2-11-06

we headed out of Trelew and headed up Ruta 3 and stopped at PT Madryn or gas. It can be a long ways between gas stations so we fill up regular as you cant depend on there being a station down the road. There was a nice wind power demonstration out on the highway. Not sure just what they were running but it was nice to see it.
Windpower X

On the way back out there was a little ship traffic we had to go around. Madryn is a port city.
Boat traffic X

I stopped along the highway at mile post 1157 and took this photo of hog skins hung on a fence at the entrance to one of the estancia’s (ranches). Evndently there are wild hogs here that they hunt. I am not sure but it looks like they might be the European wild boar as well as what one guys said was red deer but the horns look like elk horns.
Hog ranch X

We made it on up to Rio Colorado on the Rio Negro river. The Rio Negro is the northern boundry of Patagonia. From this river north is the Pampa. We had to wait until after seven for one of the restaurants to open. There were several more but they don’t open until nine at night. This is common and with Jim going to bed so early, it is hard to get a meal before he has to go to bed. We set up our camp on the north bank of the river in a municipal campground. It only cost about two bucks to camp for each of us. it was really nice camp other than there was a little road traffic noise which I can tune out. What was really nice was we had a great view across the river of true south. I figured if at all possible I would get a good look at the southern cross. The full moon came up and it wasn’t long until I could make out four stars in the general area of where I figured south should be. I am really glad I got a good look at it even if it didn’t have the cross drawn in between the stars. That full moon made the night special as well.

2-12-06

I had the date set wrong the other day on this computer and I have been posting the wrong dates. Oh well, just another day on the road anyway. I got the last dog log all screwed up on the days but now hopefully I got it straightened out. `

I noticed the night before that my saddle bag had shed another bolt and was starting to hang loose. Dang thing is the same one that was starting to shed before. I noticed that this time it had shed the bolt that holds the foot peg for the passenger. I lost the foot peg and had to borrow a bolt from Jim. He carries a small box of bolts for just this sort of circumstance. I robbed a bolt from a fender brace and have the bag back on but it sure pisses me off that the hardware for those Happy Trails bags is so inferior. I will have to get another bolt for that foot peg brace and give Jim back the one I borrowed from him. It is really too small but it has held well today.
The country sure changed as soon as we crossed the river. The map said that we would be going through a thorn forest and we went through a section that looked like mesquite but I didn’t get off the road to see for sure. This is a shot of the beginning of it.
Thorn Forest X

Later it thinned out and there was farming being done. I guess they get enough rain here to start to grow corn dryland as well as sunflowers. Here is a shot of a field of sunflowers and a strip of what I think is soy beans along the highway right of way. This was planted along the highway for miles and miles.
Sunflowers X

We stopped in Santa Rosa and had lunch. On the way out of town I saw a internet place and we stopped to check email. Out front was this really cool Citron 3CV or at least that is what the emblem said. Jim asked the owner of the shop how old it was but she didn’t know. She said that it is made in Argentina so I guess when the French frogs were done making it there they shipped the plant to Argentina and made them here. i watcned a guy my size get into one and he fit just fine!!!
Citron 3CV


Late Sunday night.

We went up town to look for a restaurant around the square where we were told we could find them. We went up to one that had several tables out on the street but no one was using them. Inside it was quiet too but when we asked they said yes they were open. It happened that it was 9 o´clock and they were just opening up. After we ordered Jim asked if they were just opening or were about to close. They had a hard time understanding but finally let us know that they open at nine and close at five in the morning….. Jim says that that is exactly his sleep time and it is about true. The town square was pretty quiet when we got there but now it is ten thirty and it is jumping, all this on a Sunday night. It is no wonder we can never find a restaurant open in the morning for coffee. I told Jim we need to get up earlier and go in and have steak for breakfast. There was a guy in one of the little Citrons and he said it was a 79 model. They are a lot of them in town and four cruising main tonight.