Distance today = 46.64 km; Total distance = 15,370.92 km; Location = General Rodriguez (8 km east of) – 34 35.043′ S, 58 52.829′ W; Start time = 0858, Finish time = 1708

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/249340063

Sorry for the lateness of this report – more on the reason for that later.

Today was not so hot or humid, and a gentle headwind provided a cooling breeze. I even had a new freeway construction to run on. It was on the left side of the highway and was yet to open, so I had it all to myself.

This lasted through the morning, until I headed into the town of Lujan. I was surprised here to see an amusement park, including a rollercoaster, and an enormous cathedral. It was almost as big as the largest ones in Europe. Although relatively young (finished in 1937), it is 106 metres tall.

Nearing the end of the day, drama struck again. Running through an area that resembled a shanty town, I was set upon by a pack of dogs. One of them bit me, resulting in blood running down the back of my leg. This will be a test for my immune system.

And then we had hotel problems. Carmel had looked for one earlier, only to have a near meltdown when the GPS system took her down boggy roads no wider than a car – only to find the hotel didn’t even exist. After I finished running, we tried seven hotels before finding one that wasn’t full. Well, there is a little more to that story. Two of the hotels were “pay by the hour” establishments, used by working girls. We didn’t know what was going on at first, with only a tiny hole in a brick wall to talk into at “reception”. We thought the rates – about $35 – were good for a night. If we’d stayed all night, however – let’s say, 12 hours – it would have cost $420. Luckily we cottoned on to the situation and hightailed it.

We finally found a fantastic place, not too far from where I finished the day’s running. Tomorrow, it’s on to the Atlantic Ocean.