Cheating

Yesterday we made a day trip to Termas Los Pocones at night.  Very nice location.  Too bad they bussed all these loud, bright tourists up with us.  Tony had a vision of having a tourney party up there.  Might be a bit of a haul...

OK, I'm making an effort to write fewer of the "I did this, then I did that" entries and focus more on observations and emotions.

On cheating

According to the hard-core bike touring types -- the ones riding from Prudoe Bay, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in a straight shot -- we cheated today.

This evening we were faced with several switch-backs climbing to a high pass.  I'd had my third spill in two days and wasn't happy about climbing another dirt track.  So, when a truck pulled up and asked us if we wanted a ride, I was all for it.  For just a moment, Tony looked disappointed; bikers are supposed to climb hills!

If you don't have the hardships, you're missing half the experience.  Perhaps.  But, too much hardship in the first week and I'd be missing more than half the experience...

Three switch-backs later, as we climbed into the the Andes (we are camping at 2450 feet this evening) I realized that the view was just as good.  Besides, there were still several switches and at least another 2km of climbing to go before we hit the pass.

As with most things, I do not condone fanaticism when it so burns you that you loose interest in what you were fanatical about.

A long winded justification for accepting a ride up a steep hill?  I suppose it is.  But I'm now sitting at a campsite I would not have otherwise reached had I not cheated.

Who says cheaters never prosper?