While our room at Las Curiosas left much to be desired, being very small, the pool was well used and we had a good team dinner with all contributing. The Empanada's were the best we have tried anywhere.
Nonetheless, we were all keen to ride the 619 km to the larger town of Salta and stay for two nights, thus getting some rest. JC changed the arrangements for the departure to "bags at door by 7am, and leave at 8 am" which means theoretically you can clean your teeth after breakfast - but we did it anyway and Willy collected the bags at 7:45!
The day started well with overcast weather and a warning from Willy that it would rain, and rain it did. After 30 kilometres we were in the thick of it, and it only got worse. It made me think how I would "rate" rain - something like - a few drops, light rain, regular persistent rain, heavy rain, a downpour and monsoonal. I must see if there is such a scale, but anyway it was either "heavy rain" or persistant rain all day, making a longer ride over 600 km, somewhat of a chore.
In the end we stopped about 140km from Salta for lunch. I had planned to continue on without, but was actually quite cold, only wearing a T Shirt under my ride suit. I had managed to keep relatively dry in my core, with a little coming in around my neck and sleeves, until I was riding very slowly through deep standing water in a town, when a large truck came past the opposite direction and sent a full wave in mine! So I had water in my boots and was wet in the crutch, the worst way to ride. I then agreed to join all for lunch of a steak and mashed potato and this time the meat was first class - at a gas station restaurant!
One of the sights that we see all through Argentina is the huge plantations of Eucalyptus of an unknown species, (which I will have to research, and are shown below). They grow rapidly and very straight and the result is we have to pass many log trucks on the highway.
We we made it to Salta, all spread over a long distance of road, and me arriving a few seconds behind Rahn. And the very helpful man and lady on reception read my translated text (in an app called iTranslate) that asked for " A large room with a matrimonial bed and a bath plus a view" and that is exactly what we got. Joy.
We did not have any dinner but I went next door with a huge bag of washing - which was completed in 90 minutes for just US$2. Now to sleep with the rain steadily pouring down outside.
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