Gravel and wind

Our first day on the bike took us to Vilavicencio. We arrived fairly early, but since camping is not allowed in the national park and there are said to be pumas, as numerous signs emphasized, we set up our tent at the ranger station. The next day we continued on gravel uphill. It was quite tiring and the road kept getting worse. The landscape was truly magnificent. We couldn't get enough of it. In the morning, we had thought that we could ride a little further to Uspallata. But we were glad to be in a town and not have to set up our tent anymore. 'Seven Years in Tibet' was filmed in and around Uspallata, and there were pictures of Brad Pitt everywhere. The next day took us to about 2900m above sea level. To my delight, there was asphalt. But starting around noon, it was so windy that we were almost blown off the road a few times. Yes, it seems it can't be too easy ... Going downhill, we managed 10 km/h, not to mention uphill... The next day was easier, and after crossing the border with endless checks (the Chileans are really thorough), we rolled into Los Andes and continued towards Santiago. Here we are taking a rest before continuing.