Entry #16:

 

21st February Zapala

After our very enjoyable evening at the home of Hugo and Graciela, we had only 123 miles to travel to Neuquen, where we were to be met and led to our next nights stop at an ACA hotel. The approach to Neuquen is at first through orchards and market gardens, a contrast to the rather arid land before. As we reached the outskirts of the town its industrial nature exerted its influence and mile upon mile of industrial units and businesses line the road. The town is located near a big oil and gas reserve and services those industries as well as the extensive hydro-electric schemes, water resources and as a spin off, fruit farming which takes place locally.

We were to be guests of the local ACA that night at a dinner in our honour and we spent the late afternoon washing polishing and in Stan and Johny’s case, bulling the engine and front axle to a rare calibre of shine, there is always one who spoils it for the rest!

Dinner was at the ACA Hotel at which we were staying and as guests of the Affiliate Presidents we enjoyed a wonderful meal and again some excellent local red wines and also from the Mendoza region. Through a mixture of French, Spanish, Dutch, German and English, we had a really splendid evening in the company of ACA members and learnt much about the local area and its origins and present situation. Tomas, who had contacted the web site earlier in our trip, had been very helpful earlier in the day in searching for replacement tyres, sadly without success, but his support was very welcome. The evening wound up with a speciality of the house, ice cream laced with chocolate, whisky and toasted nuts, a ‘Postres’ to far but I have always believed in the saying “Too much is never enough”

22nd February ACA Hotel, Cipoletti, Rio Negro Province

While we had been in San Martin de Los Andes, Diana and I had worked on the route and travel plans for this day and the following ones in order to try and save some time and in particular reach BA ahead of the planned time to make sure of spare time to process the cars through the complexity and graft of the customs and dock procedures.

We were invited to join the Club de Automoviles Antiguos Clasicos y Especiales de la Patagonia for a regularity run to Villa El Chocon, beside a vast lago supplying a hydroelectric scheme. Our host, Luis Gimenez, Presidente of the club, who had met us and guided us to the hotel on the previous evening, had given us directions to the start of the event.

As the oldest, slowest cars we had the first start and we of small brains unable to make head or tail of the instructions, had a gentle run out to the finish to be joined by the other cars as they completed the designated route at the proscribed pace.

We met up with many acquaintances of the previous two days and had an educational tour of the Museum of Dinosaurs. This region is also a source of fossilised bones, in particular the enormous 110 tonne vegetarian dinosaur only found in South America.

Summoned to lunch we assembled in a borrowed gymnasium for an asado picnic, joining two tables, we were a lively group, as we dissected the intricacies of the morning regularity run and many other subjects. I sat between Tomas and his wife Chris from whom I gleaned a lot of detailed information about the area, its activities and how people work, live and play here.

All too soon our self-imposed deadline approached and with great timing the prize giving was begun. After some thanks for the efforts of the organisers of the event and the catering staff, the 7 Seveners were identified and rose to collect an array of gifts and plaques to take away as a memorial of the day. Sad to leave the very pleasant company, but mindful of the miles to cover and tyres to conserve we thanked our hosts and the Club Members and many came to see us off as we rode around the square and under the start gate for final pictures and farewells.

The wind behind us, we turned North for the return journey to Cipolleti and on to our over night stay at the town 25^th Mayo. Retracing our tracks through the extensive industrial area, we passed over the Rio Negro bridge separating Neuquen and Cipoletti and onto Route 151.

An artificial watercourse ran beside the road in which children were swimming, its purpose to feed water to the bottling plant and the town water supply. It also fed the extensive orchards on both sides of the road. The landscape was predominately horticultural for the first 30 Kms and then back to the arid featureless uplands for the remainder of the journey to the ACA motel at 25^th Mayo. We arrived as the sun was setting and found the motel to be very comfortable. A quick supper and we turned in to sleep with the sound of the Rio Colorado thundering over a weir next to the site. The river crossing marked the end of our travels in Patagonia and entry to La Pampa.

23rd February. 25th Mayo, Rio Negro Province

Our early start was frustrated by finding a puncture on Rusty and the 07.00 breakfast beginning instead at 07.30. On the way by 07.45 we turned right onto Route 20 and began the long desert crossing of 200 Kms. The road was almost straight for the whole distance and made longer by the need to keep speeds down to conserve tyres, now bald in large patches on both Rusty and the Chummy.

We found fuel at La Reforma after 155 Kms unexpectedly and at Chacharramendi stopped to look at a general store mentioned in the guidebooks. The store had been closed and left with its remaining stock in the 1980’s I think and having been found again restored to show its contents and history. I was a lovely display of items a little like Solomon Store in Ushuaia but with all the original ledgers and a large map with the names of the landowners for thousands of square kilometres around from the 1920’s in the counting house. The site also had the local school and church and must have been the centre of all activity and gossip for all the outlying estancias.

We pressed on through the town of General Acha where the countryside changed again to an area where sunflowers and maize was grown in large fields with trees along the margins. Turning off the main Route 35, we by-passed Santa Rosa and followed instead Routes 18 and 1 for over 150 Kms, through some of the best looking countryside we remember seeing in Argentina

I suppose it reminded us all of rural England, herds of cows, some sheep and the occasionally goats, the green and lush growth, the fields of ripening maize and sunflowers a sight refreshing to us all. At the end, without exception, we all commented on how beautiful it had been and how much we had enjoyed driving through it.  Although the weather was now very warm and we had covered 321 miles in the day, there had been no problems with the cars, we had rotated drivers and passengers for a variety of conversation and enjoyed a splendid days motoring in conditions nearly perfect for the cars and passengers alike.

Stan and I spent some time speculating on the phenomena of fields containing dozens of Aberdeen Angus cattle, all pointing in the same direction and came to the conclusion that they must be magnetic! I will be doing further research on this aspect of Argentinean cattle farming when I have access to my medication again.

Arriving at 19.45 we had had a relatively easy days drive, because the roads had been good, the traffic light and no car problems. That night, there being very few lights we could see the stars bright and clear, the Milky Way very clear, its sweep through the skies evident. We were able to identify the Southern Cross, for some of us the first time ever and its presence brought delight and a thrill for having seen it so bright and clear.

23rd February, Catrilo, Rio Negro Province

Our plans had been modified in San Martin four days previously, when although we had an appointment to reach the Shipping Agents office on the 25^th February, we had decided to see if we might get to BA on the morning of the 24^th and present the required paperwork a day early. As a consequence the high mileage of the day before and another big day today would put us at Mercedes were we were within 100Kms of BA.

Today we would be following Route 5 and within minutes of our 07.15 start we crossed the boundary into Buenos Aires Province and the clocks went forward one hour, so an 08.15 start in reality. The day began well with more of the same type of scenery and a great deal of agricultural activity at every junction and on all sides. The harvest was obviously in full swing and we passed large gangs of workers with huge combines, tractor trailers and living accommodation on wheels, parked on the verges and in compounds.

Lorries possible bound for BA began to overtake us and we encountered more filling stations and wayside businesses than previous days. We made several stops and began to notice large groups of wagons and men on roundabouts who waved and gesticulated to us. Thinking it was more of the enthusiasm we had witnessed before we carried on in ignorance. In fact there was a rural workers dispute with the government and we were being enticed to stop and be the guests for asado of the probably bored pickets, protesting at the roadside.

On and on we drove, sparing the tyres at all cost, through Trnque Lauquen, Pehuajo, 9^th du Julio, Bragado and Chivilcoy. Gradually the raffic increased and with it city habits. We were passed at very high speed by several cars and late in the day became embroiled in what we assume was a case of Argentine road rage between two lorry drivers. The first was in a loaded truck and trailer, which sat on the bumper of Crusty as I was driving at the back of the four Austins. We had been leavinga reasonable gap to enable vehicles a chance to overtake us, but with the amount of approaching traffic this was not easy.

The very close following, within 3’ in this case we had encountered before and it was disconcerting. After several attempts to pass a small gap appeared and the truck went for it. What happened next is difficult to believe, right on his tail, within a metre, was another unloaded truck and trailer, determined to get into the one vehicle gap between me and Stan in Dusty. I braked and ran as close to the edge of the tarmac as possible and the in swinging trailer missed the wing by inches, leaving me shaken.

After several tries by the second truck to overtake the first, both again pulled out and Chris and I watched as the same treatment was given to Stan, without incident, Johny driving the Chummy who had to take to the grass to avoid contact and Vince with the same result. We all pulled up as soon as we could given the melee of cars following this game of high speed death-on-wheels and took stock. There was no choice but to continue which we did with trepidation. We continued to be overtaken by dozens of these truck/trailer combinations most full of beef on the hoof, running at high speed and with little regard for safety.

We reached Mercedes at 20.00 and found that the hotel was really excellent and after some form filling and a sketchy, ordered in supper we retired for our last day’s motoring.

24th February, Mercedes, Buenos Aires Province

All along we had been avoiding driving in the dark, due to poor headlights, holes in the road and near non-existent tail lights. As it happened we were little different to most of the traffic, but we needed to see the potholes if possible.

We left in pitch dark at 06.00 and after about 35Kms reached the motorway, this was less likely to have large holes, we has found some on the previous Kms the hard way. On the nmotorway progress was swift and due to being at least two lanes we were neither holding up, nor being held up.

Gradually dawn broke and we drove towards the fireball rising in the East, nearly blinded by the light. The traffic increased and so did the number of lanes and as we made our final sweep into the city we arrived on the main artery leading into the city and past the stone obelisk that we had passed on our way out nearly two months ago and into the garage opposite the hotel from which we had begun.

The drivers had a quick coffee and went off to the Agents and Johny and I unloaded the cars and tidied up.

I will spare you the trials and further tribulations of dealing with the Agent, Customs and Docks, suffice to say that graft and corruption are at work and that even though every preparation had been made and every requirement of the convoluted administration meet, it still took two and a half days to get the cars into the dock and the paperwork completed. Gratuities had to be paid to Customs to even get them to look at the paperwork and despite the protestations of the Agents we felt that never again would any of us willingly ship cars through BA docks or with Turners the Agents for Grimaldi the shipping line.

Buenos Aires

Johny and I did some sight seeing and met up with my daughter Holly and boyfriend Doug who had by coincidence arrived in BA on the same day as we had. The drivers attended the docks again.

On Friday we took a bus tour of the city and gained some idea of its variety and richness of architecture.

On Saturday an aquaintance from the previous trip to Argentina, came to show us a restored MkII Ruby, originally exported to Uraguay and rebuilt with no references to an original car. It was very well done and apart from a few minor points looked very good.

Saturday evening we met Martin Ross and went out to dinner and later trawled a few Tango joints until we found a remarkable dance hall in the suburbs and watched the locals strut their stuff with great panache and enjoyment, Tango in the raw, what passion, what pride!

Sunday morning we said goodbye to Chris and Stan who were leaving to  return to the UK and the rst of us had an enjoyable browse in the San Telmo flea markets. The range of items on sale was staggering mixed with craft work, tango demonstrations, street artists, mime, bands and a crush of tourists and city dwellers.

Diana and River left on Sunday night and Vince Johny and I will catch our flight on  Monday evening. An eventful two months of travelling and sightseeing over a great distance and some terrible roads.

STOP PRESS

Due to snow in New York Diana returned to the hotel on Sunday night, River found a flight to Dallas because he had to be at work by Tuesday. Vince, Johny and I had dinner in San Telmo at La Briganda, where we enjoyed our final evening in BA.

By the time you read this we shall be on our way home and the adventure will have reached its conclusion. For me the images and individual memories are still forming into a rounded picture of Argentina. Foremost among them is the very warm reception we have received from friends and acquaintances, but also from ordinary people in the streets. People who had not heard of us or Austin’s before, but were thrilled to see us and the cars, enthusiastic and full of a bonhomie.

It made the trip especially memorable for me and I shall carry home an overwhelming of warmth and friendship.

I will do the trip statistics when I reach home and post the results in a few days time. Meanwhile if you have been, thank you for reading this and I hope it was as enjoyable to read as it has been to write.