Rode to Viedma today. The wind is increasing as we drive south. We went through a couple of sand storms as it is picked up from un-vegetated areas. Sometimes the wind would hit us from the side and other times from the back and side. I expected it to come off the ocean, but the wind has been blowing towards the ocean. I also expected to see the ocean as we are riding but very rarely has it been seen. I think because near the ocean are sand dunes which are higher than where the roads are laid. Occasionally, I will check the altitude on the GPS and surprised at how close to sea level, we are. From our second day in Argentina, we have been riding road that very rarely exceed 100 meters above sea level. Even Buenos Aires was 25 to 50 meters above. I am actually getting used to the flatness. It doesn't feel as alien to me as it did on past bike trips. I still prefer mountains and curves and corners. Straight, flat roads are mind numbing.
Navigating the cities has been much easier since receiving the GPS maps of South America from Javier. This has been a blessing and a curse. It has taken the stress away of getting through the cities quickly, but now we don't need to stop and ask locals for directions. This insulates us from the interaction of the local people. The GPS maps also have hotel and fuel way points, so it is easier to find them in the small towns. Again, without the asking the locals. I still like to stop and ask though.
We arrived at the Campsite about 4:30pm and found only 3 bikes here. More came in as we chatting and 11 bikes spent the night. Oscar and Nancy, the hosts, are very nice. Oscar has a 1200 Goldwing and we have chatted about finding parts for it. They are very rare down here. He explained that used motorcycles were only allowed to be imported into Argentina in 1993. None before or after. New Goldwings cost around $38,000us down here and he was surprised when I told him that they cost about $36,000can.
Forecast is for rain on Saturday, but it tried a few times this evening, so Michael, Gus and I chose a cabana on site. More expensive than camping but less than the local hotels. Also has a kitchen, so we went and picked up groceries. When we came back, people ended up here, so Gus and Michael made for stew dinner and 10 people ended up staying for dinner. We supplied the wine too, somehow. Great dinner, good wine and great party. Like normal, I'm first to go to bed.
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