Day 114 Iguazu Falls: hot, hot, hot and a ride

February 13, 2000

We are taking a break at a gas station after cycling 30 kms. It's 10am and already hot. The road and landscape remain the same. The hills are longer and steeper, doable, but the road is without a shoulder and makes the riding risky and unpleasant.

Patrick cycles behind Rachel to warn me off the road when trucks and/or buses are coming from behind and they are not or unable to move over because of oncoming traffic. Rachel's riding up hills is slow, and Patrick then is unable to cycle his pace. Plus he continually is monitoring the traffic from behind. After a few shouts to "get off the road" we discuss the risk of continuing or to catch a bus. We are a few kms from the town of Puerto Rico, we try hitchhiking for about 15 minutes and decide to go on to town and to a gas station and find a bus station.

We are there about 5-10minues waiting popsicles and drinking a small bottle of coke, a man talks with us, we explain we are going to take a bus to Iguazu, h offers us a ride to 40kms South of Iguazu. Patrick, the man and the truck driver lifts our bikes high up over the back of the truck and soon we are settled in the back of the truck sitting on the benches at the sides and we are off for 140kms ride North.

So we are in the back of the truck, that then goes onto the "shoulder" to pass a car on the right....right where we would be cycling.

About 30kms we see the campground we were planning to stay and about 40kms the road starts to intermittently have a shoulder, and about 50kms the road improves with shoulders continually. But our decision to take a ride is a good one at the time. We are tired of the Argentina drivers. From the truck we are also able to enjoy the changing landscape. There are plenty of areas of planted forest mostly pine, occasionally we see the native "jungle". The houses look poorer and have gardens planted for food around them instead of landscaping.

We are transitioning from a western type lifestyle to the "third world". At Libertad, we are let out of the truck, we reassemble our gear and see a gas station across the road. Shade! and something to eat and cold drink!

We have 42kms to go to Iguazu and it is 1230 and HOT!! We are told there is camping by the dam and lake. We set off and pass over the day and by the camping area. It doesn't look nice, and we decide to go to Iguazu Falls. When in a motor vehicle cyclists tend to continue to look at the road as a cyclist. So now after a 140km ride in a truck, we are cycling again with the downhills and up the long climbs.

The heat is oppressive and makes breathing on exertion difficult. We find shade to rest when we can. We reach the junction: to the right the falls, to the left another 11kms to town.

Just a few kms out of town after several long climbs Rachel reaches the top and is unable to catch her breath. She quickly gets off the bike because of the excessive heat and exertion. Patrick leans the bikes together, gets out a cloth to wet for her face, that helps. We must get out of the sun! Using Rachel's African sarong we create shade. The temp is 114F (44C)

Finally Rachel recovers enough to go on. At the bottom of the last big hill, a car slows and rolls down the window and says something that Rachel doesn't understand. Patrick says go on and stops to find out what they need. Another Argentina driver asking for directions. He missed the great big sign at the junction and needed to know where the Falls were located. No wonder they lost the war.

We have decided not to camp in this heat and go another 4 kms past the campground into town. We go to a gas station, eat 2 popsicles each a big bottle of agua con gas and chocolate. We find Hotel Saint George with a swimming pool. We carry all our stuff to the second floor room. The bikes are locked in a service area.

A cold shower washes away the misery of the day and leaves only a good impression. We watch an old movie and go for Pizza then watch another movie.

Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 3,759 km (2,334 miles)

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