Completing the Southern Loop (Thursday, December 20 - Cameron to Punta Arenas)

Today, after 4 days of riding and 1,300 km (800 miles) we are back to where we started in Punt Arenas Chile.  That completes the southern loop of the trip.  The map below gives you a general idea of our route so far.

Today started with a surprise.  Wilfredo was taking down our camp and had the truck mostly loaded when he discovered that the truck had a flat rear tire.  We didn't notice it earlier because the camp stove was in front of the tire.  Wilfredo didn't get excited at all.  He quickly changed the tire and packed up camp.  We were on the road only 30 minutes later than planned.  Here is Wilfredo changing the tire.

Tire Change

Today's ride was mostly along the coast, through a very desolate area with many great views.  Today we road from Cameron to Porvenir where we caught a ferry back to Punta Arenas.  We needed to stay on schedule because we had tickets for the 2:00PM ferry which started to load at 1:00PM.  We arrived at 12:30PM  We arrived in Punta Arenas at 4:00PM.

Here are a couple of photos from today.  At one point we had to ride through a flock of sheep being herded from one area to another.

Here are some photos from Porvenir and the ferry we took.

Some of the non-motorcyclists that are reading this blog may wonder “What do you think about when you are riding all day?”   Because we have been riding on the dirt roads a lot the past few days, that influences what goes through my mind.

I am using my eyes to try to simultaneously take in the beautiful scenery while also watching where I am going. At the same time I must determine what line on the road I should be taking to maintain balance and traction while avoiding any “special circumstances” such as large rocks, loose gravel, and animals.

I constantly use both hands and feet for several different activities including acceleration, braking, shifting gears and shifting my weight on the bike to help make it go where I want based on what I am observing. 

Sometimes I have to make rapid adjustments to account for the invisible and variable wind gusts that throw off all my prior calculations.

All of the above needs to happen continuously, quickly, and smoothly without really thinking about it; it needs to be an instant reflex.  If a person has to think about what to do when something happens, it could be too late. 

When all the actions and thoughts flow together, the rider and the motorcycle are dancing partners; each is providing feedback to the other.  Everything happens seamlessly as though the bike is riding by itself.  

All of the above is happening while traveling at 60–100 km/hour (40 - 60 mph).  It is a fully body and mind workout that is both challenging and relaxing at the same time.  I think it is a great way to keep both the mind and body sharp!