After 29km running west I came to a junction 251 and only ran 1 kilometre, that was enough, only 30, I am tired but will make up for it tomorrow, besides I got a lot of work done on the internet today, the never ending list of tasks to be researched just seems to grow and grow.

I spread out the tarp,mat and sleeping bag in a bush at the side of the road, I have no fear of snakes or tarantulas or the like it seems.

So a bit more nice running down this nada,nada,nada highway with all it’s nothingness as I was led to believe, always told there is nothing available and most times there something.

 I arrive at what looks like a restaurant, though I am well stocked I stop, it’s always nice to stop even for a friendly chat on these long stretches, breaks the day up.

The restaurant is not operating anymore, still the nice people, two men Nano Lui and Eduardo and a woman called Soledad invite me to sit down and have a drink. Just as I am leaving the lady gives me a jar of coffee, milk powder and two packets of biscuits. They tell me that many cyclists stop here and they are always delighted to help.

Eduardo, Nano Lui and Soledad

Later that evening I get to a restaurant, this time it’s operational so I order a beef steak, eggs, tea and bread.

It had been a nice day, I enjoyed all 66 clicks of it, another night under the heavenly stars was my reward.

Another stop on the nada, nada, nada highway.

Just like the last place Alexander stopped for a short while, infact I just missed him here as I saw his red flashing light in the distance as I was running in.

Today I also passed by two security guards that work for a week on then have a week off after minding the road construction companies heavy vehicles. They both invited me into their caravans for water. I stopped at the first to cook a packet soup and a herbal tea before running on.

Then the very next day I did see a snake in the long grass, in the shoulder where I usually run. Not sure if it was alive or dead as it didn’t respond to a couple of my pebbles.

Further on and stopped at the side of the road, sitting on a guard rail, munching some biscuits I get to talk to a man called Natalio and his wife Monica. They did a u-turn just to stop and say hi.

They are both Chileans and invite me to their home in San Antonio Oeste when I get there on Tuesday. They have been living in Argentina for 25 years now. In their opinion Argentina is the most futuristic country in all of Latin America, It’s easy for me to agree with that.

12km before General Conesa Alexander skates up from behind and stops to talk. It’s hard for him pushing his Chariot up some of these short sharp hills, but on the down hill he can get close to 30km per hour, scary stuff for me! We cover roughly the same daily distance but his days are shorter, he leaves late, even worse than me, a notorious late and slow starter!

He seems to have more time for a chat now and before he skates on to the town he tells me about an hotel he stayed in on a previous visit.

I didn’t make it that far, just over a well light narrow bridge on the outskirts of the town, and around the bend to the first restaurant I saw, a place called Gringos Restaurant.  With a name like that I bet it’s expensive.

That will do it,I am famished, so I parked Nirvana outside and went inside for a nice steak dinner.

I have a wash and a shave while I am waiting for the dinner. Half an hour later Alexander comes in. He joins me. We had been getting reports from people we stopped to talk to along the highway about each others whereabouts.

The Nada, Nada,Nada Highway.

The lady that worked there told us that the young people in these small rural towns and villages are bored and as soon as they get qualifications they leave for the big cities. Still I haven’t noticed many places which had an overwhelmly older population. 

The owner is a nice man called Anselmo. he brings us out a second helping of steak and French fries, gave me a bottle of lemon and opened a bottle of whiskey for himself and Alexander. Then second deserts on the house! What a man!

Alexander with Anselmo pouring the drinks into us!

By now it’s 2am, the restaurant is closed. It’s pointless me looking for an hotel now so I ask if I can roll out my sleeping bag on the covered porch for it’s another nice evening, even if it is a bit chilly. Anselmo asks me if I want to go back to the family home but I gently refuse and thank him, a bit pointless and easier to get  going in the morning. Alexander goes off to his hotel while the two dogs take up watch dog duties for me, it’s another wonderful tranquil small town in Argentina.

Another big day, 62km next day and I am full of running. To my left in the darkness I see a glint of a reflective strip and then notice a head flashlight, it’s Alexander camped behind some bushes. I go over and surprise him. Only a rare pedestrian would have noticed him, not a flashing by car.

We have another chat and I cook some supper on his stove. He invites me to camp beside him but I regrettably refuse as I want to get a bit closer to San Antonio Oeste and have an easy run in tomorrow. He is pumping away at his multi fuel stove  for it wont relight when I want a coffee, so I give him my spare gas cylinder as I got a spare. We both agree multi fuel stoves are great and cheap when they work, but you cant beat a fast lighting gas camping cooker for efficiency, even if the replacement cylinders are expensive.

Alexander also tels me he gets the nada, nada, nada answer too! We both agree to take a little more than to be short but less than too much is a good water quantity to carry.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 2nd, 2012 at 6:03 am and is filed under jogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.