This leg of the trip took us from Valparaiso on the coast of Chile to Pucon, about 800km South in Chile’s Lake Region.
After a couple days of nice riding on a coastal road we met up with Chile’s superhighway. So for 5 days we rode on this:
And showered and camped at these:
Yawn.
In our last section we passed through three different and distinct regions. The cycling wasn’t so hard and the views were gorgeous. The culture here almost has us feeling sophisticated!
Region 1: Wine
Ruta 40 deposited us in Mendoza, Argentina. A pretty city with lots of green space and bicycle friendly streets …
… but most tourists come here to sample the famous Malbec wine and Argentinian meat. Mendoza is the winemaking capital of Argentina with around 1500 wineries exporting the famous Malbec all over the world. How could we not take a short siesta to enjoy the wine and food for which this area is known?
Ruta 40 stretches almost 5000km from the Bolivian border to Tierra del Fuego. It’s long, sparesly populated, and traverses some beautiful scenery; Argentina’s version of Route 66. In our last leg we followed Ruta 40 for 1200km from Cafayate to Mendoza.
To break up the desert scenery there are a number of shrines along the roadside. They are spaced at regular intervals have tables and flat spaces … perfect campspots!
The shrines are dedicated to local Argentine heroes. Pictures from our journey are broken up by two of our favourite stories.
Rest, Relaxation and Recuperation
At the time we may not have realized it because we were so awe-struck by the natural beauty, but Bolivia really worked us. The food/water, climate and harsh conditions took a huge toll on us physically. By the end of the Lagunas region we were really hurting for some of the creature comforts we take for granted at home (like central heating, potable water and fresh produce). We were both suffering from chronic digestive tract problems and were excited to reach Argentina where reportedly all tap water (unless otherwise noted) is drinkable, elevations are lower and temperatures warmer.
Before reaching Argentina we would have to pass through the Northeastern corner of Chile, which is so remote we never officially entered or exited the country.
