diary week 6 [08.05.2006-14.05.2006]

don't forget to take a look at the related albums in the  photo gallery. click  here to go to the  main page of this journey report or  here to see  my other journey reports.

day 36 [08.05.2006] - from picun léufu to neuquén by bus

due to the fact, that we were so tired and the way to  neuquén would be as boring as the last day, we went to neuquén by bus. the man from the bus office in picun leufu was quite suprised, that we want to take the bikes with us. he had to call to neuquen, to know if this is possible or not. it was very comfortable to travel by bus these 130 km. there was nothing to see out in the pampa. in the evening we did some sightseeing in neuquen. it's not that beautiful...

day 37 [09.05.2006] - the city of neuquén

we had a day of rest until 22.00, when our bus to mendoza did leave. it was an overnight bus and we had to ride about 900 km during 13 hours with it. a very long time. but very cheap and comfortable. only about 40 swiss francs for that journey. there was no place for the bikes. they said they will arrive in mendoza a day after.

day 38 [10.05.2006] - from neuquén to mendoza by bus

on 13.00 we arrived in  mendoza. i was very happy to be here. 13 hours in a bus is a long time. already in the bus station was a women that asked us if we already have a place to stay. she told us she was from a hostal "casa pueblo". we were so tired that we accepted her offer. she helped us bringing the equipment to the hostal by car. the hostal " casa pueblo" was very nice. very colorful, clean and cheap. and it had a public kitchen. you can read more about this hostal in the page " hostals" of this journey report. i was so tired that i felt asleep in my clothes.

day 39 [11.05.2006] - day of rest in mendoza

today our bikes have been arrived in mendoza. it wasn't so easy to find them in the big bus terminal. there was no big problem with the bikes. we went to the "gendarmeria" (traffic police) to ask if the passes to chile are open or closed. the didn't know at all. they did not even know all passes, even if that's their job. they had so much time for us, that i thought we were their only work for today. funny. they called to other police stations closer to the passes to get information.

day 40 [12.05.2006] - equipment preparation for paso bermejo

mendoza is a nice city and absolutely worth to be visited. the todays task was to get to know which passes are open and to decide over which pass we will cycle to get back to chile. so we went back to the gendarmeria. then we went into an internet cafe to get some more information. the "paso agua negra" was already closed. that was the one, we wanted to cross. all the others were too far away.

so there was only one possibility: "paso bermejo". the rest of the day we went shopping for the next days.

day 41 [13.05.2006] - through the wineries to portrerillos

today was the restart of our bike tour. after many days of rest and bus travelling, we were finally on our bikes again. the weather was very good and motivation too. when we said goodbye, the hostal boss told us to use the highway, not to leave it and not to stop along the quarter godoy cruz". he told it was dangerous there because of criminality.

some km later we stopped on that road to go to the local gaz station. a man came to us and told us to leave this place, because it was dangerous of criminality. hmm...from that point on i believed it. we cycled some more km along the ruta 40 until the junction to the ruta 7. then we changed to the ruta 7 and the road already rised a bit. now on every side were the famous wineries of mendoza. it seems to be a very big business here, in this region.

after 70 km we already arrived in " potrerillos" to fill our water bottles. we went about 5 km further where we have found a nice place to camp.

- 75 km -

day 42 [14.05.2006] - to uspallata, "la vieja estación"

the night was cold. in the morning, when the first sunrayes met our tent, it got warm. after a small breakfast, we started our tour in direction of " uspallata". the first km it went uphill, then until km 35 a continuing symbiosis of up- and downhill. today we had to cycle through 8 tunnels. they aren't so long, but there is much traffic, especially a lot of trucks. and if it goes uphill and you have to cycle with the luggage you're not su quick.

today we got a bit higher. suddenly it became greener again, the closer we got to uspallata. it is situated in a nice green tale (valle uspallata) on about 1900 m above sea level. uspallata has a famous old train station from the old line to chile, which is not in operation since many years.

- 49 km -