Beyond the city, hitherto reached after many days struggle against the wind, the countryside transformed from desert to grassy river valley with rocky hills rearing up on either side. Cattle were being herded by guachos, or the South American cowboy in cloaky ponchos. Somewhat like a scene from a Western film seen on television when he was little. Further west, in the wooded foothills of the  Andes, a frosty morning start in St Martin and a stop at a hotel for coffee with tostada to thaw out numb fingers. There was butter and jam, or what he thought was jam; it was like toffee. Afterwards seeing it everywhere and called "Dulce De Leche"

A few kilometres out of town the clear sky clouded over and it started raining which as the road climbed turned to snow. Both hands and feet were numb on the whitened road onwards as snowflakes floated down. Early afternoon around threeish the snow had eased and a ray of sun had broke through upon daffodils and blossoming apple trees  in a snow blanketed garden opposite a closes restaurant where it was hoped to warm up, but continuing on and descending to a lakeside the tent was put up and he clammered into a thick sleeping bag wherein the body warmed up. He had been asleep for a few hours, waking up to a sunny evening. Outside a cow was mooing with a newborn cafe and looking out they gingerly pass his tent followed by a guacho on horseback.

A couple of weeks later, having left civilisation forever, daily traversing featureless open space with distance hills suspended in mid-air upon a far off horizon. It would  take a day or more to reach those hills beyond a mirage where they had gone from pale blue to grey and rose from the plain. Other times the plain would come to an abrupt precipice and a steep downhill into a hollow or valley. One day while descending into such a hollow,  on the hilltop to the left, three guachos on horseback stood leant forward looking down upon him passing. It was like the chase in the Western film.

Before reaching the next village he ran out of food and experienced profound hunger; with a tough day cycling against crosswind and instead of eating sat at the roadside early afternoon resting tired legs and wondering how much further to go. Though it didn't do him any harm and that day would become one of the most enduring memories of the cycle tour in 2004. It led to numerous repeat visits over the years and this year 21 years older I'm going back. 

There won't be the novelty of the first time as I've been and seen it before. But, its the cycling from morning to evening and camping while living in the moment without everyday stresses. I have over the years on my various trips there, met other repeat visitors to Patagonia. For instance, one evening in a Supermarket a German man who looked familiar come over to me and said hi. He remembered I was staying at the same hostel as him 4 years earlier. And I met a Swiss mountain biker who was on his sixth visit. The Swiss was sticking to extremely remote roads and tracks, which is where I am at with this cycle: sticking as much as possible to back roads (Ruta Provincial) ofter little more than a track. I hope to start in the northwest of Patagonia; Neuquen province,  arriving in namesake municipal capital by bus from Buenos Aires. Starting at the beginning of November, I aim to cycle south with the Andes mountain range on the right while linking as much provincial roads along the way as practical. I have to the end of January and think that will be enough time to reach the hiking village Chalten, though if I don't, it won't matter. I am free to change my plans.

It is 11,878 kilometres to the start according to my phone's Komoot App. Or it is to Carmen de Patagones where I was originally to start when I plotted it out, but then decided to start closer to the Andes.  Neuquen is roughly 200 kilometres from the mountains.

The bike is new: a Kona UnitX, made for off-road bikepacking. I have used it this year for 2 tours in Scotland and this past week I'm preparing to box it up for the flight to Argentina. I am a little stressed as it weights over 14 kg, though my lightweight camping setup brings the weight up to little more than 20 kg. In any event, I'm hoping to keep the bike box close to the 23 kg check-on luggage limit. 

The Kona UnitX harks back to my younger self.