Argentina (click for map)

The last seven days have been a blur. Since our last posting, we have traveled 1500 miles north. We are resting our weary bones in Mendoza, Argentina. We have traveled 3200 miles so far.

For the last week we have traversed the high desert between Perito Moreno and Mendoza. This whole strech is sparsely populated at best, with few gas stations or restaurants for the ever hungry val. On some days, we would go 200 miles plus without seeing another car, village or human being. Our only company were the hawks and vultures riding the oppressive El Zonda, the stiff winds descending the leeward side of the Andes, remnants of pacific storms that have dumped their water in Chile. During one stretch, the winds were so strong we could go no faster than 40 mph without risking being blown off the road. I estimated the sustained winds to be 40 mph plus. When the winds came from the side it was hard to control the bike, when the winds came head on, it was hard to maintain speed. It sucked. We saw another motorcycle group that day, and watched (from a safe distance) as a semi-truck passed the group, the wind blowing the truck out of control, almost smash the lead rider off the road. We were both surprised when the truck moved into its lane that the lead rider was not road pizza.

The further north we get, the milder the climate (and the winds) have become. Near Zapala, it was getting downright balmy. Hot weather is trouble for us. All of the layers we wear in the cold are shed, and we have nowhere to put them. This causes much aggravation and "some snippetyness" when decisions must be made about what to donate to the locals. You can imagine the fuss Val makes when "we" decide that her precious food rations must go to the local stray dogs. The food eventually makes room for the clothes, and we move north. I think Val has some sort of famine sensing nuclear chip in her head - she is like a squirrel in autumn, gathering "provisions" for lean times.

The High desert scenery if incredible. I Think Val likes it more than I do. Sure, it is pretty and incredible in its bleakness, but the lack of water and shade make me want to keep moving. We have found some beautiful oasises and have followed some raging rivers, and I always feel better when we travel next to them.

Where are the pictures? Your guess is as good as mine. We managed to lose the FlashTrax in some seedy hotel room somewhere in the last 1200 miles, and we are busy trying to track it down. I hope we can locate it. I will go to retrieve it, whether by bus or plane. Trying to find the bight side. . .

The best part about Argentina (surprise) is the food. The steak here is other worldly in its goodness, and it is CHEAP. We have eaten steak three meals (four in vals case) a day. Huge steak dinner with two bottles of wine = $15 Same dinner at home $75 (but worth much less)