| start date | activity | country | place | from - to | days | km | km/ day | comment |
08.04.2013 |
bicycle |
Chile |
Vincente Perez Rosales NP and Puyehue NP |
Cochamo - Pajaritos |
3.5 |
186 |
53 |
|
12.04.2013 |
bicycle |
Argentina |
Nahuel Huapi NP and Lanin NP |
Pajaritos (Chile border) - Pehuenche |
13 |
1007 |
77 |
bicycle was falling apart |
25.04.2013 |
bicycle |
Chile |
Pehuenche - Santiago |
3 |
401 |
133 |
paved road without hills | |
28.04.2013 |
resting |
Chile |
Santiago |
2 |
0 |
0 |
||
Total
| 21.5 |
1594 |
74 |
|||||
"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
Plans, expectations, attitudes.
Despite the cloudless sky, the water pours on my head. God laughed to tears when heard my plans, but it is not his tears on my face. This is sweat. I do not know what's going on, it shouldn't be like that. The plan was that when I finish a walking stage, I pick up a bike which will take me straight to Santiago. Without an effort.
I was looking for the guilty ones - too heavy luggage, bad surface, not good bike, the wind in my face.
The first village - I sent out all unnecessary gear. Still struggling. The paved road began, and I'm just a little bit better. Wind died down, and in my head the storm began. The time came to admit that I was guilty myself - I set up my attitude on easy miles. When 20 years ago I visited Europe by sport bike, I did the average 150 km a day. Now I'm sweating with half of that distance, pushing myself to make average of just 12 km/h. It is true that there are rational reasons explaining the current situation, but at this stage I didn't get it.
Uphill running session has always been my favorite one. It is the one I felt strong, mentally and physically.
I dropped the rear sprocket to the largest mode, pedaling as much as possible, but still difficult for me. I got tired on uphills. I was starting to be afraid of them. And finally the time has come - I got off and pushed the bike. More and more often. I was ashamed.
I got a slap on the face, I had to swallow the bitter humility. I underestimated the cyclists, as it seemed too easy for me. However I have no one to compare, because I feel that I am the last bike tourist escaping cold Patagonian winter. By March I met others cyclist almost every day, but since I got the bike, I saw only two couples of local cyclists.
I had to change my attitude and accept the reality. Not meant to be like that, but it is as it is. I stopped planning where and when I would arrive, I started understanding that the nature dictates the terms, and I have to cooperate with it instead of fighting.
This did not change the fact that at the beginning of the stage I tried to pushed myself over the limit. Riding from dawn to dusk, short brakes, lack of proper nutrition. I felt slow and weak, didn't enjoy the trip. I was struggling like a humped blind donkey. It did not meet my expectations, I couldn't reach the target. I began to count the number of travel days I wasted.
When people are planning their trips and asking me how is it, is it worth it to go there, after recognising the personal preferences I suggest to have positive attitude but lower your expectations to a minimum. Then avoid the disappointment, and very likely that you get a nice surprise. We can not hear then:
"I thought it would be much nicer."
Cold. Snow lying around. However, breathing the crispy air has its own charm. Riding a bike even more. This is the border pass. Welcome to Argentina.
Fortunately, what I had to ascent, need to be descent. And that was in the beautiful scenery of mountains, forests and lakes. The first town, San Martin de los Andes, charmed me with its atmosphere.
Next was a time for Pampa - dry, heat, wind, long distances, greater altitude. On the way I met a hairy spider, killed snake on the road, and scorpion who came to visit my camp. I have to be more careful.
Again, I ended up in a farm. The secondary roads were winding and ending blind. Finally I did not have much choice - contrary to the "bicycles no enter" signs I drove on the highway. I had my shoulder, but the ride was not pleasant.
I also had a little accident, happened like in cartoon stories - I went on side for the need, crossing the overgrown ditch and ... I went two meters down. I stood in the mud in a narrow trench, having trouble to get out. I was able finally to use technic - back on one wall, feet on the opposite one. Amused about the whole situation.
In the Santiago speeding drivers are more dangerous than any tree in the middle of a wild river.
And suddenly I was cycling the bike like in the old times, doing more than 400 km in three days. After a rest in Santiago. At least physically, because I had a whole list of things to organize here.
Who buys cheap, pays double at the end. I guess I have to sign under it. In Santiago I bought a cheap bike, I thought that any bike will ride troubleless for two weeks. This time I missed.
Day 1. Reflector light pulled off.
Day 3. The left pedal arm crank was loosing up all the time. I bought a tool to tighten up the nut every day.
Day 4. Rear tire exploded. 5 hours waiting for organizing a new tire, because I was far away from the village and couldn't take the lift proposed by the driver - it is unmotorized journey.
Day 6. Axle connecting the pedals was moving, the whole plate was loosing up.
Day 9. No more water bottle holder.
Day 13. First, the problem of changing the rear gear for mountain mode, then damaged the chain which kept falling down - 14 km pushing the bike. At the evening, flat tire.
Day 14. Front tire exploded. 22 km on foot. Older man saved me by providing old narrow sport road tire which I used on the gravel road.
Day 16. Rear cogset fell apart. 5 km back to the guy who had an old bike - I bought from him the whole wheel. Unfortunately, the cogset was rusty and fixed, so I had to pedal all the time - I discovered this when I tried to relax, then chain jammed and I landed with face on the road.
Day 18. Front derailleur fell apart in two pieces as chain sawed it in half. I was changing the chain manually after each uphill ride.
Day 20. The saddle broke.
Bike finally landed in the hospital for a serious surgery. We'll see if its health would stay for a long.
However, there is always other side of the coin. I would say that it was worth to had all these bike defects, because thanks to them I got to know the locals better, who wanted help me so much, that it was touching. In one of the villages I and Gustavo visited all the houses in searching of old bicycle parts - and we assembled my bike good enough from it, that the next day I drove 40 km on the stony road uphill on a high mountain pass.
Some of encountered locals/tourists which were not able to help me, but they were worried about me so much, that I had to calm them down and reassure that everything is okay, I will not die pushing the bike. Then I realized that the bike problems didn't make my travel time wasted, but I gained benefits from it. Another dimension. I had to grew up for it.
The biggest surprise, however, came from a completely different angle. People who know me know that I am nervously and if things do not go my way, I get angry and anxious. And here I am calm, accepting defects with patience. Inner peace. This is another "I". Now my dream is to transfer it to a daily life after the trip - it would be a success. We'll see.
Special thanks for hospitality and/or company for Alfonso, Fabian, Marce and Effa, Ignacio and Alejandro.
| Country | Days | Food | (how many) paid accom. | Permits Entry fees |
Guide hire | Equipment purchase, hire |
Equipment or other freight fees | *Transport | Other | Total |
| Chile, Argentina | 21.5 | $554 | (2) $14 | $0 | $0 | $196 | $35 | $0 | $67 | $866 |
Fixing bicycle and gear