Ushuaia. South, WAY south! Penguin Country. The town folks bill it as the "Southernmost City in the World". Very nice little city. The Beagle Channel to the south and snow covered mountains all around! Lots of tourists (and a few crazy motorcyclists) :=) We still had a LONG way south to go so it was time to leave Mendoza. We decided to set a course southeast toward the Atlantic side of Argentina. Sal and I both had spent a lot of time on the Pacific ocean in California and we wanted to see what the Atlantic looked like

(btw, it is very hard to tell them apart) :=) Ah, the Patagonia and the Pampas. It reminded me of a song about the gauchos riding the pintos along the Pampas trails. What the song DIDN’T tell you was that the gauchos were probably TIED to their saddles because if they weren’t they would have been BLOWN out of their saddles! :=) The WIND, it NEVER stops. Always gusting, swirling, blowing me and the bike first toward the gravel shoulder then reversing and blowing me into the oncoming lane. Somehow we survived though! Made it to Las Grutas,

a very nice town on the beach,

with some great sunsets!

Then to Camarones, 45 miles off the main Route 3 but on the beach. While there, we took a little side trip down a fairly good gravel road to see a Penguin colony. There were thousands of adults and almost as many babies.

Very friendly and unafraid of the crazy motorcyclists.

Can you tell which one is the indigenous one?

From Camarones on south down Route 3 for a couple of days. About 60 miles north of San Julian (where we were going to stop for the night and about 3:00 PM., the real excitement started when the chain departed. Actually it didn’t depart, it just parted (brand new in Mendoza but with a clip link vice riveted) and wrapped itself around the rear sprocket and swing arm. Things came to a SCREECHING halt as the back tire locked up while I was going about 60 mph.

That`s my skid mark from back up the hill coming down this way (the one on the right was aready there)! VERY exciting!!!!
Much to my surprise (and great relief), I was able to keep it from going down and rode it out to a stop. It was in the middle of the lane and unable to roll. Sal had already disappeared down the road. I flagged down the first car that came along and they helped me slide/drag it to the side of the road. They left and I sat down and cried like a little girl until Sal came back (couldn’t let him see me do that). :=) Two Australian couples came along on BMW´s and with their assistance we removed the back tire and untangled the chain. It was in several pieces so I left it on the side of the road (damn chain).

Sal towed me to a gas station a couple of miles down the road and there I was told that there were NO motorcycle repair shops in San Julian, I needed to go to Rio Gallegos (300 miles). I ask Sal to ask every truck driver headed south if we could get a lift for the motorcycle. The very first vehicle that stopped was a fellow and his girlfriend in a Ford F150 pickup that lived in – Ta Dah – Rio Gallegos. He said “sure load it up”.

They drove the bike and me (in air conditioned comfort), 300 miles to Rio Gallegos. He owned 4 bakeries in town and knew everyone so he called the motorcycle shop and told them NOT to close till we got there. Rolled in about 8:30 and they were waiting on the bike. They asked if I wanted it that night (they had the sprockets, chain and new tire waiting). Told them the next day at noon would do. It was ready at 12:30 and Sal and I made the final push to Ushuaia.

Crossed into Chile for few miles then back into Argentina (yup had to do the same border crossing procedures even though we would be in Chile only a couple of hours (we have to do it all again on the way back also). There ws another ferry ride involved but this time they knew what they were doing and it was big boat!

The last 100 miles to Ushuaia has to be some of the prettiest scenery you could ask for.

It looked very much like Alaska (trees, very low timber line, and snow covered mountains) only COLDER! :=)

Got to Ushuaia at 1:30 PM on Dec 20th.

The “braggin rights” were mine!! Just under 20,000 miles from home to Prudhoe Bay and then south to here. Haven’t figured out the next step yet, but I think it involves riding up to Buenos Aires or Santiago and flying the bike back to California. :=) I am sure going to miss not being with Julia on Christmas but she understands (at least she tells me she does) I KNOW it will cost me something (that Fiji/Tahiti cruise) :=) I’ll update again when I get back home. More pictures starting here. RickMcD.smugmug.com/gallery/1920143/34/118108836
Rick