tHE BiKEs From Bra Zil - part 4

to give us a choice. Inevitably we made the wrong choice and ended up riding though 7,000 intersections, our riding companions had been in the Wilson Hotel for days by the time we arrived. That evening we had a dinner and gaucho (Argentinian stockman) show, which started late as per Argentinian tradition and was a bit like church without an order of service. After the gaucho dancing a popular local band came on and played for a while, apparently finishing with a huge encore number to huge applause, then the lead singer would make a long and involved speech about something, ask where everyone was from, and then start again. Eventually we realised it could go forever, so bolted at midnight during another long and involved speech.

a money exchange chap and like all other originally Spanish towns, the exchange action was in the main Plaza. Exchange chaps are easily recognisable by being the dodgiest looking characters, with a big bag full of Argentinian pesos that he changes for one US$100 note. We then decided that as the bikes had hit every insect living and working on the Chaco plain, we’d use our new stock of pesos to give them a wash. Off to an Auto Lavandera down the road, we swung the bikes onto the empty wash pad, and out came the attendant. This was probably the only time on the trip we’ve had a total communication vacuum; he was there, the high pressure cleaner merely needed turning on, the bikes were ready, we had money, why wasn’t he saying or doing anything? Whenever he threw in the odd short sentence it didn’t help. After 5 minutes of pointing at all the available building blocks of a successful Auto Lavandera business just sitting there waiting, we gave up and left. Speculation settled on it being his siesta, and the few cars parked around being before us in the queue, as we think he might have said mañana at one point. Luckily we managed to find another willing to make a return on investment just around the corner.

Day 49 was a free day in Salta, so we wandered about, found the museum with the child mummies who had been sacrificed on a nearby 5700m mountain, and went for empanadas at the encouraging sounding Patio del la Empanada. Then it was off to find