Wednesday March 5th 2025 Clorinda to Villa General Manuel Belgrano
Up early in the morning, scratching around the rooms, we had a suite of rooms. Before you think here we go again will describe the suite, with four rooms, but only one door, three widows without any glass, two musty beds with an on suite if you can call it that. But it was a place to sleep and free (or so we thought) more about that later. As we slipped out of the digs, the main inhabitants still noisily scraping around, not sure what they were small mice I think.

Leaving the dusty streets of Laguna Naick Neck, onto highway 86 headed towards General Manuel Belgrano, not sure if he is the same guy, but every Argentina town has a Belgrano street.

Not feeling great myself, just a dodgy stomach nothing a few litres of water won’t cure I hope. Very quiet road, with nothing but scrub land and what looks like palm oil plantations, not great but it’s the huge corporations that make the money out of it, certainly not the locals. Always good to have a rant, makes you feel better, but did not cure my stomach upset unfortunately.

Did not even stop for lunch, I was on hunger strike now, just loads of water, have to keep hydrated, so they say, replenishing the water bottles at every opportunity, with 20 miles to go, we pulled over to a hardware store cum Arkwright place, bits and pieces everywhere, including a fridge. Just sat on two chairs by the fan drinking as much as I can. Was feeling a bit better so it must be working, Bingo gives the order to get going, with a cheasey smile, another stop in ten miles then roll it in.

The 10 mile stop never materialised or we missed it, think I was just peddling, but the rest of my body was asleep. In one of the rare moments I actually said anything today, we must be coming up to the stop soon, Bingo laughed said it was miles back, but did not see anything, less than two miles to go.

Then it happened front crank just spinning on the bottom bracket shaft, tried to pack it out but looks serious. Had chat, best Bingo pedal off, sort the digs out, I will push my bike the last mile or so.

Met Bingo on the corner, well he spotted me looking at my phone for inspiration no directions or both, as we both walked to the digs, for me it felt like walking the”Green Mile” as in the film Tom Hanks film.

Well the prognosis was not good, the splines on the aluminium chain ring had rounded off.

What we going to now then! Have a shower, rest up and look at the options.
To be continued tomorrow, very tired need to come up with a plan.

Oh nearly forgot, well the free digs where not free last night, Bingo got a not to pleasant text message saying we had done a runner. Well the charming lady I spoke with last night, was not the owner, we should have paid up at the petrol station, no wonder she did not want paying.

Least of the problems at the moment, just looking for solutions.