Ushuaia to Buenos Aires - 5-18 March 2011

I think its time to reevaluate how I update the blog.  Im very behind and have just lost a nearly completed draft!  So back to square one!  Here is the tale from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires


5th March 2011 (455 km) - Ushuaia (Cruz del Sur Hostel)
Today I left Los Flores ranch and headed south to Tierra del Fuego via a free barge at the north tip (Biker´s note).  I headed south to check out some beaver dams (they were introduced to TdF yonks ago as a food supplement I believe and now run a muck).  The southern border crossing on TdF took about 20 mins total...the longest part was finding the Aduana (Customs) guy who I think was out fishing in the creek.  I rode on through some amazing roads after this and caught up with Frankie who I met in Santiago.  


6th March 2011 (175 km) - Ushuaia (CDS)
Ushuaia is a nice little city nestled in the hills deep in TdF.  Years ago there used to be natives here who lived off mussels, llama and other things.  One of these groups was called the Yamana...and there was a great museum in Ushuaia for it, so I had a peep.  Today I was headed for the last 25 km of road to the end of the world sign and then to go salmon fishing.  I strapped my rod on the bike and it was sticking out a bit (usually protected by the panniers).  I saw this and thought if i drop the bike Ill snap the rod (really good 3 pc, xmas present from brother).  NO WORRIES MATE, I´ve just done 5000 km, im not gonna drop the bike in the next 25 km.  Well 4 km before the end I dropped the bike on a deep gravelly corner...and broke the mirror and turned the beautiful 3 pc rod into a 6 pc shishkebab.  Oh well, no injuries.  I made it to the end and sat by a waterfall for a cuppa and a celebratory cigar (have one at all my major goals).  A camp spaghetti was had under the sunset in a mountainous valley 15  km north of Ushuaia.  Tranquilo!

7th March 2011 (0) - Ushuaia (CDS)
Today I had to fix the mistakes I made yesterday.  After much asking, I eventually got a guy to put a piece of mirror glass in to the mirror brack with some glue and tape for $2.50 AUD.  No worries!  I was advised to have dinner at Tia Elvira here and had some amazing crab...a must in Ushuaia, but a small splurge!  about 2am today I was awoken by some water sounds from nearby...turns out a backpacker girl in my room that had a litttle too much to drink during the night and had a little waterfall chuck in her bed!  Crikey mick!

8th March 2011 (158 km) - Near Estancia Harberton (Camp)
After checking off a few more things I headed off after lunch to a dog sledging place in hope of hopping in a cart for a run with some huskies and other sledging breeds.  Apparently there were personal reasons but it was closed this day, but the bloke let me in to check out everything and play with the dogs!  Him and his son are world champs in sledging and other similar sports (dog aided running and bicycling also). The guys couldnt get sponsorship because the team was only 1 or 2 people, so the country wouldnt sponsor them...ridiculous!  Some beautiful animals here...a pic of one of the ladies below.  Eventually i headed to Estancia Harberton, East of Ushuaia and made camp under the bright pink sunset on a creek...and saw a beaver at last!

9th March 2011 (316 km) - Las Flores Ranch (Local ranch)
After an arts and crafts session in the morning (pannier cover ripped as well as clothes and other little things for repair) I headed north, only to get caught in a storm.  I pulled over in a shed beside a roadside crash memorial to don the raincoats, and stuck out the brunt of the storm.  I often wonder what happens to a biker riding in lightning in a flat as a tac environment...  The border crossing at San Sebastian was easy and as it was late and windy, I popped in to see my ol amigo at Los Flores Ranch who welcomed me in again with a warm heart. 


10th March 2011 (? km) - Pescazaike, Guer Aike (Camp)
Well there is certainly nothing like riding in 120 km/h wind.  I guessed this as I turned a corner and rode with the wind...stick out your hand at 120km/h and you dont feel any wind at all.  But this was only for a few moments as it was mostly a cross breeze...and later on a headwind, which means you can only go about 70km/h.  Unreal!!!!!  You cant imagine it until you experience it!  The power of wind is amazing.  I think its my least favourite out of wind rain cold and hot.  There is nothing you can do to escape it.  Its relentless and makes cooking, setting up a tent (may as well be a paraglider) and sleeping impossible.  An easy border was had at Monte Aymond and eventually I pulled into sanctuary in (Biker´s note) Pescazaike, a local fishing campground on the River on the right as you cross the bridge in Guer Aike.  Costs about 10 pesos a night for you and the bike I think.  The highlight of the day was a roadside peestop...I´d started peeing with the wind when all of a sudden the wind circulation from my body started whipping my own finest into my face (lucky I was wearing my helmet)...nothing beats a good windy day on the road!

11th March 2011 (? km) - Estancia Las Tres Hermanas (The Three Sisters) (Local Ranch)
Today was one of those cold, wet days!!!  The coldest yet actually.  I donned plastic bags on my hands and feet and a garbage bag under my jacket...its amazing how your "waterproof" boots, jacket, gaiters, pants and gloves aren´t waterproof on a bike!!!  I met Marcyek (a HUBBer and moto rider) heading south.  After riding into dusk in the rain still I didnt make my waypoint and had to pull over and found a ranch where another lovely bloke let me have a bed in some empty shearing quarters!  Amazing...He was there alone so probably enjoyed a bad chat in Spanglish!

12th March 2011 (665 km) - Punta Ninfas (Camp)
I was riding along this morning at about 8am and saw a dead rabbit on the road...and as i passed i thought...DAMN, i should´ve grab that for tucker tonight!  I found another 5km down the road and skinned and gutted it in 15mins and was off again!  I grabbed some vegies in a town (and a bloke in a shop sharpened me knife for me!) which was nice on the inside but the surrounds were a waste land.  An absolute shame really.  Camp was setup near the windy cliffs of Punta Ninfas and a delicious rabbit stew was had!!! amazing! 

13th March 2011 (332) - Puerto Piramides, Valdes Peninsula (Municipal Campsite)
The next 3 days I spent in Puerto Piramides and the Valdes Peninsula spotting sea lions, penguins, elephants seals and....ORCAS!!!  We managed to spot some far off the coast and the day after I left apparently they came in closer....but unfortunately no seal eating, regardless of how many jokes we made about chumming the water and slingshotting seal pups into the water!  It was still amazing to be there though!  The best time to catch the orcas is at high tide when they come in near the beach to eat seal pups!!  The armadillos here are amazing also!  Everywhere and mega cocky!  No wonder why they say you cant eat food at the lookouts...the carpark is riddled with these fellas sniffin out food!

Have been having some fuel feed problems with my inline fuel filter and T-tap for filling the gas stove.  Tried to clean the line and petcock, seems to be better!  Cutting the sieves off the petcock seems to work.

14th March 2011 (246 km) - Puerto Piramides, Valdes Peninsula (Municipal Campsite)
Happy Birthday Mum!!!!!!!  Love ya a million.  You´re the best mother a son could ever ask for and I´d have my raising done no other way.  Big respect and miss you like bad archer.

15th March 2011 (158 km) - Puerto Piramides, Valdes Peninsula (Municipal Campsite)

16th March 2011 (513 km) - Viedma (Oscar´s place)
After a nice chillout from riding at Valdes Peninsula, I head north to Viedma to meet a HUBB community member (www.horizonsunlimited.com - the best resource for moto travellers).  Managed to catch a tarantula and a rat snake eating a snake near the road!!!  THe stay with Oscar was great, he let me camp in his garage and had an amazing meal and shared some stories in ordinary Spanglish!  Muchas muchas gracias Oscar!

17th March 2011 (724 km) - Cachari (Camp @ Campgrounds on highway)
Today I was heading to Azul to catch another moto hangout, but the guy was out so I pushed on to Cachari and camped up!  Managed to whip up my own version of locro...not too bad although when I asked for a few bucks of bacon, all I got was pure fat!!! hehehe.  On the way to Cachari I passed through Villa Ventana and the hills around there.  A beautiful ride!  A nice break from the boring flatness...

18th March 2011 (? km) - Buenos Aires (Dakar Motos)
Today was a nightmare.  traffic is crazy 30km out of BA and trucks pack the highways! I´d tried booking a hostel in hope of it having carparking in BA, and when I turned up it was only a tiny door.  After jumping on the web I found some hostels with parking, but when I turned up it was only paid parking across the road for the same amount as the bed!!  I ended up finding out I could stay at Dakar Motos and after 6hrs of a nightmare in traffic I rocked up and DM and was welcomed warmly!  There were a couple of yanks, Fins and an Israeli rider there at the time...all doing well.  Turns out when I´d last adjusted the chain one of the sides had dropped off and I was riding with the rear wheel crooked...IDIOT! 

More soon, big love and buenos suerte to you all!

The last picture here shows that with some bridges...you REALLY gotta make sure you pick the right part of the bridge to cross!  A front wheel in the middle here would be a disaster!!!

The Infamous Ruta 40 - Cochrane to Ushuaia (24th Feb - 5th Mar)

Well...I´m very far behind on posts (In Buenos Aires, 20 March, as I write this).  Spending a lot of time riding, enjoying life, riding, camping and doing other things without the net!  However to keep things updated I´ll jump on here n there!  I haven´t figured out how to make the pics fit nicely on here yet.  And keep in mind that none of these pics are doing ANY of this justice. 

Highlights ahead - Windy ruta 40, Canadian amigos, finding free wine on the road, Torres del Paine trek, Glaciers and USHUAIA baby!!!

24th Feb 2011 (456 km) - Estancia Angostura (camp). 
I woke up today overlooking the valley from the "land before time".  After a cuppa and packing up the tent I headed down the way and East to Bajo Carocales, smack bang in the middle of Ruta 40...where there was supposed to be fuel.  Upon arriving, it turns out they were fresh out of petrol!!!  So after asking around town if I could buy a litre or 2 off people (and noone having any!) I found out I had to double back 75km to a town I´d ridden past as it was 5k off the track.  I was about to nudge off when Charley from Canada rocked in on a BMW GS650...and realised he´d have the same problem trying to make the next fuel station south.  I told him I was gonna duck out and headed off first.  About 2km away from the other town I´d run out of fuel...and Charley passed me and took a bottle to fill with petrol!  In the meantime I emptied my petrol stove into the tank which had got me to town and surprised the apples out of Charley!!!  Some locals had also offered to come back with fuel as well.  (Turns out it was a petcock problem and I had 1.5L fuel left - I have an inline fuel filter and the sieve filter on the Reserve was too much resistance in the line - this problem went on until Valdes Peninsula when I finally cut the sieve out).  On the ride back to ruta 40 we rode past several small boxes of juice on the side of the road!  They´d fallen off a truck that´d gone by just before.  I jumped off and kicked a few boxes...to find 5 full boxes...of WINE!  What a great little detour.  I´m not a wine drinker, nor was Charley, but free wine is free wine!  So it was red wine and pasta for me that night.  Sensational!!!  I also scored a Condor feather on the way back - I was going to take some claws off the fresh corpse, but someone had already pinched the drumsticks!  How inspiring!  Charley was on a bit of a solo tour and had organised to stay at a ranch so I tagged along and camped out at this beautiful ranch after quite the windy ride in the arvy (being pushed from one dirt rut to the next by wind can be quite a pain in the arse...and at times a bit dangerous!  It turns out the Germans I´d met a few days before on the Hornopiren ferry were also staying there...and had just been talking about me to some ladies when I walked in, and they said "and thats him!".  I also met these ladies a day or 2 later on a trek in El Chalten!

25/26 Feb 2011 (292 + 75 km) - El Chalten - Hostel del Lagos (hostel). 35 Arg pesos
Charley and I left around 10 and headed out.  Eventually he left me behind because his BMW 650GS was doin a little better than my DR in the wind!  And he was headed further to El Calafate.  After splitting I managed about 90km/h riding into the wind and rain...FREEZING cold.  But El Chalten was worth it.  Found a place to bunk up...35 pesos a night for a bed in a container or 30 pesos a night to camp.  Hard choice there after camping and the current wind and rain here!  I spent a couple days here and did the Laguna de los Tres trek (the video on my facebook is here).  Ate locro, and had local cervezas at the cervicaria (cheers Woz for the tip).

27th Feb 2011 (? km) - Puerto Natales - Casa Alicia (hostel). 10000 Chile pesos
I headed off to El Calafate and saw the Perito Merino glacier!  Unreal!!! Saw a monstrous chunk fall off and create a wave an insane surfer could surf!  Eventually i pushed on to Puerto Natales after another easy border crossing at Cerro Castillo.  I actually had 1 garlic and 2 potatoes which I wasnt spose to take into Chile, but when I saw that the 5 coppers were playin fetch with the sniffer dog and he had nooooo interest in me whatsoever I went on...and ate the vegies for tea that night.  Caught up with Charley for some beers and a yarn and prepared for the Torres Del Paine trek!

28th Feb 2011 - Torres del Paine, Campamento Torres (camp)
 I headed out to the east end of the trail and found a tree to strap my bike to next to a refugia (hotel pretty much).  This took much asking but they let me.  After strapping her to the tree nicely and leaving my bags behind inside, I took off with my one-strap duffle bag...which tore a strap as soon as I left!  I left around 1530 and booked it north (quite an arvy slog uphill) to the Campamento Torres, ditchedn the bags and headed for the Torres del Paine lookout (Towers of Paine).  Everything was wet, as I´d been riding in rain and had started with wet gear, but when I saw the towers, nothing else mattered!!!  A sensational view and hard work of course.  I returned down the bottom and had started cookin tea when the ranger there come up and had a yarn...and offered me weed.  Hehe, I said no cheers, and he left pretty soon after. 

1st Mar 2011 - Torres del Paine, Campamento Italiano (camp)
I left C. Torres and headed for the next camp and the valley above which has 360 degree views!  stunning i´d heard!!  On the way I managed, once again to get lost (happened in Nepal on Annapurna circuit, got lost and ended up scaling landslides and cliffs).  This time wasnt so bad but had some hard hills and thick scrub to push through to find the trail again!!!  I ended up behind people that id passed an hour before!!  I made it to the camp at 1600 and headed for the lookout.  Absolutely amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing views.  Mucho tranquilo!!!  After chillin out I headed back down to camp.  Had some tea and mussels and then ran out of petrol in the stove...no flash tucker tonight!  I was pretty paranoid about where I left my moto so I ended up deciding to do the trek in 3 days (recommended 4-5 days).  I missed nothing, but had a few longer days.

2nd Mar 2011 - Cerro Castillo - A local´s house
Today my hard pushing and wet gear caught up with me.  My feet and shoulders ached!  I sucked it up and put on 2 pair of socks and headed for the last point on the trek...Glacier Grey!!!  I ditched the bags at regugio Paine Grande and headed 11km up the track for the glacier. I had to make it back in 5hrs as I was catching the ferry back to my beautiful Nessie at 1815!  After pushing hard and fast I made it to the lookout.  Sat down.  To my right was a bay full of glacier chunks.  Ahead was the monstrous glacier, spanning as far as the eye could see ahead.  Cliffs and mountains surrounding me.  I relaxed and listened to nature for a bit before playing 1 song...Adiemus by Enya (listen to it...its one for the big moments!).  As I listened a Condor soared RIGHT above my head and stuck close by for quite a while.  In all honesty, the moment was worked for so hard, and was majestic at it least, I shed a couple of those grand happy tears!!  My camera gave me 2 pics here and went flat...a sign to just enjoy the moment. 

I made it back and got the bike and headed for Puerto Natales, but was too late so I pulled into Cerro Castillo at dark.  The guy at a hostel there wouldnt let me camp as there were no beds...so I went across the road to a house with a fence...and asked there.  An old Chilean Cowboy and his daughter welcomed me with open arms.  Coffee, bread, and a bed for me and a shed for Nessie!  AMAZING!!!

3rd Mar 2011 (? km) - Puerto Natales - Hosteria Rogers - 8000 Chile pesos/night
Upon returning to Puerto Natales this morning I found a hostel with a lovely couple.  Today I did a major service on the bike and they were very helpful with little things I was after!  I´d done 4000km now.

Which just reminded me...I was on the road after my first week of riding.  It was cold so I pulled into a shop for some hot tucker.  The menu was a bit expensive and I saw Ensaladas quite cheap!  WOW i thought, cheap Enchaladas!  WHat came out was half a tomato and cucumber on a plate with some lemon.  Today I learnt that Ensaladas....means salads. 

Anyway I told my hosts I was planning on making completos for lunch...they said NOOOO come eat with us.  ANd I dined with them on one of the finest meals I´ve had yet...A monstrous saucepan full of fresh mussels, with potatoes, salad and bread!  Amazing people and very kind. 

4th Mar 2011 (? km) - Estancia Las Flores, near San Sebastian, Tierra del Fuego!!!!
After leaving Puerto Natales, I eventually hit a dirt road that headed straight East...with the wind!!!  Dirt roads mean, no traffic and it was a fantastic morning, with sheep, llamas, ducks and flamingoes everywhere!!!  I also made up a song I will eventually record with video one day. Hehe.  I made it down to near Monte Aymond to get the free ferry to TIERRA DEL FUEGO baaaaby!  The reserve fuel was still playing up and I´d been carrying 6L spare fuel in softdrink bottles for yonks now just in case.  When riding these roads with a crossbreeze of about 110km/h your bike gets thrown about like a rag doll!  Its amazing.  The problem is the tracks made by the cars on the road are great for riding, but when a gust pushes you over, you cross all the loose rubble pile in between them!  What a sham!  By the way...it´s reallllly flat and dry down here!

I headed south on TDF and eventually it started getting colder and colder and darker and windier, so i pulled in to a ranch, and asked if I could camp.  The middle aged bloke said yeah and he showed me to a shearers quarters.  I was surprised and said how much.  Nothing.  We talked a bit, and put the moto in a shed.  The quarters had 2 beds, a table and a fire box thing.  Unreal!  People can be amazing!

Bikers note - free ferry.  Fuel in Cerro Sombero.  It was full when i was there

Tomorrow...Ushuaia. 

I hope this finds you all well.  Happy Birthday to all of you if I´ve missed it while being on the road!  Take care and see you soon!