After leaving Oscar and Sylvia I headed for Neuquen. I don´t have much to say about this place. I didn´t like it. A dirty city after all the wide open spaces. Sorry, probably not doing the place justice but I was happy to leave the next morning. Probably didn´t help arriving late with no place booked.. Did meet a couple friendly people in the morning though.
From Neuquen I left for Junin de los Andes, where I am now. I went via El Chocon (something like that). This area has been big for dinosaur sitings. Ok, ok, bones then. The biggest dinosaur ever found was found here.
The highlight of this day would have to be the ´shortcut´I took. (about 50kms) It was marked on my tourist map, really it was...
The road had no sign post and was the right distance out of town so I took it after waiting for a couple wild horses to get out the way. The road was more of a track and I loved it. It ended up at a station in the middle of no where. I needed to go between some buildings and open a gate to keep going (this took some working out talking with a local...). I was told the road wasn´t so good but fine for a motorbike. I was fine. The stones a bit sharp but fine. And the views. Amazing. I cannot describe the feeling of being way out in the sticks, no one around for miles, riding through some pretty barren landscape (small mountain range with canyons) and then cresting a hill and below and way out in front - The Andes!!! A view I had been dreaming about for years and here it was and here I was, on my bike. (I am rambling so I will stop.) Plus snaking through the valley below was Ruta 40, another legend I had come to see and ride..
Junin is a great little town. Went for a bit of a Sunday ride to get away from the masses (there is some festival on here and EVERYONE is here) to a near by national park. The road was a bit rough and if Ruta 40 is going to be like this in the unpaved sections it is going to rattle my bike to pieces but the views were magnificent. Reading from the book of Job (38,39) fitted in very well with the grandeur of the place..
I´m not even in Patagonia yet. Surely it can´t get bettter..
(my new favourite moutain...)But it is getting colder..
1 comment:
Hey Bruce, just thought I'd tell you you can add more than 5 pics to a post. Just do the first 5, add them, then re-click on the "add photo" button, and you can add 5 more, etc. Hope that makes sense.
The scenery in your pics is amazing! Enjoy!
Love Sarah (and Bruce and Kiera)
Post a Comment