8/4/2013 Sawmill, north of Bonpland to 3km sth of Tapebicuá
D90, T9, Av19.39, Max 41, Tot 834, 26,327
Hot, light wind, 31°
Camping, Estancia El Christal
With all the noise around me and the warmth, even in the early morning, I was up before daylight. Though having said that, before daylight equates to about 0530. Not that early.
The owner came over for a chat and said they had a good supply of these plantation logs.
I explained to him how almost family run mills near my home of Coffs Harbour had closed down due to labour costs and unreliable log supplies.
He had 40 staff members, just like mills some 20 years ago on the north coast.
Again, it was easy riding on the dual lane highway. The light winds were not a problem.
Some 50km into the trip, time was spent at a gas station filling up on empanadas and cold drink.
Most gas stations of any size all have wifi.
Two maps were bought, one of the Provincia de Misiones and a great road map of Brazil. Both have good detail of secondary and tertiary roads.
From here, it was still dual carriageway to Paso de Los Libres.
Most traffic was trucks, many carrying small Eucalypt logs.
By now, the day was just all out steamy and ridiculously hot. A new sim card was needed for my phone. A couple of carriers were visited.
The carrier chosen took over an hour to organize the deal. Even then they couldn’t connect it for me, in the meantime I was charging gear whilst waiting.
From this air con haven it was across the road to the restaurant Desarollo Economico where lunch was enjoyed.
Here my blog was updated.
During my 2 hours in here, a rain storm passed over, it poured for half an hour or more, only just lowering the temperature. It was good to be indoors eating chicken and salad and avoiding what the midday heat was offering.
After lunch a menta granizada cone icecream was licked away with much pleasure. This is my favourite flavour. The Argentinos love their ice creams, as do I.
At about 1630 after getting organized, the short cut back to Ruta 14 was taken. It was a gravel road and became so just out of town.
It was sandy though nothing like the road to Libertad.
The day was now a lot cooler.
The 30 odd km through here was a mix of Eucalypt plantations, pine plantations and pasture of a pretty rough nature. Above all it was flat, easy going.
The dominant land use was forestry.
These trees for a time, offered respite from the afternoon sun.
People were seen fishing from one of the wet land areas.
The streams were dark brown and flowing almost unnoticeably.
It was great to be out in the open again.
Camping in buildings and around built up areas, though comfortable and out of the element, is not the same as being out in the open where one can appreciate the natural beauty of the evening sky and the sound of birds as they also camp for the night.
Nearing dark and getting close to Tapebicuá and back on the main road.
The time to look for a camp had arisen.
A gate was open into a logged plantation.
A hundred metres through this, a pickup was coming towards me.
The guys said that people lived on the Estancia.
They told me of another property down the road, where no one lived. A green gate he said.
Finding this, the Taranaki gate alongside though locked was easily lowered as to let me wheel the bike across it.
The property contained perfectly pruned Flooded Gums growing in blocks. There were cattle grazing amongst these.
Other plantations on the road had almost weed free understories.
It is such a shame the English settlers bought Lantana to Australia. This plant is used as an ornamental in cold climes.
In The sub tropical climes of Australia it becomes an impenetrable mass of serrated type stems, often rambling as high as 3 or more metres.
Forestry plantations just west of my home have an understory that is inaccessible because of this multi coloured flowering plant.
By now, it was almost dark. In the evenings when water is not available near my camp, a shower of sorts is had with my handlebar towel doused in water I carry.
Everything is sweaty and smelly, me included. This is about all that can be done to alleviate both these situations.
Dinner was ham and onion on crackers with peanuts.
Yeah, pretty basic, the late lunch in Paso de Los Libres was still keeping hte hunger away.
As usual, a herbal tea was had before getting into the tent.
The mosquito’s were thick, they were biting me through my longs, I am lucky, once they have bitten me no welts or spots follow.
The north western sky put on quite a light show originating from the three or four storm cells just above its horizon.
Climbing into the tent, the few mossies that had found their way in were swatted before calling it a day about 2130.
I am now leaving the rear panniers on the bike, this makes camping even easier. Packing up is an easier task now.
Slowly but surely the acclimatisation process is proceeding, no longer is the heat affecting me as it was in Uruguay.
D90, T9, Av19.39, Max 41, Tot 834, 26,327
Hot, light wind, 31°
Camping, Estancia El Christal
With all the noise around me and the warmth, even in the early morning, I was up before daylight. Though having said that, before daylight equates to about 0530. Not that early.
The owner came over for a chat and said they had a good supply of these plantation logs.
I explained to him how almost family run mills near my home of Coffs Harbour had closed down due to labour costs and unreliable log supplies.
He had 40 staff members, just like mills some 20 years ago on the north coast.
Again, it was easy riding on the dual lane highway. The light winds were not a problem.
Some 50km into the trip, time was spent at a gas station filling up on empanadas and cold drink.
Most gas stations of any size all have wifi.
Two maps were bought, one of the Provincia de Misiones and a great road map of Brazil. Both have good detail of secondary and tertiary roads.
From here, it was still dual carriageway to Paso de Los Libres.
Most traffic was trucks, many carrying small Eucalypt logs.
By now, the day was just all out steamy and ridiculously hot. A new sim card was needed for my phone. A couple of carriers were visited.
The carrier chosen took over an hour to organize the deal. Even then they couldn’t connect it for me, in the meantime I was charging gear whilst waiting.
From this air con haven it was across the road to the restaurant Desarollo Economico where lunch was enjoyed.
Here my blog was updated.
During my 2 hours in here, a rain storm passed over, it poured for half an hour or more, only just lowering the temperature. It was good to be indoors eating chicken and salad and avoiding what the midday heat was offering.
After lunch a menta granizada cone icecream was licked away with much pleasure. This is my favourite flavour. The Argentinos love their ice creams, as do I.
At about 1630 after getting organized, the short cut back to Ruta 14 was taken. It was a gravel road and became so just out of town.
It was sandy though nothing like the road to Libertad.
The day was now a lot cooler.
The 30 odd km through here was a mix of Eucalypt plantations, pine plantations and pasture of a pretty rough nature. Above all it was flat, easy going.
The dominant land use was forestry.
These trees for a time, offered respite from the afternoon sun.
People were seen fishing from one of the wet land areas.
The streams were dark brown and flowing almost unnoticeably.
It was great to be out in the open again.
Camping in buildings and around built up areas, though comfortable and out of the element, is not the same as being out in the open where one can appreciate the natural beauty of the evening sky and the sound of birds as they also camp for the night.
Nearing dark and getting close to Tapebicuá and back on the main road.
The time to look for a camp had arisen.
A gate was open into a logged plantation.
A hundred metres through this, a pickup was coming towards me.
The guys said that people lived on the Estancia.
They told me of another property down the road, where no one lived. A green gate he said.
Finding this, the Taranaki gate alongside though locked was easily lowered as to let me wheel the bike across it.
The property contained perfectly pruned Flooded Gums growing in blocks. There were cattle grazing amongst these.
Other plantations on the road had almost weed free understories.
It is such a shame the English settlers bought Lantana to Australia. This plant is used as an ornamental in cold climes.
In The sub tropical climes of Australia it becomes an impenetrable mass of serrated type stems, often rambling as high as 3 or more metres.
Forestry plantations just west of my home have an understory that is inaccessible because of this multi coloured flowering plant.
By now, it was almost dark. In the evenings when water is not available near my camp, a shower of sorts is had with my handlebar towel doused in water I carry.
Everything is sweaty and smelly, me included. This is about all that can be done to alleviate both these situations.
Dinner was ham and onion on crackers with peanuts.
Yeah, pretty basic, the late lunch in Paso de Los Libres was still keeping hte hunger away.
As usual, a herbal tea was had before getting into the tent.
The mosquito’s were thick, they were biting me through my longs, I am lucky, once they have bitten me no welts or spots follow.
The north western sky put on quite a light show originating from the three or four storm cells just above its horizon.
Climbing into the tent, the few mossies that had found their way in were swatted before calling it a day about 2130.
I am now leaving the rear panniers on the bike, this makes camping even easier. Packing up is an easier task now.
Slowly but surely the acclimatisation process is proceeding, no longer is the heat affecting me as it was in Uruguay.
 Estancia El Cristal,Tapebicuá, heavy morning dew
|
 Leaving Paso de Los Libres
|
