Day 16 - Last Day on the Road
Arrival in Punta Arenas
A relatively short day of driving lay ahead of us this morning when we had breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We had a ferry ride once again across the Strait of Magellan, and from there we backtracked somewhat until reaching the main highway leading to Punta Arenas, Chile's largest outpost (~125,000 residents) in Patagonia.
Just outside the city, we visited a site where Magellanic penguins nest. This was a pleasant departure from day after day of driving. Unfortunately, the colony is down in size at this time of the year, due to the young being able to swim, and we also hit the site just around lunch time (for the penguins and for us!), so quite a few of the penguins were probably out hunting food.
We had a final dinner together this evening, and a number of gifts were exchanged, including a pair of Dutch wooden shoes, signed by all of our group members, and given to our gracious and talented hosts, Sonia and Roberto.
We traveled many kilometers together, and formed many new friendships. Though I was not riding a motorcycle (that may soon change!), I thought that I might be viewed somewhat as an outsider, but everyone made me feel very welcome, and I really felt at home (how ironic, as in 16 days we have stayed in 12 different hotels!). Everyone contributed to the richness of this trip for me in their own unique way, and I hope that I have contributed to others' enjoyment in some small way.
We have now reached the "end of the road," at least for this portion of the trip, though I personally will continue on to spend several days in the Santiago area, and I will continue posting to this blog. For all of my new motorcycle-riding friends, thanks for making this a great trip, and I hope our paths cross again.
- Bob Sette
A relatively short day of driving lay ahead of us this morning when we had breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We had a ferry ride once again across the Strait of Magellan, and from there we backtracked somewhat until reaching the main highway leading to Punta Arenas, Chile's largest outpost (~125,000 residents) in Patagonia.
Just outside the city, we visited a site where Magellanic penguins nest. This was a pleasant departure from day after day of driving. Unfortunately, the colony is down in size at this time of the year, due to the young being able to swim, and we also hit the site just around lunch time (for the penguins and for us!), so quite a few of the penguins were probably out hunting food.
We had a final dinner together this evening, and a number of gifts were exchanged, including a pair of Dutch wooden shoes, signed by all of our group members, and given to our gracious and talented hosts, Sonia and Roberto. We traveled many kilometers together, and formed many new friendships. Though I was not riding a motorcycle (that may soon change!), I thought that I might be viewed somewhat as an outsider, but everyone made me feel very welcome, and I really felt at home (how ironic, as in 16 days we have stayed in 12 different hotels!). Everyone contributed to the richness of this trip for me in their own unique way, and I hope that I have contributed to others' enjoyment in some small way.
We have now reached the "end of the road," at least for this portion of the trip, though I personally will continue on to spend several days in the Santiago area, and I will continue posting to this blog. For all of my new motorcycle-riding friends, thanks for making this a great trip, and I hope our paths cross again.- Bob Sette
posted by Robert Sette at 7:40 AM
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