Antofagasta to Marker 1249km on the M5 (126.47km)

By 6 o'clock I am back on the road heading out towards the Pan American Highway. At the end of this city the road starts to sweep up from the coast and by now I know what to expect as the road curves its way towards the mountain. The climb is long but not too steep and once out of the pass it continues through the valley. Just on my far right is a railway line that transports ore from the mines as it partners the road and eventually it leads all the way to the Pan American Highway. Once on the M5 road, conditions are better with its rhythmic rise and fall and a slight breeze in my face. I settle into my cycling rhythm and continue on my journey. The occasional gust affects my speed at times and I slow to about 11km/h.

Round about the 75km mark I come across a strange sight, a statue breaks the monotony of the landscape and in the desert appears half a hand out of the ground. It’s about 11m tall. The sculpture by Mario Irrazabal was created in the early 1980’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_of_the_Desert  

By the afternoon I have a lucky break as the wind has changed direction and is pushing me from behind. I make the most of it and simply pick up the mileage from here. This continues until I stop at Posada Rosaria where I take a break and have 40 winks. By 3 o'clock I am back on the road and with wind behind me, I continue for another hour or so and stop at what is called a Estaciemento (truck resting point) and this is where we decide to stay the night at the 1249km mark on the M5.