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

Day 15 – Returning to Cerro Sombrero

After one last farewell picture of this lovely alpine town of Ushuaia, Argentina, today our eyes turn back to somewhat familiar territory. Our route today is the reverse of two days ago, leading us back to the flat plains so typical of Patagonia. We are also returning to Chile, and this is our last border crossing. We have crossed between Chile and Argentina six times. Each time, one has to adjust to different currency, different coins, but fortunately the same language. This crossing has also required us to change our clocks yet again, since Chile began daylight savings time in mid-March, so we now gain one hour’s driving time.

We returned in mid-afternoon to the seemingly middle-of-nowhere town of Cerro Sombrero. This is not the middle of nowhere, though, but rather the middle of Tierra del Fuego, and the focal point of the Chilean oil and gas industry. A short walk up a slight hill from our hotel revealed a town of possibly 350-400 houses, as well as several monuments to oil and gas workers, as well as a very interesting, somewhat disused, outdoor chessboard, with chess pieces made of steel fittings from oil and gas wells and pipes. A very interesting insight into the mentality of this isolated town. Similar to the way that the steel industry was ever-present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I live, the oil and gas industry's presence here is pervasive, reminding us that were it not for this fossil fuel, the town of Cerro Sombrero very likely would not exist.

We also encountered 2 other Brazilian motorcyclists here in our hotel who are traveling down the same road that we have just traveled. They relished the opportunity to get some tips about road conditions and weather from us before they set out on their way in the morning.

All in all this was a low-key day, and as palpable as our anticipation was when we first arrived at this solitary Fuegian outpost, I sense our spirits falling ever so slightly as we approach the end of our journey. Our travels tomorrow will take us to Punta Arenas, Chile, and there we will have a final dinner together as a group, to share our memories, and then the next day we will all disperse in different directions, and to pursue our own individual travels.

Hasta pronto,
- Bob

Day 14 – Ushuaia – Halfway around the world

This could be any town, anywhere in the world. Any town with a port, surrounded inland by snow-capped mountains. From it’s appearance, the delicious apple strudel served in many restaurants or the many languages you hear as you walk down the street, it could probably even be placed right in the middle of the Swiss Alps. But this town is notorious. It is quite literally “The End of the World.”

We have seen many some great scenery today, and I will share a few more pictures with you as time permits, but for now I can only say that the pictures do not do justice to my current surroundings. The Fuegian landscape (“Fuegian” being the proper adjective to describe things related to Tierra del Fuego) is harsh, steep and quite refreshing after the plains of most of Patagonia. There are some ski areas here, though they won’t be in operation for 2 or 3 months yet.

The history of this city bears mention: It was founded in the mid-1800s, and shortly thereafter, seeking to bolster its claims to this land, Argentina established a penal colony here and sent several of its most hardened prisoners here. In fact, they were forced to build their own jail, with wood cut from the area and transported on a railroad. Yep, you guessed it–the prisoners had to build the railroad and cut down the trees. This first jail had cells to hold 8 prisoners. Pretty anti-climactic, but interesting nonetheless. You can still see this jail today, though it holds a hodgepodge of exhibits, and is officially dubbed the “Maritime and Naval Museum of Ushuaia.” Interestingly enough, an exhibit of 100 works by Salvador Dalí, one of my favorite artists, is currently on display here.

The seafood here is wonderful. King crab is the specialty of the house in nearly every restaurant, and other seafood dishes abound. Wine is plentiful, though a bit more expensive than in other parts of the country, owing to the fact that nearly everything in this alpinesque enclave must be shipped in for residents and travelers alike.

Nearby to this industrial port city we find the Tierra del Fuego National Park, noteworthy for its post office that provides “End of the World” seals for your passport, and for the end of Argentina’s National Route No. 3. This road runs for 3,063 km from Buenos Aires to here. As a sign of the no-love-lost relationship with neighboring Chile, however, the official statistics do not include nearly 250 km of this road that cross into Chilean territory. The park also boasts the world's southernmost post office, from which a select few of my friends will be receiving postcards ;-) This apparently is not the world's smallest post office, all appearances aside, as one member of our group said there was a smaller one somewhere in Australia, I believe.


This southernmost city in the world is full of “southernmosts,” many titles no doubt bestowed for the purpose of clever marketing and to attract tourists: The southernmost golf course. The southernmost rugby tournament. And of course, the southernmost Irish pub. I don’t mean to sound cynical here–just the opposite, in fact. Standing in the city closest to Antarctica gives one a bit of perspective. I am nearly halfway around the world from my home, halfway in the vertical, north-south sense, that is. The world now seems just a little bit smaller to me, and at the same time bigger, with many more “-most” places to see and things to do.

Ciao,
- Bob

Day 13 – Cerro Sombrero to Ushuaia

Reaching Land’s End

Before I recount what we have seen today, I have to tell you that the Internet gods are smiling down on me today: I am sitting in an Irish Pub in Ushuaia, Argentina, connected to a wireless internet connection, drinking a nice Argentine beer, sitting next to my fellow translator and traveling companion Rob Croese, as we both update our blogs. We thought we would duck into this pub to type out our day’s report, and lo and behold I discovered that there was a wireless network, so here we are, at the southern end of the world, literally, yet in terms of communication no more distant from our friends and family than we normally are. I am chatting online with a friend who has been watching my dog while I am gone, as if I were at home in Pittsburgh. Modern technology is truly amazing. Now on to my thoughts on today’s travels:

What a land of contrasts! As we crossed the border into the Argentine side of the island of Tierra del Fuego, the dry, scrub-brush-like vegetation returned, the estancias became more separated and isolated, and the road again became smooth, well-paved, and wide.

There was a palpable change in the air. As flat highway gave way to distant mountains, and ultimately to verdant slopes capped by snow and dark, foreboding rocky outcrops, my anticipation built. As we stopped at the high mountain pass called Paso Garibaldi (“high” in this case was 1800 feet, not much by most people’s standards, but clearly the highest pass on this island), hail pelted our windshield and a frigid wind assailed any exposed skin, though the air temperature was only 38° Fahrenheit.

The winding descent from this pass brought us through more dense evergreen forests, and within 30 miles to the city of Ushuaia, Argentina. Home to 120,000 residents, well, human residents, and many varieties of wildlife, this seaside enclave seems locked in a nearly perpetual freeze. Though these are the waning days of summer, the temperature barely reached 40° F today. The city has its own charm, though one must look for them a bit amidst the glitz of souvenir-laden shops trying to attract every tourist dollar.

The busy waterfront of this bustling city boasts ships of all varieties, from small fishing trawlers, to cruise ships and trans-Atlantic container ships. The diversity of the people here is amazing as well: Germans, French, native Argentines as well as other Latin Americans, British, Scandinavians and many others, most ostensibly passing through and pausing to admire the local natural beauty. Even the snow-dusted peaks can be seen from the main thoroughfare through the commercial district.

Night life in Argentina really is geared toward the late end of the spectrum. Dinner starts at 9 p.m., so when we arrived at a restaurant at our designated meeting time of 8:15, we were the only ones in the establishment. As various dishes were served to our table, the restaurant quickly filled up, and the night was in full swing.

Here is a little tidbit about life in Latin America: Throughout most of the countries here, you see many small roadside shrines. At first I thought these were devoted to saints, but while traveling in Peru several years ago, I learned that these shrines mark the spot where a person died, usually in an automobile accident. When you see a small cluster of shrines all together, it probably means that a bus went over a cliff, or had a particularly sudden accident.

Now that we are in the pub and having a couple of drinks, I think we will return to our hotel just at the entrance of town before long, to rest up for a full day of activities tomorrow.

Ciao,
- Bob

PS: Here's a little funny aside: In talking to people from here, most will ask where I am from. When I say that I am from Pennsylvania, I have had at least 6 or 7 people say, "Oh, Dracula land!" No, that is TRANSylvania. Never before has anyone ever said this to me, but now it has just happened again with the bartender in the "Southernmost Irish Pub in the World," as the menu proudly proclaims.

PPS: Never one to pass up the opportunity to share a few laughs, here is a picture of my friend Rob Croese, while getting hosed down after a particularly muddy section of dirt roads yesterday. Cars, motorcycles and riders were all squeaky clean after this pit stop.

Day 12 - Torres del Paine to Tierra del Fuego

Visiting the “Land of Fire”
Internet situation has been resolved. Pictures now are posted. Enjoy!

Distance traveled today: 285 miles (450 kilometers)
Today, again, dawned overcast and rainy, though after a short time the rain abated, and the roads turned drier. Nevertheless, excitement was in the air as we all chatted over breakfast, looking forward to our day’s destination of the island of Tierra del Fuego.

Once en route, we made a brief stop at the Mylodon Cave, a natural formation where remains were discovered of bear-like creatures. This cave also served some of the earliest human inhabitants of Southern Chile some 10,500 years ago. The cave was truly impressive for its breadth and height. The statue of a reconstructed milodon provided a Kodak moment for many of us.

We were back on the road within a short time, as many more miles (fortunately of paved, well-maintained roads) lay ahead of us today. In the city of Puerto Natales all the bikes and cars were washed clean of many miles' worth of mud and grime, which gave me the chance to take some nice pictures of birds and even some black-necked swans.

A brief stop for coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich around 2 p.m. and we were on the road again, this time turning away from our trip terminus of Punta Arenas, in the direction of the ferry landing for the island of Tierra del Fuego, but first we passed the former Estancia San Gregorio, focal point of the Menéndez family’s wool production from the early 1890s through the 1930s. This site included the rusting frames of 2 ships formerly used to transport supplies and products for this estancia.

A quick roadside pause at the highway turnoff for a picture showing the road sign for the island, we waited for the ferry, along with a Papa John’s Pizza tractor trailer. The ferry trip was impressive, with the sun setting, as we could see the strength and speed of the current in the Strait of Magellan. We also picked up several hitchhikers along the way, as dolphins were riding on the waves created by the ferry.

We are visiting the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. The late afternoon ferry crossing introduced us to an even flatter, vegetation-sparse land, that goes on for miles and miles. The tiny enclave of Cerro Sombrero is our stopping point for the night, and it boasts one bank, one hotel (ours), a handful of meagerly stocked shops, and a cinema (according to my tour book, though I have yet to find the cinema!).

I should mention that the name “Tierra del Fuego” (the Land of Fire) was given to this island by sailors passing by on ships as they turned north after rounding the very southern tip of South America. They observed these fires on the shores, and so named the island. I wouldn’t classify tonight’s sunset over the Strait as fire, but it certainly was impressive.

Until tomorrow, ciao,
- Bob

PS: For good measure, here is another picture of the black neck swans.

Day 11 - Torres del Paine

Our Good Luck with Weather Runs Out…
Pictures are now posted, sorry for the delay.
When I first awoke at 5:30 this morning, the moon was just setting, and the sky was clear and just beginning to shed its mantle of darkness. After dozing for another hour, however, wind began to whip around the hunting lodge-style hotel that housed us. Within another hour rain began to sporadically and at times relentlessly pelt the windows and the tin roof, its sound a constant reminder of the foreboding weather that awaited us beyond the confines of our accommodations.

After a delay of several hours, which gave us the opportunity to relax and have an extra cup of coffee or two, we took off in three vehicles to explore the Torres del Paine National Park, though our expectations were quite low, as the overcast skies foretold more bad weather for the 150 mile drive around this natural wonder. As you can see from the photos, we saw abundant wildlife, including many herds of guanacos, as well as horses, ñandus (a member of the ostrich family), and even a well-trained pair of grey foxes that appeared almost on cue when we stopped at a panoramic overlook, ready to charm us out of the remaining bits of our lunch sandwiches.

We saw many spectacular sights, though we were disappointed that the principal features of the park, the towering, wind-eroded jagged peaks known as “Torres del Paine” (Paine’s Towers, named for the surveyor Thomas Paine), were all but invisible behind the shroud of mist and clouds that had descended on the area earlier this morning.

Unfortunately, the weather began to clear as we were almost halfway back to our hotel. Although I know it is good to plan to come back to a site to explore further after a first experience, I have to say I was quite disappointed that Mother Nature had deprived me of seeing this Park, which clearly was to be one of the highlights of this trip. Next time I will be sure to fly directly here, and also will plan to spend 4 days here, to be sure that at least one of them turns out to be clear.


So from the sublime, to the ridiculous, I just have to share this next photo with those of you who are reading about my trip. This is a guanaco that we saw along the road, making what the English-speaking tour guides here call a “pee-pee stop.” I just couldn’t resist taking this photo.

In the evening we had another asado, which is roughly the equivalent of a barbeque. No hot dogs and burgers here, though. We had a roasted lamb, again freshly brought in from grazing the pastures. The picture shows the chef, Francisco, maintaining a firm hold on the spit while another man from the hotel helps out by bating the meat. The meal was delicious, and the staff of the hotel was very attentive. During dinner someone made the observation that this had to be the best hotel and meal yet, but in the end we agreed that each place had it’s own special charm, each meal its particular seasoning, and that there was simply no adequate measure by which to compare them with each other.

Tomorrow we hit the road again, and we are heading south yet again, as we make our way to Land’s End.

Happy St. Patricks Day to all. Ciao,
- Bob

Day 10 – Mechanical Problems & Wild Animals

El Calafate, Argentina – Torres del Paine, Chile

Today dawned mostly sunny at our hillside hotel (Hotel Los Barrancos) in El Calafate, Argentina. Our moods, however, soon turned grey, as we discovered that our support vehicle would not start. There was a problem with the ignition, and the key would not turn, so after a visit by a locksmith, Roberto and Jeff set about working to hotwire the car. In short order they had safely bypassed the keyed ignition, and the SUV started, with cheers all around. Although we started out with a delay of nearly 1 1/2 hours, we were delighted to find out that our route today was rather short, and that we should arrive at our destination hotel near the Torres del Paine National Park by early afternoon.

The drive was rather uneventful, and the flat, vegetation-starved plains gave way to gently rolling hills and verdant slopes. We approached the Chilean border, and crossed at Rio Turbio, where the Argentine flag flew proudly in the strong breeze. Alexandra, daughter of one of our motorcyclists, managed to find a hen and her chicks just behind the border patrol station. From the picture displayed here, you can tell that she is very photogenic and probably destined for a career in show business, as she is not camera-shy at all.

A short drive further and we were at the Hotel y Posada 3 Pasos, a delightfully safari-themed lodge with all modern creature comforts. For the next 2 days we have the entire establishment to ourselves. The charming living room is warmed by not only the blazing corner fireplace, but also by the attentiveness of the staff, and the hearty Argentine wines, pisco sours (a local drink of Chile and Peru), and the many cervezas (beers) that were sampled.

I also found some four-legged friends here: There is a bouncy trio of 4-week old border collie puppies, apparently without names. I have dubbed them Larry, Moe and Curly. Their parents are also here, and they protectively watch over the pups.

While nosing around and following these puppies, I also managed to find tomorrow’s dinner. Well at least the outer part of it, hanging alongside a puma skin.

Tomorrow we will be driving from the hotel to the nearby Torres del Paine National Park, to observe the jagged mountain peaks and formations created by wind erosion over centuries and centuries. We managed to catch a glimpse of some of the peaks in the distance as we approached the border crossing, and I can only imagine how impressive these peaks will look as we get a much closer vantage point tomorrow.


Hasta pronto,
- Bob

Day 9 – El Calafate

Ice fields and glaciers and whisky, oh my!

My pictures uploaded finally! Enjoy, friends! [Click on any picture for a larger view]

On paper, today looked like a day of rest. A short trip to sightsee around the small town of El Calafate, then a relaxing afternoon. It was not meant to be, however….

We started out on a typical local tour bus before 9 a.m. with our local guide, Jorge. He started out our tour by saying that when he walks around town, he is considered a wealthy man because of his “house.” Pointing to 2 areas of receding hair on his head, he noted that people say his house has 2 entrances, and then indicating a bald spot on the back of his head, he said he also has a swimming pool. Though I laughed apprehensively, Jorge turned out to be a very knowledgeable tour guide, and he was at our disposal to provide us with whatever information we required.

We followed quite a rough road to our day’s destination, the Perito Moreno glacier, the 3rd largest glacier in Argentina. Along the road we observed some native wildlife, including falcons, hares, sheep and horses. The real highlight of the day was found about 50 miles from the town where we stayed last night, as we came upon the South face of the glacier. The view was truly impressive, even from a distance of 8 km.

Our next vantage point came at a panoramic overlook of the glacier. As we descended the steps cut into the hillside, I was about 3 steps from the second observation platform, and we heard the beginning of what turned into a thundering crash. Words can’t adequately describe the way this sound surrounded us as we struggled to pull out cameras to catch the aftermath of the huge chunks of ice crashing into the lake. Unfortunately, I did not catch a good photo of this, but in total, we heard and saw five “ruptures” of chunks of the glacier crashing into the lake. In fact, just 2 days ago, a large section of the glacier that had previously separated 2 lakes broke free, causing water levels around Calafate to rise by about 8 feet.

The day just kept getting better, as we next boarded a two-level boat to get an up-close-and-personal view of the East face of the glacier. This view was impressive, and the crevices and fissures were clearly visible. The light reflected through the glacier owes its bluish hue to the presence of minerals and microorganisms captured within the ice, and these same factors give the lake water its bluish to greenish hue.

As we were taking pictures from the upper deck of the boat looking toward the very far end of the North face of the glacier, several people around me were observing one particularly large fissure in the face of the glacier. One gentleman even commented that this section of ice would probably “calv” (i.e. fall off) soon. Almost on command, we heard the beginnings of a thunderous crackling sound followed by a tremendous splash, and that precise section of the glacier had slipped not-so-quietly into the lake, soon to melt and continue on its journey through the ecosystem. The following 2 pictures show views of this exact section of the glacier before and after the calving occurred.

Before
After

As our boat left the face of the glacier and headed for shore, a friend and I decided to have a liberally poured glass of whisky, cooled with ice that ostensibly came directly from the Perito Moreno glacier itself. What a fitting way this was to end this part of the day, though from the looks of the bottom of my glass, I think they managed to scrape up some dirt and minerals along with the ice!

After some time spent wandering around town and meeting various other travelers, sharing stories, and an excellent dinner of pasta with Bolognese sauce with lamb meat, here I sit typing out tales of another day’s adventures in this pristine land that presents such amazing beauty, rivaled only by the enormity of its scale. All measurement of distances in terms of city blocks or minutes walking or subway stops are thrown out the window, and we must attempt to grasp days of travel over gravel roads, measured in hundreds of miles. As with the sights I have observed today, any written description is discordant with the reality of what one perceives here in the land of the gaucho, the estancia, and what truly is the end of the world.

Hasta mañana, mis amigos…
- Bob

Day 8 - La Angostura - El Calafate

3rd Straight Day on Gravel Roads

Total distance: 320 Km (200 miles)

Sunrise on the La Angostura ranch was spectacular. The wide open plains were bathed in striking shades of red and purple, giving the few of us who were already awake a spectacular display of nature's unadulterated beauty.

Nine o'clock arrived quickly after a hearty breakfast of small toast squares, sweet pastry and good, strong, gaucho coffee. We then set off for our destination of El Calafate, a small but growing settlement of 17,000 residents on the shores of Lake Argentina.

The drive was truly uneventful. Again, although the landscape was monotonous, it was consistently amazing in its aridness and lack of significant vegetation. We saw large birds, cows, horses, sheep, and the native guanacos. I counted no more than 8 cars that were coming towards us today, and only 2 or 3 that passed us.

After about 7 hours of driving, with a break for a snack of savory empanadas (a tasty turnover of sorts with meat inside) at a small gas station just outside the town of Tres Lagos ("Three Lakes"), we arrived at approximately 4 p.m. Our hotel in the town of "El Calafate" is perched on a hill overlooking the small town, and we are just 900 yards walking distance from the center of town, comprising a small shopping district, though when I walked into town for the first time I must have taken a wrong turn, because it ended up being a 45-minute walk.

It is nice to reach this small city, as we will be staying here two nights, and this is the first time I am sleeping in the same bed two nights in a row in 10 days. Tomorrow we will sightsee a little around this area, but I don't want to give any secrets away of what is coming, so I won't write any more right now. At the right I have included a picture of the entry into the town, which is the Argentine glacier capital.

Keep on reading, and feel free to e-mail me if you are enjoying following my travels.

Until next time,
- Bob

Days 6 & 7 - Coyaique - Perito Moreno - La Angostura

Distance traveled each day: Approximately 200 miles.

These 2 days were days of contrast, and days of similarity. The contrast came in the weather. Saturday rolled in upon us with clouds and some wind, cold and damp, with some rain, though only sporadically.

Sunday morning dawned bright and nearly cloudless. The previous night we had stayed on an estancia, a rural ranch of immense proportions. These ranches form a patchwork over the landscape of most of Argentine Patagonia, that were given as land grants to bold pioneers to raise livestock. Today the land of the estancias is quasi-barren, except for small oases that spring up in the shelter of rolling hills. Water and electricity are tough to come by, and in fact the estancia where we stayed on Saturday night had its own generator and took water from several mountainside streams. They had several thousand sheep, a few thousand cattle, and 20-30 horses, not to mention the various dogs, cats and of course chickens and roosters to provide a wakeup call every morning. Flags representing several of the countries of our group members were flapping wildly in the strong winds to greet us upon our arrival at the TelKen Estancia.

The estancia is owned by a delightful septuagenarian couple, she of Scottish descent, and he of Dutch extraction. Betty in particular spoke English with a wonderful, lilting Scottish accent that was very charming in the midst of the arid surroundings. After a hearty dinner of extensive appetizers, including an onion bread made with what appeared to be corn flour, and then a main course of lamb over rice, with a gravy of onions, mushrooms, white wine and curry, we were served a delicious dessert of dulce de leche, the caramel sauce so well-loved by Argentines, which we applied liberally to the 2 varieties of tortes that were served.

The drive the next day took us to another ranch, somewhat more basic in its accommodations, but before I describe the ranch, I have to say describe these 2 days of driving. The terrain was nearly barren: Low scrub grass and shrubs abounded. The closest thing to a tree that we saw in these 400 miles were barely 3 feet tall. The strong winds of the open plains (we measured the wind at nearly 40 mph at one point) keep the vegetation from growing taller. The roads are long, mostly flat, and straight. One can easily become mesmerized by the monotonous landscape, yet you also note any slight change in vegetation, or any distant sign of wildlife (native guanacos, a gazelle-like animal, as well as cattle and occasional horses).

Sunday night we feasted on grilled lamb that had been running in the meadows just that morning, as well as wonderful green salad, Mendoza red wine, and delicious flan with white cream for dessert. Again at the mercy of the generator gods, several of us sat near the fire and enjoyed an extra "10 drops" of wine, a cigar, and then we retired early to our somewhat Spartan accommodations, to get a good night's rest for the long trip on dirt roads that awaited us the next day.

I also have to mention the cutest border collie puppy that was on this ranch. She must have been no more than 6 months old, and she certainly captured our hearts. She hung around until after our feast was over and enjoyed some of the left-overs. It was great fun to watch her playing with and chasing 2 cats on the ranch. Makes me miss my dog Mulligan all the more. (Give him a hug for me, Chuck!)

And just for good measure, here is a picture of a horse and its keeper that we saw at the first ranch.


- Bob (email me by clicking on my name)

Days 4 & 5 - - Esquel - Puyuhuapi – Coyaique

Note: Don't forget, you can click on any image to see a larger version.

These have been an interesting two days: In the morning of March 10, we left Esquel and faced a day of approximately 220 miles of driving. We had pretty good roads until we hit the Chilean border. Our processing through customs and immigration went fairly smoothly, however it still took us nearly an hour in total to process everyone and their vehicles through customs. After crossing back into Chile, we began our trek down the Carretera Austral (“Southern Highway”) which was built mostly during the government of Augusto Pinochet and finished in 2000. The “highway” is for long stretches barely more than a dirt path through the mountains, and at times the holes outnumber the stones.
This was a bone-jarring drive, and we endured it well, though it did slow our progress. The scenery along this "highway" is spectacular. Waterfalls and rushing rapids. Wide open valleys and jagged peaks. Tiny villages, or simply single houses set along the road, with small herds of cattle lazily munching on the grass. We even came upon one cow standing halfway on the road, with a calf drinking from the mother while we passed. This is truly outback, probably more so than just about any other place I have ever seen.

In mid-afternoon, just after a short rest break, we came across Roberto, who is leading our group, stopped by the side of the road. Here there was a small bird, just standing there, and it had not flown away as the motorcycles passed. He carefully scooped it up and set it on the side of the road. Hopefully it recovered, but it seemed to be in shock, because it barely moved when we approached it.

We reached our destination of Puyuhuapi at around 6 p.m., and relaxation was in order. This small town consisted of maybe 100 houses, a few small stores (all of which were called “Supermarkets” even though they might just have 8 or 10 shelves of products.

I made a stop in the store whose sign is shown at the left and bought a bottle of wine to take back to the B&B where we were staying. Total cost: 1,750 Chilean pesos, or a little more than $3. It was a very good Cabernet Sauvignon by Gato, from the Chile’s Central Valle.

The B&B where we stayed is run by a German woman whose husband founded the town. Ursula was a very hospitable German matron, and the smell of sauerkraut and other German delicacies permeated the first floor of the spacious house. A warm fire was burning in the wood stove in the parlor when we arrived, and the gardens in the rear of the house were delightful. Just beyond you could see the Pacific Ocean (picture below).

Unfortunately internet access was non-existent in Puyuhuapi, so we had a relaxing dinner and several of us spent time reviewing and comparing our photos taken in the bright sunshine of that day’s journey.

Our hostess Ursula ("Whatever you do, don't mention the war. I let it slip once, but I think I got away with it.") treated us to a phenomenal breakfast on Saturday of homemade cherry marmalade, homemade breads, eggs, coffee with milk and hand-squeezed rhubarb juice. After this hearty start to the day, we headed onto the road for more bone-jarring riding over the Southern Highway. Our total distance for the day was 150 miles, of which nearly 100 was on pitted dirt roads. The views, however, were tremendous, and even though the skies were overcast and gray, we saw many natural wonders that were duly recorded on many digital cameras. Bridges, valleys, waterfalls both small and large, fences enclosing a variety of livestock, and occasionally a shepherd dog that would run alongside either the motorcycles or the support truck that brought up the rear.

We saw very few people and houses along this route, though there were several construction crews, including one large group of men working on a modern bridge to cross a particular portion of the river we were following.

After a brief stop for sandwiches and soda, we continued driving to Coyhaique, and we arrived around 3:30 p.m.

Thanks to the hotel’s somewhat temperamental wi-fi connection, I am able to post this summary before dinner, after having explored the town a bit. Most notable in the main square is the assemblage of statues pictured below that commemorates the herders who are common in this province of Aysen.

Day 3 – Bariloche to Esquél (Argentina)

Miles covered: 220
Highest point today: 3200 feet above sea level

Last night we had a fine meal as a group, at a wonderful German restaurant in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. The Restaurant Family Weiss looked like a ski chalet right out of the Swiss Alps.

I had some time before dinner to walk around the town of Bariloche, and it is very lively, interesting town. Bariloche is also known as the chocolate capital of Argentina, so I had take a few minutes and buy a small box of chocolates. One of our fellow travelers asked me if this was for a gift or to eat along the way. He clearly doesn’t know me that well. These chocolates will not make it back to the US in the box!

I also had the chance to walk along the waterfront and take a few pictures before dinner. The winds coming off the lake were so strong that they nearly blew my hat off. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was very relaxing and could be heard all along the coast of the lake.

While walking to catch up with the rest of the group, I passed by a pub called “The Pilgrim.” Just from the appearance of the sign hanging outside, I knew that I had to stop and have a beer in this bar before turning in for the night.

As luck would have it, the 5 Dutchmen from our group insisted on joining me, and I was happy to have them along. We entered the pub at nearly 11 p.m., to find out that live music was scheduled for 11:30 ("hora latina," of course,, which meant anytime between 11:30 and 12:30). “ La Gran 7” arrived shortly after 11:30 with their instruments and began to play a great selection of jazzy and improvised tunes, some with a nice Latin beat.

Ranging from trombone to electronic piano, guitars and even a flautist, this was very entertaining and lively music. The crowd included Argentines, Americans, and people of various other nationalities. This was clearly the place to be on a chilly March evening in Bariloche.

Although I stayed up past my bedtime, I was awake bright and early Thursday morning as we were scheduled to depart our hotel at 9 a.m. sharp. We made several stops including a panoramic overlook of Lake Nahuel Huapi, and a trip in a cable car to the top of Cerro Otto (Altitude 4780 feet above sea level).

These stops took several hours, but when we finally turned towards our destination for the night, the sun was out and the landscape of alternating pine trees and dusty planes practically sparkled under cloudless blue skies. One minor glitch came up when one of the motorcycles had a flat tire.
Quick teamwork had the motorcycle secured onto the trailer pulled by our support vehicle, though some of our team chose slightly easier assignments, as the attached pictures reveal.

Upon checking into our hotel, a quick trip into town was in order, to explore the downtown area of this town of nearly 30,000 residents, before the group met at 8 p.m. for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Tomorrow we begin our trek over gravel roads, so more adventures await us, I am sure.

- Bob