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attraction was the Valle de la Luna, where we landed in the company of Domi and Regis, a French couple who, for their retirement, fulfilled the dream of riding their own motorbikes along the Panamericana. We shared the excitement of that day with them along the dirt roads and trails that allowed us to explore this wonderful desert valley.
Retracing our steps, we travelled hundreds of anonymous kilometres of Ruta 9 until we turned onto Ruta 33; we crossed the Parque De Los Cardones thanks to a dirt road that climbed up to the crest of the mountain range dotted with majestic giant cacti from which the park took its name. In Cachi, we met Ruta 40, which deceived us with its few kilometers of asphalt before becoming what any enduro rider would call paradise. But we were loaded and there were two of us, and the 220 kilometres between Cachi and Cafayate took a whole day of travel and a good part of our mental and physical energy, but they repaid us with truly spectacular views. The main road was closed, and the detours had been carved into the bed of the Calchaqui River, which often flooded, leaving considerable stretches of sand in its wake. Dust, sweat, and adrenaline led us to Cafayate, where we found the expanses of vineyards of the country’ s largest wine-producing region. The prize for the stage was an excellent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from a local producer.
To reach Santiago, Chile, we
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