From Deadhorse Down

Day 229 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 229 – Buenos Aires, Argentina      04/07/11      Mileage: 0

After a good night’s sleep at Gustavo and Helena’s, I went back downtown to pick up my Brazilian visa.

Helena and Gustavo’s house in Buenos Aires…

It wasn’t ready when I arrived and was told to come back in 2 hours….so I went and used the wifi in a nearby cafe.

Returning to the consulate my visa was ready and I was off to explore more of Buenos Aires. I wanted to check out the bario of San Telmo which is supposed to be the hip part of town, like the Village in NY. I spent the afternoon walking around and sitting in a cafe on Plaza Dorrego which was really enjoyable.

Plaza Dorrego in the heart of San Telmo…

After lingering to take in the scene, I hopped the train back to Martinez where Gustavo and Helena were hosting a small dinner party which they graciously invited me to.

L to R:  Helena, Gustavo and me….

It’s in situations like this that I realize how limited my wardrobe is, as the nicest things I had to wear were grease stained jeans, a quick dry Fox riding jersey and flip-flops. No one cared though as like Gustavo and Helena, their friends are gracious, fun and enjoyable to talk with.

….and one with the ladies! Too bad their all taken….

Thankfully they also all spoke excellent english and were spared the indignity of my clumsy and limited pigeon spanish. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening of great conversation, good food, wine, and whiskey and cigars for the boys on the back patio before calling it a night.

That was certainly one of the most enjoyable days on the trip…thanks Helena and Gustavo!

Day 228 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 228 – Buenos Aires, Argentina      04/06/11       Mileage: Local miles

This morning it was back on the train downtown to the Brazilian Consulate to apply for a visa. Luckily there was only one person ahead of me in line and it only took 20 minutes. They said it would be ready tomorrow at noon which would be great, as I was told by others it would take at least a week…sometimes two! That done I was off to see more sights, this time heading for the upscale bario’s of Recoleta and Polermo. First up was Recoleta and it was nice just to walk the streets.

I found a nice sidewalk cafe for a small bite to eat and then walked across the plaza to tour the famous Cemetario de la Recoleta…the final resting place of anyone who was anyone in Argentina…ex presidents, generals, aristocrats and Eva Peron are all buried here.

But that alone is not what makes this cemetery famous, it’s also the mind boggling array of mausoleums and tombs in every conceivable architectural style that make it like a small city itself. Some look like miniature chapels or the stone edifice of an old bank, while others have monuments and sculptures.

The Duarte family mouseleum….Eva Peron’s maiden name….

Most are well kept and some have fallen into disrepair, but for sure there is a unique story behind each of them.

This one was glass on the front and sides…a close-up of the inside is below…

After making the rounds at the cemetery, I walked to the bario of Polermo taking in the scene along the way. I picked up a sandwich and had a relaxing picnic lunch in the botanical garden…a little oasis of tranquility in the bustling city.

After strolling around Polermo I started making my way back towards the train station, then back to Dakar Moto’s to finish up the work on the bike.

 I also relocated from Dakar to a friends of friends house who live in Martinez…a very nice suburb of Buenos Aires. It was short ride over to Gustavo and Helena’s house…and what a nice house it is! It was a significant upgrade from the “modest” accommodations at Dakar and they are very gracious and welcoming hosts. Photos coming soon…

Day 227 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 227 – Buenos Aires, Argentina       04/05/11       Mileage: 0

Gus was heading  into town as well so we hopped on the train and headed downtown. He steered me in the right direction and then went off to do his errands.

I first had to get some documents printed and scanned for my Brazil visa application, then went to the Brazilian Consulate. I arrived 15 minutes after they stopped taking foreign visa applications for the day, so I’ll have to come back tomorrow.

Of well, at least now I can head out to see some of the sights around town.

The memorial commemorating the Falkland Islands War with Britain…

This guy was selling nuts and was a real character…and a little nuts himself!

The consulate was on the north end of Avenida 9 de Julio…which is like Buenos Aires’s answer to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, a broad boulevard with nice cafes and shops.

In fact they call Buenos Aires the Paris of South America, and I’d have to say that was true…fashionable people, good coffee and croissants, and dog shit all over the sidewalks.

At the Obelisco, I hung a left and walked to the Plaza de Mayo and the famous Casa Rosada(the residence of the president)…the balcony from which Juan and Eva Peron gave so many impassioned speeches.

The Casa Rosada….

I sat in the plaza for a while to take it all in, then walked down to the trendy bario(neighborhood) of San Telmo where I found a nice cafe and did some people watching. I continued walking around San Telmo a bit more and then began to make my way back towards the train station.

Along the way I walked down Calle Florida, a pedestrian only street filled with shops, cafe’s and street performers…including a dance company showing off their tango skills.

And no city in the Western World would be complete without a Starbucks of course…

After catching the train back to Florida and Dakar Moto’s, I worked on the bike for a bit as well as the blog which was still back in Chile! Gus and I also hung out for a bit and drank a few beers before I called it a night. Tomorrow it’s back to the Brazilian Consulate to turn in my visa application and see more of Buenos Aires…

Day 226 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 226 – Buenos Aires, Argentina      04/04/11      Mileage: 0

Today was a rest day of sorts spent working on the blog, returning emails, and just walking around the local neighborhood running some errands. Tomorrow I’m going to head downtown see the sights and to stop by the Brazilian consulate to start my visa application…

Token picture: The KLR in the Dakar Moto stable with the other adventure bikes…

Day 225 – Tornquist to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 225 – Tornquist to Buenos Aires, Argentina      04/03/11      Mileage: 386

It was a nice morning in camp and I took the time to make coffee and chill for a bit before the final push into Buenos Aires.

I only had around 380 miles to go, so instead of taking the most direct route I got off on some side roads to explore a little of the countryside.

I found a great dirt road that weaved its way between some farms and open country which was a nice change from the last 1500 miles of fast straight highway.

Back on the pavement I passed the Moretti guys that I had first met in an Irish pub in Ushuaia. I bumped into them again at the Argentina border….and now again 1500 miles north on some random road outside of Buenos Aires…what are the odds.

The picture is crooked because I took it with my regular camera as I was wizzing by!

Here they are parked at the Argentina border post in Tierra del Fuego…some 1500 miles south of here…with there 4×4 delivery truck!

They work for a beer distributer in Italy, which sent them on an expedition to deliver beer to Ushuaia…how cool is that!  The beer distribution business must be lucrative in Italy! LOL  Soon after I hit the outskirts off Buenos Aires and thank god I had a GPS guiding me or else I would have never found Dakar Moto’s…a home for wayward overland bikers and their motorcycles. Being a Sunday there was nobody there…and it was only sheer luck that another rider, Gus, who was staying there wandered up and saw me sitting there on my bike and let me in. In addition to being a repair shop, Dakar Moto’s is also a small “hostel” that amounts to 2 bunk beds, a bathroom and a small kitchen in the back of the repair shop. Nothing fancy for sure, but who cares. The owners, Javier and his wife Sandra, also help with local info, logistics and they’ll store your bike as well if needed.

That night Gus and I had a few beers and swapped stories and lies from the road…

Day 224 – Puerto Madryn to Tornquist, Argentina

Day 224 – Puerto Madryn to Tornquist, Argentina      04/02/11      Mileage: 442

The morning air was noticeable warmer than it has been which is certainly due to my progress north. I broke camp and got back on the road and was also delighted that the wind was calm. Now I was able to whip up the pace and really make time on the arrow straight roads across the bland scenery.

Sleepy cat…

Half way through the day I was able to switch back to my summer riding gloves…which I like riding with much better and haven’t used in weeks. It was all business though getting north…hopping from YPF station to YPF station. I was still on the road at sunset which compelled me to stop for the first time today to take a picture.

There were also some small mountains off to the east which not only made for a good sunset picture…but also might offer a good stealth campsite. So I hung a right off the main road and headed up into the mountains.

 Sure enough I found a wooded picnic area that fit the bill and I even had a picnic table…luxury! Tomorrow, it’s on to Buenos Aires…and another one off the life-list…

Day 223 – Caleta Olivia to Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Day 223 – Caleta Olivia to Puerto Madryn, Argentina      04/01/11      Mileage: 352

The hotel let me put my bike in the lobby last night and while I had a good place out of the weather, I figured it’s also a good time to change my oil. So I went to work on the bike and the owner didn’t seem to mind and was asking me questions about the trip while I worked. That done I packed the bike and headed out of town. My rear tire was almost gone and I had to put the other that I’ve been carrying on. The owner of the hotel had told me about a good Honda dealer in the next town…so that’s where I was heading next. I found it easily but they literally closed the door in my face….? Damn siestas! They didn’t reopen until 3:30pm…3 hours from now…and I didn’t feel like waiting around that long. I went a few blocks back to tire repair shop and asked if they could swap the tire for me, which they could….sweet.

So I pulled the rear wheel off, and using the tire changing machine the mechanic had the tire swapped in 10 minutes. I’m embarrassed to say that it took me (even with Marshall’s help) over 90 minutes to swap the rear tire by hand back in Uyuni. So to me that is $7 well spent! Back on the gas the wind was not quite as strong as yesterday, but still gusting heavily in spots. Late in the afternoon the road turned more northeast which put the wind primarily at my back…making it much easier to ride. At sundown I started to look for a stealth campsite which I found 100 yards off the road by riding into the open range through a gap in the fence.

My stealth campsite near Puerto Madryn

Tomorrow it’s more of the same…and I hope the wind continues to get more manageable as I make my way north…

Day 222 – Rio Gallegos to Caleta Olivia, Argentina

Day 222 – Rio Gallegos to Caleta Olivia, Argentina      03/31/11      Mileage: 442

The wind…it blows…and by that I mean it sucks…big time. The famous westerly winds howl with a furry at the tip of South America…unimpeded on the east coast by nary a hill nor tree. The road of course runs north/south…making it the most unrelenting cross wind I have ever encountered and it’s hell to ride in. I spent the entire day wrestling the bike to keep it upright for hundreds of tiring miles. I didn’t even stop to take a picture…as the scenery was uninspiring and it would also just prolong the misery. YPF is the largest gas station chain in Argentina, and for me they have become a little oasis and refuge…someplace to fill my tank, my stomach and rest before venturing back into the gail force winds that have become my nemesis. In Caleta Olivia I called it quits and got a room for the night. Tomorrow I hope the winds are more favorable…

Token picture for today: Sunset over Caleta Olivia, Argentina

Day 217 – Ushuaia to Rio Grande, Argentina

Day 217 – Ushuaia to Rio Grande, Argentina       03/26/11       Mileage:  138

Beto, Tracy and I were all a little slow out of the gate this morning after last nights festivities. We chatted over breakfast about possible routes north, swapped tales from the road south and talked about other adventures someday to be realized. But soon it was time for me to go as the road north beckons…and after packing the bike and saying adios to Beto and Tracy, a pointed the KLR out of town.

The weather was great and I could see so much more of the amazing scenery than I could on the ride in. My plan was to only ride as far as Rio Grande, so I wasn’t in any rush and a savored each mile.

I passed two other KLR’s on the side of the road so I stopped to say hi. Derek and Collin had shipped their bikes to Santiago, Chile, rode down to Ushuaia and their plan is to ride them home to Canada.

Collin was in the process of fixing his 11th flat in about 2,000 miles….crazy! They have a blog as well: southandback.blogspot.com  I have been extremely lucky in that department…and that’s all I’m going to say lest I jinx myself! Back on the throttle it was a windy last 100 miles into Rio Grande where I worked on the blog, grabbed some dinner and called it a night. Tomorrow it’s back into Chile to head for the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine…which should be spectacular if the weather cooperates….

Day 216 – Ushuaia, AR

Day 216 – Ushuaia, Argentina      03/25/11       Mileage: 0

Ushuaia is a long way to go for a photograph, but like life, it’s all about the journey and not where you end up. For me it’s been an amazing journey on many levels and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity. The end, when it comes, will be bittersweet I’m sure. So after spending the morning updating the blog and returning emails, I walked around downtown Ushuaia and it really is quite a nice little town…a nice mix of local and tourist oriented businesses.

The weather is also surprisingly warm for being this far south and given it’s location on the water. Late in the afternoon Beto and Tracy (the couple I met in Machu Picchu and again in El Calafate) arrived at the hostal on their KTM 990. It was great to catch up with them and we celebrated our arrival in Ushuaia that night in an Irish pub in town. We had as many laughs as we did beers and Beto also had a celebratory fox hat that he was saving for the occasion…too funny!

Tomorrow, it’s back on the road, but this time it’s the road north…the road home…

Day 215 – Rio Grande to Ushuaia, Argentina

Day 215 – Rio Grande to Ushuaia, Argentina     03/24/11     Mileage: 171

It was raining when I got up this morning, but I only had a little over 2 hours worth of riding to get down to Ushuaia…so I waited for a break in the rain and then got on the road. The scenery was nice for the first hour but was really good the last 40 or so miles up and over a small mountain pass.

They even have this sign that tells you where to take the picture…though…that is one funny looking camera!

I would have stopped for more pictures, but I had this need to just get there! Once over the pass, it was a nice roll down a picturesque valley until the sign for Ushuaia came into view.

And that was it…7 months and 3 days after setting out from New Jersey, I was finally here in Ushuaia, the self proclaimed “Southernmost City in the World.” I’ve seen many pictures of it before, but the town is in a spectacular setting on the Beagle Channel surrounded by mountains…and is much nicer in person than in pictures….not at all what I expected.

And while Ushuaia might be the last town on the road south, the road itself, Ruta 3, continues another 20 kilometers into the Parque Nacional del Tierra del Fuego to the very end of the road….and after dropping my bag at the hotel,  that was my next stop. Just on the other side of town the road turned to dirt before arriving at the entrance to park.

The scenery was again much better than I expected and remember from the pictures. The trees were turning in the autumn weather and there was snow on the high peaks…it was spectacular.

Then, around a bend in the road the famous sign that I have seen in so many other pictures came into view…the literal end of the road south.

In English: 
Land of Fire National Park
Lapataia Bay
Republic of Argentina
Here is the end of National Route No. 3
Buenos Aires: 1,913 miles
Alaska: 11, 090 miles

If my eyesight was as good as Sarah Palin I might be able to see Antarctica.  😉  I took the requisite pictures, smoked a big cigar that Johnny O gave me before the trip and lingered for a bit to reflect and take it all in. Well, that was it…nothing left to do but point my trusty KLR north and head for home…

It’s official…

It’s official, I reached Ushuaia, Argentina earlier today….post for today coming soon….

-Lenny

Day 213 – El Calafate to Rio Gallegos, Argentina

Day 213 – El Calafate to Rio Gallegos, Argentina      03/22/11      Mileage: 209

I spent the morning updating the blog and doing some maintenance on the bike. The headlights and tail light were out due to a short in the wiring that was blowing the fuse…seems all the washboard dirt roads the last few days took their toll on the bike wiring. I couldn’t be bothered with tracing it down at the moment though….that could take hours to find. So I packed the bike and split without the lights…which I really won’t need unless I get caught out in the dark. On the way out of town I bumped into Beto and Tracy who I met at Machu Picchu back in Peru! It was great to see them again and we chatted for a bit. They were just pulling into town…so hopefully we’ll catch up again…perhaps in Ushuaia! Back on the gas it was all business down the pavement to Rio Gallegos…battling the west winds the whole way.

I decided to stop in Rio Gallegos and find a room with a good spot to work on the bike as finding that short could require taking a lot of the bike apart. After finding a room with parking out back, I unpacked and started looking for the short. The factory wiring to the headlight is pretty bomber and well protected running inside the main wiring harness from the fuse and battery to the front of the bike, so I started with tail light as it is much more exposed running under the rear fender. After 30 minutes of looking I found a short in the tail light wiring where the power lead and ground wires had rubbed through..but when I put another fuse in it popped as soon as turned the ignition on…crap. Two shorts…what are the odds…so I started looking at the headlight wiring. It’s mostly buried in the main wiring harness and it’s doubtful it shorted inside the harness and if it did it would be damn near impossible to find and fix without destroying the harness.

The leads to the headlights looked good so I tried another fuse just for giggles and it was fine…but then I noticed the low beam connector was not fully seated, and when I seated it the fuse popped. Huh…so I took out the headlight bulb and sure enough one of the posts in the bulb had bent and was touching the other post causing the short-circuit. Damn…I never saw a bulb fail that way…but I’m glad I found the second short and it only took about an hour total. It’s too late to get a new bulb now, so I’ll have to do that first thing tomorrow morning at the auto parts store. That done I scared up some dinner, worked on the blog and then called it a night…

Day 212 – La Herreria to El Calafate, Argentina

Day 212 – La Herreria to El Calafate, Argentina      03/21/11       Mileage: 293

The wind…it hounded me all night and was blowing so hard I can’t believe my tent is still in one piece…score one for Mountain Hardware. So while it did not cave the tent in, it did however fill the inside of it..and cover me with a fine powdery dirt that was able to get by the fine tent mesh. My sleeping bag, helmet…everything had a layer of dirt on it…and my boots were filled with it…just f–king grand. So with the wind still howling out of the west, I broke camp and continued south on Ruta 40. The road surface was loose gravel….which by itself can be slippery, but it’s fine. But when combined with a 40 mph cross wind…it royally sucks. The loose gravel offers little traction, so the wind essentially has it’s way with you, blowing you and the bike several feet left or right at will….whether that’s off the road, into an oncoming truck or into the 6-12 inch deep gravel berms that will throw you down in heap. This goes on for hour upon nerve racking hour of desolate road…and might be the only time on this entire trip where I actually would have preferred to be at work…that’s how much it sucked!

In the misery I wasn’t compelled to stop and take pictures…but I did take these two token shots….

The misery ended with the beginning of the pavement as the wind is then much more manageable. I rolled into and through El Calafate on my way to see the Perito Moreno Glacier….one of the first places I knew I wanted to see when planning this trip. It cost $25 to get in, but the sight before you does not disappoint.

To give you a sense of scale…look at the people at the bottom of the pictures…incredable!

The glacier was calving off into the lake and the sound of 5 story tall ice blocks tumbling into the water sounded like canons firing…it was unbelievable! I stood there and watched (and listened) in awe at what was one of the most amazing natural wonders I’ve ever seen. Afterwards I headed back to El Calafate and found a room, some dinner and a few beers. Tomorrow it’s back on the road south…