Day 58

Today was a nice relatively easy day. I only had 45 km and 500 vertical meters to go to Humahuaca. I made it there in about 3 hours. There was little wind today, which made things much easier than yesterday. I started to feel the altitude today for the first time. I am at about 10,000 ft. now and still have another 2,500 ft. To climb. I found Humahuaca to be a little touristy with lots of little stands selling trinkets and stuff. However, the prices are still reasonable. I found a hostel a few blocks from the central square for $8 a night. I then settled in and explored the city a little. Later in the evening I found a coffee shop with wi-fi and hung out there for the rest of the evening surfing the net and listening to pan flute covers of US pop songs. It would have been a nice evening if it had ended there, but unfortunately it did not. I got food poisoning from some empanadas I had for dinner, and I was sick as a dog all night. I barely slept. Good thing I was planning to take the next day off anyway to watch the Argentina soccer match.

Day 57

Today was a crazy day. I climbed 4000 ft. with a strong headwind. At times I was only going 4 mph. This lasted for about 3.5 hours. Then I reached a more gradual climb and maintained that to Tilcara. To top things off, my chain broke on the climb. I tried to repair it but it kept on breaking. I eventually replaced the chain with a spare and the problem was solved. The scenery was great the whole day, lots of colorful rock formations and a stream that went along the valley the whole way. When I arrived in Tilcara and found a nice hostel with Internet and cable tv. I just hung out on a couch the rest of the evening, occationally going out to play with the hostel owner's dog.

Day 56

Today was beautiful, light breeze, no clouds, in the 70's. I made my way further up the valley for about 75 km. It was a really gradual climb, hardly noticable. The one bad thing today was that the road turned into a highway where bikes were not permitted. I went on the highway anyway and just biked in the gravel on the side of the road. This lasted about 25 km. When I arrived in Jujuy I was feeling very good and decided to push on to a small town called Yala about 20 km more. This was a great call. I found a cool hostel filled with young people from Argentina, Colombia, France, Italy, and Belgium. It was comfortable and only about $6 a night. They were painting the building when I arrived, and a girl with red paint put a dot in my forehead like an Indian. There was another biker staying there. He was traveling from Colombia to Ushuaia. We chatted about our trips. The whole hostel ate together family style.

Day 55

I had nice 120 km ride today to J.V. Gonzalez. Since it is Sunday there was very little traffic. This turned out to be very useful as the condition of the road was pretty bad. I biked down the left side of the road most of the time so I could weave through all the pot holes and cracks. I had a great tail wind for the last hour and a half and arrived after a little less than 5 hours of biking. I found a little hotel at the edge of town and headed out to a bar to watch the Argentina world cup game. I have barely drank any alcohol this entire trip, so even a small beer makes me feel like a light weight. I can see the Andes Mountains on the horizon now. Tomorrow I will begin to cross them. After 7 weeks of biking I am ready.

Day 54

My knee still hurt a little this morning when I woke up so I decided to do a half day ride. I made it to Taco Pozo by around 11. The next town with a hotel was another 120 km and I knew I would be in some serious pain if I went for it. Taco Pozo is a nice little town with a few paved roads. It seems to be bicycle central. The people around here are too poor to afford a car so they bike instead. I saw 3 bike shops within a few blocks of my $12 a night hotel. I also found out that they do not have electricity here from 8 am until 2 pm due to fuel shortages. The US was eliminated from the world cup today and people were in the street immediately afterwards cheering for Ghana. I suddenly feel like I am in a hostile place.

Day 53

Today was a long day to Monte Quemado. I went 193 km in a little over 8 hours. It rained today, but not too bad. It started and stopped a few times. There was little traffic on the road and a several times there were no cars in either direction as far as I could see. The road is incredibly straight around here, not even the slightest change for 50 km at a time. I saw a few people on the side of the road today and on a few occations they yelled out "yeeewww!". This is like whistling loudly or yelling "yeehaa!" in the US and is really common around here. For long stretches of road it was like biking down a tunnel. There were 10 ft. high shrubs like a wall in either side of the road. It came right up to the side of the road, no band of grass or anything.

Today was really interesting in the wildlife department. I saw a dead ant eater in the side of the road. Later on I saw a dead cow covered by about 50 vultures. I saw some ferral sheep today as well. They looked so funny, covered from head to toe a thick blanket of burrs tangled in their fur. However the most interesting animals saw today were a couple of wild boars. I had stopped for some water and I looked up the road and saw a large black animal. I biked towards it and eventually realized what it was. It was maybe 400 lbs. and had little tusks. I stopped to take a picture while I was a few hundred feet away. Boars can be dangerous so I tried to be careful. After a picture I biked towards the boar while yelling loudly to try and scare it off, but it didn't work. I quickly bike by it passing within about 20 ft. of it.

After arriving at my destination I got settled in my hotel and then were out for some dinner. I ended up picking up a pizza, and while I waited for it to cook I started to chat it up with some two cute gypses. They lived in a tent at the edge of town they told me. When I asked them what they did for a living, they said that the job of all gypse women was to bring luck. I love that answer! When my food was ready they wished me good luck on my trip.

My right knee is acting up a bit. I took some ibuprofen and that helped. This has happened a few times after my longer days.

Day 52

I slept very poorly last night and only got about 3 hours of sleep. I went to bed at 9 but woke up at midnight and just rolled around in bed for the next 7 hours. After that I didn't feel up for a day of biking, so I decided to stay one for day and try to actually get some rest. I eventually got to sleep and was in bed until 1 in the afternoon. I went for a little walk around the city but there was not too much to see or do here. I will try to make it to monte quemado again tomorrow.

Day 51

I had a bit of a rough day today. I hit a wall, figeratively speaking, at about 3 hours and just felt drained of energy. I don't think I ate enough last night to fully recover from yesterday. There was also a steady headwind today. I decided to call it a day after 85 km in pampa del infierno, which roughly translates as fields of hell. I found a diner and started to feel better after I had a big meal. The lack of scenery makes biking really boring. On both sides of the road there is a band if tall grass behind which is a dense shrub forest. It is like I am practically biking through a tunnel. Tomorrow I will try to make up some distance I missed out on today and try to make it to monte quemado, about 200 km away. All the cities around this part of the country have really scary names. Monte quemado translates as burnt mountain, and to get there I pass through rio muerte, which translates as dead river...wonderful.

Day 50

I got back on the road this morning and had a nice, fast, uneventful ride. I went 186 km. I hit 100 miles after just 6 hours of riding. I even made it to my destination in time for the argentina world cup game today. The city looked abandoned as I road in. Everyone was inside watching the game. I found a hotel near the city center and just relaxed, ate tangerines, and watched the game. Every time Argentina scored I heard yells everywhere, dogs barking, and fireworks. After the game the city just turned into a block party, dancing in the street, fireworks, horns, drums, cheering students. If Argentina ends up winning the world cup this country is going to expload, and I am going to be here to see it...awesome!

Days 48-49

I hung out with my family for the last 2 days. Not a whole lot going on in the city. I went on a few walks but otherwise rested my legs.

Day 47

I made my way to resistencia today. It was a nice and easy day. I biked through corrientes on my way there and got a lot of stares from people. A few other people on bikes asked where I was coming from. I had gone through corrientes dozens of times, but always by bus, never actually stopping to see the city, so I got my chance today. I went over a huge bridge which crosses the rio parana. Fortunately this time there was a small sidewalk wide enough for a bike. I crossed without any problem and stopped in the middle to take a few pictures. I arrived around 11 am and surprised everyone in resistencia. I made my rounds to all my family's homes the rest of the day and had dinner at my coudin's house. I also got to see my five year old goddaughter, Dana. She made a watercolor painting of a butterfly for me.

Day 45: Rest day in Mercedes

Today was a rest day in Mercedes with my family. My uncle and cousin watched the Argentia world cup game with me this morning and then I went on a bunch of errands with my uncle. We stopped at his various businesses around the city and then went out to his ranch to visit with a gaucho that works for him and check on the animals. There were baby lambs everywhere, not more than a few days old. Very cute. Later we stopped by a bike shop to get my spoke repaired and have a general tune up. The guy did a terrific job and cleaned every inch of my bike. I had lunch with my uncle and aunt and then. A few more of my cousins stopped by the house later in the day. I have 4 cousins here and they have 12 children all together, so there were little kids running around all day.

Day 44

Today I arrived in Mercedes after 190 km. There were some ups and downs today. In the morning I saw a dog killed by a truck right in front of my eyes. The dog was chasing after me and just as it crossed the road a truck came by and ran it over. I can still hear that sickening thump. I thought about it all day...horrible. It rained a bit in the morning and sides of the road where I normally ride were in pretty muddy. I tried riding in the middle of the opposite side of the road and going off the road when a car came by. Eventually the conditions improved and I returned to riding like normal. Later I stopped at a fruit stand by the road to pick up a few tangerines. I started to chat with the old man at the stand about my trip, where I had been, where I was going. The next thing I know he put a dozen tangerines in a bag for me and gave them to me for free. I tried to pay but he wouldn't have it. They were some of the best fruit I have ever tasted. He said they had been picked that morning. I ate one or two tangerines every hour for the rest of the day. The rest of the day wasn't too eventful, just making my way. I went through a toll plaza at one point. I normally just bike right through because I don't have a vehicle per se. However this time as I went by I heard someone yelling. I was ready for the police to stop me down the road but nothing happened. I biked until sundown and ended my day on the road about 30 km from Mercedes. The road was pretty empty. I saw 1 car or truck every 5 minutes or so. It was nice and peaceful biking through rolling hills by myself as the sun went down. I gave my uncle a call and he and my cousin came by and took me the rest of the way.

Day 43: Uraguay

Today started out well. It was really foggy so I took out my headlamp, set it to strobe and strapped it to the back of my bike so drivers could see me. I made good time, arriving in Concordia by 10 am. I biked towards the river to cross into uraguay and asked where the bridge was. I found out from a couple of guys waiting at a bus stop that the the closest bridge was 40 km away and the only way across the river in the city was a ferry. As a consolation they offered me some blood sausage they were eating. Only in Argentina do you ask for directions and get offered blood sausage. Unfortunately the ferry left every 2 hours so I was stuck until noon, I asked the boarder guard if he could just renew my visa without crossing over, but he could not. I sat around for an hour waiting for the boat to take me the quarter mile across the river. I honestly could have swam across the river in all the time I waited. The boat took 15 minutes to cross. I went through immigrations and then had another 2 hours to wait for the return ferry. I road my bike around a little and found an empanadas store for lunch. They did not accept argentine currency, so I had to change some money for lunch. The prices were comprable to Argentina. It turns out it was a good thing I changed money because the ticket for the return ferry was only sold in uraguayan currency. I made it back to Argentina by around 3, having spent about 4 hours on my detour to uraguay. I decided to make a try for chajari. I was rested after my trip to uraguay and was holding about 25 kph, but I had 77 km to go. I bit off a little more than I could chew and decided to stop just before the sun came down about 20 km from the chajari. I was fortunate to find s hotel right by the highway. It was s little pricey, relatively speaking, but I had no other options besides my tent. Tomorrow I will try to make it to Mercedes and visit my family there for a few days.

Day 42

Today was an unlucky day. 8 minutes into my ride I broke a spoke. I was not going to waste an hour fixing it so I quickly adjusted my other spokes and kept going. I had a strong head wind the whole day, about 20 mph. I was having flashbacks of the wind in Patagonia. Then it started to rain about 2 hours into the day and continued to sprinkle all day. There was some road work going on as well so I had to go through a few detours. I was exhausted and did not make it to my goal of Concordia. I stopped about 50 km away after 6 hours of hard riding. Tomorrow my goal is to make it to Chajari, about 120 km away. I also need to take a detour and cross into Uraguay and return to Argentina to renew my visa, which only lasts 90 days. I am looking forward to tomorrow, which is supposed to have better conditions.

Day 41

I slept in today until noon after a late night out with new friends. The weather forcasts were wrong and it turned out to be a nice rain free day. It is a little frustrating to miss a nice sunny day to make some more progress, but better dry than sorry. Later in the afternoon I went for a walk.  I was looking for a fruit stand, but as it was Sunday nothing was open.  I just kept walking around and exploring the city.  I eventually came to a waterfront.  I sat down by a pier, hung my feet out over the water and watched some fishermen catch nothing. I saw about a dozen splashes in the water as I sat, so the fish were there. There was one fisherman out in the middle of the river in a canoe.

Day 40

This morning I left Gualeguaychu bound for San Jose. About 1 hour into the ride it started to rain and progressed to a down pour as the day went on. After 3 hours I decided to call it a day early. I was soaked and covered in mud kicked up from my wheels and trucks driving by. I only made it about 70 km, my goal wast to go 100. I found a hotel in Concepcion de Uraguay and was able to catch the second half of Argentina´s first world cup match (we won). The road had a nice wide shoulder most of the way. There was also a portion of newly paved but unopened road next to the highway that I road on for about 10 km. As I went by some construction workers working on the road they all started to cheer. The must have thought I was crazy biking in the middle of down pour.

Later on that night I was chatting with the son of the hotel owner and he invited me to go out with some friends for dinner. I decided go out and have some fun on a Saturday night. We met up with some members of a field hockey team he was a member of and had a 3 hour parilla dinner. It was a nice night. After dinner they invited me to go out for some more drinks and dancing but I was pretty tired so headed back to the hotel. It was 2 am by the time I got back and went to bed. I checked the weather forcast before going to bed and it was for more rain. I did not feel like biking while soaking wet again and I would be biking on about 5 hours of sleep, so I decided to take a day off and relax and avoid the rain.

Day 39

I decided to stay one more day at my cousin´s place and hang out with him. Part of this trip is about visiting family too. We watched the world cup and ate lunch and dinner together. Good times.

Day 38: Back on the road

I got back on the road again today. My aunt took me to the edge of buenos aires and sent me off. It was a nice day and I got in about 145 km. I definately notice the difference after resting for 3 days. I had great endurance, though my hamstrings were a little tight for the first hour or two. I crossed a flood plane and there were little lakes and streams everywhere. I also went across the rio parana. The bridge was enourmos, maybe 5 km long. There was no bike lane and barely a walk way. For about 2 km I tried biking on the walk way, but it was only about 3 feet across. I had trouble keeping my balance threading that needle. The 100 foot drop off to the water below didn't help either. One of my bags hit a guard rail and got caught, breaking the plastic clips which attach it to my bike. This was a very serious problem. I ended up securing my bag to my bike with a bungee cord and walked the rest of the way across the bridge. Once over I spent an hour replacing the broken plastic clips with others I removed from another part of my bag. It worked and I made it to gualeguaychu about 5 hours later. I met up with a cousin of mine who lives in the city and stayed at him place for the night.

Days 35-37

I spent three days in buenos aires resting and visiting my family. It was a nice break from life on the road. I also had a chance to leave some of my gear I didn't need, which lightenned my load a bit. I got stocked up on food in china town, buying about 5 pounds of nuts and dried fruit to eat on the road. After 3 days I was ready to start again, any longer and I might have lost my motivation for the trip.

Day 34: Arrived in Buenos Aires

Today was a tough day. I went 140 km and had a head wind most of the day. The wind got stronger as I got weaker. I went through a swamp which smelled pretty bad. There was no escaping the smell, it was in every breath I took. I started the day off strong but hit a wall at about 4 hours. I don't think I ate enough last night for all the exercise I did today. I went through a town today and there were people cooking asado along the street. It was too early to stop for food, and I couldn't make it to buenos aires if I stopped for lunch anyway, so I took a quick pictured and kept going. My stomach was really grumbling after that.

I stopped in a buenos aires suburb and gave my cousin who lives nearby a call. He came by and gave me a ride to his house. We had a nice time that night, catching up while making pizza and drinking home brewed beer.

I made it to buenos aires finally. The last week has been intense, averaging about 150 km per day. I will stay here a few days and rest. I need it!

Day 33: Mechanical problems

I had a nice ride today but I had to stop about 50 km early after 2 of my spokes broke. I was on the road for about 5 hours when I heard the clang of death as the spoke broke. I adjusted the surrounding spokes to relieve the extra tension, but 20 km later another one went. I stopped at the next town and found a small bike shop. They fixed the spokes but didn't do a good job as the wheel still isn't running exactly true. I am having my bike overhauled in buenos aires so I just want to make sure I can make it to there at least.

The town I stayed at is Cachari and there is only 1 paved road. There were no internet cafes, but I found an unsecured wi-fi zone after going for a walk. I found a small restraurant/hotel at the edge of town. There was no heat, but the room had lots of blankets. The hotel had a courtyard inside with, dogs, cats, and chickens. A little ghetto, but worth the $7 I paid.

Day 32

Today was another long day. I am trying to get to Buenos Aires as quick as I can so I have a few 100 mile days in a row. I got in 185 km and arrived in Olavarria around 5. It was a nice ride, a little on the long side though at around 8.5 hours. I almost ran out of water near the end of the day. I am feeling pretty strong and am in much better shape than when I began the trip. The road was really flat the whole day and I had a little tail wind.

I saw the aftermath of an accident today. A truck carrying what appeared to be salt tipped over and spilled all over the road. The road was closed by police but I went past them to see if I could get through on my bike. I was able to get by after asking a fireman if it was safe to pass. There were a few ambulances on the scene too.

My cell phone was stolen today. I left it at an internet cafe and came back littlerally 2 minutes later and it was gone. There was a man at the computer I left it at, but there was not much I could do. I called the phone but someone had turned it off. I asked that the security camera be reviewed but it was too far away to see exactly who took it. The guy at the computer probably had my phone but I couldn't exactly ask to search him. He left before I could call the police. Seems like the closer to buenos aires I get the more dishonest people become. I will pick up a new phone when I get to buenos aires in 2 days.

Day 31

This morning I left Bahia Blanca and made my way to Coronel Pringles. It was a nice day with rolling hills. One of my spokes came loose somehow but it didn´t break so I stopped and fixed it with my spoke wrench. I am surprised at how well my bike is holding up considering what I am putting it through. I have only had 1 flat tire the whole trip. About 5 hours into the day I had to cross a small mountain range. It was a pretty gradual climb and was not too bad. One the way up I saw beautiful fields that were practially neon green. The way down was pretty gradual too so I was able to average a good speed for the last hour of the day.

Day 30

Today was a really long day to Bahia Blanca. I was on the road for about 9 hours and went about 180 km. It was a nice ride. No head winds this time, only a slight side wind. I saw a lot of farms today, which is different from the sheep and cattle ranches I had seen up to this point. The downside is that every farm house seems to have a dog which hates bikes, so every time I go by one I have to out run a dog or two. I am getting pretty good at it. I was followed by a bunch of loros this morning for a mile or so. They flew over me and chirped at me. I guess I got too close to their nest or something.

Approaching major cities by bike is always complicated. I ended up in an industrial park on a road with no shoulders and lots of trucks. There were strange smells coming from factories I went by and the exhaust from all the trucks was not pleasant either. I eventually took a short cut through a slum and arrived in downtown Bahia Blanca. It is a really big city, sort of like a baby Buenos Aires. I found a nice, inexpensive hotel near the city center. I didn´t even have to carry my bags, a bell hop did it for me! That night I at a parilla and went to bed exhausted but full.

Day 29: Rest day

I decided to take today off. Yesterday completely drained me and I have 175 km to the next town to I need all my energy for that. I just hung around the hotel, watched TV, and took a long nap. I felt much better by the evening.

Day 28

Today was a very tough day. I knew it was going to be hard so I left before sunrise. I went 153 km, 125 of which had a headwind. Those 125 km were 8 hours of torture. I just kept peddling at 9 mph and watched the km signs go by one by one. I finished the day in Rio Colorado completely exhausted.

It was really cold this morning and there was frost on the ground. There were parrots called loros everywhere. Those suckers are loud too, especially when several hundred of them are chirping at the same time. I went by a construction zone about 15 km into the day and all the workers were very enthusiastic in wishing me good luck as I went by. I guess they knew what I was up against...153 km, no towns, and headwinds. At least I got a great feeling of accomplishment when I finished.

Day 27

Today was a pretty easy day. I made my way to General Conesa, which was only 60 miles away. The next town after that was 90 more miles, so it was go 60 or 150, which was not going to happen, even with the tail wind I had today. It was nice and sunny agains today. This is the 3rd day or great weather in a row. I ran into some more dogs today. One chased me for at least half a mile. It was flat and I managed to get up to 25 mph and out ran the dog. General Conesa is like a ghost town. Dirt roads, few people, everything is closed. I found a small lodge after about 20 minutes of searching. It was only $10 a night!

Day 26

It was really cold this morning as I left Sierra Grande, but later on it became another beautiful and sunny day. I head birds chirping everywhere. It got hot enough to take off my coat again. I saw a big horned sheep today and was able to get a picture. I also got chased by some dogs. I out ran them, nothing gets you going fast like sharp teeth nipping at your ankles.

The maps and road signs are driving me crazy. I went 136 km today, the map said it was 98, and the signs said it was 116 when I left Sierra grande. Everything seems to have a 10% margin of error.

Day 25

Today I made my way to Sierra Grande. The day started with a 30 minute climb from the coast. It was a really nice day, light breeze and lots of sun. It got so hot I took off one of my coats, which was really refreshing after 3 weeks with it on. I even got a little sunburned on my face, not too bad though. My hands have a very distinct tan line now where my gloves are. I found out that they don't call it Sierra Grande (Big Range) for nothing. There was a big climb at the end of the day and good size mountains all around. I found a nice little hostel and called it a day.

Day 24

Today I had a pretty easy day, only 70 km to a resort town called Puerto Madryn. It is know for whale watching but unfortunately it isn´t the right season now. It rained this morning and there was some fog on the road so I pulled out my head lamp and set it to strobe and put it on the back of my bike. There was a fairly strong head wind today but I was only on the road about 4 hours so it didn´t last too long. There was some contruction on the road today. They were were expanding the highway to 4 lanes from 2. They had just paved the 2 new lanes but aparently had not opened them to the public yet. I hopped a baracade and for about 15 miles had 2 full lanes of newly paved road all to myself. It was nice not having to worry about traffic. A trucker pulled over in front of me earlier in the day and offered to give me a ride. I kindly declined.

Day 23: Recovering in Trelew

Last night I woke up feeling very ill. Probably a combination of dehydration, electrolite imbalance, and some indigestion. I slept poorly and decided to take the day off and try to recover a little. I did 2 days worth of biking yesterday and it took its toll on me.

Day 22: 125 mile day, not by choice

Today was the longest day of my trip, but not exactly by choice. I left at sunrise with the goal of going 116 km to a small town that I was told had a hotel. When I got to the "city" all there was was a house, no gas station, no hotel. This has happened a few times. I went another 80km to the next town. I was exhausted when I arrived. There had not been too much wind and the terrain was mostly flat, but biking 125 miles is a full day by its self. I stopped at the first hotel I saw and collapsed on the bed.

Day 21: On the road again

Today I got back on the road after 3 days of rest. My cousin dropped me off at the edge of the city to start the day since the the roads out of the city were very busy and had no space for bikes. I started a little before sunrise. The wind was pretty strong, about 25 mph, and it was from the side. As usual in side winds I had a tough time staying on the road. About 50 km into my ride my left peddle broke. It still works but every time I turn the gears the peddle rotates in a really jerky way. I fiddled around with it but couldn't get it working again. It is probably a bearing or something. It isn't serious enough to stop my trip but I will definately need to get it replaced in the next town with a bike shop, which is 2 days away.

In the wild life department I saw some more guanaco and my first quail and armadillo. I tried to get a picture of the armadillo but it ran off before I could get my camera out.

I had a pretty long day at 7.5 hours. By the end I had salt all over my face. I must have looked pretty strange when I road into town at the end. I was expecting to find a small hotel but all there was was a gas station. I got some food and stayed there until it closed at midnight. I put on every piece of clothing that i had and set up my tent for the first time. There was a little rain but not enough to cause a problem.

I was warm and sleeping behind the gas station when I got the scare of my life. Someone was running by my tent and tripped over my tent and fell on top of me. I had my tent closed and thought I was being attacked and robbed. I started to scream as loud as I could while I struggled to find the zipped to open the tent. I heard a voice telling me to calm down and once I got out of my tent I realized what had happened. They were two workers at the gas station just horsing around. They invited to let me sleep inside with the other employees and I accepted. At least I was able to get out of the cold.

Days 18-20

I decided to stay in Comdoro Rivadavia for the weekend. I was at my cousin´s apartment and the cable TV, internet, hot shower, and warm bed were too much to resist. I mostly just slept in, surfed the internet, and rested my legs a little. On Sunday night I went with my cousin to an asado at the house of a famous Argentine surgeon. He was a friend of my cousin and knew each other from the flight club here. We had a nice night and great food. We argued politics throughout the night, which is pretty much a national pasttime down here right after soccer. It got pretty heated at times but was all in good fun. I didn´t get to bed that night until 1 am and had to get up at 7:30 the next morning to start my trip again.

Day 17: Rest day in Comodoro Rivadavia

Met up with my cousin here in the city. We didn´t have a whole lot of time together since he had work in the morning and was on his way out of town early in the afternoon. We chatted a little about my trip thus far and we planned my route for the next week. There are definately going to be a few tough parts. Not a whole lot of towns down here so don´t have many options. Tomorrow I go over 100 miles and start off the day with a big climb. I explored the city a little and was surprised by how expensive stuff was. Comodoro Rivadavia is a oil industry town so I guess I shouldn´t be too surprised.

Day 16: Biking along the ocean

It sprinkled this morning. I could see curtains of rain off in the distance. At the begining of the day it was more featureless planes filled with shrubs and the occasional sheep. There were a few nice downhill equal uphill as I made my way back to the coast. Seeing the ocean was a nice after 2 days of near desert conditions. The water was a beautiful blue and turqoise. I made it to Caleta Olivia by about 3:00. It was a nice city but was really dirty, trash everywhere on the side of the road. As I arrived I saw a rainbow over the ocean. I was still feeling strong and could see Comodoro Rivadavia down the coast so I decided to try and make it there by sundown. As I got closer the road started to be very crowded with trucks. The sun ended up going down before I arrived so I pulled out my head lamp and biked on the gravel shoulder of the road. I arrived around 7:00 and found a hostel to stay at. I was exhausted but I saved a day by pushing to the next city. It was another 100 mile day. I have another cousin that lives here and I will take a day off and meet up with him tomorrow morning.

Day 15: Biking over a moonscape

It was like biking over the moon today. I left Tres Cerros on my way to Fitz Roy. Very dry, just rocks and a little grass here and there. I saw some strange green rocks along the side of the road, probably copper deposits. The wind was not too bad today and the landscape was just a bunch of rolling hills. As I was biking along I saw a very stange sight, a couple of ducks just hanging out by the side of the road. There must have been a river or something somewhere that I could not see. The wind got a little worse as the day went on. It was a side wind and was blowing me off the road. There was some road construction going on and I had to take a slight detour on a dirt road for about 5 km, which was rough and dusty. I saw some gauchos hearding some sheep today along the side of the road. There are sheep ranches every 20 miles or so.

Day 14: First 100 mile day

Another storm today but I left anyway. The wind decreased a little throughout the day and at least it was sunny out. I was biking into the sun most of the time and it was a little hard to see. I was a little worried trucks coming by would have a hard time seeing me. By the end of the day I had a distinct tan line on my hands where I had my gloves on.

I officially hate the weather down here. I feel like I am constantly walking on a razors edge trying to get to my destination each day. The wind is so strong it can practically stop you in you tracks. Put on top of that there are only 8 or 9 hours of daylight each day, so if i don't leave at sunrise each day i am already behind schedule. On top of that the cities are so spread out, there are no back up places to stop at if I have any trouble. It is all very nerve racking and does not make for a very fun trip, at least when the wind isn't a tail wind. As I get further north the wind should start to die down, there should be more towns, and the days should get longer. Patagonia does have a lot of positives like the scenic landscape, the wildlife, and lack of constant cars going by. However traveling under your own power can make it a little stressful.

The landscape was very arid. I went through a few dry lake beds which had a very bad smell. The wind kicked up dust and salt and alkalines which made it hard to breath. My spedometer began to malfunction today. I fiddled around with it and got it to work but seemed to have reset it in the process, so I lost some of my trip information. I saw some more Rhea today and a ton of sheep. The sheep were all walking in a line several hundred sheep long which was strange to see. I assume there were following a trail or something. It was bright and windy and I ran out of water about 3/4 of the way to tres cerros. As soon as I arrived I went straight for the water and drank a liter in a minute. Today there were vast swaths of nothingness and a few mesas with colored rock layers. The highlight of the day was petting some guanaco. There were two baby guanaco that were not afraid of people and were looking for some food at tres cerros. I petted them and took a few pictures.

Day 13

This morning I woke up to the sound of howling wind. It was another hurricane outside, dust being kicked up in my eyes and trash flying by. It got worse as the day went on. It was so strong it was almost funny. I can just imagine trying to through this stuff. There was no way I could have made 100 miles in this weather before sundown. I tried once and barely made it half that distance and was ready to collapse by the end. I decided to stay in San Julian one more night in the hope that the weather would improve. Not a whole lot to do here. The only thing near my hotel is a gas station.

I am starting to see a change in my appearance now after almost 2 weeks on the road. My face has gotten tan and a little dry and weathered. Starting to notice a little weight loss too, though nothing substantial yet.

Day 12

I made my way to San Julian today. The weather reports said there would be rain but it turned out to be a nice sunny day with little wind. There was a nasty climb outside of town which really woke me up and got me back into the swing of things after my day off.

On my way I ran into the Romanian bikers that had spend a night with me at the boarder crossing in San Sebastian. We chatted for a little, took some photos, and then they were off on their way to Brazil. It is fun to run into people again...we are all adventures out here and I really feel a sense of commerodery with other bikers and motorcyclists I run into.

On the wildlife front I saw an antelope, which was a nice change from the guanacos I see everywhere I go. The road today took me by a huge valley and I stopped for a few pictures. The landscape is a series of mesas, and it is sometimes had to tell if I am on top of one. I will be biking along and then out of the blew there is a huge cliff. As I approached San Julian about 10 miles out I could smell the ocean in the breeze even before I could see it. Tomorrow is my longest day yet. I go to Tres Cerros, which is about 100 miles away. No other option as there are no towns between here and there.

Day 11

Today was a rest day in Piedras Buenas. Not a whole lot to report. I slept in, had a nice high carb lunch, and then went to a trout farm to pick out a fish for dinner. My cousin cooking it and it was amazing! The city is known for its river fish I aparently. Tomorrow I say goodbye to my family and head for San Julian.

Day 10: Finally a tail wind!!!

Today was so much fun! I had a tail wind almost the entire day. I made my 103 km ride today in less than 4 hours. For the last hour I averaged nearly 20 mph. There was also a long downhill portion that lasted about 15 minutes. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. I was cashing out all the climbing I had done the previous few days. Last night a guy at the hotel I was at warned me that protestors had blocked the road the day before over some sort of petroleum dispute. I did not run into any protestors today but figured they would let me pass in any event since I am not using any gas on this particular trip. The truckers seemed really interested in me today with about half waiving or flashing their lights at me. However, there was one jackass bus that came by me really slow and someone stuck their head out and yelled at me. I guess he does not want to share the road.

This morning I saw some white lumps on the side of the road. I could not figure out what they were until I stopped and realized it was snow from a storm the night before. I just hope I can get to a low enough latitude in time to avoid having to bike or camp in the snow. I arrived in town and called my cousin, but she was still at work since I had arrived so early. She came by eventually and took me to her house. I will stay here for the next 2 days.

Day 9

It rained today, but at least there was no wind. I set a new milage best for this trip at 88 miles. It was pretty flat except for a few valleys. The landscape has changed a little and now instead of just grass I am seeing mostly schrubs. I am finally starting to feel my biking legs come back to me now. I was holding 14 mph pretty steadilly the whole day. This morning I was a little worried because my right akelies tendon felt sore. I could feel a squeeking feeling when I extended my foot. I guess it is time for some WD40. After about an hour of biking the pain started to subside. The cold also seemed to help. My feet and ankles got numb from the cold and wetness, good for pain control, but bad or walking as I almost fell over a few times during rest stops. I could see my breath all day long today. I must have looked like a locomotive to the people driving by.

When I start peddling again after downhill portion I am getting a burning sensation in my legs, sort of feels good in a way. I got the same sensation on my other trips when I started to get back into shape.

By the end of the day I was feeling pretty cold, but it was only bad when I stopped biking. The hotel I was aiming for turned out to be about 10 km from where the signs said it would be, which got me worried that I had gone past it. That would have been a disaster as the next town was about 65 miles away. I stopped at a house which could have been the hotel, but I could not find anyone to ask. I walked around the property for about 15 minutes and started to get cold...and I was already soaked from the constat drizzle all day. I found the hotel a little further down the road. It was a nice place which appeared to cater to truckers. I stayed in a dormitory room with 10 bunk beds all to myself. I took an hour long shower to warm up...best feeling in the world :-) The electricity in this place seems to be a little screwy though. When I tried to turn on a TV, the power to the whole building went out for a few seconds. I think I will stay away from it in the future. Tomorrow I shoot for Piedras Buenas and will get to stay wit my cousin for a day or two. Really looking forward to seeing family again.

Day 8: more wind adventures

This morning I said goodbye to my new friends at the boarder and headed off to Rio Gallegos. It was really windy again, comparable to a few days ago with 90 kph winds. It was a nice clear day, not a cloud in the sky. However, the wind made for some scary moments. It was a side wind which pushed me all over the road. I normally stay to the side of the road on about a 1 foot strip, but I was having a tough time staying on the road. It would gust and push me off and I would end up off in the grass somewhere half the time. But when trucks came by that was the scariest. As I biked I would compensate for the wind by leaning into it...no other choice really. But then when a truck came by it would temporarilly block the wind and I would vear off into the road. Oncoming trucks were not bad, but with the wind I could barely hear trucks behind me until they were right on top of me. I had a few close calls.

Day 7: I´m on a boat!

I had a good day today but didn´t reach my goal of Rio Gallegos. I rant out of daylight but not energy, which seems to be a trend. I ended up about 50 km from Rio Gallegos at the Argentine boarder. There was a head wind and I would have needed 3-4 hours to reach my goal, but that wold have involved biking at dusk, not a smart move. It rains a little this morning, so I was cold and damp all day.

Today was a very interesting day in the wildlife department. I saw more guanaco and almost hit one when it ran across the road, startled by both me and a truck going to the opposite direction. I also saw a type of imue or ostrage looking bird for the first time today. Those suckers are fast! I was hurding one along the side of the road and hit 25 mph and it was still staying out in front of me. But the animal sighting that takes the cake today were flamingos. Of all the places in the world to find flamingos, I would not have expected Tierra del Fuego to be one of them. I was just biking along and then there they were standing in a small bond by the road...too wierd!

Ranking right up there with flamingos was my boat ride across the Magellan Straight. I stood on the deck and just looked out over the cold choppy water. It was nice going somewhere not under my own power for a change. I also got 2 free bottles of water from some new fans after I told them about my trip. It took 30 minutes to make the crossing and it was free of charge since I didn´t have a vehicle and they couldn´t decide what to charge me. When we landed I biked another 3 hours to the Argentine boarder. When I arrived at the boarder the officer in charge said I could stay in the soldiers mess hall for the night. He was really nice and said I could make myself at home. The building I am has both Chilean and Argentine soldiers, but he told me that the Chileans are colder and less hospitable than the Argentines. In my brief interactions with Chilean officials I would tend to agree. I am 2 for 2 in scoring places to sleep at the Argentine boarder. Then as I was getting settled in I started to hear Mama Mia by ABBA start blaring on the loud speakers downstairs. I was half ready for the boarder guards to break out in dance. I guess their work can get a little monotonous at times. I made friends with some of the boarder guards there. They were all young normal people. A couple of them came up the the mess hall to play some play station later in the night.

Day 6: Rally car race

This morning I found a ride for the upaved portion of my route. I tossed my bike in the back of a pick up truck and we were off. We crossed into Chile, which went smoothly. As we drove I saw a fox and a bunch of guanaco. These things are everywhere. It turns out I made a good choice on hitching a ride because the road conditions only got worse. Gravel, pot holes, and loose dirt everywhere. The guy who picked me up must have been in a hurry because he was driving like he was in a rally car race. We are talking 50 mph, sliding on shart turns, almost leaving the ground going over ridges. It was fun if a little scary. He let me off when we hit pavement again 60 miles down the road and I biked to the next town. I found a nice hotel and slept in my first bed in 2 days. I got settled and went out to explore for the late in the day. I found a small grocery store where I got resupplied. The town also had a movie theater and a gym, both of which were free for everyone to use. I love Chile so far! I decided to pass on the gym for obvious reasons. Unfortunately the theater was closed that night. Tomorrow is a big day. I will try to make it to Rio Gallegos about 90 miles and a boat ride away. This is my last night in Tierra del Fuego.

Day 5: Nick learns his bike is not made for off road travel

Today I tried to bike down the unpaved road, but the road´s condition is really bad. The gravel was realy lose and I kept sinking in and losing my balance. On top of that about a mile into my day I got a flat tire. My bike is not made for off road travel so instead of risking futher damage to my bike or getting stuck 30 miles from help I decided to play it safe and catch a ride to where the pavement begins again. I spent all day at the boarder asking every truck I saw for a ride, but I couldn´t find anyone who was going my way and could take me. It probably didn´t help that it was a Sunday. After a day of waiting at the boarder I am stuck here for another night in the waiting room. I am getting to know the boarder guards pretty well. They are all really helpful and we chat when there is no one crossing the boarder. One woman, Private Rojas, brought me some hot chocolate while I waited outside.

Day 4: Biking through a hurricane

I biked through a hurricae today. 90 kph head winds! It was so windy the boarder guards told me the Argentine flag had been ripped. I was on the road for 9 hours straight and averaged 6.5 mph. This was by far the most difficult day of this or any other trip I have done. I was in my 3rd gear out of 27 for nearly the entire time. The town I was planning to stay in turned out to be just a boarder crossing. There was also nothing to buy to eat, and after 9 hours of strenous exercise that was the first thing on my mind. I had a small supply of crackers, but that wasn´t enough to recharge my body. I asked a man living next to the boarder crossing if he could spare anything and he came back with a bowl of hearty tripe soup. Now I enjoy eating pig intestine soup as much as the next guy, but after 9 hours of biking I was ready to eat the bowl too. I stayed in a heated waiting area for travelers for the night. It was sort of like an enclosed bus stop. I put down my sleeping bag and made myself at home. Two motorcyclists from Romania shared the waiting room with me that night.

If it wasn´t for the wind, it would be a great and scenic trip. I didn´t see a single tree today, just rolling planes along the ocean. I ran into another biker at the end of the day too. He had started in Buenos Aires 4 months ago and was on his way to Ushuaia. The boarder guards told me a Japanese biker had passed by last week as well.

Day 3

Today was an easy day. I slept surprisingly well last night in the barn and was off at sunrise again. There was a lot of fog coming off the ocean but it burned off after about half an hour. I ran into Jerramiah today returning from Ushuaia by motorcycle. He pulled over and we chatted for about a minute or two and then we went our seperate ways. I arrived in Rio Grande and found bike shop to fix the spoke I broke the day before. I could do it myself, but I would rather spend the $7 and have an extra hour to write this blog :-)

Day 2: Tierra del Fuego, total misnomer!

Tierra del Fuego, what a total misnomer! It is really cold. All the weather reports say it is in the 40´s, but the frozen puddles I see on the side of the road tell a different story. I broke out my down jacket to stay warm and look like the michelen man. The wind is the worst though. Not only does it make it feel a whole lot colder, it also feels like I am constantly bike up hill. I was going as hard as I could and was only managing 9 mph. I admit I had a "What the hell am I doing here" moment. With only 9 hours of daylight and the wind acting as a perpetual break, I didn´t make it to my goal of Rio Grande that day. I found a sheep ranch and the owner was kind enough to let me sleep in the barn. I am serious, last night I slept in an unheated barn on a sheep ranch in the middle of Tierra del Fuego...very unique experience. My subzero sleeping bag came very handy. I had my first minor mechanical problem today when I broke a spoke. I have to tools to fix it, but it is hard to do with no light and cold hands. I decided to wait until I get to Rio Grande, about 30 miles from the ranch, to fix it.

Overall I am feeling alright and am in good spirits. On my other trips the second day was always the hardest, and this trip is proving to be no exception. On a positive note, I saw my first wild Guanaco today, which is similar to a llama. At the end of the day I went for a walk along the Atlantic Ocean to just take it all in. I am alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the freezing cold and wind, and the only way I can get around is under my own power...rock´n roll.

Day 1

Day 1: I arrived in Ushuaia Tuesday and found a hostel with a little help from the cab driver. I started to put my bike all together and was happy everything worked except for 1 screw which had been stripped. I met 2 motorcyclists, Marty and Jerramiah, who had some tools to fix it. They had just arrived from Canada and Nebraska respectively. We ended up having an asado at the hostel to celebrate the end of their journey and the start of mine. Ushuaia is an interesting place with people from all over the world. I shared a room with an Austrailian, a Mexican, and another American. Next door was the German contigent.

I left Ushuaia Wednesday at sunrise, which was at 9:00. Since I am so far South, there are only 9 hours of sun each day. The first day went well except for the 2000 ft. climb about 10 miles outside of town. I made it but it was a real gut check. The scenery is beautiful, sort of like New Hampshire or Vermont foliage but at the base of snow capped mountains. My first night I stayed in Tolhuin in a little cabin I rented. I had some trouble finding something to eat as the whole city seemed to be closed. I ended up picking up some sandwich materials from a minimart. I took a nice hot shower and fell right to sleep.

Chilling in BA and Chilly in Ushuaia

In Buenos Aires at the moment and fly down to Ushuaia tomorrow morning. I´ve been making my rounds visiting all my family before I leave and planning the details of my route. Tryng to enjoy family when I can see them as I´ll be pretty isolated for the next few months. First night I went to a birthday party with my cousin, but I cut out early as I didn´t sleep a whole lot on my flight the night before and was really tired. Last night I hung out with two more cousins making pizza and drinking home made beer. Good stuff! A relative of mine lives in Southern Argentina and is going to give me a list of all the people he knows along my route and places I can stay. Today is super busy. I have to pick up a new box for my bike, maps of Southern Argentina, and my cell phone. I will post the cell number for everyone as soon as I get it. Looking at the weather reports for the South I am getting a little worried. It is supposed to get below freezing on my first night.

"Does anyone else smell something burning?"

So I locked my bedroom door for the next 3.5 months and headed off to La Guardia today. Got hit with a ridiculous bill for 2 check in bags :-( I miss the good old days when check in luggage was free. In Houston now for my flight to Buenos Aires. There was this obnoxious little blond girl with a thick Texan accent a row behind me who just would not stop talking to everyone the whole flight! Even better, as we were taxiing to the runway, she says out loud "Does anyone else smell something burning?" As soon as I heard that I thought it was an instant ticket back to the gate for a extra trip through security for the whole plane. She didn't talk to me the during the flight except to ask me who that Texas windmill guy was (T. Boone Pickens thank you very much). So I've got 2 more hours until my plane to BA takes off...plotting how can I take revenge on Continental Airlines for their bag fees.

Ready to go!

After months of planning I am finally ready to go. I fly out of New York City tomorrow bound for Buenos Aires. I'll spend 4 days there making final arrangements and visiting my family. From Buenos Aires I fly on to Ushuaia, the Southern most city in the world, to start my journey across Argentina by bike. The plan is to bike to a city called Jujuy, which is near the Bolivian boarder. From there I'll tour the rest of the country until August 18