Tuesday 6th May 2025 El Paraiso to Alóag
Nice afternoon, cleaned the bikes, Bingo replaced a cable, restful day, lunch in the place next door, all good, very filling, so don’t think I will be having a lot to night, but you never know, got to keep fueled up, only a very small village, with a few cafes / restaurants mainly for the passing trade. We ventured out again just as it was getting dark, around 18:30, little walk around the village, that took less than 10 minutes, then find a place to eat, settled for the bus station cafe, always good food and clean. I settled for two toasted cheese sandwiches, really full up from lunch times, Bingo had a chicken and rice thing, all very nice and easy. Went over the road to sort breakfast out with the yogurt and chocolate and a few beers to help us relax and sleep well.

Up with the larks again, breakfast sorted, me itching to get going, I know its going to be a tough day, good news is that there is only one climb today, bad news is, it goes on for 48 miles, going to be a long slog, with a gentle 2 and 33 / 64th mile descent at the end, the fractions are a throw back to the first tour. I was dismayed that the young thunderbolt Cathal did not understand fractions, hence spent most of that tour giving him lessons, in fractions and imperial measurements, fair play he took it all on board like a diligent student he is, one day he will take over the mantle of running these mad tours!

So off we go, I ask which way, as it seemed far easy to go down hill, but not the right way, just get into the groove and pedal for 10 hours not much to ask these legs, shame I think we have a communication error, legs not getting the message, the road is horrible busy and tight and to top it off I had a passenger on my back a great big grasshopper thing. I was unaware of the monster crawling up my back, Bingo was chuckling and saying something, cause of the traffic and how tight it was I could not hear him, in the end he brushed it off nonchalantly, with the grace of Johnny Morris from Animal Magic (another lesson for Cathal, Linny and Rylan), I felt the weight off my back straight away, it must have weighed all of an ounce.

After the first five or so miles, the road did improve, made it a lot safer and more enjoyable, still quite busy but two lanes now, so the big trucks can see us and give us plenty of room, which they all do. Getting into the swing of the climb now, just taking it easy, turning the pedals, lovely green forest, with waterfalls cascading down the mountain side, as edged slowly but surely up and up.

We stop for a coffee and soft drink at a posh looking cafe next to a petrol station , little village, San Augusto, allegedly monkeys come down from the mountain side, quite often, well thats what I thought the girl in the coffee shop said, as I ordered the drinks, we did not see any, maybe, they seen us first, said not going to get any food of them. On we went, some lovely little restaurants and cafes dotted about, think nice, bit later will have a nice lunch I wish. On we went, thinking it looked just a gentle incline on the map this morning, little white lies of encouragement as the gradient gets a bit steeper, just grind it out as the mist descends from the mountain tops, making it a bit damp, wet and the temperature falling, the work we are putting in keeps us warm.

The nice restaurants seem to have disappeared just as we needed them, eventually found a little local place, nice coffee and soft drink, check the maps, nice little chat “The worst parts are behind us now. It’s all a bit easier from here.” As we sent off again, the horizon shrouded in mist, becomes a bit of mystery, even the road does, so what happened to the worst parts are behind us now! Another mystery.

We then met an eccentric guy from El Salvador, Aurelio, who’s been on the road a while, started in El Salvador on his way down to Ushuaia, not sure when he will get there though, here he is on Youtube. Nice guy very chatty, pics on the side of the busy road, then said the farewell with a strong handshake and the customary viaje Seguro “Safe Journey”

Tough day, the last bit in the mist and rain, made for difficult riding, but a lovely feeling when we finally came over the top, very chilly and misty still, pulled into a petrol station nice hot cup of coffee, to warm us up, then search for a place to stay, found a few places in the nearby town Alóag, rain coming down harder now so sheltered in the warm with a beer, lovely like being on holiday. Jackets on, then enjoy the final 2 and 33 / 64th mile descent, booked into the first hostel we seen, very cold and wet, nothing like a cold shower to warm you through.

Did not venture far, bowl of hot soup in the cafe next door then the supermarket, ended up making cheese slice, fruit bread and mustard sandwiches for supper, washed down with a nice beer, then bed, cream crackered.