tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993Sun, 01 Sep 2024 22:57:13 +0000https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (T2)Blogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6306749434821158782Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:33:00 +00002019-11-06T12:33:21.014-05:00 So to the last  post on my South American travelogue. Again thanks for following along or taking time out to flick through the blog. My life for 22 weeks on the road, ..it is surprising how little you need. I was still carrying what I didn't use, ever, a tent for example. But it gave me peace of mind that I could shelter if I broke down in the boonies....solo rider neurosis perhaps. https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/11/home-el-burro-inbound.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-3008750981307956405Sat, 02 Nov 2019 20:16:00 +00002019-11-03T04:16:16.870-05:00The forecast changed on Friday, no storms in Buenos Aires (BA). The journey to Chivilcoy was uneventful arriving at about 1.00pm after an early start. BA is only another couple of hours, I kept going. The weather was not the only motivator. On the evening of the day of pain and pleasure I had an additional dose of pain that I did not report on in the last post, not wishing to create (more) https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/11/on-cusp-of-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6693678426362970273Thu, 31 Oct 2019 20:08:00 +00002019-11-03T04:22:13.773-05:00 On a long multi-day adventure ride there are days that offer pain and pleasure. Tuesday was one of those days, though there was more pain than pleasure. You just have to keep faith that things will work themselves out. It was bucketing down on Tuesday morning, cold too, at just over 35F at 7.45 when I bailed out of the hostel. With a return home beckoning I just suited up and left. It is 25 https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/pain-and-pleasure-not-in-equal-measure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-9121016741264906356Tue, 29 Oct 2019 01:05:00 +00002019-10-30T18:50:24.409-04:00 The area around Puerto Montt and Chiloe Island is the center of the salmon farming industry in Chile. If you have ever purchased or eaten salmon from Chile it likely came from these parts.  On exiting the ferry, I followed the coast via Calbuco to catch the ferry to Chiloe Island. Not the shortest or fastest route to Chiloe, but nicer than the motorway. So despite the rain I pressed on https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/salmon-and-volcanoes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6055027606028058814Sun, 27 Oct 2019 12:18:00 +00002019-10-30T18:57:24.226-04:00 On Tuesday afternoon I wandered down to the port to check the Navimag ferry, Evangelistas, had arrived before returning to the Xalpen hostel to pick up my gear and moto to drop off at the vehicle staging area in the port. Here she is, full board and home for 4 nights. First passing the port to make a turn to orientate properly, then to reverse into the dock, ramp being lowered. Back in https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/navimaging-chilean-fjords.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-5189767313040596420Tue, 22 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-10-27T07:39:53.337-04:00 Friday, I made a 6.30 start leaving Ushuaia for the nearly 400 mile trek to Punta Arenas. Nice day and not too chilly given the early start. Things were going well, made Rio Grande about 1/3 of the way just after 9 and slipped in the YPF station outside of town to refuel.  I hadn't noticed the wind until I got off the bike. The gas station is on a rise and it was blowing some and as I https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/puerto-natales-and-torres-del-paine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-7637396891594277728Fri, 18 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-10-18T21:55:10.742-04:00Rio Gallegos to Rio Grande is quite a dull ride, broken up by two border crossings with a 120 mile leg in Chile, including a ferry crossing of the Straits of Magellan. The usual 20 minute water journey took longer than expected as we had to stand off the landing ramp on Tierra del Fuego (TdF) for the other ferry to load and depart. It gave me a chance to chat to a couple from Plymouth, on the https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/ushuaia-and-end-of-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-4656151133545485392Wed, 16 Oct 2019 10:06:00 +00002019-10-17T09:30:58.694-04:00 Rio Gallegos was my base for a 160 mile in and out trip to see Magellan Penguins, on my to do list while in Patagonia. Cape Virgenes is host to a very large colony, over 100,000 of them apparently. The cape is also the southern most tip of mainland Argentina, Tierra del Fuego being an island. It was an enjoyable visit but it came at a price.  The 140 miles of very rough unmade road https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/penguins-and-broken-bolts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-1697749774165770630Tue, 15 Oct 2019 01:50:00 +00002019-10-15T19:28:07.001-04:00 Figuratively and literally today was one for the birds. Hostal Shilling was a comfortable place to stay my two nights in El Calafate. Very amiable and knowledgeable staff made 'just another hostel stay' memorable. A sunny start at 9.30am for the 190 mile trip over the Patagonian steppe, was to become a long cool ride on a southerly heading, leaning sideways into a very keen westerly wind. I https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/rio-gallegos-day-for-birds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6392603743198145260Sun, 13 Oct 2019 04:15:00 +00002019-10-14T21:55:26.429-04:00 Ten years of winter riding in the New York City Tristate area prepared me for the 23 Fahrenheit, 7am departure from Gobernador Gregores. Two days stationary was enough, I was ready to ride. The early start was an attempt to beat the winds while riding the 50 mile section of ripio (unmade stone & gravel road) on Ruta 40. An early start, with the sun low in the sky and heading due west, https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/el-calafate-and-glaciers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-4710900731327454139Fri, 11 Oct 2019 04:30:00 +00002019-10-11T00:30:08.368-04:00 220 miles of Patagonian wilderness separate Perito Moreno from Gobernador Gregores, with one small outpost along the way at Bajo Caracoles. Cool temperatures and a gusty breeze greeted my departure. A leaden sky held court for the first half of the journey, a classic backdrop to capture images of the distant snow-covered southern Andes. The wilderness is home to a variety of https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/moody-patagonia_11.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-4870788282298450838Thu, 10 Oct 2019 04:30:00 +00002019-10-10T10:14:10.509-04:00 The videos capture the ride on Monday from Rio Tranquilo, Chile to Perito Moreno, Argentina. The first couple of  takes are on the Carretera Austral, which I said good bye to for this trip, before turning onto Ruta Provincial (RP) 265 towards the border. It turned out to be 70 miles of some of the best road and scenery of the trip, though heading east the sun washed out some of the color onhttps://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/chile-rp265-to-argentina.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-745502954126808491Tue, 08 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-10-09T14:30:32.157-04:00 The video was taken on the road after leaving Argentina for Chile. The first couple of takes are from the border to the Carratera Austral, the rest is from the Carratera on the way to Puyuhuapi and onward to Coyhaique, the biggest town in this part of Chile. Once in a while I don't feel like getting on the bike. Sunday was one of those days. The rain showed up in Coyhaique as forecast, https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/carratera-austral-lakes-rain-forest-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6852783139052621607Sat, 05 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-10-05T01:00:06.677-04:00 The other bucket list road in these parts lies in Chile, the Carratera Austral. Only a quarter of the length of Ruta 40 it cuts north to south through some of the wildest parts of Chile. construction was commenced under the military dictator General Pinochet. The northern end starts at Puerto Montt in Chile, which lies due west of Bariloche. The first several hundred kilometers of the https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/carratera-austral-chile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-907842135466105338Thu, 03 Oct 2019 12:46:00 +00002019-10-03T08:46:18.258-04:00 The weather forecast for Wednesday was good, no wind and lots of sun and so it proved. Having missed out on Ruta 40 to the north on Monday because of the snow I decided to take advantage of a nice spring day and take a loop ride of 150 miles, including a section of the areas 'Seven Lakes Tour' along Ruta 40. I retraced my path north on RN237 for about 30 miles before turning west on provincial https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/seven-lakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-7638738875942968224Wed, 02 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-10-02T08:51:20.124-04:00 Ruta 40 is a road of mythical proportions in Argentina, much like Route 66 in America. Route 66 runs east to west, Ruta 40 runs north to south, pretty much the entire length of Argentina. It is a bucket list road in adventure rider circles.  Ruta 40 runs for over 5,100km (~3,200 miles), I joined it with about 2,250km left to run. RN237 is the direct route from Neuquén to San Carlos dehttps://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/10/ruta-40-first-taste.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-8812304254769215735Mon, 30 Sep 2019 01:09:00 +00002019-09-30T05:37:19.597-04:00 Two days and 725 miles from Zarate but the Pampas is not done with me yet. Tomorrow the Andes will come back into view after another 200 miles or so of flat roads, scrub and grassland. Yes, for sure the Andes are far more dramatic than the Pampas, but it is not without interest. But first, Brits might find the photo below of interest, sighted while wandering around Zarate...would have thunk https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/09/crossing-pampas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-1318691801497180275Sat, 28 Sep 2019 01:56:00 +00002019-09-27T21:57:41.604-04:00The first day of riding and 300 plus miles under my belt has helped wash away the blues that lingered after leaving the family and comforts of Richmond behind. Hot sunny weather in Richmond was matched by the same conditions on arrival in Montevideo, though this shot of early spring heat is about to take a 20-30F drop in the next day or two, but it looks to be mostly dry. United Airlines with a https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-final-leg.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-4728202970083453713Fri, 14 Jun 2019 23:09:00 +00002019-06-14T19:09:05.718-04:00 Part two of this journey is drawing to a close. El Burro is in hibernation in Montevideo for the next 3½ months, a guest of Willi's Moto's, the go to place for South American adventure riders. Across the River Plate (Rio de Plata) lies the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina where this post is being typed. Ferries connect the two cities, a high speed (and expensive) catamaran connects the cities https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/06/two-capital-cities-one-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-4171007015536893806Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:20:00 +00002019-06-12T07:46:23.001-04:00You might ask what Uruguay, Fray Bentos and OXO have in common, (especially, perhaps only, if you are a Brit)? It is a story I found quite interesting. But first a little about the journey to Uruguay. Northeast Argentina is quite narrow, a peninsular between Paraguay and Brazil. On the western side of the peninsular is national route (RN) 12, on the central/eastern side is RN14; a few roads https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/06/uruguay-fray-bentos-and-oxo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-2635337355887353833Thu, 06 Jun 2019 22:58:00 +00002019-06-06T18:58:12.268-04:00 The central theme of this post is water. The journey to Puerto Iguazu commenced by crossing the international bridge over the Rio Parana from Paraguay to Argentina. Border formalities were completed quickly on exiting Paraguay. Things were slower on the Argentinian side, I joined the line of motorcycles waiting at the dedicated immigration booth for two-wheelers.  There is a lot of https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/06/argentina-puerto-iguazu-and-falls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-488414587083152083Tue, 04 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +00002019-06-18T07:24:30.030-04:00Asunción has three distinct areas, the old city where the government offices are, the old Mercado area and the new commercial center, The Premier Hill hotel is near the old center which is where I sent my time. If all of the old buildings had received the same attention as the one below it would be a stunning city. Sadly there is more decay than renewal. There is a nice promenade along https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/06/asucion-paraguay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-6682869407227781204Mon, 03 Jun 2019 04:30:00 +00002019-06-03T00:30:01.565-04:00 Adding to the last post, the journey to Salta from Jujuy follows Ruta Nacional 9 a narrow road that winds its way through the hills and valleys south of Jujuy, an area that was clearly a summer retreat from the heat, humidity and mosquitoes of the flat lands, the Chaco. My expectations of Salta were raised by the write up in Lonely Planet, though it disappointed. Outside of the main square the https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/06/salta-chaco-and-into-paraguay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-2468341362874199867Thu, 30 May 2019 04:30:00 +00002019-06-18T07:28:34.637-04:00 The Paso de Jama is the northernmost border connecting Chile to Argentina, it is also the highest altitude (legal) border crossing on the globe. The towns closest to the border, San Pedro de Atacama in Chile and Susques in Argentina, are separated by 165 miles of wilderness. The only habitation between them is at the border station, 103 miles from San Pedro and 3 miles inside Argentina. Chile https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/05/argentina-on-second-try.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3792234157488967993.post-1828005143888442496Mon, 27 May 2019 04:30:00 +00002019-05-27T07:16:52.565-04:00 Three days in the Atacama desert region began with the ride southwest to Antofagasta, a port and resort town. The journey was broken up with a visit to a railway museum in Baquedano. The museum is not curated and is tricky to find. A fascinating hour was spent wandering around a substantial steam locomotive depot, with several old locos still at shed. It was as if one day it was decided just to https://gosoutht2.blogspot.com/2019/05/three-days-in-atacama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T2)1