14 December 2010

In Sarmiento both ATMs were out of cash. I had to wait until I got to Comodoro Rivadavia to get any money. I came across an unfamiliar intersection, not on my map or in my driving book, which took me into town where I found a bank.  Then I backtracked to the intersection and headed south towards Caleta Olivia. In Caleta Olivia if I had consulted my turn-by-turn directions I wouldn’t have gotten lost and cursed myself hoarse. I eventually found a highway but wasn’t sure if it was Highway 3 so I stopped at an auto shop to ask. They both assured me I was on the right track. A mile later I realized from a few signs for towns not on the route I was supposed to be going that they were wrong.

Graffiti in Caleta Olivia

The way back to Highway 3 veered off down an unpaved rocky dirt road. This seemed like a joke to me so I asked a few guys I saw attending food stands near an empty gas station. One of them happened to speak English and he drew me a map and assured me the unpaved road was the way back to highway 3. I was back on the right way in no time.

I filled up on gas in a small town called Tres Cerros. It wasn’t on the map. I blew an hour using the slow wi-fi and eating a disgusting meat sandwich. A van of young boys, a soccer team I think, and bus of regular folks stopped by and the place got crowded and noisy real quick.

The drive to Rio Gallegos was long, dull, and boring. The plains of Patagonia stretch forever into the distance. There are guanacos grazing on the roadside and there is an occasional emu.  There is no civilization for miles and miles.  However the wind blows the clouds into fantastic shapes. The clouds are feathery and rounded with tails like comets. The Patagonian wind is very dangerous.  It will strip you bare if you aren’t careful.

Llamas

In Güer Aike I slowed down for a truck and my engine started to sputter and then it stopped completely and would not turn over.  Thankfully it was right in front of a police checkpoint station. The car was out of gas.  In all my calculations I forgot to factor in the high winds and the resistance.  Otherwise I could have gone a hundred more miles.  I told this to the police. There is no gas in Güer Aike. The nearest gas in 20 kilometers away in Rio Gallegos. I asked the police if they would call a tow truck to come with some gas. They said the tow truck wouldn’t bring gas. After a lot of putzing about and trying to get some help from the police and a ride into town from a trucker I decided to just walk into Rio Gallegos. One of the drivers who refused to give me a ride stopped for me and gave me a lift to Rio Gallegos.

I think it was this guy who gave me a ride

He dropped me off at the first gas station, a YPF. I bought a container, found an empty water bottle to use as a funnel, and stood in the massive line of cars. An attendant saw me and waved me over. He filled my container and I took off to the highway and began walking with my thumb out in hopes I could catch a ride back to the car. Finally a pick-up truck stopped but he only gave me a short ride before he let me off and turned off for his destination.  I took out a wad of money to flash but it didn’t work.  Everyone kept passing me by. So I stood in the middle of the road and waved down the next car that came along like I was a crazy person. The car slowed down and tried to speed around me but I wouldn’t let him. The passenger got out. I said “I have money. I need a ride to my car.” They let me in. It was three guys and a little girl. Probably family. I apologized and told them I wasn’t crazy I just needed to get back to my car. I did my best to tell them the whole situation in my broken Spanish. We also talked about a few other things.  The guy in the backseat is a car salesman.

Long lines at the gas station

Finally we arrived. They let me out. Somewhere I’d lost one of my gloves. I poured all the gas in the tank. It took a few tries before it fired up. I sped off to Rio Gallegos to fill up.

At the gas station I saw a massive line wrapped around the block and a line with no cars so I got in the line with no cars. This was not a good idea. They refused to fill my tank because they said I cut in line despite there being no line. The cops also showed up. It was a big misunderstanding. A guy with long curly hair approached the cops and it just so happened he was an Englishman. He translated for us. He and his girlfriend Sarah had flown to Seattle, bought a car, driven to Los Angeles, sold the Seattle car and bought a different truck, and then driven all the way to Ushuaia. They were on their way to Buenos Aires to sell their 4 x 4 Bronco. 

Sunset

We all needed gas and debated waiting in line and wether there would be any gas by the time we got to the pumps. As we slogged along in line we chatted a about our experiences on the road. He gave me half a tuna sandwich and I bummed a smoke from Sarah. Thankfully there was enough gas for us. The line kept extending as we waited. Everyone in town was in a hurry to get some gas.  All the gas stations in Rio Gallegos were plagued with long lines.  I couldn’t find a reasonably priced room so I headed toward Chile and slept on the side of the road in a parking area for trucks.