SubscribeI had been warned by another rider the day before that crossing the border from Chile to Argentina could be a complicated ordeal. It was lunch time in Paso Roballos when I arrived and the Chilean Carbineros couldn’t get me out the door quick enough to resume their meal. The Argentinian police took a bit more time but only because they wanted to talk motorcycles.
Archive for the ‘Argentina’ Category
Jan
9
El Chalten, AR (300 kms)
How often I used my GoPro camera became apparent on the ride along Ruta 40. Taking photos of Guanaco leaping fences, Rhea racing down the road ahead of me and even a large bull charging at the bike head were missed on the long road to El Chalten as I reached for the ghost of the camera that now sat in the pannier.
Jan
5
El Calafate, AR (218 kms)
It turned out to be a short day. Leaving El Chalten I figured I would head straight to the glacier at Perito Moreno, set up camp in the park and call it a day. Unfortunately fuel shortages like those in Tres Lagos and El Chalten appeared again and the long lineups at the pumps would hold me up just a bit longer.
Jan
5
Cerro Castillo, CL (449 kms)
I don’t know what made me go to see the big chunk of ice. I have seen glaciers up close in Jasper National Park, viewed icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland and lived a couple years in the Arctic. How much more impressive could frozen water get? But later that morning while watching seemingly small ice cubes drop from the Perito Moreno Glacier and land with the sound of chunks the size of pickup trucks I was sufficiently blown away.
Jan
66
Ushuaia, AR (553 kms)
The day broke down like the past five months. Great riding and a couple of close calls. Getting lost and finding my way again. I got help from a stranger, ate too much gas station grub and sang the same song the whole day. And when I rolled through Ushuaia on my way to the end of the road in Lapataia I was as excited as I had been in Deadhorse, the Grand Canyon, Tikal and Machu Picchu.
Jan
6
Puerto San Julien, AR (523 kms)
I had hoped to do more exploring on the west side of Tierra del Fuego but the weather was not cooperating. I rode out of rainy Cerro Sombrero one more time to the ferry slips on the Magellan Straits. The rain was soon replaced by strong wind and I struggled to get up the coast northbound. The gale was making my day uncomfortable but increasing fuel shortages were prolonging the agony.
Jan
3
Camarones, AR (691 kms)
The coast appeared today and the rain was well behind me. I had traded in my heavy gloves for shorter ones, packed away the sweater and unbuttoned the collar of my coat. The wind was still with me but the intensity was dropping and the colour of the ocean had changed from the deep dark green I had seen further south.
Jan
15
San Antonio Oeste, AR (598 kms)
I had said to family and a few friends when I was younger that one day, if I won the lottery I would drive to South America to see the penguins. I never imagined I would do it and certainly not on a motorcycle. So after a nice early morning ride up a quick and curvy dirt road to Punta Tombo I watched the little overdressed creatures waddling around the beach. And in case your wondering, I didn’t hit the numbers. Continue Reading…
Jan
2
Pique, AR (598 kms)
My growing frustration with Ruta 3 was starting to come to a head. The day started with a 90 minute wait for fuel and when I got on the road the wind met me head on to keep me from getting comfortable on the bike. I have gone days without using the camera much and today my growing contempt for the highway south of Buenos Aires was the reason it was buried deep in my pocket.
Jan
6
Buenos Aires, AR (571 kms)
While on the road I often hear stories of other riders experiences, difficulties they have faced and of course their motorcycles. I knew there were a few people riding Urals and when I arrived at Dakar Motors in the late afternoon and spotted one and went right for the plate. The Alberta tag confirmed my suspicions that it was the friends of the couple I had been riding with in Central America months ago and I was excited to meet them.