10/4/2014 school to Santo Tomé, AR
D57, T3, Av18.5, Max 31, 994, tot 26,490
Wet morning
Hotel Brasil
Thunder and lightening could be heard all around. It was getting closer and sure enough, a little wind was followed by rain.
After last nights disturbance I decided to head off early.
So there I was on the road by 0730, it was still raining , my tent was wet, it had been just wrapped and stowed on the back.
It was a pleasure to be riding in the cooling rain. Little traffic was about.
Having not even had a cup of coffee, about 30km in, hunger hit me.
Stopping on the roadside, peanuts, crackers and sardines were enjoyed, though not all together.
I was hoping to brew a coffee in a couple of concrete bus shelters.
Unfortunately, these were basically public toilets, totally unusable for anything other than that, taking care to step carefully.
An Esso station saw me pull in, use the net and have a drink.
Two Brasillero moto cyclists were spoken to for awhile.
They were on their way north as well. Though, at the rate of 500km a day, we laughed.
Again, like much of the last 1000km, the country side, always with its own beauty if you look hard enough, was grass lands, cattle, very flat with intermittent creeks flow under bridges on the road.
The incidence of wetlands was starting to increase.
The homesites of estancias were not so far from the road.
Ruta 14 is really just a narrow black strip in an otherwise green environment. There is grass to its edges and the shoulder is nonexistent.
My front tyre was a shade of grey due to riding the white line for miles just to stay safe.
Once in Santo Tomé, I familiarised myself with the small town. I was too late to buy a sim card. The tiendas had closed for the afternoon.
It was decided to spend the night there, it had been a fairly rapid trip north. Now that I was into more interesting environs more time could be taken.
The hotel Brasil was booked. My first task, once settled in a ground level room was to dry the tent and do some washing.
Keeping gear clean is quite a job, every day is a constant flow of sweat.
The afternoon was spent sleeping and reading. The afternoon got stickier and stickier.
There is a Gridos ice cream shop here, this was soon found and two menta granazada cones were eaten with pleasure.
11/4/2014 Santo Tomé to Apóstoles, via ruta 94
D96, T7, Av14.57, Max44, 1090, Tot 26,586
Wet all day with morning head winds
Hotel Misiones
Putting clean clothes on was so good, that it was still raining outside was not so good.
Breakfast was enjoyed, when in motel rooms the resistencia is always used.
To date less than a litre of Bencina has been used. I still have two full litre bottles bought in Temuco.
A trip was made to the supermarket to buy tomatoes, onions, salami, cheese and fresh bread.
Leaving town and finding the secondary road to Apóstoles, Ruta 94. It was a different world without trucks flying by every few minutes.
The road was a mix of asphalt, asphalt and dirt and just dirt with water filled potholes everywhere.
On the outskirts of town a motel was spotted, it was tempting to pull in and just wait out the rain for another day, the temptation did not get the better of me however.
Just out of town the first real hill of any sorts was climbed, this too was a pleasure as the coast down the other side, eliminated the need to always be pedalling.
There was a strong head wind with driving rain impeding my progress.
The pot holed road made it always interesting as one progressed.
Water filled potholes revealed nothing about their depth, they had to be avoided.
The rain was sub tropical and warm.
Soon I was totally drenched but comfortable. Progress was slow, it was just a case of pushing into the wind.
My left hand still gets numb, though now numbness is the only issue, not coldness.
Large areas of low lying wetlands were becoming quite common.
Some Pine plantations were on the higher areas as were grazing cattle.
Few vehicles were seen all day, it was riding as it should be for me.
Coming to a shelter marking a memorial to a gauchito, lunch was had partly out of the rain.
The fresh rolls and filling were divine after the wetness and wind.
Unfortunately, the area was not grassed but just sticky red dirt.
Much of this left with me on the soles of my sandals.
Luckily there were water courses at the side of the road. This soon washed the dirt off everything.
Today was a day that reminded me of sailing in wet windy conditions, you are drenched, a bit hyped but always knowing you have to do what has to be done.
You are at one with the elements.
I often compare cycle touring to sailing, you have all you need to survive with you. A wrong move could end it all. There is often no one to help.
You are very aware and sensitive to the weather and all around you.
Above all the destination has only equal importance of all that is encountered and experienced on the way there.
Arriving at Azara in almost dark conditions due to the low cloud and rain, a drink was bought, they told me there was no hotel here.
By now I was starting to feel the cold, even though I had being wearing my raincoat since eating.
Both the front and rear lights were activated.
It was 1730 and there was 18km between me and Apóstoles.
It was a great ride in rolling hill country, a small climb was always rewarded. Much time was spent riding in water channels on the asphalt, the place was soaked.
Signage indicated Apóstoles as the La capital de la Yerba Mate.
On the outskirts of town the sweet smell of mate was everywhere.
A photo of the Rosamonte factory was taken . I buy this brand when I can.
It was like arriving at an oasis after a day in the wilderness.
There will be many more days like today I am thinking. Riding without the sun everyday is great.
The sun really has had its toll on my skin.
Again the similarities with sailing exist here.
Asking people where a motel was, everyone directed me to the hotel Missiones.
It was a great place. The owner and his wife were fantastic people.
The room had a heater, AC and a ceiling fan . Above it had plenty of room.
The shower was like no other, the hot water just carried away any of the days hardship.
The owner and his wife shared their mate with me whilst paying for the room we spent an hour chatting about Provincia de Misiones.
All the big days before me were to get to this popular area and its attractions.
Dinner was had at a cafe down the road.
That of boned chicken leg and salad with bread.
Today whist pedalling my rear wheel was making a soft grinding noise and the
Derailleur is not engaging gears properly.
I am not sure what this is, possibly the bearings on the cassette side have worn as expected.
It is nice to know I have a spare hub.
I am going to have a couple of days here in Apóstoles, the motel is too comfortable for only one night.
From Wikipedia
Misiones (Spanish pronunciation: [miˈsjones], Missions) is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamiсa region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes Province of Argentina to the southwest.
This was an early area of Roman Catholic missionary activity by the Society of Jesus in what was then called the Province of Paraguay, beginning in the early 17th century. In 1984 the ruins of four mission sites in Argentina were designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Geography View along Route 12, near Puerto Iguazu. Misiones is the second smallest province after Tucumán.
The Misiones plateau includes a part of Brazil across the border. The rocks contain significant quantities of iron which forms a part of the soil, giving it a reddish color. At the center of the plateau rises the Sierra de Misiones, its highest peak, 843 m, near Bernardo de Irigoyen, in the Cerro Rincón.
The province is embraced by three big rivers including the Paraná, Uruguay and Iguazú. Iguazu Falls are spectacular waterfalls on the Iguazú River in the northwest corner of the province, near the city of Puerto Iguazú. Misiones shares the falls with the Brazilian state of Paraná (in that nation's Southern Region). Meanwhile, the international border with Paraguay is close by.
Climate The subtropical climate has no dry season, which makes Misiones one of the most humid provinces in Argentina. The vegetation is the so-called "Selva Misionera". Part of it has been transformed by mankind to implant cultures and ranching. The original biome is protected in Iguazú National Park.
Population There are 965,522 people living in Misiones. The majority of the residents of Misiones are descendants of immigrants mostly European. Unlike many regions of Argentina, where the immigrants came through Buenos Aires, most of the immigrants who settled in Misiones came through Southern Brazil. The ethnic groups who settled in Misiones are Italians, Germans, Spaniards, Poles, Ukrainians, French, Swiss, Russians, Swedes, Danes, Arabs, and Japanese.
The literacy rate is 91.4%.
Economy Terminal at Yerba mate plantation. Misiones' economy, like most in northern Argentina, is relatively underdeveloped yet fairly well-diversified. Its 2006 output was estimated at US$4.8 billion (which shall be around US$7.2 billion in 2011, according to Argentina's economical growing) or US$4,940 per capita (around US$6,500 in 2011), over 40% below the national average
Though its rainy, erosion-prone geography discourages intensive crop farming, agriculture makes an important contribution to the province's economy, adding about 10% to the total. Misiones' thick forests have long provided for the ample production of roundwood without excessive impact on its ecosystem. The principal exploited trees are the Paraná pine, Guatambú, Cedar, Petiribí, Incense, Cane water-pipe, Anchico, Eucalyptus and Gueycá.
Misiones' chief source of agricultural income, however, has long been the cultivation of yerba mate: Misiones is Argentina's leading producer (yielding about half a million tons, annually). Tea, citrus fruit and, in minor amounts, tobacco, sugar cane, rice and coffee are also cultivated in Misiones.
Light manufacturing and tourism also contribute to the local economy, each adding about 13% to the total.
D57, T3, Av18.5, Max 31, 994, tot 26,490
Wet morning
Hotel Brasil
Thunder and lightening could be heard all around. It was getting closer and sure enough, a little wind was followed by rain.
After last nights disturbance I decided to head off early.
So there I was on the road by 0730, it was still raining , my tent was wet, it had been just wrapped and stowed on the back.
It was a pleasure to be riding in the cooling rain. Little traffic was about.
Having not even had a cup of coffee, about 30km in, hunger hit me.
Stopping on the roadside, peanuts, crackers and sardines were enjoyed, though not all together.
I was hoping to brew a coffee in a couple of concrete bus shelters.
Unfortunately, these were basically public toilets, totally unusable for anything other than that, taking care to step carefully.
An Esso station saw me pull in, use the net and have a drink.
Two Brasillero moto cyclists were spoken to for awhile.
They were on their way north as well. Though, at the rate of 500km a day, we laughed.
Again, like much of the last 1000km, the country side, always with its own beauty if you look hard enough, was grass lands, cattle, very flat with intermittent creeks flow under bridges on the road.
The incidence of wetlands was starting to increase.
The homesites of estancias were not so far from the road.
Ruta 14 is really just a narrow black strip in an otherwise green environment. There is grass to its edges and the shoulder is nonexistent.
My front tyre was a shade of grey due to riding the white line for miles just to stay safe.
Once in Santo Tomé, I familiarised myself with the small town. I was too late to buy a sim card. The tiendas had closed for the afternoon.
It was decided to spend the night there, it had been a fairly rapid trip north. Now that I was into more interesting environs more time could be taken.
The hotel Brasil was booked. My first task, once settled in a ground level room was to dry the tent and do some washing.
Keeping gear clean is quite a job, every day is a constant flow of sweat.
The afternoon was spent sleeping and reading. The afternoon got stickier and stickier.
There is a Gridos ice cream shop here, this was soon found and two menta granazada cones were eaten with pleasure.
11/4/2014 Santo Tomé to Apóstoles, via ruta 94
D96, T7, Av14.57, Max44, 1090, Tot 26,586
Wet all day with morning head winds
Hotel Misiones
Putting clean clothes on was so good, that it was still raining outside was not so good.
Breakfast was enjoyed, when in motel rooms the resistencia is always used.
To date less than a litre of Bencina has been used. I still have two full litre bottles bought in Temuco.
A trip was made to the supermarket to buy tomatoes, onions, salami, cheese and fresh bread.
Leaving town and finding the secondary road to Apóstoles, Ruta 94. It was a different world without trucks flying by every few minutes.
The road was a mix of asphalt, asphalt and dirt and just dirt with water filled potholes everywhere.
On the outskirts of town a motel was spotted, it was tempting to pull in and just wait out the rain for another day, the temptation did not get the better of me however.
Just out of town the first real hill of any sorts was climbed, this too was a pleasure as the coast down the other side, eliminated the need to always be pedalling.
There was a strong head wind with driving rain impeding my progress.
The pot holed road made it always interesting as one progressed.
Water filled potholes revealed nothing about their depth, they had to be avoided.
The rain was sub tropical and warm.
Soon I was totally drenched but comfortable. Progress was slow, it was just a case of pushing into the wind.
My left hand still gets numb, though now numbness is the only issue, not coldness.
Large areas of low lying wetlands were becoming quite common.
Some Pine plantations were on the higher areas as were grazing cattle.
Few vehicles were seen all day, it was riding as it should be for me.
Coming to a shelter marking a memorial to a gauchito, lunch was had partly out of the rain.
The fresh rolls and filling were divine after the wetness and wind.
Unfortunately, the area was not grassed but just sticky red dirt.
Much of this left with me on the soles of my sandals.
Luckily there were water courses at the side of the road. This soon washed the dirt off everything.
Today was a day that reminded me of sailing in wet windy conditions, you are drenched, a bit hyped but always knowing you have to do what has to be done.
You are at one with the elements.
I often compare cycle touring to sailing, you have all you need to survive with you. A wrong move could end it all. There is often no one to help.
You are very aware and sensitive to the weather and all around you.
Above all the destination has only equal importance of all that is encountered and experienced on the way there.
Arriving at Azara in almost dark conditions due to the low cloud and rain, a drink was bought, they told me there was no hotel here.
By now I was starting to feel the cold, even though I had being wearing my raincoat since eating.
Both the front and rear lights were activated.
It was 1730 and there was 18km between me and Apóstoles.
It was a great ride in rolling hill country, a small climb was always rewarded. Much time was spent riding in water channels on the asphalt, the place was soaked.
Signage indicated Apóstoles as the La capital de la Yerba Mate.
On the outskirts of town the sweet smell of mate was everywhere.
A photo of the Rosamonte factory was taken . I buy this brand when I can.
It was like arriving at an oasis after a day in the wilderness.
There will be many more days like today I am thinking. Riding without the sun everyday is great.
The sun really has had its toll on my skin.
Again the similarities with sailing exist here.
Asking people where a motel was, everyone directed me to the hotel Missiones.
It was a great place. The owner and his wife were fantastic people.
The room had a heater, AC and a ceiling fan . Above it had plenty of room.
The shower was like no other, the hot water just carried away any of the days hardship.
The owner and his wife shared their mate with me whilst paying for the room we spent an hour chatting about Provincia de Misiones.
All the big days before me were to get to this popular area and its attractions.
Dinner was had at a cafe down the road.
That of boned chicken leg and salad with bread.
Today whist pedalling my rear wheel was making a soft grinding noise and the
Derailleur is not engaging gears properly.
I am not sure what this is, possibly the bearings on the cassette side have worn as expected.
It is nice to know I have a spare hub.
I am going to have a couple of days here in Apóstoles, the motel is too comfortable for only one night.
From Wikipedia
Misiones (Spanish pronunciation: [miˈsjones], Missions) is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamiсa region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes Province of Argentina to the southwest.
This was an early area of Roman Catholic missionary activity by the Society of Jesus in what was then called the Province of Paraguay, beginning in the early 17th century. In 1984 the ruins of four mission sites in Argentina were designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Geography View along Route 12, near Puerto Iguazu. Misiones is the second smallest province after Tucumán.
The Misiones plateau includes a part of Brazil across the border. The rocks contain significant quantities of iron which forms a part of the soil, giving it a reddish color. At the center of the plateau rises the Sierra de Misiones, its highest peak, 843 m, near Bernardo de Irigoyen, in the Cerro Rincón.
The province is embraced by three big rivers including the Paraná, Uruguay and Iguazú. Iguazu Falls are spectacular waterfalls on the Iguazú River in the northwest corner of the province, near the city of Puerto Iguazú. Misiones shares the falls with the Brazilian state of Paraná (in that nation's Southern Region). Meanwhile, the international border with Paraguay is close by.
Climate The subtropical climate has no dry season, which makes Misiones one of the most humid provinces in Argentina. The vegetation is the so-called "Selva Misionera". Part of it has been transformed by mankind to implant cultures and ranching. The original biome is protected in Iguazú National Park.
Population There are 965,522 people living in Misiones. The majority of the residents of Misiones are descendants of immigrants mostly European. Unlike many regions of Argentina, where the immigrants came through Buenos Aires, most of the immigrants who settled in Misiones came through Southern Brazil. The ethnic groups who settled in Misiones are Italians, Germans, Spaniards, Poles, Ukrainians, French, Swiss, Russians, Swedes, Danes, Arabs, and Japanese.
The literacy rate is 91.4%.
Economy Terminal at Yerba mate plantation. Misiones' economy, like most in northern Argentina, is relatively underdeveloped yet fairly well-diversified. Its 2006 output was estimated at US$4.8 billion (which shall be around US$7.2 billion in 2011, according to Argentina's economical growing) or US$4,940 per capita (around US$6,500 in 2011), over 40% below the national average
Though its rainy, erosion-prone geography discourages intensive crop farming, agriculture makes an important contribution to the province's economy, adding about 10% to the total. Misiones' thick forests have long provided for the ample production of roundwood without excessive impact on its ecosystem. The principal exploited trees are the Paraná pine, Guatambú, Cedar, Petiribí, Incense, Cane water-pipe, Anchico, Eucalyptus and Gueycá.
Misiones' chief source of agricultural income, however, has long been the cultivation of yerba mate: Misiones is Argentina's leading producer (yielding about half a million tons, annually). Tea, citrus fruit and, in minor amounts, tobacco, sugar cane, rice and coffee are also cultivated in Misiones.
Light manufacturing and tourism also contribute to the local economy, each adding about 13% to the total.
 The delightful smell of mate was in the air on approaching Apóstoles
 Ruta 14, the white line was the only place to be, Truck drivers were really courteous giving plenty of room.
 1 kg bags of mate being delivered to a supermarket at Alvear
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 A great spot before being literally asked to "shift camp"
 wetlands Ruta 94 between Santo Tomé and Apóstoles
 Small sawmills were a common sight
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