On The Road

Saturday and Sunday have been spent waiting. Saturday was full of bikers coming to see Javier to either just hang around and talk, or to work on their bikes, or to watch him work on their bikes. Either way a lot of talking going on, most of which I couldn’t understand because it was rapid fire Spanish. Lunch was also an interesting affair, with lots of meat and chips and salad. Stan and I were the only ones drinking beer though. All in all, a very pleasant day.

Sunday Stan and I caught the train back into the city and had a tour of the Government House. We had tried to go in on Friday when we went to pay the cargo company, but being a weekday and also a working day, it was a no go. It’s beautiful building, originally a fort from 1594, then a Customs building from 1857 when the latest masonry building was constructed. Today it is the centre of Government containing the Presidents office and a Museum. There are some websites that say you can’t go onto the balcony or take pictures inside the Presidents office, but if that was the case nobody was taking any notice and nobody was being told off by the soldiers/guides that take you round.

Monday will see if Stan’s bike is badly damaged where they have dropped the crate!! And I will know if it is to be Tuesday or Wednesday before I get the Wombat back.

It turned out that it was Thursday before the inventory system at the warehouse was closed and that the customs could then complete their paperwork.



I left BS. AS. around ten o’clock on Friday morning. Javier had told me about a place called La Posta in a town called Azul about 300km south. I arrived about three O’clock and was greeted by Jorge with a smile a mile wide, like a long lost friend! Although he speaks no English his daughter Penny speaks it perfectly, and was soon translating until each others stories had been told. Mi casa y su casa was the message and I was told that as it was a Friday the boys would be round later to party!!



I found the local supermarket, and with a bottle of Quilmes Bock (dark beer. They also do an excellent Stout) and a bottle of Malbec/Cabernet along with coffee, milk and cereal for breakfast I was set to go. The party was quite something. I was told there was usually around eight or nine people turned up, this Friday nineteen people were there!! And with one of them having a birthday on Sunday they were in a mood to celebrate early. Three large chickens appeared and were cut up to go into a kind of Paella type dish with rice and spices. Wine flowed and everyone had a good time.



I have to admit that I cut out early, Jorge told me the next day they finished up at around three O’clock in the morning. The next day (Saturday) I walked into the town to see the sights of Azul, like most Argentinean towns I am told there is always a central square with a church and some sort of town hall then the shops spread out from there.





I left Azul in sunshine on Sunday morning after saying goodbye to everyone who was there for the usual Sunday lunch Mate session. The ride today was only a short one but it rained a couple of times and was freezing!! A sign of things to come I think as I head further south. I had put the liner in my jacket but not in the pants The liner has the waterproof membrane in it) so I got a little wet and cold from the waist down!! I'm here for two nights so that mistake will be rectified the day after tomorrow. Also this village is on a dirt road, so the bike is now covered in mud along with my boots. The view is spectacular though of the hills around here so I'm hoping the sun will come out tomorrow.





I'm in the best hotel in town http://www.villa-ventana.com.ar/aguapampa/index.htm and I'm very pleased, it's usually $400 pesos a night but they let me have this room for $250 pesos (about $64 Australian) with breakfast included.

I'm finding it hard to get my head around the riding at the moment. It's hard to explain but on these big trips you settle into a mindset where you know that you have to do big mileages day after day, but I haven't got that yet, I'm still in 250km mode!! When I leave here I have a couple of big days ahead to get to Puerto Madryn so maybe that will help.