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+ Log & Blog December / Dec 28

 Progress log and blog report

28 DECEMBER 2005 - Floods and marshes in the desert

Right, off at 7am! Breakfast at 6.30 and we would have made it too, if I hadn’t kicked my car keys under the bed! So off about 7.15 while the air was cool and pleasant. Today the road was straight and flat again and we were heading to Cordoba on Rn20 and Rn14. Back down the road we had come the night before towards Caucete, past the scrap yards full of American tin from the 20s to the 60s – some looking very worth restoring.

The dust storm last night had clearly meant rain for much of the area. This huge, flat expanse of land was suddenly a puddle! After one spell of rain! It seemed incredible but it made the water mark signs of yesterday more believable. Elegant looking long necked white herons fished by the side of the road, while five large buzzards picked the flesh from the rib cage of a large cow half in the water.

A-wet-desert-plus-storks

I wonder what the storks eat, are there fish in there or just frogs? More cows wandered the roads than we had seen before, certainly this looked lusher than yesterday, perhaps there are some permanent marshes here.

We then saw our next mountain range ahead of us on the way to San Francisco, the Sierra De Alto Pencoso which virtually merges into the Sierra De San Luis and the Sierra De Cordoba. One thing was for sure, it would be cool up there, about 6,000 feet up.

Straight-behind-hilly-ahead

We went through pretty little towns, with some Spanish colonial architecture still there. We had seen little of this so far as much of the south had little occupation until much later than the north and so much has been lost due to earthquakes. Indeed winding up these first gentle tree lined hills there were plenty of little tourist villas, artesian wares for sale like cloths and oil paintings, small museums – all in all a good place to explore, browse and stay a day. The Sierra De Alto Pencoso.

Local-wares

The next hills, sorry mountains, were much higher. The driving was some of the best we have had on the whole trip. Today was generally much easier going, not only did the hills cool us, but also the sky was overcast with a number of clouds. Pockets of cool air managed to survive and the driving through the mountains was very pleasant indeed. Locals sold goat skins and pottery at the side of the road and there was the odd café to stop and admire the view. Route 20 runs nicely on the top of the hills, giving wonderful views almost all the way to Cordoba. We weren’t looking forward to coming down again.

2200m-up

We stopped for lunch at the little town of Villa Delores. A nice quiet spot with a bathing river and cafés lining the sides. A sandwich and a drink in a very pleasant thatched café with a huge barbecue oven, that owner was disappointed we didn’t want fired up, was just what we needed in the heat. The temperature had climbed as we descended and the day advanced. Still we were all game to keep going to Cordoba and then on Rn19 to Santa Fe. We headed into Santa Fe and asked a local for a good hotel. I think he must have misheard as the Hotel Menfis looked innocent enough on the outside, and was cheap at £8 each a night (not inc breakfast) but the receptionist, aye yi yi (to quote Delmar). Put it this way, it would be hard to be made to feel more unwelcome. The rooms were also interesting, the way the light switch for the bathroom was actually in the shower area, and the power wires for the TV hung out the wall and the noise of the air conditioner was about the same as a lawnmover….. aye yi yi.

Villa-Delores

As usual I had got 3 days behind on write ups, so I opted for room service to get some done – thanks Chris, I have seen prettier waitresses, though at least he didn’t ask for a tip. A late night and an early morning start  - off for 7 again!
 
502 miles today, total is 6368!
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