Motorcycle Trip - Patagonia 2018

Before I begin today's update, I have a couple of updates from previous posts. Remember back on the first day when we had to wait close to 2 hours for the ferry?   Well, we heard yesterday that the ferry we got on, was the last ferry going our direction for 1 ½ days due to the winds!   We are so lucky we made it!   The only other option would have been to circle back to our starting point and determine a new route.    We certainly would have had to exclude something from our original itinerary if we had been forced to circle back. The other update is regarding the flat tire on the truck.   It was repaired this morning before we left the hotel.   A mobile repair unit came to the hotel and fixed the tire right there.   There was a small stone, about ¼ inch in length and it had one very sharp end that pierced the tire.   Oh well, everything is back on track. Today we headed north from Punta Arenas.   The first part of the rou...

The internet access we have had the last few days has been very limited and slow.  As a result, the posts for yesterday and today have no photos or limited photos at this time.  I have indicated this in the titles of the posts as well.  Once I can get some faster internet, I will upload additional photos and I will update the blog title to indicate that photos have been added. Sorry about this as I have many great photos I would like share but I'm unable to due to this limitation.

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 a...

After the “Good Morning” post I did earlier today, we loaded up everything and made a quick trip into Ushuaia for a couple more photos and fuel.  We saw a special Christmas version of the Ushuaia sign. Leaving Ushuaia, we retraced our route back to Rio Grande.   We stopped along the way for photos at locations we had not visited the previous time we traveled this route. Mirador Paso Garibaldi We reached Rio Grande around 1:30 p.m. Then it was time to top off fuel and hit the dirt!  We took a dirt road across the continent from Rio Grande on the east coast to Cameron on the west coast (approximately 78 KM or 50 miles).  This road was very well maintained and we were able to make good time.  However, our timing did not match what Wilfredo (our guide) was expecting. The plan was to be at our lunch location at 2:00; we didn’t arrive until about 5:30.  We were very hungry by that time and we each got a salad to hold us over until our evening d...

 Just a short post this morning with a video with a 360 degree view from the beach across the road from the hotel.  Absolutely beautiful being surrounded by mountains. Enjoy your day!

Today we went from Rio Grande to Ushuaia and to "the end of the road".  This is the farthest place south in the world that you can navigate by road!  While today's ride was short by distance (291 km or 180 miles) it provided many fantastic views.  We took so many pictures today, I can't upload near all of them but I will provide a few for your viewing pleasure. Here are some views from the ride from Rio Grande to Ushuaia. For lunch I had some awesome lamb cooked authentic Argentina style over some hot coals.  Best lamb I ever had! Here are a couple of photos from "the end of the road".  I have many more but the internet at the hotel is too slow to upload any more. This is one of the famous pillars as you enter the town of Ushuaia. Tonight we are in Ushuaia - the most southern town (of any size) in the world.  The views here are amazing with snow capped mountains everywhere you look!  We are staying at the Costa U...

As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, the area we are riding in now (between 40 and 49 degrees of latitude) is called the "Roaring 40's" for the very windy conditions.  That is exactly what we had all day today.  It didn't take long after we left Punta Arenas this morning to feel the forces of the wind.  We quickly learned that riding here is not for the faint of heart or for those without adequate riding experience.  For much of the day, it took all the strength, weight, and will-power we had to keep the bike on the road.  Much of the day was spent riding with the bike leaned over just to make it go straight with the very strong side winds.  Needless to say, we are a little tired tonight. Most of the land in the area we are riding now is very flat and very desolate.  Occasionally there are some rolling hills but there is not a lot to photograph from that perspective.  There are 2 things we did see a lot of today and that was sheep and gu...

After 3 flights, 9 hours of layovers and approximately 24 hours of travel, we arrived at our final destination (Punta Arenas) to start the fun part of the trip!   As most of the time was spent in airplanes and airports there are not a lot of photos to share yet, but I did capture a few.   Flying above the clouds as we approach into Santiago. Punta Arenas Airport Our chase vehicle for the week Our chase vehicle for the week Our guide for the trip (Wilfredo) met us at the airport and drove us to the hotel for our first night, the Hotel Carpa Manzano.    Upon arrival at the hotel, it was time to unpack and organize all the riding gear and ensure all the electronics where charged.    Pradeep had so many things plugged in  I thought we might blow a fuse! Pradeep's Electronic Charging Station Wilfredo and Pradeep with the bikes Checking out the bike.  Look at the custom name on the wind screen! Tomorro...

Departure day finally arrives and the adventure is about to begin.  The packing checklist has been checked many times and the bags are completely packed.  Two bags for riding gear that I will check at the airport, 1 small suitcase for regular cloths that I will carry on, and a backpack of miscellaneous things to bring on the plane.  Regardless of how much time I put into thinking about the items to bring; there is also that little thought in the back of mind - "What am I forgetting?" We have 3 flights to get to our destination. Indianapolis to Miami (departure time is 1:06 p.m.). T minus 5 hours and counting to take off........ Miami to Santiago Chile (this is an overnight flight) Santiago to Punta Arenas Chile (we are schedule to arrive at 2:00 p.m. Sunday) Our guide will meet us at the airport and transport us to the hotel.  We will get to meet our rides (motorcycles) for the trip and sign all the paperwork etc. and prepare for the first day of rid...

As I am about to depart for yet another great motorcycle trip, I am reflecting on the many blessings in my life.  I must always remember how fortunate and blessed I am to be able to do these adventures. Cathy First, for my wife Cathy that again encouraged me to take this opportunity when it came along.  She knows that as we age, some of these adventures will no longer be possible so she supports doing them now while I still can. Also, she was ok with the fact that due to the timing of this trip, we will not be together for Christmas this year.  Cathy and I have been married 35 years and we have always been together for Christmas. Family I have 2 great daughters that are both doing well, are well educated as demonstrated by their Doctorate and PHD degrees, and are making major contributions to society through their work and lives.  What more could a parent ask for?  It is such a blessing to not have to worry about how a child is doing or what they are do...