Click on the image to enlarge

Taking it easy outside of Neuquén after a 125 kilometer day

Dinner at Don Julio´s. Note the impressive tan line on Iain´s thigh
The only tree for 30 kilometers along the road out of Neuquén

Iain hunkered down for lunch in the shade of an abandoned building

Preparing for dinner outside of Catriel in the oil-driller´s tree line

Rest day in Puelen

Checking out the trout rearing operation in Puelen with Choco

The desert landscape outside of Algarrobo del Aguila

Our shade structure during a siesta after lunch near General Alvear

Zapala to General Alvear (March 29 to April 6)

We started out of Zapala late on the afternoon of the 29th. It was not long before the sun had set and we were searching for a campsite. The terrain around Zapala is pampa. One can see for about 20 kilometers in all directions so it is hard to find a camping spot that is out of sight. We found some gravel mounds by the roadside, pulled in behind them and called it home for the evening. It was a crystal-clear night, and we were able to climb to the top of the mounds to get a full view of the stars with virtually no artificial light interference. We have been wishing we had a star guide or chart because we spend so much time out at night.

The next morning we left early and rode out into the pampa. There was not much between Zapala and Neuquen, so we made a long day of it with nothing better to do than pedal. There were a few little outposts along the way where we filled our water bottles and bought a bit of bread, but the day was filled with desert-like landscapes. We came across a lonely tree by the side of the road, and it was exciting enough to warrant a photo.

Birds have become our companions along the way, particularly birds of prey like savanna hawks, roadside hawks, chimango caracaras, crested caracaras, black vultures, turkey vulture, owls, and the occasional condor. There are many animals that live in the area. Foxes, armadillos, little rodents (we still don't know what they are), and rabbits are abundant and sometimes these have unfortunate encounters with cars. This makes for a lot of dead animals on the road that attract large numbers of raptors to the site, sometimes groups of 20 or 25 birds and a mix of four or five different species. In this way, we have a little bird watching event every few kilometres. When there is water by the road, pink flamingos can often be seen lounging on the banks. It is impressive how many things you notice from a bicycle that you would otherwise just pass by unaware in a car.

Near the end of the day, we came to an intersection 54 kilometers outside of Neuquèn and passed by a large electrical transformer. It had high-tension wires coming out of it and as we passed under, Dan took a couple of fairly strong shocks through his bike. Slightly unnerved by the experience, we decided to call it a day and pulled into a drive. The scenery had changed a bit coming down into the valley of Neuquén, and there were a few scrubby trees to camp amongst. We found a depression in the landscape and slept on a bed of rocks. It had been a 125 kilometer day and we slept well.

The next morning we got up and headed in towards Neuquén. This is the fruit capital of Argentina, and we took advantage of this, stopping at one of the roadside stands to by plums and apples and take a short break. We also found a local beekeeper and bought a kilogram of Neuquén honey, which the bees produce from the ample supply of apple, pear, peach, and plum blossoms in the area.

Neuquén is by far the largest city we have encountered so far on our trip and slightly complicated to enter on a bike. There was a good amount of both car and semi traffic, and the noise was at times deafening. We made it to the center of the city and found a grocery store to buy food for the next three days. After eating lunch in the plaza and relaxing a bit, we took to the road again and headed north out of the city. The stretch of road going north out of Neuquén turned out to be fairly populated and made finding a safe place to camp difficult. We scouted some of the driveways while dodging semis and cars, and finally decided that it was too dark to find anywhere safe to sleep for the night. We arrived in a small little town and began asking around to find a place we could stay. After calming the frustration of the search with a couple of pastries, we were advised to go to the house of Don Julio, the town's ex-police officer. It turned out that Julio was preparing a little apartment on the side of his house to rent, and although it was not finished, he let us sleep on the floor there. We couldn't have been happier with our luck and took advantage of the space to wash clothes, take bottle baths, and cook a fine dinner (well, the usual dinner, but it was especially good that night.)

With a gift of apples and pears, Don Julio bid us a farewell in the morning and we were off towards the next town of Catriel, 95 kilometers to the north. At Don Julio's, we had still been in the valley of Neuquén, but we soon climbed out of the trees and back onto the pampa. We sped north and made a full day of pedalling 90 kilometers. We decided to stop a bit outside the community of Catriel so that we could roll in the next morning at a reasonable hour to buy food and get water.

We camped in the oil fields in a line of Alamo trees and hunkered down as the worker's trucks filed through the gate, leaving us alone to prepare dinner. Recently we have had bad luck asking permission to camp. We were fearful of being turned back onto the road at dusk and so we hid ourselves until everyone had left and the gate was locked.

The next morning we rode into Catriel to buy food. In Catriel we filled up on water and again headed for the desert pampa. On first sight this is a place of desolation and silence, a land where the road disappears in a mirage of heat on the horizon. But observing for hours and hours has given us a better feel for this remarkable region. Although the scenery is monotonous, the thorny scrubs hold an amazing variety of life. There are two kinds of Armadillos that we have seen, the larger peludo and the smaller piche, mainly differentiated by their size and the fact that the peludo is hairy (hence the name). There are a variety of amazing birds too. It was quite strange to be pedalling through the mid-day heat and hear the squawk of a parrot. At first we saw only a pair, but recently we have been graced with flocks. When they fly close their blue, green and yellow bodies contrast beautifully with the dusty blue sky and we wonder what such an exotic bird is doing in such an inhospitable land. We often see vultures circling in the distance, floating over a dead horse or cow. It is so hot and there is so little water that this is a common site. We have been very careful to plan out our water and push ourselves to the next water source, thus avoiding being of interest to the vultures. Tierra del Fuego required some of this water budgeting, but the heat has made us much more aware our water consumption.

By lunch the wind had begun to whip through the pampa and we were forced to grind slowly, starting to worry about having enough water for dinner. It was 40km to the town of Puelen, which in good weather might take us a couple hours, but with a head wind could be unreachable before dark. As the afternoon wore on we continued to plug into the wind, growing steadily more exhausted physically and mentally. Puelen came none too soon, and its salty pampa water was surprisingly delicious (sort of). We settled down in the municipal plaza and had a talk with a local who was farming rainbow trout in huge cement tanks. We were a little surprised because trout typically are found in cold waters, not the warm waters of a desert climate. Choco seemed to have the system working and was happy to let Dan feed the fish.

From La Angostura to Puelen took nine straight days of cycling and so the decision was made to rest for a day, wash clothes, and eat some meat. We were worried about the fact that ahead laid a stretch of 116km of waterless terrain and figured that a day of rest might help us endure this upcoming challenge. That night, after a great asado (BBQ) and lots of mate, lightening ripped the sky around our humble little tent. The rain came in drops the size of marbles and we crouched on our Therma-rests with the sleeping bags balled in our arms, trying to protect them from the standing water that was accumulating. The rain went as fast as it had come, which was lucky because we had been very close to swimming out of our tent to try to relocate.

The morning we left Puelen, it dawned clear and crisp. We woke up a bit early to get a good start on the day and get out before the wind picked up. Much to our surprise, the front that came through the night before had changed the wind direction and it was blowing from the south. Giggling like kids, we took to the road and began the flight northward. By lunchtime we had crossed 116 kilometers of desert and arrived in the next small town of Algarrobo del Aguila. This had been one of the most barren stretches of road we had seen yet, and it was called by the locals "El Desierto". We couldn't have been happier about our luck with the wind and we found the police station to fill up on water and eat lunch.

Don Hector, the local policeman, and his wife, Doña Maria, invited us to rest in their patio and we had a relaxing afternoon. We chatted with the couple about bees, pampa wildlife, and livestock operations in the area and helped their 11 year old daughter with her English homework. Doña Maria also had a radio show with the local radio station, and she interviewed us about our trip, our work in Paraguay, and the fundraising campaign for the San Rafael reserve. The interview was put on the radio the next morning and went out to the surrounding communities.

With a fond farewell, we pulled out of town and make another 40 kilometers before dark. It was our longest day of pedalling at 158 kilometers. We found a nice little place among the prickly scrub and mosquitoes of the pampa and retreated to the tent for the evening.

The next morning we woke early again and started north toward General Alvear 160 kilometers north. It was the most visually monotonous stretch of road we had seen since we started three months ago. The road was completely flat, stretching out into the desert for 150 kilometers. There was no topographical variation, no tall trees, no towers . . . nothing. It was very serene in its own right, but by the afternoon, we were ready to see some signs of change. Late in the day, we began to see the silhouettes of mountains to the northwest and watched them grow slowly as we approached. Twenty kilometers outside of General Alvear, we turned into the small town of Carmensa to search for water and a possible campsite. After asking the local policeman if there was a place we could pitch our tent, he escorted us to the local soccer field where we could camp and found a key for the bathroom so we could shower. What luck! We took advantage of the situation again, washed clothes, cooked dinner on a picnic table, and slept soundly on the grass after a 140 kilometer day.

The next morning we awoke to a beautiful day and found some hot water to drink a bit of mate before leaving. After dropping off a little thank-you note at the police station, we cruised out of town north towards General Alvear, 20 kilometres to the north. From there, we would turn to the east and start on a nearly direct route towards Paraguay. We are calculating that we should be back on Paraguayan soil within four weeks if all goes as planned. Signing off from General Alvear, Argentina. . .