Well that was a long day. About 150km. It started off poorly, dipped slightly during the middle of the day and by the end was really awful! No, I’m kidding. The middle was awful too. Stop, stop, really it was fine. (still a fecking headwind. Quiet Coombes!)
Anyway the main thing is the bears. Loads of them. Well, six. What is the collective noun for bears? Not that they were hanging out together; wearing hoodies, and carving their initials on passing beavers. No, these came in singles. And to be honest I was a little nervous of them. They were all by the side of the road, and probably weren’t the least bit interested in me, but better safe than sorry, so I waited until they’d either moved on or a passing car slowed down and I could use it as a shield. They were brown bears I think. None of them appeared grizzly, anyway. I did manage to whizz by one of them before I’d noticed it. I honked him. To this day, that bear remains honked. (“Who was that soggy, wheezing, asthmatic on a bike?”, “They call him, The Bear Honker!”, “They should call him The Soggy, Wheezing, Asthmatic on a Bike.”, “Not really the same ring to it, has it?”)
So having slogged my way over 150km, I’m now in Bell 2 Lodge. It’s an over-priced, out of season snow/ski resort, which will be lovely when the season comes in. I figured by cutting out one night’s accommodation I would save some money. I figured wrong. Still, in the grand scheme I’m still under my daily budget.
Anyway, you don’t want hear about my finances, do you? You want to see bears! Well here they are…
Just look at the size of those beasts! Micro-bears, I think not!
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
I don’t wish to question the eye-sight of a chap not yet of a certain age and certainly far far from it, but isn’t that second bear a black bear? Aren’t they the dangerous-bear types (i.e. the hoodlum opposite of cuddly paddington or pooh bear types)? xx
Hey now…… Binnie, do those catapillars sound anything like the ones you definitely regard as hostiles back in Torre Lodones? Pete, don’t trust anything furry – that seems to be a good basic rule.
I just love the idea of you choosing In Our Time as your travelling companion on this trip – I think I must tell Melvyn Bragg!
Lots of love
Mum
Pete, if you could get a photo of a bear in the background, with your horn in the foreground, honking at the bear, that would really bring your narrative alive. If the bear were to look surprised at the honk, with his front paws held up in surprise at the honk, that would be awesome.
just a thought….
Steve
That second one is a baby. Scardy cat!
Is it just me or does it look the first bear is examining his nether-regions? Or maybe he was trying to compare his thigh “guns” to yours?