They Don't Like Cyclists - A Day in Hell

Gauchos - Real Cowboys
Costa Rican Cycling Crusaders - Laura and Wagner
A Great Lunch at Rancho Los Molles

Saturday, November 21,2009

Talapampas to Cerrillos

We started cycling at 9:30 AM and it was already 36 degrees. Our initial goal was Salta but that changed as the day progressed and the temperature began to rise.

It got hotter and our breaks got more numerous.

This is gaucho country and we saw several as we rode along. We stopped for fruit and drinks in the first village on the road and got a liter of orange juice, 500 ml of apple juice, 4 bananas, 4 oranges and 4 peaches for 15 pesos (about $4).

It got hotter and our breaks got more numerous.

The headwinds and temperature continued to climb. We met a Costa Rican couple,
Laura and Wagner, who are cycling South America to highlight environmental issues. Wagner is now sporting a 2009 Nova Scotia Heartland Tour t-shirt that I gave him as a souvenir. Here is their website: http://suramericaencleta.com/. Incidently, they were on the front page of Salta's Sunday newspaper.

It got hotter and our breaks got more numerous.

The other bright spot for the day was Rancho Los Molles, where we had lunch. We gave the owner's daughter and grandson Canadian flag patches and a Loon fridge magnet. We had great grilled chicken with mustard sauce and salad. I knew things were bad -Karen ate more than I did.

It got hotter and our breaks got more numerous.

We had difficulty keeping hydrated and it was getting late. There is a rumoured hostel in Cerrillos (20 km from Salta) and we have set a new goal. We settled on Cerillos and the hostel.

Our last few kms were in the dark with heavy traffic. Finally, we found the hostel and Karen went in to check the room. A roof didn't matter; we would have taken anything. The hostel was guarded by two seriously, vicious Labrador Retreivers. We made sure they were locked in before we entered. "They don't like cyclists", the attendant reported.

We showered but had no energy to have supper and crashed early. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring cooler weather and easy riding.