Experiencing thunderstorms in our campervan is always an interesting affair. Anyway, saying our farewells to the sea we started our journey inland towards to the Andes. The sea always seems to draw us in no matter the weather, even on a dreary winters day the crashing waves can be mesmerising. But there is also something magical about the mountains, the clean crisp air, the towering peaks and winding alpine roads, fresh mountain lakes and rivers have a mysterious and calming affect.
Reaching highs of 39 degrees Celsius with the promise of rising temperatures we continued our cross country road trip on the long and unchanging straight roads. Fortunately we have finally had the gas in the air con refilled so the hot balmy air is punctuated with an icy blast. Our first stint on said roads took us two hours and our second leg four, through miles of baron land, agricultural land and small towns for those needing a restful pit stop. And we are still around another 4 hours away from the Andes mountain range.
On this journey unknowing to us we entered the Patagonia region, our only notice was when we stumbled across out first checkpoint. With the fight to keep the region free from both foot and mouth disease and fruit fly we were begrudgingly forced to give up our fresh fruits, vegetables and any meat raw or cooked. Having then passed through yet another one of these checkpoints the following day we wonder how we are going to travel and eat fresh produce. With no prior warning to the checkpoints it is impossible for us to know if and when we can buy food and if it is safe from being confiscated. Only time will tell. Though we understand the importance of keeping the area free from fruit fly and admire the efforts of the country, it still continues to be a nuisance.
As temperatures rose we took refuge on the bank of a river, its cool crystal clear waters – the cleanest river we have yet to come across in Argentina – is a good indication we are nearing the mountains. The current in the river was strong but the cold, crisp waters were invigorating after a long journey in a tropical heat.
We did however get more than we bargained for when the weather took an interesting turn. The muggy heat was quickly washed away when a dark cloud hovered above with a rumble of thunder. Not any old thunder storm, though it was quick and lasted no more than an hour we were graced with heavy rain and hailstones. Even after the dark cloud had passed over us and the sun shone through again attempting to dry the sand, the hail and rain still fell ignoring the fact the rest of the storm had already left. So we stood in glorious sunshine with hailstones bouncing off the van and toasted to our adventures. It didn’t take long however from experiencing thunderstorms in our campervan, to waiting for them to leave and the temperatures once again to rise to an almost unbearable heat. Even at 11pm we were facing 30 degrees celsius making sleep more than difficult.
Don’t forget to follow us on
Leave a Reply