Day 71. Thursday 7th November. Casada del Baron Homestead & Camp Site. Tupiza. Bolivia to Santa Catalina. Argentina. Miles 108 or 173k’s.

While the parking/camping area was quite rough, we had a flat site to pitch the Caranex and enjoyed a quiet, calm night.

A little local history.

Sadly, in a rush, I could not resolve a setting issue that caused the three photo’s today, to be blurry. Resolved now.

This morning when ready to depart, we got chatting with Mario the owner, who informed us that the Spanish colonial homestead he lives in, was once owned by the Baron of the Tin mine nearby and that it was the very house where Butch Cassidy and his sidekick, The Sundance Kid, robbed the Baron and fled. I’m picking we will catch up with these two reprobates, further down in Chile. But that will be for another time. In a village, about 15k’s from the homestead, The Argentine army combined with local forces achieved the first success over the Spanish conquistadors in the battle of ???, Simon Bolivar providing the cohesion between local forces that ultimately saw the spanish banished from the continent.

Yesterday, when rounding a corner up in the mountains, there, almost impressed in the rock face, what looked like a truck. It wasn’t, but it was the side of one. When arriving at the camp last night, there, close to the entrance, a badly smashed truck, with one side of it’s canopy missing. My guess is that it came into the corner way too fast and smashed into the rock face. I would also guess that the driver could not have escaped alive.

It’s 93k’s to the border. The drive was again, most enjoyable. Poki is driving superbly and without much of the weight we carry in fuel, it climbs the mountain passes, with ease.

Exiting Bolivia was a relatively easy process once we understood how to scan a QR code to provide the required exit form. Entry into Argentina was likewise, easy. Though the customs people required a more stringent inspection, but were satisfied we were not carrying any illicit materials, and allowed us to pass.

Arriving in Argentina.

Once through the border, the first task was to fill with diesel. No queues, no problems, and then we needed money. With the amount of diesel that went into the tank, we had about 8 Litres left!
Finding a bank with the help of sat-nav and local directions, we found a long queue, of people waiting to use the single cash machine with money. Jen is in the queue as I’m writing this. Our destination is the Chilean border of Jama, 288 k’s away. Once we have cash we can purchase a SIM card for communication. After queuing for 30 min, the only operating machine has also run out of money!! What to do? Fifteen minutes later a security truck pulled up and bags of notes were delivered. In another 20 min we had cash. Not much, only 15,000 peso’s after asking for 100,000. Cash is being limited!! Our attempt to buy a SIM card was fruitless.

Once clear of the town we stop beside the road for lunch. It’s 2pm. But really, it’s 3pm. Clocks went forward again. We have made the decision to cut across Northern Argentina and into Chile.

Realising we were again on the wrong road, it was a 5k drive back to the town and onto Ruta 40. Ruta 40 turns out to be a gravel road, almost all the way to Urshuia!!! The plan is to head for the border at Jama. A small customs post. It’ll be interesting, how the crossing goes.

Our watches say it’s 4pm, though it’s an hour later. There are a few wild camping spots on the way to Santa Catalina, but we push onto the town as there is a Hostel there.
However, on pulling up beside it, it’s a mud brick building looking close to collapse. The decision is to keep driving. The road is now narrower and we find what looks like a pumping or sub station beside the road and pull in beside it. Offering a little shelter from the wind, but not much. We are within sight of the town but don’t think it will safety will be an issue.

It’s now 9.45pm. We have eaten and are now in bed. The wind has dropped but lightning, flashes in the mountains. Our Lucy light is bulging in size so we must be at around 4000m. We’re both tired and sleep will come easily. Classical music is playing via the iPod and speaker. It’s a mild 16deg, and delightful. Goodnight.

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2 Comments:

  1. I told you about Butch and Sundance so its lucky you were not in the house when they came calling. on the upside you may have got to meet Kathryn Ross whom i always thought was a bit of alright as we say.
    Go the All Blacks.
    Max

    • Oh! Max, like I said, you are way ahead of me. Saw a docco on them a long time ago. Hope Aud did not see your comment..:). Have just seen the AB’s result. Well done, them :). Kelvin has just told me the Wallabies beat the Pom’s. Now there’s a story.

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