Friday, February 1, 2013

Ruta 3

After making the ferry crossing from Tierra del Fuego, the direction of travel has been more or less northward.  For the past couple of days, there has been unremitting wind and many, many kilometers of pavement.  As expected, my Karoo tire is rapidly losing its tread.  There were times when I actually felt that the wind was going to blow the bike over.  I had the throttle cracked, and as leaning hard into the wind (on the straights), and Blondy would not come over 80 kph!  I estimate some of the gusts to be close to 60 knots, although that could be hot air too....

That hair is blowing straight back...so there.

 We stayed at this frontier hotel less than a week ago, as it is very near to the Argentine/Chilean border crossing.   I have lost count of how many times we have crossed from Chile to Argentina and vice versa.  The route has provided the best of both countries in Patagonia, and the border officials are accommodating, although one told me that I needed to learn more Spanish when his colleague forgot to give me a proper form...(it is always the foreigner who is stupid)







On the ripio, not only is the gravel a struggle, but the truck traffic blows up tremendous dust clouds.   The truck drivers are courteous, and respect that motos are having a tough time on the gravel.


The plan is to ride up the Ruta 3 into Brazil, if I can get a visa for Brazil.  The road is paved and in good shape, with considerable construction and improvements going on.  There is lots of petroleum development in this area, and traffic and costs are increasing significantly...in the past couple of days, we have ridden close to 1000 kilometers of flat, unremitting plains.  I will be rolling into Beunos Aires on a bare tire, thats for sure.  There are lots of sheep, everywhere, and along with them, the wandering packs of uconoas.  (Thats not how to spell their name, but the poor interweb is bugging me, and impacting my memory cells..)  Lots of road kill on the straight stretches, with a dead uconoa about every 10 kilometers or so.  I would not want to hit one on the bike, as the males are as big as a good sized deer.


Flat, flat, and more flat...with wind to keep me awake...




Before autos, the local ranches and farms relied on horse (or oxen) power.  A local cafe that we stopped at for a break had a collection out back.  The wheels on this one were taller than me by a foot or so....





The cafe was cooking up a sheep for the day...



I had a very interesting conversation with the chef.  He used to ride motos, has ridden bicycles all over South America, and he has walked 4600 kilometers in Argentina.  Considering my musings about walkers in a former blog, it was very interesting to hear him talk about taking 12 days to cross a desert, and the last two days without water.  He had clearly overcome some heavy duty fears and anxieties on that particular jaunt, and it was very interesting to listen to his philosophy about the differences between those who travel, and those who don't.   

Here is a map of today's landing, on the east coast of Argentina.   I think I can see Africa from here...


View Larger Map




Thursday, January 31, 2013

Fin del Mundo

Before leaving Ushuaia, a trip down the Beagle Channel was in order.  The area  reminds me a lot of the Tahsis Inlet, and while there are certainly more mountains down here, there are many common elements.  Ushuaia itself is a busy port city, and it is chock a block full of tourists from all over the globe....

 These two ships are running the French flag, and I suspect are rigged for Antarctic waters...


The architectre is truly unique, and designed to deal with some very chilly winters




Part of the Argentine navy at rest...

There are half a dozen cats which are day boats for touring the waters of the Beagle Canal...




 The Cats are well built, and make good time over water. This one carried 125 passengers comfortably once she got up on step...


I think that this was a navy supply ship....




Up and running....

Westward, towards the Chilean side of the world...

South and Easterly down the Beagle Canal...







Just a couple of guys and their girls...



Hey, I wonder what is on that island over there??



















 Whale bone entry way...


Watch horses on one of the islands...


The idea being that the wind will go through, rather than over.....


Looking down the Beagle Canal towards Antarctica, or Australia, depending on how well you steer...

Some locally made beer....


Taking some water on the way back...


 We all know what these guys do for a living, don't we???

A sister Cat...
 Antarctic tour boat...
 Only $10,000 will get you a cabin...
 Hmnn, I wonder what they are offloading....


Too smooth to be a work boat...


 Might get a tad windy, me thinks...


Hmnn, do these doors give away the secret???


 There it is: tons and tons of made in Argentina bottom fish, courtesy of the bottom trawlers....



Some duded  up city Penguins...


This is for Ian....
 On the ceiling of the Irish Pub...

Juan Fangio, a real driver, as opposed to some of the idiots on the road....


 This one is for Ian, too....


A visit to a museum which documents the predictable devastation of the local tribes by the European invasion of tuberculosis,  smallpox, and Christianity..







And an island named after my favourite Plumber...
 This is for you, Mom...





Blondy waiting for a ferry to cross the Straits of Megellan and head North....

View Larger Map



Blo