Day 214 - Bahía Blanca

We started this trip in New York City precisely seven months ago today. The amazing things we have already experienced on this trip are more than we ever imagined. Let's keep going!

In Bahía Blanca, we wanted to exchange traveler checks. But it was Sunday, and the banks were closed. We stopped by a luxury hotel, and although we weren't guests, they happily exchanged the checks for local currency at a reasonable rate.

I'm so glad this worked out because I had miscalculated the cash we would need, and there weren't any places between Bahía Blanca and Bariloche where we could pay with those checks, let alone credit cards. Now fully loaded with cash, we continued south on Road #3 towards Viedma.

The landscape is flat here but not as lush and green as in the Rio de la Plata region. Here is where the Argentine Pampa begins—dry grass with 4-5 foot high bushes scattered across the plain. There is not much to see from the road beside an isolated farmhouse and cattle here and there.

It helped to get over these monotonous miles by listening to the car radio. The engine ran smoothly. We averaged about 60mph.

We couldn't drive any faster because of strong crosswinds. Driving was exhausting under these conditions without power steering, and I knew it put additional wear on our new tires.

Toward the evening, we found a suitable place to camp by a bridge. The river provided a chance to wash my sweater and stinky socks. Our Büsi is all curled up, sleeping on our bed already. Stats: Miles 245, Expenses $11.25Read more