The last few days we've been making our South, the main ever present factor has been the rain and constant wind, of course the wind and Patagonia go together and it makes motorcycling across this vast wilderness tiring. Normally long distances on straight roads give you time to contemplate the meaning of life but here I'm just contemplating how to keep the bike upright every time a truck comes the other way or when passing a truck. Yesterday we tried to go into Monte Leon national park to see penguins but it was closed due to the rain making the roads impassable. We tried to get into a hostel in the park and in doing so ended up riding through mud, not good, Metzler Tourances may be fine for the odd puddle in Tesco car park but not for Mud (or sand...or gravel) anyway we got turned away from the hostel (not sure exactly why) and we ended up riding back 25 miles to find a campsite. Luckily they had cabanas (Camping huts) so we at least got a heat up after our day of rain , wind and mud. The temperature has really dropped now, just like riding in Scotland really, heated jackets and grips on most of the time. Now we are in Rio Gallegos which is the stepping off point to head over the Chilean border and to get the ferry to Tierra Del Fuego. We'll be here for a couple of days (in a hotel....I know , we are wimps) before the run over to the most southern city in the world.
Thanks for all the comments, at least it lets me know I'm not just speaking to myself (although I do that sometimes!!)
Mud glorious mud!
Working late at the office
Penguins get a few days off from the boring tourists!
Patagonia, wide open desolate and straight roads, Rannoch moor x 100000
Aye Fiona & Gino,
ReplyDeleteNot much different from here then. In fact its probably drier with you! Started hammering it down @ 19:00 and forecast to be a succesion of fronts, bringing rain and gale force easterly winds until Monday 24th at least (50mm - 150mm rain)! That mud is really sticky and because of the geology the water dosen't always drain away quickly. The Park are probably trying to keep the wee tour buses out and to preserve the road, as it'll cut up. Those 'big sky' shots brought back some good memories. How are the pisco sours going? If you get a chance to go to the Punta Arenas rugby club for a bite, take it, the steak and spatchcock lamb from the open fire are tasty with a chile salad.
Go canny and you'll have a chance of the penguins if you go across from Punta Delgada. The boats just a big version of the Corran Ferry, onto a ramp if your lucky or up the beach if you're no! :¬O
Buen viaje, Bill.
Sounds like hard work for you guys but as long as the both of you are still having fun. Everybody good and healthy here (if you can call granny that!!! Ha Ha!!!!). Lucy very excited for the big man coming next week, we are on a sleep count down!!! Take care, love to you both. Nicola xxxx
ReplyDeleteHi Nicola, a hard day on the bike is still better than an easy day in the office! Not hard today, holed up in a nice hotel, back on the road tomorrow for the difficult bit to Tierra Del Fuego (2 Border crossings, a ferry and 100 miles of gravel roads) so we'll not bother with the 2 bottles of wine tonight!! xxxx
DeleteCheers for the info Bill, much appreciated, sunny but cold today
ReplyDeleteAye Fiona & Gino,
DeleteDelighted to read that you have the sun. ;¬)
Must have had getting on for 50mm rain today and still no respite. Fire brigade out to pump water off the A9 between Dunkeld & Ballinluig, A83 St. Fillans to Lochearnhead shut by a mudslide, Newburgh to Abernethy shut due to flooding, as is the Scotlandwell to Milnathort! Will let you know when Perth gets flushed away. Phew! Revel in the Polar light! ;¬)
Buen viaje, Bill.
I get cold just reading this! It is supposed to be summer down there, right? I can't imagine the winters. well, some day you'll look back on all this and say to yourself "why did we take that around the western hemisphere in 180 days trip?" doesn't sound like the good weather and food!
ReplyDeleteDon its only 600 miles from Antartica here so it has to be cold, seemingly -25 C in the winter! Mind you it makes it feel like Christmas
DeleteIt's refreshing to know that your Hemisphere offers no better for what passes for summer than here. You will be relieved to know that it's pissing down in Perth for the 3rd day running, to the extent that a long dormant spring has erupted at our back door, and there's a small river running under the floor. On the plus side, that'll be all the salt washed off the roads, so might get a bike out tomorrow. I take it the world didn't end where you are either, even though you're closer (in longitude terms) to the Mayans than we are?
ReplyDeleteWatch out for Antarcticlaus at Christmas; for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, and she is one bad Mutha, who will steal all your stuff to dole out to worthless chavs in the North... ;-)
Thanks for the advice Jake, we've nothing worth stealing anyway (our clothes bag is a good deterrent!)
ReplyDelete