Are we leaving Pucon?

Okay, there needs to a bit of "format" to this blog. Here is the deal, each post will include a few key highlights (assuming) we have something to share. Based on your love of "road kill counts", we will include it, but don't expect a lot. The past visits have not revealed a lot of wildlife in these parts of South America.

Miles: ~22
Road Kill: 2 birds (1 really big)
Best Language Moment: a menu that includes English and the description of the dish..."meat of beast". No idea what beast!


Well, leaving is going to be hard!

Today (Wednesday), we took the bikes out for a test ride. It was the first exercise I have had since leaving Borrego Springs. It felt great to be back on a bike. For Arn, this was his first cardio exercise in 2010! Okay, maybe he had a few kayaking moments that provided a cardio jolt, but nothing like his regular running routine in Seattle. For me, the endorphin meter was running on empty, so our two hour test ride was a nice warm up. Other than adjusting seat heights and cable tension on my rear derailluer, everything worked well. There was one not so great surprise. We stopped to take photos and within 30 seconds, I was bit! Yes, it was the dreaded tàbanos! They are horseflies on steroids with a much meaner bite. They are so big they cast shadows! I know this because I watched them during our ride. Once we turned into a headwind, they left us alone. The timing for this trip was selected to start AFTER the tàbanos were dead. Their season is very short -- about three weeks. While they typically go for dark colors like black cycling shorts, this bastard went for a bright orange tank top! Evil!!

We made one more interesting observation during our ride today. Do you remember that as kids we cycled against the traffic? You looked head on at what was coming. Then, "they" realized that this was a faster rate of approach than if the cyclist rides in the direction of traffic.
So, "they" made this change and we started riding with traffic. Now, I don't know who the "they" is/was; however, there were some gaps in their communication plan. The real riders in Chile (the Lycra clad crowd with cycling cleats on their cycling shoes and helmets on their heads as opposed to say worn on handlebars, backpacks, or not at all) received the memo. They are riding with the traffic. The other guys, well,
they didn't get the memo. Now, you might say, "what is the big deal"? Picture this: people on bikes riding in BOTH directions on BOTH sides of a two lane road with narrow shoulders and cars and trucks driving at 55 miles per hour. And while I trust how a Lycra clad dude is going
to handle this pass in the shoulder --- he is going to ride on the right (but then he wouldn't be on this side of the road in the FIRST place) --
I have NO trust in how the bikini clad, flipflop wearing teenagers are going to handle this pass. Perhaps, once we are loaded with touring
gear, we will look like wide-loads and command the full width of the shoulder. If you know "they" in this story, let them know. Some people in
Chile need the memo. They are living dangerously!

So, tomorrow is the BIG! We are going to load everything up and head out. The idea is to cross the Andes into Argentina and end up in
Junin de Los Andes. It is roughly 140 km (~88 miles) from Pucon. A park ranger has told us about a camping spot about half way between
here and there. He says there are cabanas and a restaurant. He even claims the man sells beer and wine. The camping is said to be along
a river. The weather forecast looks good; however, temps are supposed to be dropping. If all goes well, we will camped along a river
enjoying pasta and a well deserved glass of wine or beer. And, we will arrive in Junin de Los Andes sometime Friday. If things go bust, then
we could be back in Pucon tomorrow night. Or, we could find something else to explore and then -- who knows.