Barely gone from Daniel, our host, we pass the 4000km milestone. To
get out of Mendoza towards the thermal baths of Villavicencio, we must
cross the city of Las Heras, deemed unsafe according to our two last Warmshower hosts. Despite the reputation, the crossing is going very well, it seems that the city is still asleep.
We find ourselves very quickly on a paved road crossing the pampa in a straight line. It's a slight uphill stretch, the sun is very warm but we regularly find trees for our breaks. The landscape isn't excellent and the road boring, only distraction: cactus everywhere, some in bloom. After crossing a cement plant and the Villavicencio mineral water bottling factory, we enter the natural reserve of the same name.
Around 16:00, we reach the reserve visitor center. A digger is at work, the river had to get out of its bed because large mudslides entered the building. We were hoping to camp not far from the baths but the reserve guards inform us that they are closed. We camp near their building with a beautiful view of the mountain. The water isn't drinkable, the reserve guards give us bottles of mineral water, we brush our teeth with mineral water, classy. In the evening we walk in the cactus garden next to the guards' house.
