Rural Argentina

Each day, as I ride through Argentina, I am amazed at its size and scope.  I chose to get away from the main highway north, and for the past couple of days I have been riding in what I think was the original route northward.   The highway is a bit aged, and clearly the different provinces have different budgets for maintaining the roads, but I believe I am seeing a more authentic side of Argentina.

I headed west from Beunos Aires for the best part of a day and a half, and then started moving northward, stay west of Ruta 9.   In a little town called La Cumbre, I headed overland to reach the main highway at Jesus Maria, which is on Ruta 9.  As soon as I could, I headed off the main highway and rode the highways and byways towards the mountains, which began to show this afternoon.  I am heading towards Salta, and then the Bolivian border.  


These Sunflowers are for Mom...

Some farm implements from the old days...

 The farm equipment on the Argentinian estancias is huge.  I have seen John Deere, Case, Mack trucks, and Catepillar on a huge scale.  The size of the operations would put our Canadian operations in second place, in many cases...

This is a good example why Mr. Garmin is so important...

I am having some concerns with Blondy, as she does not like the heat, which was close to 40 degrees today.  She is surging and stalling, and at first I attributed this to poor fuel, but I am beginning to think that the motor does not like the heat, and after 5 or 6 hundred kilometers of running, the generator is heating up, and causing the surging.  I have put out an email to  her mechanics in Victora.  We will see what they think.   Either way, I am about 1500 kilometers from a BMW dealership. I don't particularly wish to head into Bolivia with Blondy not 100%, especially after new tires and an oil change where done a few days ago in Buenos Aires...

I love the Pampas grass growing besides the rural roads.  There seems to be two varieties, a dark red  verson, and a lighter type.  It is as if it was designed to go with the Argentine wind....

It was a very special ride over the mountains.....