16th January 2025 Tolhuin – Rio Grande
I can’t help about the shape I’m in
I can’t sing, I ain’t pretty and my legs are thin
But don’t ask me what I think of you
I might not give the answer that you want me to

Oh Well, Fleetwood Mac, (Peter Green)
Guanacos (Llamas) and winds
Slept OK, both a bit cold, but woke up to find more blankets in the cupboard, also the wind got up last night and a bit of rain, dogs barking (who let them out) no problem worry about that in the morning.

Breakfast in the digs consisted of last nights left over pasta, so will lunch today, not much of a shop in Tolhuin and none on the ride, so stocked up on as much as we can, Bingo cooked a massive Pasta dish purposely as their are no places to stop for food tomorrow. Chocolates and sweets: obviously I can’t be trusted with looking after chocolates or sweets as they would be gone in the first hour, also cleverly thinking about the wait, however I did relent with two cans of beers – thought they may come in handy.

Left the dusty streets, a bit like the Rio Grande film with tumbleweed blowing in the wind (more about that later) and us cowboys hitting the road just as the dogs are giving us a morning chorus. Another layer on today and gloves an d although the sun is shinning it’s pretty cold. Soon found the National Highway 3 or as it was later called “Highway to Hell”. That’s enough of the song stuff!

Nice steady pace into a head wind but not too bad and managed to keep a decent pace. Bingo is ever vigilant for any wild life or road kill, he has been eating vegetarian stuff lately so even more so. Couple of eagles near the road side, did not flinch as we went passed very slowly. The call went up Guanacos on the right, as per normal I could not see it, but did after some instructions, I think it had green eyes! We will see plenty of these but still pretty cool to see them in the wild.

Further down the High way to Hell we meet a pair of cycle tourers – a couple from the French Alps, she had met her husband in Santiago for the last section of his mammoth tour from Alaska to Ushuaia – respect! A lasting comment I will always remember him saying “it’s good to see some old guys touring, I thought I was the only fool”. The guy’s never been to Aylesham, obviously. They also warned us about the wind! His name was Jean-Laurent Cassotti.

Sure enough the wind picked up straight into our faces for 50 miles at 35 mph head-on, honestly we could hardly go more than 6 mph at times, so tough, our poor little legs screaming for some respite. In the end we collapsed on a bank on the side of the road, just enough strength to eat the last of the pasta dish and a bar of chocolate. Fair play to Bingo he had not eaten it. Nervously we looked how far to go – only 18 miles, normally just over an hour on these touring bikes. It took us 3 hours! Got a round of applause from the police guys at Rio Grande entrance to the city, every major town/city has a Police presence just before you get into the city limits (another song can’t help myself). Finally made it after a coffee and chocolate bar at a service station, the first one we have seen since Ushuaia.

Got to the digs, showered, then went for a take-away pizza – overdid the ordering but it will not be wasted and Bingo had some meat so he was happy, I also had my first taste of “Mate” an Argentina beverage spiked with a few things I think, seemed ok, a bit like a herbal tea.

Going to bed now to rest these little puppies.