VENTICINCO DE MAYO PAMPA- RIO COLORADO

Today begins the final onslaught. It's a stretch of
1000 miles south then east to the Atlantic
cattle port of Bahia Blanca. We're to be there
by tomorrow afternoon.

The "road" is basically sheep and cow tracks
on the southern side of the Rio Colorado,where
Patagonaia begins.For the first time on the trip
there's a real rain, the kind that lasts all day.
It pours down hard and cold,with occasional
sleet as the temperature is only in the 30's.
The dirt tracks turn to total slop. Exhausted
crews push and shove the vehicles,
sometimes to no avail. This was the final
weeding out phase; some cars took days
to get to Bahia Blanca and then on to BA.



One of the last outdoor nights. Miserable.
We're not near any town but somewhere along
the banks of the Rio Colorado with nothing but
cows for company. The rain continues to pour with
winds howling all the way up from the Antarctic.
I sleep cramped in a seat resting my head between
dirty tires and the spare gas tank.