In need for a couple of days rest in Chilecito. We only planned on one, but we had to stay an extra day, because a dog snatched James' shoe in the early morning hours of the first night. We heared him sniff around, but didn't think much of it until we were ready to head into town on our bicycles.
James's bike has the clipless cycling pedals and no other shoe will do!
At first it felt like a joke, but after spending all morning searching in the heat it wasn't funny anymore. We involved the neighboring houses and campground owners as well as the workers. The campground was more or less under construction...no other visitors. A bunch of people joint us in the search but the excitement wore off pretty quickly and James and I were the only ones running through the dust and the thorn bushes as the day matured in the heat. I took rests too, but James didn't seem to tire in his search for - basically a "needle in a haystack". In the evening when the stores opened he finally gave up and we searched for a cycle shop in town to purchase a new pair of cycling shoes. Here in Argentina the cycle sport seems to have meaning, needless to say! But before we left the premises the robber had been pointed out to us: a mischievous black, long haired lab dog - a sweet, soul, but not the sharpest tool in the shed - just a little shy, but he was developing a liking to James pretty quickly. The owner helped search for a while...more out of helplessness and guilt than hope to find it. There was a pile of old chewed up shoes of all sizes and shapes near the house, but I think James's was a special treasure and therefor in a special place and for humans inaccessable.
In town, there really wasn't much hope for cycling shoes. Nobody seems to use clipless pedals and shoes- at least not in and around Chilecito. "We are screwed" - came to mind....
My pedals have both options, so we thought of changing pedals and James would have to use his extra (none cycling) sandals he bought (used and a little too small) back in San Pedro de Atacama at the second hand market. Not suitable for an over 4000km ride, but could do for a couple hundred (hopefully) and we might be able to find the right stuff in a bigger town. So far the plan.
Next morning, James was up early ......the black thief was around our tent again and James decided to make conversation with the shoe snatcher. They walked his favorite trails together, rolled in the dust and dug holes together...the dusty black nose of the thief was a dead give away and James was finding the loose sand piles with new hope. While he was busy digging, our black juvenile was super excited and rolled on something in a dog like fashion while James was still digging he discovered in the corner of his eye: The dog rolling around on his shoe! Shoebidoe, shoebidoe, shoebidoe..
Next day we were in the desert and on the road again!
