25th October 2005 Bound for South America
Here we go then! Our last day at home, lets hope none of you are Pikey's or that'll be the end of the house and contents! Mind, in a couple of days we'll be living like motorcycle gypsies anyway!
Straight off to the local tip?
Saturday 5th November Dog Day Afternoon
Mileage - 300 miles
Monday 7th November
Mileage - 625kms 403 miles
Up at 7am for breakfast of couple of dodgey buns and coffee before the off.
1st November 2005
No entry for yesterday as too bleeding tired the now, basically a trip into BA and the fantastic lunch at Tortoni´s (if I remember correctly) The hot chocolate was the best !
Hot Chocolate
Wednesday 2nd / 3rd November 2005
Fri 28th Oct 2005
A day sight seeing mainly combined with meeting of'virtual' friend Nik. Spoken on web, and knew he washere, but paths not crossed.
Had some very nice cakes (not that they could match the Freddo Heladosof last night mind) for breakfast after a good nights kip. Best not get used to the luxury we have here though, it'll be a far cry for future reports of that I'm certain.
Popped up to the 'local' - that's the internet café you see, to read some mails and see if Nik wasaround. Sent a message to meet at Law courts as had to recover me card from bank.
Friday 18th November
Villa General Belgrano and back via Cordoba, Villa Carlos La Paz, Los Gigantes, Tala Canada, Salsacate, then 14 to Alta Gracia.
Mileage - 250 miles
RIDING STRAIGHT TO THE GATES OF HELL !
Thursday 10th November
Mileage - guess 250kms
Well back to the road today, and wets a bit before south towards Argentina again.
Saturday 19th November
Mileage - 105kms
Wednesday 23rd November
Mileage - 5 kms...on foot !
Warning : virtually no motorcycle content !
Mileage - 152 kms
THAT CONDOR MOMENT...Well the first job today was to get Nik's bike to BMW Mendoza for the allocated service. very dissappointing lack of fresh coffee, donuts or croissants...not like the UK at all !
I guess they must get a few travellers through as they plainly didn't have any interest in the bikes or where we had been. Mind, if you've got a garage full of BM M5's and the like they're clearly not going to get much from us.....well if you exclude the price they've quoted Nik for a rear tyre.
Mileage - 73 kms
[editors note Heres a map that Fritz and Bev sent through a week ago showing where theyve been (in red) and where they intend to go (in green) should make things a little clearer]
The Plan
Mileage - 239kms
THE BISCUIT HAS OFFICIALLY LEFT THE TIN
Mileage - 0
Nothing day really, for a change, Half a day fruitlessly emailing in slow cafe, Bev sun-bathing, little else (PS : Please note record short entry)Tuesday 6th December
Chos Malal, Andacollo and around
Mileage - 180kms
As we'd decided to stay on another day and risk exploring an area without the guidebook (wow) we headed out after our rather dissappointing breakfast (3 croissants and a solitary coffee...how we've been spoilt before eh)
Mileage - 280 kms
Back to more routine breakfasts of a coffee and toast again, but at least it's free and keeps hunger at bay for minutes.
Mileage - 170 kms est
Well think I might finally be getting sensory overload, been a while coming, but think I may reaching a limit.
Not that the views aren't stunning, they certainly are, just bit tired of the views coninciding with some grim sections of repio. That means two things, you can't see the view without stopping (unless you fancy stopping in a pile at side of road of course) or you're half knackered and the view comes secondary to your physical condition.
Mileage - 0 kms (except to station)
Well this is a rare experience, the hustle and bustle of the train station. Regular for the backpackers and like, but not for your global motorcycle adventurer everyday. It might not be the baggage car across the Siberian tundra it might not even be a necessity, but it is an experience alright.
With apologies to those who´ve left work and will get this in New Year.
This a collabrative art project courtesy of Fritz y Bev y Nik
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year !
We´re in Rio Gallegos for Christmas and Ushaiai for New Year (most southerly town in world !)
Love to all XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mileage - 0 kms
Having arrived in time to prevent getting caught out for Christmas, and being booked into Hotel Sehuen until Monday on basis Boxing Day doesn't exist here and hence no problem travelling onwards we had little to do.
Mileage - 200 odd kms
Up to wind and very light rain, packed without too much problem, to cafe for coffee and cake to save using stoves. we ride out, track very wet by end but safe for 50kph, wind and chucking down over mountain pass, dry but cold on other side, repio dusty as hell.Uninspiring ride to Rio Grande and back to Canoe Club (Club Nautico Oniken) for welcome return, happy to see us.. That night lots of people turned up to doss on floor upstairs were we decided to sleep too instead of camping. 14 folk sleeping on floor, some snoring problems. Bad nights kip for some
Mileage - 0 kms
I forget, but generally taking life easy and not doing a great deal, other than looking into excursions by boat to see penguins as we've failed to date.
Tuesday 3rd January 2006
Ushuaia
Mileage - 0 kms
Anyone following this as a strict and accurate record may have noted days and dates out of order on last entry. It's simply because we have no idea what day it is half the time, this is our only reference - really !
150 kms
140 kms
Using the campsite as our base, and having the weather revert to sunshine we decided to have a team ride out to the Grey Glacier.
What I should of course mention was it was Andy's birthday (21 again) today, so we had a bit of fun as Maya had decorated the outfit with balloons and got Andy a few presents she had hidden away, and Bev knowing of the event had also got him a little something too.
So the ride out was with picnic too.
The road was bloody rough - and I don't care how often I get told you won't like Bolivia then - it was hard.
After our great adventure on Ruta 40 we thought we were pretty safe going over to Chile....and we thought the roads couldnt get worse...think again, think twice again !
Prehistoric Graffiti
0 kms
Checking the tyre in the morning it had lost a third of its pressure so clearly not easily fixed.
94 kms
Another day, a quick wander around the village after a simple breakfast and it's another gorgeous start. The skies are stunningly clear and blue as can be, the smell of wood smoke in the air and a hint of fresh horse scent to remind us we're in a small very traditional village.
Cerro Castillo (Castle Mountain)
Cerro Castillo (Castle Mountain)
60 kms
Went into town and bought ferry tickets for the 5 hr crossing as we didn't want to get stuck in the arse end of nowhere for two days. Tourist info very helpful.
0 kms
Well today loomed with grey and leaden skies so our plans were scuppered even before started. No beach option, and no ride out to see the scenery options, in fact, a further 'in town' day.
370 kms
We were greeted with grey skies and a very little light mizzle that luckily never turned into anything, and at least it was considerably cooler, in fact only 10 degs when we left, but soon rose.
0 kms
Basically, as we expected the clouding over of the skies, in this the 'best place in the world to see the stars at night' meant our astronomical adventure was cancelled, in fact bad enough to cancel the whole nights bookings, even the 1am. A very disappointing evening for us. The rock bands were a bit lacking too so we were off to bed somewhat let down, mother nature eh.
Monday 13th February 2006
Vicuña - Paso del Agua Negra (4753 or 4779!), Arg. frontier and back
336 kms
What a difference a day makes - good title for a song !
526 kms
Hot desert and a return to the hotel of love!
242 kms
To continue our quest to discover the area we thought we'd have a peak at the Bolivian border today and a further part of the Flamenco National Park that lies over near Argentina, so this place really is a crossroads.
90 kms by bike, 120 kms by car
We had made plans to meet Oscar and Elizabeth in La Paz today and stay there with them so had to be up bright and early to get back up the fabled road.Wed arranged to have breakfast early, 7.30; they start normally at 8, in order to get away briskly. Breakfast wasn't quite sharpish enough so we never got to leave 'til 8.30.
0 kms
Well to be honest writing this few days down the line I can hardly remember the details, but
140 kms
A day of many excitements, of which only half can be told at present......for legal reasons, we kid you not! But more on that one tomorrow.
Jeff had offered to take us out for a spin round his locale with his bike and we and Martin and Alan liked the sound of that. Chris and Liz are currently taking Chris's Mum round the sights with their in depth local knowledge so couldn't join us.
We met up about mid day and Jeff was ready with his virtually immaculate Norton Commando. For once we were we not the oldest in the group, and neither was our bike !
Virtually 400 kms
Like lingerie, the more you pay, they less you get, ......seems that way with hotels, another crap breakfast from a three star establishment
It's been a while since update. For a few reasons, not that we're in jail I'm pleased to say (sorry you will be seeing us again). We had a stop with no internet followed by two days of mileage crunching and your author is suffering a severe attack of stomach upset. All combined leading to no updates.....and after such a cliff hanger ending to last mail eh.....what a tease!0 kms
Well I'll out you out of your misery re : that cliff hanger ending to the last entry.
0 kms
A rest day then a cracking (!) rideWednesday 29th March 2006
Cafayate - Tucuman
252 kms
Having had such a restful day yesterday we didn't undertake the ride south to the ruins at Quilmes deciding to take them in on the route today.
The ruins de Quilmes, held out against Inca's then Spanish, finally over-run and marched off to near Buenos Aires, naming the beer that comes from there !
0 kms
After a quick breakfast round the corner we set about taking the panniers off so we could get to the sub-frame, only takes 35 minutes even with them full, so not a bad length of time for 'fixed' panniers should you want to remove them for off roading etc (we never get the choice on this trip).
Stripping down the bike to get the sub-frame off for welding
A return to Argentina, the worst road of the trip, the first spill, and meeting old friends
0 kms
Well for the author this was a distinct no day, Bev was able to operate uninterrupted fortunately and look after me !
Having spent many a day at Dakar Moto HQ, thought it might be time for a quick update.
As you'll remember from way back when, last year in fact....though only 5 months ago really, Sandra & Javier run a motorcycle repair shop with facilities for traveling bikers to stay.
Though it's out in the suburbs there is an excellent train station nearby and a return ticket costs less than 25p p/p. There is an underground network and it costs little too.