The Motorcycle Chronicles of Jackie & Valentino... The Southern Episode

René, those words absolutely slayed me. It is so insightful and carries so much weight for me. Wow... Just wow...

I really hope we can coordinate for that article, it will be amazing.

Suerte,

Martín

Beautifully done rr, great insights, photography, well done, and a very big thank you!

Thanks to each and everyone for the positive vibes. A Ride report is surely an introspective and narcissistic exercise, when you happen to touch the hearts of others, you've accomplished so much more.

Yup It will happen, I just need a bit of time to reflect...

My plan was to ride to Puerto Santa Cruz, camp on the beach and maybe go see some penguins.

To hit the ground running from Ushuaia, you first have to wake up early and go.

I woke up around 0830, and my bunk neighbour Yoann, a French hiker from Lille said

"ok, I'll go put the coffee on"

On his way to the tiny communal kitchen, he knocks on the door of Wahib, another french hiker from Marseille and his bunk neighbour, Hans from Wyoming who made it yesterday night after eight months of travel on his 2002 KLR;

"come on guys, René is going, we have to see him off''.

Which meant that breakfast dragged until 1000.

So not late but fashionably something anyway.

The ephemeral nature of the encounters you make during your travels is only matched by the intensity of the emotions they bring. For the last 3 days I have been breaking bread, and sharing tales from the road with Wahib, Yoann, Hans, and an Argentinian couple named Chapita and Patan, both had just completed a short ride to TDF from Buenos Aires. Within minutes after I arrived on the first night, well, well into the night, I was eating a hot meal and drinking a cold beer. I suppose only weary travellers themselves know what you need when you come in from the cold.

It was perfect... Thank you hostal Lomomo;

So fast forward to this morning after 3 days of wine, home cooked meals and shared war stories, it was a little heart wrenching to split up, so brief, yet so intense, the very nature of ephemerality.

Needless to say that I left a bit late . Late for what I'm not so sure; late is so real world...

Just out of Ushuaia is the Garibaldi pass. By the time you hit San Sebastian and your first border crossing out of Argentina into Chile, you are in for 80 to 100 km of loose gravel over hard pack dirt with some pretty groovy washboards thrown in.

No problem for Valentino except that I finally got a taste of that Patagonian wind. Put it this way, he was glad to be in Cerro Sombrero without having to write something that would start with; " I just had to lay her down".

No such thing of course for our ace pilot. Their was about 3 or 4 ferry waits at Bahia Azul, but Valentino threaded his way to the front of the line, and across the straight of Magellan one more time he went.

Another 60 km or so and I got to the Monte Aymond crossing; out of Chile and into Argentina. These crossings are fast and easy, the stamp giving monkeys are one next to the other.

Station 1, out of Chile

Station 2, into Argentina

Station 3, Chile aduana to get Angela stamped out

Station 4, Argentina aduana to get Angela stamped in

no problem....... unless you are third in line behind 3 full collectivos (tourist bus). :huh

So there goes 2 hours; by the time I'm suited up again and ready to go, it is 19:45; with a sunset scheduled for 20:30, way to late to think about riding the 345 km left to get to Puerto Santa Cruz.

Plus I have to stop and take some pics for you people... so I just make it before dark to Rio Gallegos.

First things first; hotel-Parilla (tenedor libre) - un baso de tinto, and then some shut eye.

Not a bad day in Patagonia 647 km.

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Thanks so much for this incredible report. Very insightful and intuitive. (and stunning photography too!) I have nearly finished the book "Open Veins of Latin America" which you recommended near the beginning of your report. I have to agree with you that anyone traveling throughout Latin America should definitely have this book on their reading list. Very thought provoking material.

Ed

What is incredible about the book is that even if it was written 40 years ago, so little has changed. At the very least it helps to put what you see during the ride in perspective

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Could have been Kansas, Nebraska or Saskatchewan if it was not for the Guanacos and the Nandus (Rhea) ostridge-like birds. They are very skittish. I have several good videos, but taking decent pics will be difficult.

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780 km today...​

I keep repeating myself.

What a journey, what a report.

Felt like being there too!

Thanks!

One of those lonely straight bits 40K north of Rio Gallgegos is when we ran out of gasoline on the way down!

Good job Man

Hi Rene,
we met you in Nakusp at the HU Rally in August. Congrats to the trip and the very interesting report, I would like to talk to you in person once you are back in BC.
Say hi to Liliane
Nik and Ronnie on 650GS

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Waited 2 hours today outside of San Antonio de Oeste for gas. It was the first day back after a long weekend. I got battered by heat and wind for another 500 and some km.

It went up to 37C yesterday.

495 yesterday and 740 today. I am in Bahia Blanca. Tomorrow I reach Buenos Aires.

Nice camping spot in Puerto Madryn









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Patagonia and the ensuing Pampas is one vast neighbourhood. Undeniably there must be a certain amount of self punishment involved. It is pretty crazy. Beautiful in its own way but pretty insane, miles after miles of vastness, heat and wind.

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For the last two days I have maintained an average moving speed of 118.5 kph. Just emptying one tank after the next. 2 full days of consecutive Pink Floyd and Rush, back to back the entire discography.

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There has to be something wrong with me... ​

Nothing wrong with repetition

Maybe we need to take a ride to Vernon sometime this summer

I'm guessing you have more than a few inmate fans in BC. We should throw you a party when you get back. First round is on me.

Just to say I'm here and glad you are on your way to meet your brave Jackie again.
Also to say I'm happy to see your reports about the wind aren't that scary... and that's because I thought I could have died that day between Comandante Luis Peidra Buena and Rio Gallegos on my way down south two years ago. The most terrifying moment as a biker and a traveller in my life. Seriously, I'm happy you didn't get hammered by the winds coming down the Andes as I did. I know because otherwise you should have posted here... no joke.
Anyways, I guess you remember as your journey was at the beginning I invited you guys to see my country and offered my place as yours. Well, guess what? The offer is still there! So, PM me if it's the case to venture in Brasil at some point. Awesome trip brother... missed some of the early entries about how you see and feel this part of the world but I guess between the lack of good connection and missing Jackie you got short on words?
Best of luck and enjoy Buenos Aires. I have a feeling you gonna like it.

Did somebody say free beer :slurp ??. I have to be moved in by early June, so just a few short months to move out of the Island and find a plave in YVR.

You're on.

Just made it to Buenos Aires. Found a nice hostal on Avenida Mayo for the next 10 days so I have time to organize shipping the bike home and other petty stuff related to reality.


Does not look like Jackie will be joining Valentino. Between spring break in N.A. and high season-ish in S.A. all the flights are full and some overbooked so looks like I'm on my own until I return home. That's the joy of flying stand by, you can't win every hand.


The wind southbound was really nothing more than an afterthought. Leaving Ushuaia after the Garibaldi pass was pretty windy but ok. Then after San Sebastian I was unsure if I should sit on the bike and surrender control on the unpaved road or stand up and make like a sail so the trucks could run me down. Not fun but Valentino was on the job


Then came the long stretches of Patagonia, and some of it was ahem!! Windy, a nice lean angle against, but doable. The most dangerous parts, and I am not using that word lightly were when the incoming traffic, cars mostly, miscalculated their passing of trucks and forced me way to the right to avoid them; not fun with the wind pushing and turbulence. Happened a good dozen time. All good for the story book now.

Re. Brasil, it is an offer I can't refuse and when the time is right you will have both of us knocking on your door, be careful what you ask for .

Thanks for the invite.

I have lots to say about a lot; if anything I can't keep my mouth shut for very long. As more time will be afforded I will make my way back to the post-Bolivia part of the trip.


Have no fear lots of pontificating yet to come. Thanks to all of you for lending a sympathetic ear.

More to come...​

Look forward to hearing your post trip thoughts

If you need any local help on this end with shipment and details - just ask

...is like going over to the Dark Side! I hope you're leaving Jacquie on The Island?