Saturday 15th February 2025 Paysandú to Cerro de la Glorieta
Just as we got back to the digs last night, it started to rain, no worries surely it can’t rain all night. Sure enough it did, thunder and lightning wind howling not a good omen for the morning.

Woke up at the crack of dawn, trying to be positive looks like it’s died down a bit, Bingo just gave me a stern look.

Even the girls on the reception desk, looked at us in horror as we loaded up the bikes. Nice touch on the front desk big bowl of sweets, wasn’t so big by the time we left.

Fair play it was only spitting with rain as we left, we may be lucky, within ten minutes that changed, full blown storm now, nice show of fork lightening across the darkened sky. Would have been great if we wasn’t riding in it.

Nothing we could do just keep peddling and hope it blows over. Well to be truthfully honest it was wet and miserable, just thinking about camping gave me goose pimples. Had our first stop on the side of the road even a packet of biscuits could not cheer us up.

It’s better just riding, at least you do not get cold then, so on we went, tearing up the miles. Thankfully the thunderstorm passed over us, but the rain did not ease up.

Spotted a little shop on the side of the road “Rosie’s “ little oasis, celebrated with another packet of biscuits and a soft drink sitting out on the veranda.

Got going again after catching up with the Rugby result, good lads SCWRFC won a tight top of the table clash with Edenbridge, great stuff.

Pushed on again in light drizzle, Bingo spots a hairy spider on the road, next thing there’s a few of them, off he goes into David Attenborough mode laying on the floor hand next to the spider “you need to get a perspective in the picture “ not for me.

Head on to a very small village El Eucaliptus, found a little shop, not like Arkrights though, next to nothing on the shelves, but nice family, had a chat via google translate on what on earth we was doing there, the guy even made us a couple of cheese rolls, not the best, but it’s the thought that counts. Said our goodbyes and cycled away.

Now in camping mode looking for places off the road , were we can’t be seen. An hour or 2 down the road, Bingo say what about over there, a cluster of abandoned farm buildings, lift the bikes over the locked gate and go around the back. Place had not been used for ages, seems like as good as place as any.

Within 15 minutes tents up dinner on the go, living the dream. Finished dinner just having a cup of coffee no beer tonight I am afraid.

Could hear a motorbike getting closer, sure enough, the cattle rancher turns up, massive smile, chatting away, seems he was as mad as us. Has no qualms about us staying here, offer him a cup of coffee politely says no, he’s going to have a beer later, lucky guy. Warns us there is a storm coming in later, another one, then leaves us to it. Bingo has increased his bird count as all sorts start to defend on abandoned buildings for the night.

Well earned early night, over 80 miles, in some atrocious weather.