Chilecito

23 November 2025

I woke up fairly early, and went to take the cover off my bike. At the higher altitude it is fairly fresh in the morning, even though we know by experience it will warm up very quickly. We had decided last night to try to alter the itinerary to enable us to get onto a better schedule having lost days in Mendoza.

We decided not to go over the pass into Chile but to head back to Route to 40 by a different route through the mountains and then head north to Chile Cito. We set off around a large reservoir, and then

started to climb through a gorge in the mountains. Route 150 took us back to San Jose de Giselle and then we turned north onto route 40 again. Whilst we were travelling along route 150 we stopped to take a few photographs. And while stopped a tiny almost fold up scooter. Pulled up alongside us.

On board was a French gentleman who was travelling around the whole of Argentina on this tiny contraption. It made us with our big bikes feel a bit overdressed. Apparently he had been coming and going. Back-and-forth from France and leaving his bike here for almost a year and then continuing whenever he had funds to do so. Amazingly interesting Man and more amazingly whenever we find these people they seem to be French..

After a couple of hours of Straight Road, the root swung to the west and into the Sanogasta mountain range. We started to see the odd saguaro cactus dotted on the hillside. And as we passed further into the mountains, they became more and more until in parts it was like looking at a cactus forest. The road climbed up to 2800 m and afforded as fantastic views in all directions. We then started to drop down towards the town of Sanogasta, and as it was now almost 2 pm thoughts were turning to food. We attempted to find something in the town of Nanogasta, but very little was available. So we decided to head towards our guest house in Chilecito . Having given ourselves the runaround trying to find the main square, we eventually found it and found a great restaurant that served us amazing hamburgers and beers. We then rounded off with an ice cream from another shop and set off. To find our Guest House for the evening. We were sharing a three bedroom house which had beds for 10 people. Unfortunately, nine of them were single.. I thought I had drawn the short straw when Tim got the double room, only to find that Tim’s air-conditioning unit had no batteries and therefore Tim slept in his silk sleeping bag in the sitting room under the air conditioning. We are back in warmer temperatures now and with that comes the start of the mosquitoes again. We live with them in Majorca, but I had got used to not having anything for the last two months and the high-pitched scream in my ear through the night was annoying to say the least.