Day 398 Sunday 15 February San Carlos de Bolivar 345km

Yesterday when we rode into our little town it looked like a ghost town, all the shops and restaurants were closed and we could not even find one restaurant\pub to have a beer in. As a result we went to a Tuck-shop type of shop where we bought some ice, wine and beer and some whisky and a selection of water. The restaurant on the corner allowed us to sit there on their furniture and I did not think it would last long, surely they would kick us off as they were preparing and setting tables inside for their Valentine’s Special.

But Peens found a take-away across the street from the restaurant and soon it transpired that the grandma owned that grilled meat “Rotisserie” Take Away. Peens helped the waitresses set up tables and told them we are going to order lots of food from the grandma’s shop later. We did feel guilty and started ordering some Espresso Coffee and a bottle of White Wine. They allowed us to stay. But I was convinced we would be kicked out soon. The inside of their shop was eventually full of romantic diners and they started taking some of our furniture we were using, so we gave up space slowly. But, our Take Away’s arrived from Grandma and we continued to sit on their furniture. I saw our Cardboard “Coolerbox” was causing the pavement to look bad so we did a clean-up and still we sat.

Grandma’s Shop:

The romantic restaurant with Disco at the back:

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Before the Valentine’s Ruch when we were still allowed:

Below is a photo of our hotel, and note, Peens and I were the only ones who got a “Street View” Room, the one above the colorful Hilux parked in the street:

The street came alive at 19h00 and every shop opened, every person in town with a car or a bike or scooter was out on the road in front of us, turns out our Ghost Hotel was situated at Park Central. And across the street was also the Disco and the Mirror Ball was a spinning, big time. Grandma’ shop was the most popular shop with a line of people standing out of the door waiting for Grandpa to grill their meat for Take Away.

Our “Cooler-box Problem:

I cleaned up this mess when they needed another table and made our area neat again while my friends watched me work, after they watched me do the Blog, after they watched me look for a ferry to Uruguay.

Dinner is Served:

Then the restaurant got very busy and we were stopped out when they needed our table and chairs, so we were forced to move to the island in the middle of the road, where we had our dessert ice-cream.

Then we decided it was time to shop for our wives for a special Valentines Gift:

And then we all went to sleep, or, should I say we all went to bed. The other guys had rooms at the back, but Peens and I got the Short Straw Room as the town went into full party mode!!!!!! The Disco across the road from us only stopped playing music at 6h00, and I promise you I am not making the story bigger or lying, 6h00 !!!!! This was followed by all the other people then driving up and down the main road past our room blowing hooters and the pedestrians laughing loud and causing me not to sleep a wink. Peens on the other hand was able to snore away and sleep like a baby, while I had the stereo going on flat-out with his snoring from the one side and the street noise from the other.

This morning at breakfast I told the guys about Evita Peron and her history and how the song “Dont Cry For Me Argentina” became famous and the history about it, as I told them I was going to take them to her Grave when we visit Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Pie then said he found a statue of her last night and took this photo but forgot to send it to the blog. So more info about Evita to follow, but this is what she looked like, (no, Madonna only played her in the movie.)

This morning we had breakfast at the same corner restaurant as the hotel gives you a voucher to have your toast and jam and coffee there, but this time we were legitimate customers with vouchers and got to sit in the best seats inside.

The little road we were on, the 205, was small and very quiet as all the truck drivers and motorist were part of the party across our hotel throughout the night, so no traffic until we got close to BA. It had rained during the night so the road was wet but the temperature was a cool 20 degrees for most of the day. The sun was behind the clouds and for some reason the wind took the day off, so we had a lovely last ride together.

We rode to where Professor Google told us was the point he had chosen to be Buenos Aires, at a huge needle thingy:

As usual Peens and Rocky thought there was a cash prize for the winners who arrive 1st and disappeared into the distance as soon as we hit the highway, 50km before BA. The rest of us who knew there was no prize rode into the city together, in a tight-pack, like brothers in arms, shedding a silent tear or two as the Little Girl in each of us realized this was the end of our Adventure together, it lasted 13 years and 10 months, but now it was over, it was good, very good, but more about that in the Final Blog inn a few days time.

The 5 of us stopped just before the Needle and bought a Coke and sat and waited for the disappointed-no-prize-winners to arrive, they obviously took a wrong turn.

I saw a hotel opposite the street named Hotel Colon, (probably does not mean the same as in English.) I walked there but they were full. Pie walked to another hotel we could see and went there to ask, turned out to be a Casino Hotel, we live in Africa, every day is a gamble, so we decided to look further. I eventually phoned Rocky who said they are waiting at the Needle, but the Needle obviously has several roads and sides to it, so they were 50 m further up the road, we all turned to each other and waved.

Then we found a Cake Shop with beer and we rode on the pavement to park under the No Parking Sign:

Then we toasted our success and almost 14 year Adventure:

As we sat there I looked at my beloved DadASS and what a crowd puller she was with most people stopping to take a photo of her. I think I need to increase her selling price and Rocky should dig deep and hand over large amounts of cash to buy her.

Then we continued true to style to almost end with a fist-fight about where we should stay. Pie was in charge and was informing us of the options we had of hotel on Booking.Com. We could go SOROW (expensive) to celebrate our Adventure, (R100 000-00 for the 7 of us for 2 days) was the top of the range on offer.) Or, we could go back to our roots of OROS and get something for only R10 000-00 for 7 of us for 2 nights.)

The problem with Oros Hotels are that there is no parking included, so that adds an arm and a leg and then breakfast will probable not be included, but hey, the wi-fi is good and the water is warm and for the last time, Peens and I have our little beds really close together.

There are many One-Ways in BA and the way to our hotel was going to take us 9 minutes, yet it was only 700m away. So we decided to take a chance and ride on the Pedestrian Walk Way and then onto a normal pavement and then another Pedestrian Walk Way and then only 30m on the road. This genius plan back-fired when officer below caught us and was just about to capture us when Dog swapped police insignia patches with the officer, who was fluent in English as he stayed in the USA and was specially assigned to this area where the tourist do such stupid things like we did as he speaks perfect English and can deal with the stupid tourists who can’t follow Google Maps or their GPS’s.

I was in Argentina with my lovely wife and daughters a few years ago and have many places I want to go and show my riding buddies, but before we can do that Dog got some inside info from the Officer about a place we have to visit tonight (by Taxi) as it is a Local Hang out, and then, if the no sleep of last night has not caught up with us, there is another place in the city we could visit to witness some illegal Drag Racing.

And too we come to the end of a very short and boring blog, in my defense, it is Sunday and even I deserve some time off. So I am going to Love you and Leave you now and get ready to hit the streets.

XXXXXXXXX

Fleisch

PS : Funny fact for all of you wo are picturing me in my Swimming Costume and slip-slops, ready to dance up a storm at the Carnival, the police officer told Dog that our information (thanks Tex) was all wrong as the Carnival was in a town, 260km away from here. So BA is nice and quiet due tot the Long Weekend and we have the city for ourselves and plan to play tourist all lonely From Benoni. And we did stumble onto a Carnival in 2024 I think it was while traveling through Panama, and one Carnival in your life is enough, trust me.