Day 31 - The altitude training pays off!

Jujuy to Salta (95km) Friday 16th September


Today was a daunting day. We woke up with 100km ahead of us including a climb of about 500m. We didn't realise that this would be one of the best days cycle touring we've had so far.
The first 25km was standard "getting out of city on fairly busy roads" territory, but then we found a cycle lane and an outdoor gym with a tap of drinking water (wow we really have reached civilisation - not in the middle of the dessert now!).
After fuelling up on the sandwiches (note not empanadas, but actual sandwiches!!) that we bought on the way out of Jujuy we were preparing for the drag up ahead of us.
This turned out to be a beautiful sweeping Forrest that swept up and around the mountain, the road trailing alongside lakes (called "diques" cue girlie giggles - from Ant!!), in-between draping trees, and most of all surrounded by green! Even though the gradient was a by no means timid 5%, we were racing up it - oh hello red blood cells! So THIS is why you altitude train! When you've spent a month and a half tackling slopes at 4000m, you laugh in the face of 5%!
I can't begin to describe just how refreshing this cycling was - physically we were strong - but more over mentally we were at last in a place that felt it could sustain life, birds singing, water flowing leaves rustling, we were literally on cloud 9 and cycling like we had wings.
Out the other side of the Forrest we were super happy to see the green still persist, though immediately change from humongous dwarfing trees to fields, bushes and diques (this time the girlie giggles are on me! he he he!).
We punched out the remaining 40km into Salta in no time and were soon exploring hotel Ghala - a moderately expensive but very pleasant place with a huge bed and amazing breakfast! Not a stale bread roll in sight!
So San Pedro de Atacama to Salta - Done! Our mini mission complete we'd earned ourselves a rest day, more ice cream and a LOT of time spent doing very little at all!