Day 5 and 6 (jun 3rd and 4th 2014)

Today I started to San Miguel del Monte, I started early to breack camp and I noticed that there was south-east wind... that means that I would have face wind all day long... That's why I was hurried to pick up everything an leave quickly, I had a long way in front of me, without places to stop in the middle of this part of the trip. Besides, the forecast service announced rain for the next day (jun 4th) (it was accurate and forced me to stay a whole day in San Miguel del Monte) This time I didn't stop too much, there is only one stop that deserve to be mentioned; when I met Pablo y Andres, that where on a side of the road with a pick-up and a harvester machine waiting for a truck i guess, and I talked a long time with them, while I rested my legs a little, that were a little sore because of the face wind.

After this meeting, I keep riding without problems until San Miguel del Monte, where I could make my camp in a gas station, where they allowed me to spend the rain day out of the road. This meant  a lost of time, but at the same time, it allowed my legs to recover a little from the past 3 days of constant pedaling, and also to read my physics notes, particularly about rolling friction, that made me see the failures of the kayak's trailer. in this day, I mentally remake the necessary modifications on the trailer, in order to make the trip easier... Anyway, it would't be possible to modify it until I get to Magdalena city, so I just could wait until the next day, with the company of Carlos y Simón, that made my day very friendly and funny!

Day 4 (jun 2nd 2014)

This day started exceptional... in Argentina, it is the volunteer firefighter's day and I was in a volunteer firehouse! Eary in the morning there was already a lot of movement in the firehouse, so I woke up and as I got out of the tent, a lot of people came to me to welcome me to the Navarro's volunteer firehouse. They didn't even even gave me time to think that I had already a hot chocolate mug in my hand and croissants to eat! I get very at ease among these people, that payed attention to me and asked me about details of my trip too. Then, we made some pictures. some for souvenir, some other to laugh a little. I am very thankful with them, to be honest, they rescued me from a big problem the night before!

After spending some time with the people in the firehouse, I went to a supermarket to buy supplies in order to leave to Lobos. After a warm goodbye, I get back to the provincial road 41,  destination Lobos, riding 3 kilometers over my steps that I did last night to get to the city. 2 hours after I left Navarro I met Paulo, Miguel, Ricardo and Jaime. I stopped to use a bridge railing to pose my bike, and there they were,  on a side of the road, having lunch arround a fire.

when I stopped, Miguel was just going to check his fishing rods that were next to my bike, in that moment, he asked me where I was going, and after a short dialog, he invite me to share their lunch and some mates, while we talked about our lives and fishing. It was a very nice meeting, with a lot of jokes an laughing, and a really tasty an needful lunch, but I got to keep riding, and they got to get back to work, so I get back to my business, and they get back to their own... Besides, I still has 20 kilometers ahead me before arrive to Lobos, and I didn't want to ride at night again. Even if a ate a lot, I wasn't feeling heavy, so these 20 kilometers were quickly done and I get pretty much early to Lobos but I didn't want to keep riding and be caught by night in the middle of nowhere, besides, the next part of the trip, from Lobos to San Miguel del Monte, was pretty long. and it wouldn't able for me to do it in this same day, so I decided, at 4pm, to make my camp next to the Alfredo's and Hector's tire shop, two characters that made me laugh a lot, shared many mate rounds, and explained many tasks and secrets of their business. This is how ends this day, with a big happiness feeling inside of me.

fff

Day 3 (jun 1st 2014)

Today I get back to my trip. after many talks and a long goodbye wit Eduardo's family, I took provincial road 41 destination Magdalena. I started quite late, around  3:30 pm, hoping to get to  Navarro city. The original idea was to get to Lobos, but, the departure was late, and i was feeling these 2 months without physical activity.

It has been a quiet trip, just an old car that gets a flat tire, and 10 kilometers after, gripped the engine, the only problem I had was that the night caught me when I was still far away from Navarro,  when I get to the first gas station I crossed, I had my first trip's bad meeting;there were 4 kilometers left to get into the city of Navarro, but since it was already dark, I preferred to ask in this gas station to stay the night there... when I stopped and get received with a "what do you want?" sentence I realize that I will keep riding... when I get to the city I found out that the first camping was closed for the winter, and the other one was also closed because falling tree branches risk... affronting this situation, i went to the Navarro's volunteer firehouse, where they gave me place to make my camp, and the possibility to use the firehouse's services. Note: pictures are a little blurry because of the coldness on the camp that fogged the camera's lens.

Eduardo O.!!

As I said on the  "Day 2" entry, the "convoy" remained in the city of Mercedes... But I never mentioned were it was or who kept it. Here appears Eduardo O. and his family. What can I say... I was in a delicate situation: I got to get back to Buenos Aires, without a place to stay, with the risk that envolves getting back with "the convoy", and how hard would be to find a place to put it; that's when I reached Eduardo through a friend...

who could really take me out of my distress situation and with his family they treated me like if i were one of them; they didn't just offered me a place to put my equipment, but they also made me a place on their table, their house and, in some way, their life. I shared very good moments with all of them, Eduardo, his wife Lujan, and his daughters Laura and Sofia. I was really surprised with this meeting, they are exceptional people,that had the best of predispositions to help me, and made me feel like I was part of their family and, to be honest, i will remember them until the last of my days!
I only have gratitude words for them, and I believe this was the only time that it was that hard to me to take the road again, I was so comfortable that it taked a big effort to say good bye to continue... but it is the way it must be, there are no words that can give them bak what they gave to me!

Some separe pics...

Those are some pics i took on the first part of the trip...

Pedro! (Peter)

Introducing Pedro!

My "stay partner", between quotes because when I arrive, he was already sleeping and it was on the next morning we could talk... Pedro is a simple guy from Germany, that, just like me, is doing his dreamed trip, although he got to modify it a little.

He also started his trip in bike, But an unfortunate accident in Peru made him put his bike away and continue in van... Like he said "I waited 30 years, I came here, learned the language, I can¿t leave without finish my trip"

At that moment I realize whe share something, the tenacity of finishing what we want. And since his problem with his bike was his knee, that received the impact of the fall and twisted in the accident, and his idea was to get back on his bike when his knee allows him, I remembered I had a similar problem due to an accident, so I decided to gift him my neoprene knee brace... a little ashamed, because I was using this brace yesterday, and it wasn't in the best hygienic conditions... even though, pedro gets very happy, and I really hope he can take his bike very soon, as he planned it!!

Day 2

The day two had a strange beginning... To start, I woke up at 5 am, thinking about leaving at 6, but it wat dark night still... so i stayed lying down until the sunrise... asleep.. at 7am ithe raindrops over the tent's roof awaked me... I thought it was a lost day, but it only rained for  15 minutes, so I decided to prepare my breakfast while I wait:

some mates with cereal cookies, fruit salad and some other stuff I don't remember now,whatever, the important thing is to recover energy in order to hit the road. While i was preparing this and my stool was getting broken, sprawling me all over the tent floor, I get out and analyze the day,how it was to continue, when I met Pedro, actually Peter, A German man that was also travelling, but in a van. Slowly, without rush but without pause, I dismounted my camp and I went to buy some stuff, when I found out that the truck driver's union was on strike all day long... so, I couldn't get supplies, just water, that¿'s how i got back to the road, without issues, until Mercedes. On the way, I stopped next to the Norberto Napolitano; "Pappo" monument, made in the place where he died by falling down of his motorcycle... and then, Mercedes.
In this city I found some stores that weren't on strike, so I could get my supplies, and even a homemade salami!

 It might be the destiny, because I stopped by coincidence in this store because of the road sign that was offering salamis and cheese, and just 5 minutes after I get into the store,it started to rain again. The guy that was working at the store,
Agustín, allowed me to stay in there until the rain stops, and gave me some plastic bags to protect my load, further, he provided me with an electric plug to charge my phone. while the rainstorm was passing by, we talked a few about a lot of things, my trip, his business... and avter thanking his gentleness and hospitality... I get on the road again...
Finally I left Mercedes behind, and reached "La picada", a gas station with restaurant 20 kilometers away from Mercedes, where I found a good meal, consisted of 12 empanadas,  and chat with people who was working there and passing by.. some people in car, and trucks taking diesel for the day after the strike...here, in this remote place, 10km away from Suipacha, I get a phone call that forced me to suspend the trip and get back to Buenos Aires.

 Hopefully, I could let the "convoy" in Mercedes,  so the way back was faster, in public transport... That's how ended the 2nd day, waiting to continue it,until I complete it. no matter if it rains, snows or thunders!!!

Eduardo!

Ok, I told you about Eduardo, here he is!

Eduardo has been another Road partner, a great road partner... we shared several kilometers of talking... his life, my life... and our girls... how I met my girlfriend... the issues we had, the refusal of her parents... it is just that when we are alone in the road, it is hard to not give up... it is hard to keep going forward...

my little princess!

It is in that precise moment when I think about her... and she gives me power to hold it and keep on moving... and don't say it is cheap snobbish, because I can bet that anybody is going to go through this!

I talked a lot with Eduardo about her, the reason of the name of my kayak, and he told me about his experiences and told me something that stays in my mind..."It doesn't matter if you are 15, 30 or 50 years old, love is going to be always the same feeling, it is no t that you love more when you are older or less when you are younger"
We never know from where are going to come the courage words, don't we?

This great person ride with me during 15 kilometers (10 mi), stopping the traffic with his bike on the jammed corners in order to make my task easier, and he even gave me his cereal bars to make me keep riding! If I keep meeting people like this, my trip is going to be much more easy I think! Godspeed to  Eduardo, I hope he reads this at any moment!

Juan!

Well, as I told you before, here is Juan:

This was the situation: I was with a major mechanical failure, alone, and close from a "complicated" neighborhood, despairing because of the situation and because of my fear of not being able to continue my trip, when I suddenly see somebody stop his bike next to mines... he get down, came and asked me if I needed some help... I told him the problem, and with a rope, he helped me out to resolve it.

There is a lot to say about Juan, he is a great person,an expert in mechanical arts, bike riding and kayak riding, and anything adventure related... But truly, Juan is an "old school" person! He didn't just helped me out, he advised me, recommended me, and accompanied me several kilometers just because ti was an "unsafe zone", like he makes me see. We shared a really nice talk, he told me about his life, I told him about mines,and the reasons why I was travelling. He gave me many information about the way I had in front of me, to be careful and unfortunately we need to split, since he had tasks to do.

 I only have gratitude words for him, and best wishes, even if our meeting was short, Juan is the kind of people that we will talk about to our grandsons!

The departure

FRANÇAIS - ESPAÑOL -

Well... What can I say, I took the road on Wednesday,  with fears, uncertainties, without knowing what was waiting for me.... and I got to say that there was only good surprises one behind the other...

The beginning hasn't been very encouraging, I got to admit: the weight of the equipment was harder to move that I estimated, the length of the "convoy" made it very hard to drive it into the traffic, and the small trailer wheel span made the kayak flip over tree times that day... truly, I doubted of my idea for a moment. Since the start it had been a problem to get out of the garage where I kept the kayak the night before, it took me a long waiting time and many insults... People who lives in big cities is usually rushed and have no tolerance for waiting... although they don't really know why they are so hurry...

Then, the first stop... in a gas station, because while I was riding, I notice that the trailer wheels where low pressured, wich was making it harder for me to pull the "convoy"... Since my arrival already I felt curious eyes looking at me, like those on my way, where even bus drivers slowed down by mi side to ask me where I was going, and car drivers who opened their windows to take pictures of me and shout encouraging words... I don't know, but those details makes one's heart get full of joy, and feel the desire of keep riding.

The thing is I already was at the gas station, arguing with the air machine (that is designed for car wheels, not for kayak's trailer wheels, so I was afraid of a premature tire burst) 

 Here happened my first good surprise: three men taking a coffe at the station shop called me through the window to chat with me; they wanted to know where I was coming from, where I was going, details of my "convoy", details of my trip, times, etc. After a few minutes chatting, I went to the air machine to inflate the tires, and while I was busy with that, one of the men came to me, gave me a 100AR$ bill and said "take this dude, you gonna need it"... I can't explain the moment's feeling, a mix between hugging him and cry, and the only thing I could articulate was " I thank you from the heart, it means a lot for me!"...

Well, after this, arround noon I finally get out of Buenos Aires, less trail remaining... I stopped in a fast food place in Ciudadela and ask for a "choripan" with salsa criolla... At that moment I was planning to don't come back to Buenos Aires in a long time, and I felt I couldn't left this city behind without eating a genuine "choripan". Leaving this place I realized my first mechanical issue... trailer's welding where failing, because of this, the kayak was heeling over while I was riding, overturning each time easier...I suffered this problem for some kilometers, until I get to the Posadas Hospital, where I couldn't keep riding because of this... I felt really bad... thinking that my trip would be over even before getting out Buenos Aires's suburbs... In this precise moment, Juan appears, a grat person that helped me out with my problem, but ride for many kilometers on his bike with me too until close to Parque Leloir. When I get here I found a bike shop, where I was planning to buy a bike easel, since the instability of the bike due to the saddlebag's weight makes impossible to pose it anywhere... And even if they didn't have an easel that could resolve my problem, 

 

they helped me out to improvise a solution, give me hot water, and take a round of mates with me!! Here was where I knew Joaquin and his friend, two big biking enthusiasts that were by coincidence at the shop and shared with me a nice chat, local information and many mates. But the time was going by, the front wind was constant during the whole day and retarded a lot my trip,so if I was pretending to get somewhere with the daylight, I better keep riding...

A few kilometers after leaving Joaquin behind, the destiny put Eduardo on my way, another sportive and thanksgiving soul... who I shared some talk with and he shared water and food to me too!; It was a short meeting, there were a few kilometers still to get out the suburbs, and a few hours to this Wednesday... But that didn't stop Eduardo to ride with me until General Rodriquez, blocking the traffic with his bike in several opportunities to make my street crossing easier... As Juan told me, Eduardo aware me that I would be force to get into the highway, so, a few kilometers after leaving Eduardo, I didn't have option but to ride 15 kilometers (10 mi)  between Buenos Aires and Lujan through the West Access Highway...

What can I say about this... It has been by far my worst experience on a bike, and I hope to never have to do it again... but it allowed me to arrive to Lujan, where I got to stop because the day was over... I spent the night in a gas station, on the way out from Lujan to Mercedes; here I found this character:

To be honest, I can't remember his name, it was very late, I was very tired, and my camp wasn't set, but I do remember he was very kind and helpful, he offered me many things, like hosting and food, unfortunately I had all that resolved... We shared a long chat about trips, motorcycles and bikes,.. and then, having mounted my tent and swearing the amazingly bad phone reception that avoided me to talk with my girl, I finished the day getting deeply asleep...