I did it. I'm not sure why exactly but in a pure display of suborn determination I rode the entire length of Argentina from south to north (~2800 miles) just to look at a water fall. It is the biggest waterfall in the world so I'm thinking it's going to be worth the effort. We'll see tomorrow.

When I woke up this morning I could tell it was going to rain on me today. Even at 8AM this morning, the heat and humidity was already uncomfortable. I only had 200 miles to go when I stopped for lunch and gas. The sky was looking ominously black to the north and the temperature had dropped 10º in the last hour. The wind had been consistently out of the northeast for days but as I was suiting up I noticed it was coming from the southeast. All of this was adding up to a big thunderstorm.

The farm and ranch land in which I had started my day gave way to forest plantations. Not real forests. These mono-cropped trees were planted on lands that had been denuded of their original diverse jungle. Miles of trees all exactly the same size and standing in nice neat rows filled the horizon. I started to pass log trucks instead of cattle trucks and the towns I passed through had sawmills instead of grain towers. In this last stretch, the tree plantations gave way to raw jungle wetlands with banana and palm trees lining the road and there were no more towns to speak of.

With the temperature dropping a layer of steam floated over the jungle canopy. Two bright lances of lightning lit the sky to my left and I felt the first heavy pops of plump rain drops hit my face shield. Minutes later there was at least an inch of water on the pavement and I was trailing a rooster tail as I sped along. Passing a truck in these conditions was like riding through a car wash. I was covered in a muddy spray coming from their wheels long before I could pull along side. I wasn't thrilled about the proximity of the lightning but I took comfort in the fact that I wasn't the tallest thing around. I was right in the thick of the storm and there was nothing to do but keep riding. I didn't mind. As boring as the road had been for days on end, this was at least exciting if not refreshing.

I arrived at my hostel well soaked. As If the Tiggrr wasn't dirty enough before, the road spray dousing with a slurry made up of equal parts rain water, red clay and road grime had certainly tipped the scales.

I apologize for the lack of photos. The riding conditions just were not conducive. If any of you have tried to operate your phone when the screen is wet, you will know that it is really frustrating. I'll make it up to you tomorrow.