Still, others were to honour Difunta Correa. According to legend, in the 1830s or
40s (no one is quite sure), a young woman with her baby set off looking to find
her husband recruited into Argentina’s Civil War. Sadly, she died of thirst along the
way. However, when found days later, her baby was miraculously alive, and still
suckling from her breast. As a result, roadside shrines were constructed across the
region. To this day, travellers leave bottles of water as an offering and to quench
their eternal thirst.
In the small settlement of Alto Pencoso pitching the tents was possible at the
municipal grounds. People went out of their way to accommodate us, even
unlocking the community hall’s toilets. I thought people were generally surprised
by two foreigners on bicycles arriving in their tiny village.
Alto Pencoso – San Luis – 22 km
Twenty kilometres into the ride Ernest’s hub eventually packed up entirely. He
tried doing makeshift repairs, but the hub was too severely damaged. Thank
goodness, a kind Argentinian offered us a ride into San Luis where Ernest could
buy a new hub. Spoking and straightening the wheel was a time-consuming
activity. The following morning, Ernest was still not happy with his work. After
moving to a cheaper hostel, an additional day was spent in San Luis.
San Luis wasn’t a bad little town; and came with a lively town centre and a leafy
central square, known as Plaza Pringles. Around the square were a few historic
buildings, including a 19th-century cathedral featuring a neoclassical facade and
twin bell towers.