North West Argentin

After crossing the Andes I arrive in Mendoza. Here I meet again Francis, travelling around the world on his motorcycle.

But Mendoza is also the capital of argentin wine. So I taste many, buy finally, even if I already drank good argentin wine, thesze ones are really not exceptional...

Hey! We know each other, right? You really look similar to my nice debtist of Buenos Aires...

But as always, after 3 days at the same place, the wish to ride becomes stronger than the comfort of a known city, so the KTM starts again. Direction North, mainly on Road 40, but not only...

Because many times, it's better to find an other way. I highly recomand to people on this area to go slightly west from Road 40, after San Juan, goint to Flores, and then find back the R40.

It's one of the most amaizing road I rode. Curves, mountains, river, canyons, rocks...

We feel very small in this big landscape :

Hudge distance everyday, just because I don t want to stop. Even to take picture...

What a good feeling to Live!

A small stoip in the Moon valley under the strong sun.

Camping in teh wild, where Guacanos seem as curious as I am :

Back on the Road 40, we have sometimes to take dificult decision : straight on 20 km of straight line, or left ... on 20km of straight line?

Finally, as a storm is on the left, we go straight.

Even if everything looks dry, the storms can be very violents. Hopefully, the rivers have generally a bed of concrete, and not too much rocks. Just enough to refresh the legs.

And find again nice landscapes.

Some parts remind me the Soudan, but trhis time there are some trees for a nice siesta in the shadow.

A stop in a village, looking for a sandwich, and I discover the nicest baby foot I've ever seen.

Stop again in Cafayate. I meet pit, from US, travelling every February on motorcycle in a different part of the world. So we take a luch together ... than arrive an other rider on KTM 950 Supoer Enduro. He comes straight to me and tells me : "Hey, you are the chevalier noir. We met on advrider, I'm Mark". Internet forums make really the world smaller!

We exchage our comments about the roads, itinaries, borders, gaz stations... Go on Road 40 is n ot possible because of a river, so we cannot go to Cachi. I decide to go direct to Salta by a wonderfull road full of surprises. Do you find me in this picture?

Salta, the first big city where I feel well. The atmosphere is peacefull, but latin...

Salome take her flight back to Buenos Aires, and I congratulate my medical insurance to be so carefull with me, sending me my favorite dentist for these few days.

The stop is welcome after 2000km in teh Andes, but it's exactly at this moment that everything goes fast :

I find back a contact with an old friend not seen for 13 years. I write him proudly that I'm in North West of Argentina. He answers me "I'm here too"! So we meet the next day in Jujuy. Great pleasure to see you again Hervé. No, even after 13 years, we didn't changed!

Francis, is at the moment in Chile. He tried to enter Bolivia from San Pedro, but had to turn back because of the snow. Tomorrow he will try by an other border. Thius is a very nice oiportunity to join him, mainly if the condition and the road are really difficult. So I have to go very fast to Chile to meet him.

Anyway, if this article seems to perfect and easy, it's because I don't speak of the terrible finding on the way. This will be the purpose of the next article soon.