The B&B is below a hill with a point of view on Mount Cerro Castillo. Guests set up a small hiking trail to the top of the hill. We decide to walk a little before taking the road again. We hike with a dog of our guests. The landscape is beautiful and the trail well marked.
We ride quite fast the last kilometers that separate us from the Villa Cerro Castillo, where we fill our food stocks. Today is December 6th, the anniversary of 100 years of Finland's independence. For the occasion, we drink a beer in the square of Villa Cerro Castillo. Kippis!
The exit from Villa Cerro Castillo goes via a pass to enter a narrow valley. The hill is steep with hairpin bends. But we are on asphalt and no longer on a dirt track. Once arrived to the top, we can appreciate a very long descent.
After some nice speed spikes we try to settle for the night. The valley being a national nature reserve, there is not much barbed wire and the river is always nearby. We
are happy to find early enough a small spot just big enough for our
tipi between the river and a row of trees, completely hidden from the road. As soon as we get the tent out, a dog tumbles from nowhere. He is very nice and we first think he belongs to a farm. Except there are no farms around and the dog is very weak and hungry. After the warm welcome, the dog cannot even stand up anymore. Obviously, that's a wandering dog. Reluctantly, we pack everything in the hope that the dog will not follow us to the next quiet spot we will find.
Before leaving on our bikes we give a little bit of bread to the dog who looks so bad. Big mistake, it will not let go for the next 8 kilometers despite all our efforts to dissuade it: throwing small stones, loud screams, sprint... The dog is dangerous for cars which have to suddenly stop or bypass it. Luckily we arrive at a campsite run by the rangers of the reserve. Since dogs are forbidden in the campsite and they do not want him to continue roaming in the reserve, the rangers take care of the dog. We are relieved that this mishap ends very well for everyone. We do not know what they will do with the dog, them neither, but they looked well-intentioned.
