kept follwing lakes towards the south. First the lago Gutiérrez and then lago Mascardi. I passed El Bolson, a town many hippies from the capital chose as their new home in the 70s, and also known for its surroundings and outdoor activities. What seems like a place well worth visiting, the description reminding… Continue reading los alerces
the lake district
We arrived in Junin at night and found a camping that was overpriced but both didn’t feel like cycling out of town at this hour. Only in the morning did we see what nice spot we had, only some meters from the river which did go unnoticed the night before. Bread was organised and together… Continue reading the lake district
new year’s and new territories
After the fantastic time we spent in Cafayate, it was time to hop on the bike once more and start heading south. It was also the time to say goodbye to my companion for the last two month, Alvaro. Our plans were congruent in direction but not in time. While i had already purchased a… Continue reading new year’s and new territories
la guitarra
Already in La Paz, the guitar was out of shape. Sadly unlike with cyclist, this could not be mended by some days of resting. With some meddling and putting a piece of a bicycle tube under the bridge i could get it back to a level that it was playable. Another month of riding through one of… Continue reading la guitarra
cafayate
We had received a recommendation for a hostel which is quickly becoming the cyclist hangout in town: the Huayra Sanipi. It turned out to be a stroke of luck and soon all plans to reach Mendoza until christmas were forgotton. Five kilometers from town starts a trek to a series of waterfalls along a steep valley. The… Continue reading cafayate
abra acay
Luck found us in the way of Rosario. Not only had he a replacement suspension fork for Alvaro’s bike and could change dollars at a good exchange rate, he also offered us an empty apartment to rest in. After fixing the bike, we spent the evening with him and his family to say ‘thank you’ for all… Continue reading abra acay
paso sico
The road out of San Pedro at first is straight and flat and there is nothing much to see around. We made good progress until i headed into Toconao and stopped at the first little shop with Alvaro some minutes behind. Since it was the only place for the day along the road, it was clear… Continue reading paso sico
lagunas route
Well, we did the lagunas route only sort of and, accidently, circumnavigated most of the lagoons sovereignly. Since a fairly new road had degraded the former main trail to the Laguna Colorado to an inconspicious turn-off, we ended up at the Laguna Chalviri instead. But with a hot pool to soak in, we soon were reconciled… Continue reading lagunas route
adventures in-between
After all that salt, we were riding straight into a mud bath when we left the salar. By then it didn’t matter much anymore. We stopped for lunch in Yonza, where we were offered a place to stay next to the plaza and could also wash the salt and mud off our bikes. The next day saw us cycling… Continue reading adventures in-between