17km cycle to Punta Loma

---

Well, where to begin! Yesterday we got up a little later than usual cause we were a bit wrecked. Went and did our washing, had some breakfast, came back to our hostel with the intention of collecting my camera to go to the local museum for a nice leisurely afternoon.

We lay down and contemplated a short snooze, then I read about a place called Punta Loma 17km from Puerto Madryn, they said that the road wasn´t too bad and that we could probably cycle it. So we hired bikes and decided to head that way.

It all began very pleasantly, nice leisurely cycle, nothing too strenuos, we even pulled in on the side of the road by a beach and saw a whale swimming there. We thought about giving up on more than one occassion as the road was a mud and gravel road and was a little hard to cycle.

But we kept going eventually reaching Punta Loma after over 2 hours, we got there for about 4.15pm, and as we were walking out to see the sea lions, it began to rain. By the time we´d got to them it was almost sleet. Spent all of about 5 minutes looking at them and decided to try to get back on the road before it got too dark.

We began climbing up the really steep hill near Punta Loma, it was far too steep to cycle, as we were walking my brakes & tyres were becoming clogged with mud, my shoes were slipping on the mud and it was virtually impossible to move. Gwen was a bit ahead at this point, I shouted on to her that I really couldn´t move and was going to slid back down the hill. It was like being at a South American Glastonbury (minus the alcohol, drugs etc!)

Gwen dropped her back and started to some back to me, as she did a car skidded up the hill, he stopped for us, oh my god were ever so happy to see a car. It was a battered old Ford Fiesta, he put our bikes in the back of his car, completely caked in mud. None of the doors worked, or none of the seats moved. I went into the passenger seat, Gwen squeezed her way into the back to sit with the bikes. The man didn´t have a word of English, so again it was back to gesturing. He dropped us on the outskirts of the city, we kissed him out of total gratitiude and relief & left, our Argentine knight in shining armour.

As we cycled into town the chain fell off my bike, we were now totally covered in mud, drenched right through but seriously relieved to be back. Came back to hostel, showered changed etc.

This morning we are on the move to Trelew, which is a Welsh town south of here.

---

Photos

Sea Lions at Punta Loma
Was it worth the effort?

Comments

[niamh]

The drama
oh my god katie, will there ever be an easy travel story to tell!1The photo is beautiful.