After Chile, FTT tackles Argentina! A huge country, the eighth largest in the world by size, extending nearly 4,000 km from North to South, with an incredible variety of climates and landscapes: from the summits of the Andes in the West, to the cloud forests to the North-East, through the deserts of the Pampas in the centre of the country, to the extensive glaciers South of Patagonia and the major cities on the banks of the Rio Parana and the Rio del Plata to the East. We’re heading towards an irresistible country: A country of art, wine, culture, football, food … and fiestaaaa!

Our adventure begins in Mendoza, in the West, famous worldwide for its vineyards and its extraordinary geographical location at the foot of the Cordillera. We don’t really have time to enjoy it, and we quickly set off on our bikes on the “pampesque” road. Our goal: 600 km to Cordoba. As soon as we’re past the first “pueblos”, we find ourselves in the desert. We didn’t fully anticipate the desert conditions, and our water bottles become dangerously empty. We spend our first night in the tent behind some bushes on the side of the road. Around us, sand, sand … and more sand.

The need to quench our thirst nags at us, but it’s best not to think about it. The night in the desert produces a magnificent sky that fills us with wonder. The next day we find a store in a “pueblo” straight out of a Western, where a kindly innkeeper tells us that, over the next 200 km, we won’t have the luck we’ve had today: “Nada, nada de nada.” We prepare ourselves for the challenge and load our bikes with outrageous amounts of water and pasta.

We live off of our supplies for the next two days. The water is just about to run out when we finally arrive in a town that feels like a major city to us (1,000 inhabitants). These two days of pedalling like madmen in the desert, camping among nests of snakes and experiencing the uplifting silence of the Pampas, leaves us with an unforgettable memory. We’ve rarely felt so alone and left to our own devices. We must continue to move forward; the road puts us to the test, the heat and monotony can be mind numbing, but the environment is worth it.
This is adventure!

And after the desert comes the Sierra (mountain range) of Alta Cumbre. It’s a chain of mountains that culminates at a height of more than 2,000m, and we have to climb it. We travel 60 km uphill, not without difficulties, in a single day. At the top we find a replica of the Bolivian Altiplano, a caricature of frozen vegetation that makes a striking contrast with our good old Pampas.

As strange as it may seem, at 2,000m, we’re on flat land. And it is now the moment to indulge ourselves. We spend the night at an inn that provides cheese, wine and sausage: we almost feel as if we’re at home.

The next day, a mind-blowing descent awaits us! More than 50 miles of stunning landscapes in the valley below, and it’s not just any scenery: it’s Cordoba, our goal, approaching at full speed! We’re almost euphoric as we cross the suburbs, happy to have successfully achieved our first goal.
We enjoy 3 days of Argentinian style in this city that’s considered to be the cultural capital of South America. Its colonial decor, its pedestrian lanes, its teeming terraces, and the legendary warmth of the Argentinians that we’re coming to appreciate more and more: all these elements come together to restore our strength before we move on to the next stage of our journey: Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, has enchanted many, and we’re no exception. Caught up in the irresistible attraction that this city holds for the whole country (the continent?), we set out single-mindedly through the land of the “gauchos”, the cowboys of Argentina. Our first stage will be Rosario, 500 km away. You may be familiar with Rosario from the illustrious characters who were born there: Che Guevara, the symbol of revolutionary struggle, and Lionel Messi, a modern-day football superstar.

Unfortunately, nothing very exciting happens during these eight days in the countryside. Instead, the fields that roll by one after the other, the straight roads, and above all the violent winds eat away at our morale.
Numbed by the monotony, we begin to mope. Every pedal stroke becomes unbearable. It would be better to just throw the bikes on a truck, and hope that the truck driver takes us with him. We just want to get there quickly: back to the luxury of civilization, and be done with it.
But no, some pleasures make us forget the difficulties of this stage of the journey – and keep our morale going: a barbecue in a pueblo, a quick interview with a local TV station, and a few casual discussions between friends while riding our bikes, lowering our pace, and we remember that we didn’t sign up for a holiday, but for a challenge.

And so we continue for eight days, obliged to pas through the rough suburb of Rosario, then followed by a 200 km stretch of highway, an experience which was at the very least unpleasant. We’re happy to see the first buildings of Buenos Aires, which is home to one-third of the country’s population.
We allow ourselves several days to catch a glimpse of the charm of the Argentine capital. Electric, explosive, it never fails to amaze with its inimitable nightlife and the variety of its “barrios”, its neighbourhoods. Strolling at the foot of the colonial buildings of Microcentro, roaming through the cobblestone streets of the bucolic San Telmo, enjoying a Tango performance – sensual and mesmerizing – at La Boca, enjoying the restaurants and bars in Palermo, visiting the museums of Recoleta and Retiro… there is so much to do in this city that all three of us wonder if we shouldn’t just live here permanently.
This unique fantasy of a city nevertheless conceals extreme poverty, which becomes visible the moment you set foot outside the centre of town.
Although it’s hard to believe, Buenos Aires is just one stage of the journey. We now take a ferry to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. The journey continues…

Classed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this little port nestled on the Rio del Plata is an opportunity to rediscover the pleasures of a European atmosphere.
Paved, tranquil, by-the-sea, dotted with ladybirds, its town centre appears as if suspended in time. Nevertheless, we soon set off on our bikes towards Montevideo.
We arrive on the highway, and on foot, with Ben’s rear wheel biting the dust 5 km outside of the city. We remain here for two days, just enough time to visit the Uruguayan capital.

And our trip to the south of South America ends here! We take a bus as far as Bolivia, where we will continue cycling. But first, it would be a crime not to stop at the legendary Iguazu Falls, the largest collection of waterfalls in the world!