Thursday, February 3, 2011

Day 28 - Chilecito - San Miguel de Tucaman

Distance travelled (by bike): 3835 miles
Distance traveled (on tow truck): 340miles

We were at the petrol station by 9am, as we have learnt and been told, this is argentina…the truck turns up ay 11am. Overjoyed we load the motorbike on, much to the amusement of all the locals. Only then did it occur to us that the cab was designed for 3 people and the driver had bought his mate along for the rides, who happened to be a 300lbs security guard. As we squashed in the cab shane and i soon knew what siamese twins felt like! 
The journey was going to be a long one, the river had to drop his mate off 300km down the road, pick up something for his wife and the deliver it to his father in law. The truck was restricted to 80km per hour. The driver and his mate turned out to be really laid back and funny, wanting to know the english words far things i can't write, then repeating them to memory. At 100km into the journey the driver stopped getting out of the truck he had a shower then proceeded to start chewing on coco leaves, which he offered round, his mate not participating cracked open another box of cigarettes. Not wanting to offend we both stuffed a handful of leaves into our mouths and started chewing, an hour later we were well educated on the formalities and rituals of chewing the coco leaf. 
Slowly, but eventually we arrived at pick up number one. Suff for the wive, with this wedged in we carried on, to drop off number one, the mate. With him out of the cab we could breath with both lungs and stretch. More coca, the driver is really going for it! Drop off  number two done we head on to San Miguel de Tucaman. Eventually we arrive at BMW relieved to see people still working. The journey has taken 10 hours! - dropping the bike off, the garage have arranged a hostel just down the road. Bliss, we both crash out on arrival, the realising that we hadn't eaten all day we go in search of food. Empanadas seemed the obvious choice, quick and simple.
Only realising after i had wolfed 4 down that they contained egg, i knew that the next few days would not be good (egg does not agree with me).


not a good sight, but the locals were facinated


one of the shrines on the road

going up  through the hills

driver, shane and the 300lb security guard



one of the largest manufactures of Marlboro cigarettes in south america

tabacco been dried

The journey was going to be a long one, the river had to drop his mate off 300km down the road, pick up something for his wife and the deliver it to his father in law. The truck was restricted to 80km per hour. The driver and his mate turned out to be really laid back and funny, wanting to know the english words far things i can't write, then repeating them to memory. At 100km into the journey the driver stopped getting out of the truck he had a shower then proceeded to start chewing on coco leaves, which he offered round, his mate not participating cracked open another box of cigarettes. Not wanting to offend we both stuffed a handful of leaves into our mouths and started chewing, an hour later we were well educated on the formalities and rituals of chewing the coco leaf. 
Slowly, but eventually we arrived at pick up number one. Suff for the wive, with this wedged in we carried on, to drop off number one, the mate. With him out of the cab we could breath with both lungs and stretch. More coca, the driver is really going for it! Drop off  number two done we head on to San Miguel de Tucaman. Eventually we arrive at BMW relieved to see people still working. The journey has taken 10 hours! - dropping the bike off, the garage have arranged a hostel just down the road. Bliss, we both crash out on arrival, the realising that we hadn't eaten all day we go in search of food. Empanadas seemed the obvious choice, quick and simple.
Only realising after i had wolfed 4 down that they contained egg, i knew that the next few days would not be good (egg does not agree with me).

1 comment:

  1. Holy crap Joe!!! You cant catch a break!! Hope things turn around for you guys soon.
    RT

    ReplyDelete