Javier Kaper and I in front of Dakar Motos before getting back on the road.I am getting ready to get back on the road with Eddie and Christi, as we head north along the Brasilian border towards Puerta de Iguazu. It has been a really nice two days and the feeling of being back on my motorcycle is like none other.
The gear box has a little sound to it, almost like two coins rubbing against each other. I had three new gears made by some CAD draftsmen in Buenos Aires, and they are not perfect, but work well. I believe after time, these new gears will work into each other, and the noise will go away. My forks are not leaking anymore, and the throttle cable is set well and providing my bike with proper acceleration. The only other problem I have found is with the starter, which is making a funny coughing sound, however, it has continued to power the bike and seems to be working fine.
Last night we stayed at the Hotel Las Vegas in Paso de los Libres, where we enjoyed one of our last Argentine Parillas and cold Quilmes. On the way to los Libres yesterday, we came across two road blocks. There are protests going on in northern Argentina over farmer's rights. They take their tractors and trucks and block the road, for hours at a time. Our first road block was over in an hour, and we passed without problem. However, at the second road block, no one was budging for another 6 hours. Some of the locals tried to talk to demonstration organizers to let us bikers through, and they did not budge. So we found an alternate route and after an hour on gravel roads and trails, we made it around the barrier and back onto the highway. It was very close, as we pulled into los Libres just after the sun went down. We found the hotel within five minutes and jumped right on it.
Now we are getting ready to pack the bikes and get back on the road north to Iguazu. We have heard that Ruta 14 in the northern part does not have the problems with corrupt cops like it does farther south on the way to Buenos Aires. So, providing we do not run into any of them along the way or any road blocks, we should make it to the falls in good time today.
