PowerCycle

12/04 I’m officially in the Roaring Forties now. I’m not talking about my age either (but that’s getting close which I’m finding to be quite depressing). Just south of Junin de Los Andes is the 40th parallel. From this latitude south to Antarctica the only land masses of any size are New Zealand and what’s left of Argentina/Chile. I’m further south now than the southernmost points in Australia (except Tasmania) or Africa. All this open ocean means there’s very little to prevent strong westerly winds from building up, hence the name Roaring Forties.

Riding today wasn’t a lot of fun thanks to the winds but the scenery was nice. I’m in Parque Nacional Lanín which has lot’s of mountains, volcanoes and lakes. There was no shortage of lumber mills either and there were a lot of fake looking forest areas where they replanted the trees.

There are fewer choices as far as highways heading north and south which means travelers are more likely to run into each other on the road. Today I saw 3 guys heading north but we just waved and passed by. In town in ran into Matt (from Edmonton, Canada). We chatted for a while about riding up north and then went off to find places to stay.

I’m staying here 2 nights to check out the fancy tourist town with its log/stone homes and abundance of chocolate shops. Staying at the Hostel del Lago for 100 pesos night. Its a decent place for the money although it seems more like a regular hotel than a hostel.

GPX track