Badlanders MCC Website

 

Flipping shops, frogs, football and vistas!

 

I took a couple of days out in Salta. I needed to rotate the tyres, as the rear tyre is taking a real hammering and the tread is wearing thin. Knowing that I have the delights of Bolivia ahead of me, I thought it was essential to get the optimum value out of the tyres. I definitely don’t want to have to change them in Bolivia. I also had a tear in the saddle, so decided to replace it. I didn’t break the bank doing so, and though a Brooks was out of the question, I did go for something a little more comfortable than the rock hard specialised. I know....getting soft! I also felt that the chain and chainset needed a proper degreasing and re-oiling. Somehow, I suspect that you’ll be able to sense a certain nervousness about the cycle ride through Bolivia! I’m sure it’ll all be okay, but every time I speak to someone about my trip, the look and sharp intake of breath, through gritted teeth, causes a less then nervous, if not fearless wkd-life, to become a shade twitchy!

 

Now! There is something truly brilliant about Irish bars as a way of connecting with waifs and strays, but more importantly for getting a warm welcome, even though they can’t serve a draught Guinness! First night in the Goblin, you’ll recall I bumped into Hjamar and Anna. The next night I bump into this guy called Matt from Washington, who I met in Mendoza...well I was there for a while! We enjoyed a drink for or two with three others, including two Architects from London and Jacob, a guy from Germany. It’s not the first time that I’ve heard someone say. “You’re what....You’re doing it on your own?” Jacob had met some German guys doing the Alaska to Ushuaia route, but in a group of four. He’d also met a few people other people doing this journey, but never on their own! It was a recurring theme. Cafe’s, hostels, service Stations; “al Colombia, SOLO?” My stock response is “ si, soy escoces, de igual loco!”

 

Now ...replacement camera! I don’t know what they teach in business schools out here, but some shops defy all form of logic! After a tour of no less than thirteen shops, and an hour checking out cameras on pricerunner, I eventually found a decent Samsung that had most of the key features. Sadly, I couldn’t find a Fuji finepix of the quality of mine. The shop this Samsung was being sold at was Castillo, which seems to have modelled itself loosely on the Argos chain. I say loosely, because, even Argos is a dream to shop in by comparison ( and that’s from someone who would rather stick pins in his eyes than go to Argos!) The shop does to be fair sell a broad range of products, with many on display. Motorbikes, boats, dolls, car radios, cameras. You name it; it can be bought here in Castillo! In addition, there are about 12 sales staff working the floor, helping people view products on display. After some consideration, as this camera, could be bought for the same prices as a reasonable SLR, I decided to purchase the camera. The guy serving me, checked in on the computer, showing that it was in stock and took my personal details, including my debit card number and passport number. I initially thought to myself. Brilliant. I don’t now have to go to queue up at a cash collection point, where there is often only one operator! My elation soon turned to horror, when I found that I did indeed need to queue to pay....in a queue for 1 hour!!!! ONE HOUR! Now that would have been bad enough, but it was approaching siesta, and the cashier was clearly in need of a Maté. I eventually got to the desk, and having agreed a price, was told that my card could not be accepted at that price and that it would cost me extra. That would be 12 cuoatas, interest. At first I thought they were asking for a further 500 pesos as that’s what she wrote down, at which point I said no. You can keep the camera and cancel the transaction. At that my salesman came over, once the transaction had been cancelled, to say,  “No, pero solo 100 pesos”, which is about £16.  Now that would normally be a factor against purchasing, but as I had a limit of £100 withdrawal (and no longer carry large amounts of cash), and I was about to go through a beautiful part of the country the next day, I felt that I just had to get a camera! And not any camera...it had to be that one...the only 10x zoom with semi wide angle capability! I decided that I would proceed with the purchase, but could not, because the shop was closing for siesta. Now I know what you are thinking! Who in their right mind, would return to a shop to make a purchase after that experience! I did! And this time, I had the added factor of collecting a ticket to sit in a further queue and be called forward (with only two guys going to collect purchases from the warehouse). The whole experience from before siesta and afterwards took a total of four hours! TO BUY A CAMERA! It doesn’t take an expert in sixth sigma to work out the system is broken. A basic work study exercise would no doubt lead to dramatic changes. To add insult to injury, I was given the display model because there wasn’t one in the warehouse!!!!! I said “ No.....Esta Segundo manos.” “Si” said the warehouse guy” pero solo model” I asked to speak to the sales guy who had left! Despair set in. I eventually accepted that it worked...I had at least seen that. However, who knows what damage might have been done on display? Not only that, you can be guaranteed that the battery would not have been charged correctly on the first occasion! All very unsatisfactory, but part of the culture, which unless you are Agentino, you just have to accept! Anyway, after all that, you better damn well look at the pictures!!

 

At night I fancied something nice to eat, as a memory of Salta. Dona Casa was recommended and made way to it at about 9 o’clock, which is ridiculously early by Argentinian standards. To my dismay, the restaurant was full, of Portegenos from Buenos Aires, who, it would appear, were attending  conference in Salta. I was told that I’d have a half hour wait. I decided to leave and look for another restaurant. As I walked down Avenida de Guemes, I could hear this loud folk-like sound coming from a restaurant called Casa de Guemes. I went to the door and saw live music and dancers. I decided that there couldn’t possibly be a more fitting conclusion to my time in Argentina, so asked for a table and was given one right in front of the musicians and dancers. The event had a bit of a karaoke feel, though with authentic local music and dance. People were being invited to dance and sing! A shade worried that I might have to get up and sing Flower of Scotland or Mother Glasgow, I kept averting my eyes from the stares from dancers and musicians! I somehow didn’t imagine Scottish songs would go down well...... not with my voice anyway!

 

After my afternoon Maté, I was racing into El Dique, where there is a great lake, but decided to crash on to El Carmen to get a shower. When I got there I tried hotels and hostels, all to no avail! That is the first time in a small town that I have been unable to get accommodation. I thought I would have to go back to a campsite in El Dique ( and remember the golden rule, no going back... but on occasions I’ve had to).

 

I asked the owners if there was a restaurant closeby, and they pointed a speck of light on the otherside of the lake. “Vengti minutos con bicicletta” said the man. He also explained that there was an important football match on. Argentina and Peru. Football, or food! hmmmmmmm. Even though it meant a bycicle trip in the dark, guess which one won? And I had the best of both worlds. I enjoyed a Trucha con mantenegra, a beer and football on the TV, where I was joined by two local policeman! That could have been another nerve-wracking moment, but they were great, until that is, the satellite broke down in the 88^th minute while Argentina were one ahead.

 

The owner, under some pressure ( visibly wiping the sweat from his brow), managed to fix it! Well.......there was almost a riot! Even I was worried we were about to witness a wild-west shooting incident. In the minute that the satellite went down, Peru had scored an equalizer. At that point, the satellite went down again. In disgust, but still capable of a friendly nod to me (but not the owner), they stomped out of the restaurant resigned to the fact that Argentina would not be making it into the World cup. That does sound a bit difficult to believe, doesn’t it? Anyway, just as the Policia were pulling away in their car, on came the satellite. You won’t believe it! Martin Palermo of Argentina, had scored a goal in the 93 minute to all but guarantee a place in the top four! The restaurant owner dashed out to stop the police, as if his life depended on it (possibly did). The Policia stopped,  abandoned their car and stormed back in, jumping around in jubilation, laughing at Maradona as he bellyslid across an absolutely soaking pitch. All’s well that ends well! And it probably saved the restaurant owner’s life!

 

I headed back to my room on the other side of the lake, listening to a cacophony of animal noises coming from the lake. I felt as if I’d eaten another meal on the way round with all the flies and moths aiming for my headtorch! I returned to the barks and growls of the residencia mini guard dogs! The owner came out to restrain them. Unfortunately, in an effort to help me with my bike, he also managed to wreck my odometer by crashing it on the ground and standing on it! I did say that it didn’t matter, but you can be sure it did. I did what I could to fix to repair it the next morning but to no avail. Now there are two reasons for having the odometer. One is to provide an accurate record of the distance travelled, but the other is the motivational factor. It has done more to keep my spirits up, when things have been tough than even the views or the IPOD (not to mention, of course, the occasional chat with loved ones). Occasionally its been the other way around, of course, especially in high winds and when the legs are tired, but it has, in the main, been a great motivator. Having it set to miles instead of kilometres gives the impression that you are moving much faster. Anyway, I hope in the last possible place in Argentina, the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, I might manage to get another one!

 

Oh I forgot to mention....I spent the night with company, in the form of a frog! See the pic! It frightened the life out of me, and I it, when I lifted the toilet seat, to find this frog nestling between the seat and the pan. It proceeded to bounce everywhere in the room. I could have spent some time trying to usher it out of the door, but decided that it could stay the night.......But, not before warning it, that there should be no funny business!