Keep on the SunnySide!

Merilee covered in spider webs as we were crossing rivers between Santa Fe and Parana. It was crazy how many of those spider web ballons were out!


Not this again!


Ohh farmland, la la la!


Outside our campsite inside an old barn


Sorghum (spelling?)

Oh my goodness, so we are very close to our final destination! But, the bicycles are keeping Merilee and I on eggshells. This past week my frame broke again! Whoo hoo! We were about 6 kilometers outside of a small town and right next to a house. We walked in hoping to find help but instead a rather persnickity lady greeted us with the words ¨there is nobody here you can talk to¨ and ¨I am working go to the service station¨. Well, Merilee and I were a bit shocked so we walked our loaded bikes into town and started asking around for a place to do the weld. We found our way to a shop that specializes in making internal engine parts for farming equipment. Juan, Jorge and Ariel kindly put my bike back together and with a beautiful coat of black rust resistant paint. (Dad you will have to help me with the name POR 50 or something). Jorge then allowed us to sleep on the shop floor and Ariel invited us to a pizza and milanesa dinner! Tasty! Argentina is perhaps the closest to Italy I have ever felt! There is always an aboundance of olives, mandarines, pizza, salames, and people with Italian last names. Anyhow, my bike is doing well, but I think the next break may be the end for it.

The next day as we were leaving the town where we had my bike fixed, we were stopped by the local television and interviewed! Famous, yes we know. Ironically, it happened right in front of the house where the woman curtly had had nothing to do with us. Of course, one of the questions he asked was ¨how have people treated you guys on the trip¨. Kinda funny. He went on to tell us about rumors that a high up Nazi official lived in that very house during the 50´s.

More bike fun! Merilee´s rear wheel. Not only do about 5 of the spoke holes have cracks on her rim, but there is literally a hole in her rim as well. I mean, it is probably 2 inches long by half an inch wide and the spoke does not stay still unless we gorilla tape it there. Yet, thankfully, it is hanging in there real tough as she has rode the last 2000 plus kilometers on the weakened wheel!

We also have had two lovely experiences with people. The first was we stayed at a small resturant where we asked to put up our tent. Eduardo and Pamela invited us to a small sampling of asado and we ate good! Blood sausage, ribs, intestines filled with yucca...very good. We also tried escarabiches, which are veggies cooked up in vinegar and then kept in oil. All in all, tasty goodness and two good people.

Last night as it was getting dark Merilee and I stopped into a small store to see if they would be willing to put us up for the night. Teddy, yes Teddy, immediatly said yes and decided to cook us dinner because he LOVES to cook. He is a spry guy of 72 who told us all about cooking and his love for meat!! If he is going to eat, it has to have meat he said. So Merilee and I dined on veal and chicken. Pretty good. And hopefully not too awful as he was raising his own cows.

Now, we are in a race to see if we can make it to Montevideo. As long as the bikes hold I think we´ll be alright!