Chilecito, Argentina
Most businesses are closed from one to five for a siesta, so we napped in Pituil from one to three to avoid the heat and fourth day of headwinds. Though it cooled down a bit, the winds kept up ’till midnight when we crawled into town on this dark and stormy night. Speedy lizards cross the road with legs whirring, rodents live in underground burrows like prairie dogs, and fast-running desert fowl that aren’t roadrunners, but look like long-necked grouse with a crest bobbing on the top of their heads as they dance. Though I keep reminding myself that every day is an adventure; today was just not much fun.
The gorge at Andolucas at dawn.
Our third night camping in this tent.
December 24th, 2009 at 09:54
Merry Christmas. Fresh 8 inches of snow here. More on the way. I have been following your trip in the Free Press. Great pics. Always envied your exploits. Can’t imagine having sooo many flat tires. Still slaving away. Enjoying your writings, now the pictures as well. Makes me more tired all the work it must take to pedal as much as you do. The hills, wind, rain, robbers……
Take Care. Best of Luck on your continued journey. Brian
December 24th, 2009 at 20:39
Hi David & Julie. Really enjoying following your trip online. Beautiful pictures and I can only imagine the adventures you all are having. I’m also following Valdo as he heads north. He is a little south of Mexico City now. Maria, my wife, set 3 UMCA road records on her Cruzbike in October. She road 241 miles in 12 hours on a 20 mile loop course. It’s a vastly different kind of riding than you are doing, but a little on the edge and I thought you’d want to know about it. Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a safe and enjoyable New Year.
Jim Parker
December 26th, 2009 at 06:38
Feliz Navidad. We are sad to miss the whitest Christmas back home in a long while, and two seasons of winter sports. Here we see snow only on the tops of the highest mountains, while we cycle through desert valleys in 40C (104F) heat. Flat tires really don’t bother me, they are just a part of the journey. The hills offer a nice change of scenery, and the cost to climb up is paid off while coasting down the other side. However…these desert headwinds are wearing us down, and I still wonder how Jason Bourne (as played by Matt Damon) would have handled those four thugs in Quito.
December 26th, 2009 at 06:57
Congratulations to Maria on setting a new record. Though we aren’t setting any official records, we are proud of our accomplishments. I’ve cycled 17,333 km (over 10,000 miles) in 8 1/2 months on my Cruzbike, with no mechanical failures. Julie has now cycled 10,000 km in 6 months on her 20-year-old “normal’ bike that has needed many parts replaced. ( Note: Jim is Co-Founder and CEO of Cruzbike. I have links to Cruzbike and Valdo in the Blogroll on the right side of this blog.)