One foot in the first world, one foot in the third world...

Mendoza to Tunyuman -This is it! This is the day we started the official ride. My bike, which I have yet to name, feels like a hog on the road. It's massive, it's got momentum, but the ride is nice and plush. I feel like the only thingsI'm missing are a pair of speakers and cruise control (yeah, I wish!). The phrase one foot in the first world, one foot in the third world came from Roger who we met in Buenos Aires. For the most part it accurately depicts what Argentina is like. The larger cities and the tourist areas are developed enough to look like any European city. The countrside, on the other hand, seems to have been left in a time long ago. We estimated the average age of cars to be perhaps 25 years old, some new, most were from before I was born. In one place where we stopped for food, the vendor asked how we carried money. I conveyed that we went to ATMs with credit/debit cards. From the way he looked at my card, I don't think he ever saw one before in his life. The rustic lifestyle of these people, however, reflects the beautiful country unscathed in my opinion by the fast pace of modern life. Cycling along countless vineyards with the Andes Mountains to our right as we head south definitely is part of the reason for this trip. There really isn't an equivalent in the USA that I know of, and though Aaron says otherwise based on his rides in Washington State, I'm inclined to stick by my statement! Our route was to take us to Vista Flores today, but because of the late start and taking a while to find our way out of the city, we made it only 10km out of Tunyuman before the setting sun caught us and we were forced to camp.

Arriving at Camp Soleado, I was greeted by grazing horses, cheesy opera music, and an absolutely incredible view of the mountains that produced a spectacular sunset! I really couldn't ask for more, except for perhaps a little time to let my sore butt get used to riding like this again! Everyone is in high spirits.

PS - For simplicity, I'm going to stick with this format (text above/below pics) to save time on the computer.