The Day started out hot. And we were sweating early in the morning.

I checked the temperature on my "on board computer" and it read 34C. No wonder we were hot. And this was at 10am!


We kept on going and headed up and around a corner toward the Pacific coast, then Whamoo... Cold air.

We could see fog in the distance and the cool air was wonderful. And it was cold. Every half km there was a full degree drop in temperature. 33, 32, 31 I stopped counting down at 25 and when we stopped for lunch, I slipped my coat back on!


We cycled through Mehuin the hot spot for surfing in the area. We could hear and see a little of the waves but the dense fog was hampering our view.

The camping areas were bare and it looked like a ghost town. I bet it is a hopping spot in a month or two!


We had a break for lunch then we hit a little "bump" a 12% climb for (approx. ) 2km. Bob finished the climb then walked down to rescue me. I was walking up. It was steep.

I don't know how he rides up those hills, then walks down to push my bike up! I guess it's better than listening to me whine the rest of the way!


Let there Be Dust

Sometimes things are very weird. We had been cycling on beautiful smooth asphalt then, out of nowhere, the pavement just stops. For no rhyme or reason there was a quarter kilometer of dusty river stone gravel. The vegetation along the road side was dense with dust and the "ripio" washboard, slowed us down to walking speed.


This is also after not seeing a car or vehicle for several miles we were passed head on by two double loaded wood trucks. You know, the kind with 8ft lengths of pulp lumber going to the mill complete with pup trailer. Only in this case it is 8 FTS of eucalyptus trees.

They kick up lots of dust!

And 3 loaded double axle dump trucks.


Once we hit the pavement again, we didn't see a truck or vehicle for miles. ~Go figure~


An accident waiting to happen

As we've said before you never know what you will see on the road. Today was almost an accident. Not us thankfully but two wayward cows who were on the road when not 1, but 2 trucks came by. Truck 1 was slowing down to avoid said cows, when truck 2 pulled out to pass truck one. Both had to slam on the brakes while un perturbed cows calmly crossed the road.

Honk! Honk! The cows didn't know what that meant.


Once again you never know what you will see on the road.


We stopped to let a driver unload his oxen off his truck. Picture a (white or used to be white) 1 ton mini van with wooden slats on the side backing up to the embankment on the side of the road. He had the whole road blocked so we stopped. The back gate opened up and 2 very large oxen hopped out and crossed the road. Then the truck left. End of story.


We arrived in Nueva Toltén unscathed and thirsty. Beer and pizza for supper.