Day 15 (Sunday 27th November 2016)
Tucuman to Salta (376 kms)



The sun is shining again.
The first Regularity was Cerros Tucumanos, about 20kms out of town. This one was 50kph but again the road surface did not suit the Morgan and there were washaways, narrow tracks and care needed.

The time control was at a village called  El Jardin. No chance of getting lost here as there were small numbers of local people on all the corners. When the marshalls arrived, the town was deserted but word soon got around that there were rally cars in town and we were swamped with families all wanting photos of their children with, or in some cases, in the cars.

We were warned that the next sectíon was 'muddy' and that care and patience was required. We can do that!!. Well, mud after 40 or so cars have gone through soon turns to rutted muddy slush. In addition to the mud, there were numerous washaways across the road.

We made it through fairly easy (navigators were hanging on for dear life as the left side was a very deep drop and the right side rock wall) until the last 20 metres and had to be towed the last little bit by the photographer.

Worse was to come. Through the next corner where one of the Mustangs had gone very close to the edge and was waiting for a tow we discovered that we had no brakes.

So it was out with the drop cloth to get under the car in the slushy mud. Two of the marshalls came along and between Graham & Phil diagnosed a brake line had rubbed through on the extractors. We then waited for the sweeper car and Andy the Wondér Mechanic.

So Andy quickly made a new line and we were on our way again. There was insufficient time to make the circuit test or the time control so we knew we would tumble down the leader board. We decided to head for the hotel.

Around this time we had doubts about the accuracy of our Halda given the shaking it had borne and the dust getting inside. From where we had to repair the brake line to the next passage control was 117 kms so we knew that was impossible to reach before it closed. The road was rutty, dusty and slow going. We did get to see the local farmyards. We passed farmyards, dodged chickens on the road, an enormous pig on the road and several gauchos, very distinctive with their broad brimmed practical hats.

Day 14 Saturday 26 th November 2016
La Rioja to Tucuman (516kms)



The morning dawned with a drizzle, sufficient moisture for us to put up the bimany (small hood cover) for the first time.

We arrived at the start of the Regularity La Lancha to find that it has been cancelled due to heavy rain overnight. A long drive then to the time control at El Rodeo. Interesting patch of birds' nests on the electric wires.... not sure what birds they were but we did not see any. Many goats running loose on the roadsides. There were orange groves with small stalls selling bags of oranges and melons.

One feature of road travelling here is the number of police roadside checks. Rally cars are usually waved through, unless you are unfortunate enough to be pulled over for  'curiosity'!

The Regularity was El Serpiente, as the name suggests a winding twisting road at 80kph. We took it fairly easy due to the broken spring.
The scenery around here was orange groves, crops of maize and paddocks of colourful sunflowers. On the way into Tucuman a couple of busloads of young men were hanging out the windows of their buses (no shirts on), shouting, waving and taking photos of us.
It is another long weekend here so many families were out walking, talking and having fun.

Day 13 Friday 25th November 2016
San Juan to La Rioja (482 kms)



First test today was a fast circuit of one and a quarter laps at Autodromo El Zonda, just 14kms out of town making a change from the dusty, rocky roads.

Onwards the scenery through here was sandy dry scrub with soaring Andes in the background. Lots of abandoned stone houses...the structure was still there but no roof. The road had many dips and spillways.

The route to the first Regularity was through dry river beds and a particularly narrow one way tunnel (where we happened to meet a van coming the other way, we backed off).

The Regularity was called Lunar Valley due to the unusual lunar landscape. We had to be pushed started because the ignition switch was playing up but we thought at the time that it was the battery.
All cars drive with their lights on, so with lights on, radiator fan on & wipers going, we thought the battery must have been drained.

One unusual thing we have seen along the roadsides is heaps of plastic bottles with maybe a little grotto in the middle. At first we thought it must have been dumping places, or places to put recycling bottles but a locals told one of the team that it was to do with fertility.

Starting to appear on the landscape now were tall thin cactus plants which are now blooming with creamy coloured flowers. Also reddish rock formations and the wind is back!

Later in the day Phil noticed a loud destructive sounding rubbing noise- no time to investigate and we completed the circuit at La Rioja. At the hotel the investigation revealed a suspected broken spring. The local guide found a suspension (elastico) shop  selling all manner of things for cars and bikes. We bought a leaf spring much to the other customers' amusement. It was from a Fiat, wider than what we wanted but thought we could modify on the next rest day.

Peter and David in a hire car (their 1939 Ford Coupe had broken down) took our luggage to take weight off the rear end.

Today was the hottest day we have experienced, around 42 degrees so it was a relief to get to the hotel.

 Day 12 Thursday 24th November 2016
Vina Del Mar, Argentina to San Juan, Chile (570kms)

A cool start at 8.12am. Within a stretch of 69kms we passed 3 toll booths with tolls costing 5,100 pesos (650 to US$).

The only Regularity of the day was at Cajon De Los Valles, another dirt road but not as dusty or rocky as previous tests. Even so, with the ruts we could not make the average speed of 50kph. Also had to be on the lookout for horses .

Another 90 or so kms further on we reached the Argentinian border and waited ages to get through immigrations and then get the car carnet stamped, first one booth then the next. One of the officials would not stamp our carnet arguing that the Chile transit paper was sufficient. We insisted on the stamp otherwise poor Puce Goose would be stranded in Chile.

The trip through the rocky Andes was spectacular with pink and brown rock formations with snow higher up. The area was quite desolate with very little habitation or animals.
The road from the border climbed through a very winding road, signs indicating that there were at least 28 curves/bends. There were lots of tunnels, one nearly one km in length. So many trucks on the road, both ways, that it was impossible to pass. 


One stretch of road works was traffic controlled and some cars waited nearly 30 minutes. Engines and tempers were starting to boil in the very hot sun. Our temperature gauge started to climb to hot but once we got moving the cool air flowed. Most noticeable was the effect on idling of the high climb.

Rather than take the rough road to Jocoli we took an alternative route, passing a stunning blue lake, a penitentiary, a man BBQing on the side of the road in a 44 gal drum and selling the meat to passing cars or people could sit at tables and chairs he had set up in the middle of nowhere.
We also passed the vineyards and wineries of Mendoza. Came across patches of growing vines which had black nets from the bottom up rather that the top down white nets seen at home.

On the final stage to the hotel we passed through yet another vehicle inspection for meat and vegetables. Then a vehicle sanitary inspection for which we paid 15 pesos. 

Day 11 Wednesday 23 November 2016
Vina Del Mar, Argentina



Rest day today so the car park is a hive of activity. Most relaxed in the hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean and watching large birds sit on rocks and dive for fish. Others took the tour into Valparaiso. One of our Australian contingent was robbed in broad daylight. A youth in a hoodie grabbed her handbag which was across her shoulder and chest, resulting in bruising and shock.

Many of the buildings in Valparaiso were severely damaged in the 2010 earthquake and many have not been rebuilt for lack of funds. Interesting to see an original Easter Island statue outside a museum, which was brought over in 1951.

Dinner on rest days is not supplied so a group of 6 of us had delicious fish dinners at a restaurant called Terra del Fuego.

The dust and rough roads are playing havoc with all our electronics. The computer will not do certain functions so excuse the weird errors. Zips are jamming, cameras are doing strange things.

Day 10 (Tuesday 22nd November 2016

Concepcion to Vina Del Mar   634 kms



Out into peak hour traffic and cool weather to the first Regularity, 70kph at Rafael.
Once again it was kms of awful gravelly, rocky roads. These regularities take place on open roads so it is quite usual to face oncoming local traffic. We met 2 trucks, a bus and 2 cars so it was futile to keep up the 70kph speed and be safe. The consensus is that the regularity speed for many of the classic cars is too fast for the conditions, the dust being a major hazard. Some cars failed to take a right fork but nearly everyone except the top few cars received the maximum penalty of one minute. We had an issue with the penalty given to us which contradicted the timing card.



Onto a dual carriageway with lots of trucks and numerous toll booths (around 2000-3000 pesos each time). Passed lots of vineyards, some growing their vines vertically and the major petrol stations in this area had vertical garden walls, orange trees are also grown around here and we passed one hut on the road selling bags of oranges and straw brooms.

Lunch was at San Fernando where we had plenty of time to have lunch. Leaving here our timing Halda played up and whilst we were trying to fix it we missed a turn-off from the multi-laned freeway and consequently couldn't turn back so had to go across country to make the Passage Control at Pomaire. We circled this town several times as we didn't have accurate mileage due to Halda stopping for many kms . Others were also circling the town to locate the passage control when we spotted the mechanics' van (they also overshot the turn-off) and we made the control with minutes to spare.
Through eucalypt trees we joined the main freeway to Vina Del Mar with many narrow twisting roads with trucks. Tricky navigation to the hotel with peak hour traffic and we made it with twelve minutes to spare. What a stressful day

!

Day 9 (Monday 21st November 2016)
Villarica to Concepcion  453 kms





Picturesque drive along the lake to the start of the Regularity Flor Del Lago. This test was at 60kph over rocky gravel and over one way wooden bridges. We were flat out on the dirt gravel roads and still couldn't keep up the required speed. Climbed 40 degree hair pin bends and at one stage found ourselves in a run-off but continued on, bouncing sideways.



Leaving Melipeuco we stopped at Curacautin where all the primary school children came out to look at the cars. We had to horn our way through most of them. All were keen to get photos of themselves with the cars. It was quite colourful as some of the children had bright red school tops. A few school teachers interviewed some of the teams.

Entering the National Park, paying 6,000 pesos per person, we drove along narrow and twisting gravel roads and the scenery was magnificent with Volcano Lanin in the background and lava fields along the road. Stopping at Lago Arcoris (a blue lake with petrified trees in it) there was another group of noisy school children.

The afternoon Regularity was at Valle Del Culenco. Difficult navigation, hairpin bends, bridges without considering the amount of dust from the cars in front. There is a lot of logging in this area and trucks piled high with logs, or wood chips were everywhere. We also passed the odd tractor on the roads.

It was very circuitous navigation into Concepcion with lots of road works. We saw the same exit several times, going around in circles & stressing because we thought we would miss the Time Control at the finish of the day.
Eventually reached the hotel with minutes to spare. Seems most people were in the same situation.

On arrival at the hotel the drill is to unpack the luggage from the car, remove as much dust as we can, and carry it all up to our room. Why hotels supply white towels when a rally contingent comes to stay is beyond me. Pity the poor laundry.