Some Old Pictures

Here are some old pictures I found on the camera. This one is Landon getting on the ferry on the way to Conception, Bolivia.

This is a storm brewing over the mission in Conception.

The Feast of San Javier at the San Javier mission in Bolivia. The skies opened up just before the scheduled procession around the square.

But soon the rain stopped, and San Javier got his annual constitutional through the streets.

Here´s a picture of Landon at the Tropic. Note the sundial in the background says that the sun is about as far south as it will get this year.

Majestic Views and Fishing School

Going from Chilicito to San Juan, Ruta 40 provides some excellent scenery

Saw this in Mendoza, had to take a picture for evidence

The Inca Bridge, on the way to Chile

Sometimes the views are just too much to describe

"From a phone booth in Cheyenne,......." (name that tune, and click to enlarge)

The lake south of Paredites, on Ruta 40

Because the road was detoured for construction at the 3000 km marker, which, by the way, is the distance left to Tierra del Fuego.

When I stopped for gas in El Sosneado, I met a group on their way home to Mendoza, after a 4 day ride to Neuquen. All on BMW's

While I was taking a break at the El Sosneado station, Facundo came up and asked if I liked to fish. After a small discussion, he produced his fishing pole and some day old bread. In about 10 minutes, my trout fishing lesson was over, and I had an eight inch trout on the end of the line, from the stream behind the store. I packed $250 worth of fly fishing gear 10,000 miles to do what it took a kid with $5 worth of stuff 10 minutes to do. Kind of humbling....., hell, it was very humbling.

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the fish, I was too excited.

On Down Ruta 40

We stopped in a small town called Cachi, kind of a small tourist town up in the mountains. Sean helped contribute to the local delinquency rate.

Hey, they're just fireworks. It could be worse, they could be cigarettes.

¨To hell with the brake pedal, I just need to reach the throttle.¨

Yes, that actually is a stretch of Ruta 40, north of Cafayate.

There are lots of wineries, irrigated from the mountians, in a dry valley.


I get the feeling some enjoy the local product quite a bit.

Andean Argentina

Isn't WIFI great, it's given me a chance to catch up in the hotel lobby. Here are a few pics from Northern Argentina. Or Ruta 9, north of JuJuy


The Skypilot taking on Ruta 40


Look close, it really is one road.

Salta

We took the cable car ride up the overlook in Salta The waterfalls(man made) at the overlook

"Top o' the World"

Cathederal at night

San Martin, the great liberator of Argentina

Buenos Dias, Argentina

Quick, somebody cue up Marty Robbins singing "Buenos dias , Argentina", yes, it really is a song. We crosssed the border at Yacuiba on the eastern side of the Andes. The border was busy with cart traffic, because it is easier and cheaper than trying to get a truck through here. It was like an giant ant farm display. The workers from Argentina would just dump their load in the street and the Bolivian side would load in on their carts and disappear into a side street.
A while after crossing the border, the farm fields streched out to the horizon. Large equipment was everywhere. Quite a change from the tiny hillside fields of the Andes. The MasseyFerguson dealer at Embarcacion.

We stopped at a service station/cafeteria and talked to a guy who worked on a local farm. They had 17,000 hectares, but only 5,000 were being farmed. That's give or take 15,000 acres, all no-till.

A Regional Custom

When we started to leave Concepcion, we asked if there really was a route back that was all asphalt. Everyone said "Yes, but there is this bridge......" . It turns out, to cross the river the only avaiable bridge was the railroad bridge. We were advised to wait and go at the end of the line, and if it was dry, everything would be fine. When we got to Pailon, where the bridge was, at least we were blessed with dry weather. Waiting patiently, we thought we were last, but cars kept coming. Now picture crossing a railroad bridge with random length 3x12's running lengthwise, for 1400 meters, add in slow traffic in front of you, while you ride the clutch, trying to maintain momentum. You can't go fast enough to maintain your balance, but every time you start to put your foot down, it clips a nail or bolt holding the boards down. Add in a car or truck in your rearview, it's quite the stress generator.
Lou coming off the bridge in one piece.

A second bridge in Villa Monte, near the Argentine border