Today we met two cyclists. The first cyclists since we started our cycling trip! Today it also rained cats and dogs with temperatures reaching only 10 degrees C. Actually we’ve had quite a few cold, rainy days and nights. Conclusion? Yes, we’re too early for our cycling adventure in Patagonia. It’s said that even the summer is quite unpredictable here, but so far the spring has been unpredictable plus mostly miserable.
But hey, we’re not giving up! We’re trying to make the most out of it with more frequent stops at cheap BnBs, hitchhiking when we’re fully rain-drenched and alternative activities like hiking or maybe even a thermal bath.
On the plus side the roads are empty, there are nearly no other tourists and most campsites are not fully running yet and therefore free of charge. And when the snow level goes down to 500m, it’s even more beautiful around us, a bit like the winter in the French Alps.
A few days ago, when the weather forecast kept us from continuing our tour, we stopped by at a campsite that was listed on a volunteer community website. The friendly host Alvaro turned out to be half German and fluent in Spanish and German plus some French and Italian. We enjoyed a few very nice days in his cabaña, helped him out with some maintenance and construction work and together cooked some delicious food. When the sun had us back, we were sorry to have to leave already. Maybe we’ll be back some day.