Biking south from Salta, green forest eventually gave away to desert landscape, and I again found myself biking long stretches of desert between small towns.
Biking Argentina (and Chile) after traveling the northern countries of South America is a bit of a shock. The people here are far wealthier. Stores are stocked with all the food I could want (I get to drink my daily liter of chocolate milk in Argentina, for instance). People also treat me more like an equal and stare at me less when I bike into a plaza.
Northern Argentina is also relaxed. They have a siesta that lasts from 12:30 to almost six in the afternoon. More than once I biked into a town at 4pm and wanted to buy some food, and I was told ”Not at this hour! You have to wait until the store opens at 5:30 or 6.” It is hot in the afternoon (it is summer here), so I suppose this is somewhat understandable. An amazing number of people use bicycles in the small towns, and I enjoyed sitting in the town plazas and seeing few cars. (click on video below right to see bikes).
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My friend Dave Johnson flew in to join me for this section (and brought the new bike fork — see last entry). We celebrated Christmas biking up into the Andes, crossing into Chile. Santa brought us a dirt road, a steep climb, and a fierce headwind that made us travel half as fast. (Watch the ‘official Ride for Climate Christmas Video’ by clicking on the video on the right).
Crossing a 15,500 ft pass (Paso Aguas Negras) on a road that sees less than 30 cars a day, we passed glaciers and snowfields in an experience that seemed more like mountaineering than bicycling. Following the road 150 miles down the deep Elqui Valley, we arrived quickly to sea level and the beach town of La Serena, Chile.
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Apparently someone else is onto the secret of chocolate milk–a study out of Indiana found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk did better in their workouts than those who drank sports drinks.
see: http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/20/health.chocolate/index.html
yet another good reason to replace gasoline with chocolate milk as our transportation fuel of choice!
Dear David:
And a Merry Christmas back to you. We missed you back home. I loved the video of your tree and your decorated bicycle, though I was disappointed to see later that as you crossed the pass the bike had lost its tree.
Keep the good work.
love . . .dad
RESPONSE TO DON. No No, I left the Christmas tree up on my bike, you just can’t see it in that picture. It is still there. I think I will take it down sometime in January.
Hi David,
I´m following you into Chile tomorrow after a couple of weeks in Northern Argentina. You’re still beating us who are going via bus.
I agree about more bikes around in Northern Argentina. I’ve even been on a couple of bike rides myself. Something I’ve not done for a long time. Think I’ll be trying to bike more when I get home to UK.
I’d love to see your Christmas video but can’t see the link. Is this because of difficulties post IT crash or am I just being dumb?
Hope the New year sends you good weather. Are you coping ok in the hot sun? Us Brits are finding it a bit much- roll on Patagonia!
Best Wishes, Becky (from Isla Del Sol ferry)
Hi David,
I’m the Austrian cyclist you met at the laguna on the Paso del Agua Negra. The pass was hard to cycle, don’t you think so? My vacation is over and I’ve returned to Austria one week ago. I wish you all the best for the rest of your journey. I’ve seen you are already planing the next one…Good Luck
Thomas