San Carlos de Bariloche

With views such as this and with the sun beating down at a mild twenty degrees or so, how could one be anything but happy.

Whilst it might just be the beer talking but seriously I'm feeling so happy and relaxed right now it's not funny. I'd forgotten what it's like to be King of your own destiny! Mine right now it would seem is to be sitting in the garden of a roadside cafe enjoying a couple of empanadas, some papas fritas and the rest of my bottle of cerveza.

Also on a positive note, it would appear that things are beginning to fall into place already.

• I've despatched, some spare bike parts, a whole bundle of souvenirs and a few other odds and ends I can't or rather don't want to be lugging around with me for the next few weeks;
• I've hired a bike rack & panniers (I so wish I'd bought mine as I'd originally intended);
• I've come up with a few rides, ostensibly around the Bariloche area (it's so beautiful, how could I not stop and enjoy) and also one which would get me over the border and into Chile.
• I've also found out about flying (or as a worst case scenario getting the bus) to El Calafate, Buenos Aires and Santiago so a bit more detailed / longer term plan can be devised.

Of course in saying that my plans of visiting Ushuaia, Antarctica and so on will have to wait. But it's not like Argentina is that difficult to get around, particularly if I can learn a bit of Spanish before the next time I visit.

All in all, whilst it's not the way I'd envisaged things occurring and I've still got a bitter taste in my mouth as to how things ended, I'm pleased at the same time that I've now got the freedom to do what I like, when I like.

If nothing else, that means being able to slow things down a little smell the roses, enjoy the sights, sounds & food that a place has to offer without necessarily always keeping an eye on the clock.

San Carlos de Bariloche

I wish I'd bought my rear rack & panniers as I'd originally intended, because I'm surrounded by some beautiful scenery, am feeling a little better (mentally and physically) & eager to hit the open road on my beloved stead.

I'll just have to see whether I can hire a car large enough to carry all my crap, cause if so, then what I'm thinking is drive from village to another at night and spending the following day doing a bit of a ride around the area.

It shouldn't be too difficult to create a GPX route for myself and to be able to come up with an interesting itinerary.

Let's see what happens tomorrow morning and how I get on in talking to Avis who I think have an branch right here in Bariloche.

Rest Day - Bariloche

Well, it would seem that some people condone violence. Despite my assailant confessing to his wrong doing, the guys from Bike Dreams have decided NOT to throw him off the tour and as a consequence I have come to the conclusion that I will wind things up here & now.

Now a number of people have become aware that I am leaving, though I haven't personally said a great deal to anyone, and they've asked why I was leaving the group rather than cycling with them all the way to Ushuaia and I've got to be honest and say that, in part at least, I found it difficult to answer.

I mean, I know that ultimately my decision to part ways with the group doesn't affect my assailant. In fact if anything it means he "gets away with it" cause I'm not even there as a constant reminder of what he's done, but basically, it's a case of needing to feel safe.

I mean, if something happens on the streets of a city or a road I'm riding, by someone who's unknown to me that's one thing. But when a family member or someone who I've lived with for three to four months does it, then that's another....

At the very least, I've got the ability to reduce the prospect of a repeat performance, by no longer associating with said family member, etc. Now maybe some people will see that as harsh and that he deserves a second chance, but be honest - would you chance it?

Lying, being rude or providing wrongful information or what have you maybe, but physical violence? I'm not going to give ANYBODY the ability to hurt me (physically or mentally) twice!

Villa la Angostura to Bariloche

Not knowing what transpired last night following my discussion with Rob, I felt a little reluctant to ride today and so once again I jumped on the truck and sure the possibility of my assailant lashing out again is / was perhaps a little unlikely, I simply didn't want to run the risk. Admittedly I was also a little concerned how I may or may not retaliate. 

What is interesting through is that my assailant tried to offer an apology this morning but personally suspect it was only under the coercion / suggestion of the tour company owner because if he'd really meant it, he'd have offered the apology some 24 hours earlier and of his own volition rather than hoping the whole thing wouldn't rear it's head as an issue.

It's a pity, to be on the truck, cause it was only 80 odd kilometers most of it relatively flat, all of it paved and skirting a wonderful lake. 

Ah well, better to be safe than sorry as far as I'm concerned!

You know, I cannot help but wonder what would have transpired if I'd taken a swing at him in self-defence, something I've been stewing over since. I know, I know, two wrongs don't make a right, but seriously, in Australia if (when) found guilty of an assault such as this, he'd  potentially cop up to a ten year jail term.

I'll wait to hear what Rob has to say about the issue, but having alerted the tour company of my concerns for my safety and that of other members of the group if this idiot / violent thug is permitted to stay on, my ride is over! What's more, I'll be backing anyone legally and morally who also ends up a victim of a violent attack, whether by this individual or otherwise.

Ruta de 7 Lagos to Villa la Angostura

Having been assaulted last night, by another member of the peleton, I decided against riding today, because I was a little wary of what might occur on the open road... I also needed a bit of time to decide how to tackle the issue, with the thought running through my head that I'd have a chat to the organisers, tell them what had occurred and have the $%*^ thrown off the tour. 

So what happened I hear you ask, well essentially, last night, having eaten dinner and enjoyed a couple of glasses of fine red wine, whilst talking to a friend at around ten o'clock at night, but some fifty to sixty metres from the nearest tent, I was coward punched without warning or provocation by another rider.

Surprisingly enough, NOT by the psycho who was giving me grief a couple of weeks ago.... 

No this was someone else. Someone who I personally suspect has suffered a mental breakdown as a result of heat exhaustion and self induced stress at losing his position as the fastest rider over the full length of the trip or what have you.....

My assailant walked up behind me and without saying a word, just threw a right hook which landed on my left cheek and has subsequently given me somewhat of a sore jaw. He then returned to his tent still without saying a single word. 

Fortunately or unfortunately I was so shell shocked by what had occurred that I did not respond, verbally or physically. 

Heck, I only knew who had done this, when my friend (and witness) followed him to his tent to find out who had landed the blow and why, at which point she allegedly came across the guy simply muttering "He was sick of the noise in campsites"!

With no apology having been sought, I've just informed Rob (one of the tour company owner's) what occurred 24 hours previously. He's indicated that he'll have a talk to the assailant but didn't think that he'd be removing the guy from the tour....

Junin de los Andes to Ruta de 7 Lagos

With the lunch truck having stopped God knows where, once again, (It wasn't where we'd been told it would be) Barry, Terry & myself stopped at a cafe in San Martin de los Andes for a bite to eat and I've got to say it was one of the best lunches I've had in quite a while. I enjoyed a couple of empanadas, a cerveza and followed it all up with a coffee.

Whilst it still remains a mystery to me as to where the lunch truck had stopped, with a number of people within the morning's peleton also saying that they had either bought their own lunches in town or decided to ride on, having not sighted the truck nor a flag indicating that an alternate venue was being utilised, I cannot once again feel a little peeved at the way things are run.

Fortunately the ride element of today's activities was fun. 

I'd ostensibly stayed out of the head wind during the morning by riding with the peleton and as a consequence was able to put the foot down a little for the second half of the day - including the climb out of San Martin de los Andes something that was also helped by the fact that I'd decided (and going against convention and my normal practice) to wear a set of sport head phones in order to listen to some uplifting music by the likes of AC/DC, Midnight Oil, Queen, along with a sprinkling of classical or opera music. T'was most enjoyable. So much so, that I nearly rode past our campsite for the night. 

Las Lajas to Alumine

Despite not riding today, the impact of not having a number of essential / important elements such as:

• Much of an indication as to condition of the road to be covered;
• A sweep rider / vehicle;
• The weather forecast.

I had an enjoyable day once I'd stopped kicking myself for not riding the first half. 

That's twice now that I've wimped out on doing something that I was readily able to do. 

Malargue to Buta Bilton

Today was bloody tough, but the scenery was just so enjoyable.

Essentially rather than being troubled by the route profile, which included a rather impressive climb in the middle, it was the wind that caused the most chaos. Seriously, it was blowing constantly at 70-80 Km/h and is apparently a bit of a precursor as to what we can expect to endure once we get into Patagonia tomorrow.

The climb, well perhaps apart from the final couple of kilometres was the easy part of the day, something you'll rarely hear me say.... The wind at my back was virtually pushing me up the mountain. It was the descent however on which I (and I believe a number of others) had the most difficulty. Now a descent with a 5% gradient is something that normally one flys down at a great deal of knots regardless of whether one is pedaling or not. Today however given that the wind had now become somewhat of a headwind meant that I could get my speed into double figures by pedaling like crazy.

At this point I have to confess that I had a bit of a scare in trying to cope with the wind and found myself being blown across the road on a couple of occasions, including into the path of an on-coming fuel tanker on one of them. 

In taking evasive action, cause I didn't really want to become an ornament on this guy's grill, and don't laugh, I fell off.

It wasn't anything serious though I've now got some sore ribs and a couple of bruises on my right shoulder, but I'll live! 

Despite my fall, I managed to dust myself off and continued riding, even over twenty odd kilometres of unpaved road before finding myself turning into the campsite with only four or five of the faster chaps in.

Ruta 40 to Malargue

Okay so I cheated a little bit and skipped the first 30-40 kilometres of unpaved road and started the days ride once the route got us back on to the tarmac. Route 40. A road incidentally that I'm led to believe is the most infamous (longest) road in Argentina running the full length of the country from the border with Bolivia in La Quiaca to our final destination, in Ushuaia.

Anyhow I digress. Essentially the reason I skipped the first few kilometres, was that during the night the temperature was close to, if not, zero. Apparently a few flakes of snow had fallen whilst most of us slept, not that we awoke to any being on the ground, though the mountains in the distance certainly got a fairly good downfall. 

I'd like to be able to show you a picture of what I awoke to this morning but my camera battery was so cold that I was unable to take any shots. I'm going to have to devise away round that in the next few days before we ride into Patagonia where it's going to be seriously cold for long stretches of time.

San Carlos to Ruta 40

It's funny but less than a week ago, I was complaining about the heat and in particular how it made riding in the afternoon horrible, well tonight I lie here in my sleeping bag wearing a set of long thermals, my cycling gear, a fleece jacket and another set of long johns and I'm only now beginning to warm up. Whilst I've no way of knowing precisely how cold it is, or has been today, I'm guessing its only just above zero now and probably didn't get much above five degrees during the day. Seriously, it has been freezing all day.

So much so in fact that by the time I got to the lunch truck, fortunately we'd only had to cycle ten of the sixty kilometres on unpaved road, I couldn't feel my fingers or toes. Contemplating the decision as to whether to ride on or not after lunch, wasn't difficult when I started shivering uncontrollably and saw that a lot of others who were in the same boat opting to pike it.