We’ve finally reached the city of San Miguel de Tucuman. We’ve been dreaming of reaching it for months, because it’s past the fold on our map! It means we are inching our way closer and closer to Bolivia and all things north- hooray!
A few thoughts and news, including the latest “one-shoe episode”:
- We gave a TV interview for Canal 5 in Concepcion, Tucuman Province. Was fine- although we really are glutens for punishment, chatting in Spanish live…..
- Just before we were about to head off on the next running stretch, I realized that my Vivobarefoot Running shoe had fallen off the trailer during the previous day’s run. It’s not possible to buy these here, so I was seriously stuck.
- Dave came up with the bright idea of my going back to Canal 5 to ask the kind viewers of Tucuman province if they had seen it?
- With shoe and head in hand, I trotted, blushing, back into the studio and miraculously they agreed to my crumpled “Cinderella” explanation and within minutes I was back on TV live.
- We finally limped into the capital of Tucuman- San Miguel last night, after a 25 mile run and when I switched on the computer today I was greeted by the news that the presenter of Canal 5 had been given the shoe!!!!!
- Next step- I hope that he can put the said shoe on a seat on the local bus and I can pick it up in the station….Hmmm. Plot thickens!
- We weren’t actually going to stop in Concepcion in the first place- but after running for three hours through a tropical downpour, with lightning striking, thunder, floods and the inability to see the road, let alone cars, we decided to hunt for food in the town. We were also cold- incredible- first time in a while- so decided to stay the night and could thus put the call out for the shoe the next morning!
- After the inundation our camera stopped working. Great. Of course we saw some fab sights during its absence, but then can you believe it, two days later, it miraculously started again….
- Otherwise, we stayed with two great families in Catamarca and La Rioja; both through the Rotaract programme of the Rotary Club. It’s for people between the years of 18 and 28 to promote peace, understanding of other cultures and nationalities and to aid communities in need. We met some superb young people, gave some presentations and learnt loads.
- We took a slight diversion for the hills after Catamarca to find some cloud forest and throngs of amazing birds, butterflies, rain and earth tracks. It did the trick- utterly stunning.
- Now back on the main road- wading through rubbish- really bad here, nappies, plastic bottles and bags line the rivers, streets, fields and hang off trees everywhere. The rivers are polluted as a consequence and there are reports of people having skin defects due to the contamination.
- Perhaps next time we should do a giant rubbish collection transect?
- We’re making a new mosquito net. This is our home, with the addition of some tarps against the rain. Brigades of tiny little bees were pushing their way through the old net, so we’ve procured some new netting and a new plan…
- Rubbish is everywhere- even up in the remote hills.
- The incredible Yungas cloud forest of Tucuman, northern Argentina
- Our home- mosquito net and tarp in the cloud forest of Northern Argentina
