Date: 11/05
City: Rio Gallegos, Argentina
Kilometres ridden: 306
Cumulative kilometre: 43804
Street: One lane highway
Weather: sunny, cloudy, gusty/freezing
We didn’t hurry too much, since I was hoping for a bit more sunshine before we started. Around 11AM it got a bit warmer so we started. It was cloudy but calm at first but that changed after 50km, where we got very strong gusty winds. I found it strange to lean the bike to the right in a left corner. On our way we found a sign to a town called 28 de Noviembre, which is my birthday 😀
After just three hours we arrived in Rio Gallegos, without any problems. The plan for tomorrow is to make 700km with the two of us on one bike. The weather prediction is against us once more predicting very strong winds from the west, we will see.
Date: 12/05
City: Puerto San Julián, Argentina
Kilometres ridden: 360
Cumulative kilometre: 44164
Street: One lane highway
Weather: sunny, cloudy, gusty/freezing
We started before sunset. Yes we really managed it, though the sunrise is around 9AM, so plenty of time to get the bike ready. After a while the wind started to get stronger. A couple of kilometres before San Julián the sun disappeared behind clouds, the temperature dropped dramatically and the wind picked up a lot. When we arrived at the petrol station, Sigrid was shivering and I wasn’t warm either, so we decided to stop at the hotel behind the petrol station for the day.
We were sitting in a warm room and watched from the wind outside. That felt good! We had enough time to do some planning for Buenos Aires, organise appointments at the US Embassy, arrange for Sigrid’s bike transfer and plan when we would travel to the Iguazu falls. It was a really nice afternoon.
Date: 13/05 – 16/05
City: Comodoro Rivadavia , Puerto Madryn, Rio Colorado, Saladillo, Argentina
Kilometers ridden: 2087
Cumulative kilometer: 46251
Street: One lane highway
Weather: sunny, cloudy, gusty/freezing
The next 2000 km were mostly done in a freezing, windy environment. Below are some pictures we made during the next four days. One morning we had +3 degrees when we started and as a result we could see rime on the side of the road, so I took it a bit easier just in case.
To be prepared we put on a lot of clothing. Below are all the layers that I put on. Come to think of it, the rain trousers are missing on the picture.
After putting all the gear on, I had to leave the hotel room rather quickly, otherwise I would be drowning in my own sweat in no time. We couldn’t have made the way to Buenos Aires as easily as we did without our Gerbings jackets and gloves. They kept us cosy warm even in the stong cold winds.
in Puerto Madryn we had our first accommodation without an appropriate heater, but we noticed it too late, so we were sitting rugged up with a tiny electric heater.
In this hostel we met a guy from Buenos Aires. He travels around the country and sharpes knifes and scissors using his Bicycle and he gave us a demonstration.
In Rio Colorado we found the entrance of the city intresting, we couldn’t figure out why they had the boar as a city symbol.
We also realised that we are traveling further south. We now had two hours more daylight than we had in Ushuaia. The advantage of Sigrid riding as a pillion is that she can take pictures while riding.
So she could take a picture of the first trees that we saw on the side of the road in weeks.
On our last day we arrived in Saladillo, only 180km from Buenos Aires. We went much further than we thought that day, nearly 700km two up, but it is easy when the days are longer. Tomorrow, we will arrive in Buenos Aires and it is Sigrid’s birthday, too! Important events during our journey! Buenos Aires is our last city in South America; from here we plan to ship our bikes back to the US and we will have our second attempt to get to Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. In the evening we were looking back at our journey, there was so much happening. Thinking about it made us excited but also a bit sad. We have nearly finished our South American bit of the trip. But there is not much travellers sorrow that you can’t overcome with a good meal and a nice glass of wine 😀
You guys are troopers. Dell and I have stayed enthused because of your journey. It’s a bitter sweet feeling to have the South America journey end but at least you gave another. Life after an amazing adventure like this just seems so mundane. Safe travels.
Happy Birthday Sigrid 🙂
Guess what, this blog of yours reminded me of the knife sharpeners in Delhi (when I was still studying in school) – yep we used to have those too, they ferry your street riding on the bike, and shouting for attention – get your knives/scissors sharpened, and we used to hurry down the street, before he disappeared down into another street 😀
he he 🙂
Good luck guys, waiting for your safe arrival. Love Muchos 😉
Hi Dear Friends, you are our heroes. amazing trip – where are you now?