Cycling The Globe

Distance: 64.15 km
Ride time: 3:43:29
Average: 17.29 km/h
Altitude: 2217 m
Total: 24988 km

After saying goodbye to Michael we took a bus back to the camp site in Uspallata where we had left our bikes. Luckily they were still there.

Our plan was now to head into the mountains where our first stop would be El Leoncito National Park. I was feeling very excited as we cycled out of Uspallata. When I cycle by myself I tend to stick to roads with at least some traffic on them. Now, cycling with Petter, we were about to begin our adventure into a more isolated part of the Andes Mountains.

The temperature was well over 30 degrees as we started cycling north on road 149. After an hour of cycling the road turned into dirt. We knew from Frank, the German cyclist we met in Mendoza, that there had been a lot of rain in this part of the country a month ago. Many roads had been washed away. Luckily we only encountered one small stream that was easy to cross.

It always takes a little push, at least for me, to leave a town with all facilities like supermarkets and internet, and cycle into the unknown. Then once you have left town, the excitement and enjoyment of adventure takes over quickly. Petter and I were both enjoying the cycle to the fullest!

As the sun was setting behind the mountains we pulled over to the side of the road. Finding a wild camp spot was not difficult as we hadn’t passed a house or any kind of civilization for 25 kilometers. After cooking our pasta dinners we rolled out our sleeping bags and mats. As it was still warm we didn’t bother putting up the tents, giving us an amazing panorama view of the stars above. This area is known to be one of the best around for star gazing.

I woke up at one time during the night when the moon was no longer visible, and I have seen that many stars before.