Radioman Rides the World.......

Yes in Ecuador found a church in English ( otherwise it is all in spanish and I would not understand it and also online services when I have the internet Bandwidth. Has been important for me to do so! thanks for asking!!

As always, I have really enjoyed the updates. My wife and I are exploring the idea of retiring to Quito,Ecuador. So I've been watching as I find people who have traveled to this country. Carry on brotha.

So after checking out my tire. I am at the wear bars. Hard to know exactly how much longer I can ride...



But the knobs have some big cracks and so does other spots as the salt flats and roads have taken there toll.





I found a "dealer" called Top Moto that had a tourance the right size. so I went ahead an bought it. But WOW :eek1 cost me almost double the USA price. Even in Santiago it would not have been that much, but I did not really want to risk the next 200+ miles on a well worn tire. Just me. Figure it is the cost of being here and taking this big trip.

Bolivia would have been cheaper but did not really need the tire then and would have had to carry it for couple thousand miles. No Thanks!



Changing it out. Price included that (and some!!) ..... Haha



What a difference. As I was looking for the Moto shop, I just had the typical street and a couple cross streets but no address. Asked this lovely man at his auto parts store. He saw my note including the ph, and took to it to call and verify the place..... Great!! and I needed a small O ring which he had, and just gave to me!! Loving Argentina!



Walking about town to get a few things done, Laundry, haircut, and just enjoying the little streets





It is always interesting seeing the differences. I saw people putting their trash out in these bins..... They are on every street. Must keep the dogs out of the garbage?



Staying at this Hostel. It is fine, but the staff is excellent!! They have been very helpful getting me to a moto tire shop and also other errands! Yea!! No parking garage, but I rode up the sidewalk and parked right by the front door so they can see it!!




Tomorrow I signed up for a Premium Wine tour including transport, wine tasting and 4 course Gourmet lunch...... Since I am in Mendoza..... Might as well do it right!!

Yea you been there and done that..





I would say after 15,000 + miles and not to mention the Salt flats, I'd change out that chain You still have the new one you stashed at the bottom of your Pannier?

Yup and new front sprocket .... Probably get a rear Sprocket in Santiago and make it complete set change ......

I think your set. ride on, I need my winter reading

Oh yea I been busy too

Alright, and I'm not joking Mark, this is how they fix roads in Rhode Island. It's pathetic. Hit that stuff on a warm day when its soft in the rain and :eek1

Radioman wrote: In Argentina, I love that the stop lights have yellow to let you know about when to go.

I found it that way in Europe also. I really liked it.

Great pics as always!!

Timmer

Are you crazy? That is not manual sealing, that is just bad tarmac cracking due to large temperature differences. When it gets hot (over 30C), the lower tarmac spills over and covers the crack. However, because it wasn't properly sealed, it is different than the surface: darker, slippery and melts easier. If you do a curve over a road like that on a hot day, you feel the bike dancing around as the black tar gives under the wheels. Also, drive carefully when it is wet and cold, those black stripes are extremely slippery.

We get this all the time in Portugal, on poor central regions that can't afford better quality tarmac and endure large temperature differences (from -5C to 40C).

I know what they are like in the curves..... Squirrelly for sure. Thx for the info.

That may be why the road cracked, but that is manual sealing. Here in New Mexico, they do it every spring. And it is a cheap and shitty fix. Repaving is obscenely expensive, so I get it. But I hate riding on it.

I thought everybody called them "tar snakes"

Wow, last time I checked in here you were in Cuzco :huh Guess I better catch up. If you are south of Santiago and headed north there is a couple in Osorno that run a tour company called Motoaventura. I have their number on a sticker on my bike but I don't have my bike here . Anyway, they have stacks of tires and are a wealth of knowledge. Super cool folks if you are in that area and need something moto-related. They are easy to find online.

Also, the HU community in Santiago is a good bunch as are the BMW motorcycle club there.

Mark,

Hope you get/had a chance to visit the main plaza in Mendoza. It is a lively fun place with street performers, craftsmen, and some great restaurants with outdoor seating. Food and wine are excellent. $62 or so bucks a day is not bad. I think it has been costing me $80 or so on a trip from Colorado to California and back. That is not including the ga$ and eventual maintenance on the moto. The road life has its price but remains priceless.

The road over the Andes from Mendoza to Santiago is incredible. I don't remember the name of the pass south of Aconcagua but I have never seen anything quite like it. Incredible switchbacks. The customs and immigration out of Argentina and into Chile were a major pain in the ass. It is a huge busy crossing and the Argys and Chileno's don't get along real well and are not very helpful, especially with the vehicle exportation/importation stuff. You can expect, as an American, to get hit with a $130 immigration fee when you enter Chile for the first time. Very important to carry that receipte as you head south. You will be crossing the border numerous times and you don't want to have to pay that fee again. Chile is not to be missed, especially Patagonia, but you could cut across to the Argentine Atlantic Coast to Comodoro Villa Darivia and then head south to Ushuaia from there and then come back up through Chile. Several ways to slice it. Enjoy!

The hostel is on the right in the back and my bike is parked at the end of the walkway right near the front door!



Hidden basically from the street and the front desk guy, Martin was great to watch over my bike!!



Signed up for a Premium wine tour.... So I was sitting waiting for my bus to pick me up. Everyone was out sweeping the sidewalks and organizing the restaurants for business.





Was picked up with a mini van ..... This tour is a small group going to 4 wineries.



The Mendoza region produces lots of great wines that are exported all over the world. Since the late 90's outside investors were able to come to Mendoza and increase the wine exporting.





The first stop at a winery with the Andes in the background!! Beautiful Day!



We jump right in with a full tour in English, and then to the fancy tasting room.





Like most wineries they have cool buildings.



This is our first winery.



We learn more about the process of the Vinyard, the picking, crushing, fermenting and the aging of the various wines and the "characteristic" of the wines.



The owners private collection.







The one on the right was my Favorite!



Some nice roses around the vineyard. There is a reason for this.....

https://radioman.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Ride-the-World-3/i-cZtzvrB/0/M/IMG_7261-M.jpg

Then onto the next winery. A new and modern one. only 6 years old. Argentinian and US owned.



Their wines on display.



Comparing color and smells of the different wines.....





This one was really good.



As we went to the 3rd Winery. It was also lunch time. Here is the happy winetasting group. We had a great time together.
Let me introduce to you the group. Simon and Claudia from Stuttgart Germany in the front. Radioman in the middle left, Andrea our fantastic guide from (Trout and Wine tours), and in the last seats Steven and Helen from Switzerland (but Holland and UK before!)



An excellent 4 course meal, and more wine tasting



Started with an apple soup and then salad



Then an amazing cut of grilled Steak :dg





Dessert.... OOOPs ate it before I remembered to take a photo!



This was their Premium wine. Yummy!





Then off to the last winery of the day. It is a family run winery....







Their wine ages in sections of the old cement tanks as the climate is just right.



Many of the old buildings are made of Adobe bricks like so many building through out SA. They have framed a section so you can see it, but then retrofitted all the building due to earthquake possibilities here in Mendoza

Oh yea, taking time to smell the flowers!!



and check out the wines.



Lots of wine aging....



And their Award winner!



Once again a group shot!! Really had a great time meeting this group of people!! with them Safe travels!!

Andrea our guide was great and we had a lot of fun together for the whole day. Was worth spending a bit more for a small group and the Gourmet Lunch!! Wine and Trout is the tour name....

More Great photos Mark !!!!

Looks like you're having a great time .

Nice monkey shot!

Mark, your adv trip gets more and more swanky by the week. You sure these excluded one-time charges follow GAAP accounting rules -- to keep your budget at a nominal $60/day?

Hello Matt,

I have been including everything on my Per day charges.... Except trip to Galapagos Islands (about $2,000 USD total).

Had not bought the new tire and spent $180 USD on a full day wine tour. So that $60 USD for Argentina is going up quickly. But I had originally budged $100 USD to include bike maintenance and borders and shipping as needed....

That includes all fuel (which is expensive down here where the mileage increases because to the distances needed to travel). and of course the longer I am staying in the country it takes the per day costs down with these bigger expenses!!

Will update once I spend the next 2 months in Argentina and Chile to see what the real costs are. I know that as I ride solo at this stage of the trip, I am spending more on Lodging ..... But enjoying the comforts!!