Valle de la Luna...

April 9th

The other day it rained on the moon and what a day it was:

April7
I go to the National Park to see the Valley of the moon. There is a 40km loop that goes through the park passing through a variety of landscapes - bizarre rock formations, eroded valleys etc. which you travel around by car or moto. A ranger guides you as you can´t do it alone. We leave and what I see is awesome but (or ´and`) the weather changes. It rarely rains out here but back at the headquaters it is hailing (hailstones up to the size of golf balls..) and the decision is made to turn back early. I want to keep going but have no choice (luckily). The dusty roads are now wet and have become the slipperiest and stickiest clay I have ever seen. I skate the bike most of the way back and then with the end in site I slide and drop it in the mud. The mud cakes up the front wheel so much that it stops turning.
Once out of the park I race north. No rain but I seem to be in a tunnel of dry with lightning flashing in the mountains nearby.
The map says that it is all pavement with about 40km of Tierra (earth). The map is right but the water has washed the road away. The sun has set and it is getting dark. I gingerly cross a number of rivers flowing over the road. I meet up with a local Fire Brigade unit who are going in the same direction. All is good until we meet a deep fast flowing river. Our way is blocked. A 300km detour is mentioned. Other people arive. The way we have come has got worse and now we seem stuck in the middle. A grader is called. We stand around and wait. It is definitely dark now. More cars join us. Now a small convoy moves towards the river. The depth is acertained and a ´safe´passage is found and we cross. The road turns into a rough riverbed but fine for the motorbike. 3 more crossings and it is over.
What the map doesn´t really show is that the earth section of road is actually a mountain pass. The track is narrow, a little rough but very enjoyable. The impossible complicated route slowly takes us up and over. My headlights illuminate huge rock faces and cacti on one side and deep ravines that reach down into the inky blackness. Occasionally I see the other sides of the ravines as they are so narrow. It is awesome. As I ride the only regret I have is that it is night and the dark has stolen the scenery.
I make it over and back onto the main road into Chilecito. I meet my Bombero (Firemen) friends again and they invite me to stay at the fire station. I am overwhelmed by their hospitality. By the time I get to bed it is 1:30am. I am tired but extremely happy.
This is what I came for....