Just a Wondering

Incognito!

The infamous but not all that impressive Inca Bridge.

Looks close but can take days.

He flies through the air with the greatest of ease.

Bocchi game out of control?

No, round rocks formed by a very long roll along the bottom of a river bed.

Look up, way up!

It takes thousands and thousands of years for the wind and rain to carve out these columns. Echos go on for ever..........

George, the amazing dueno of La Posta. A great guy and a very different biker experience.

Alfredo and Karena, thanks again. Reminder: Canada has great wines you would love too, come try them out.


Plata Del Mar

The population in Jan. and Feb goes from 600,000 to 1,200,00 and you can't find a spot on the beach. We arrived the first week in March and we couldn't find a person on the beach.




Ah, a life of leisure! Since paying our dues on Ruta 40 we have been kicking back enjoying an easier pace. We have visited a few National Parks, Natural Monuments and have cruised miles and miles of farmland. The parks here are good but they don't have anything over the ones we have in Canada: Parque Prov. Ischiguatasto or the Valley of the Moon, known for its fossils, dinosaur bones and lonely rock formations is a smaller version of Drumheller's Badlands, Parque National Talampaya exhibits walls, pillars and rivers of terra cotta red that glow in the sun (or so they say, it was cloudy and dull when we were there), and The Inca Bridge, a natural bridge across a small river that was used by the Inca and the Spaniards while crossing S.A. (it looked way bigger in the the publicity photos, but still better than getting your feet wet).

We have been lucky with the weather so having purchased our new camping equipment (that we do find more comfortable than the lumpy, soggy or taco-y hotel beds), we have been spending our nights camped out at lakes or in small towns which mostly all have a municipal campground with baños and good hot water showers all for about $3. The only time we have splurged for a room was when the room cost $7 and it just wasn't worth opening the tent and when the rain was just too bad to camp. Last night was one of those nights, after a long debate as whether it looked like rain or not we decided to take a room. Good thing as this morning we woke to thunder and a river of water running down the inside wall of our hotel room. Our poor tent along with us inside would have been pumbled during the course of the night and early morning hours had we decided to tough out the weather.

We are still busy wine tasting, as per strict orders from Shaun and Iris. Plata Del Mar found us with new friends Alfredo and wife Karena, at their friends wine bar, tasting the local fare and trying to talk them into coming to Westbank, to try the best we have to offer. When the rain stops( it had better be tomorrow), we are on our way to Buenas Aires the biggest city for us yet, a whopping 19,000,000 people, half of Argentina's total population.

Kens' FYI about our trip so far:

• 40,000 kms or 25,000 miles
• 2,000 litres of gas
• we are averaging close to 5 litres per 100 kms
• average .90 per liter with the cheapest gas in Patagonia Arg. at .40 per litre and the most expensive in Peru at 1.50 per litre
• we have purchased 4 rear tires and 1 front tire, Michelin Anakee seem to be the best
• no valve or engine adjustments
• 7 oil changes, uses no oil
• original chain, sprockets and brakes are still in good shape

Kens' pet peeves about driving here in Argentina

• most cities have no lines on the roads so anything and anywhere goes
• many cars have no lights on at night
• people here don't respect motorcycles or pedestrians, look out!!! for your life
• where are we.....no road signs.....and if they do they are after the turn you were supposed to take