After a wet, windy and sleepless last night in my tent in Punta Arenas, I rode out the port for the morning ferry to Porvenir. Even that short trip was a challenge as the wind, gusting 100 km/h, threatened to tip me off my bike. Luckily the ferry crossing was not as rough as expected as we had a tailwind. Back on the ripio, the tailwind propelled me southward and then eastward, first along Tierra del Fuego's desolate coast and then out across the tan-coloured pampa. Thanks to the cold and lack of shelter, it's a fairly hostile environment for humans. Estancias (sheep or cattle stations) appear occasionally, and little villages are usually spaced about 100 km apart. In between there's not much but big skies and brown grass. Animal life is more abundant: there are several penguin colonies along the coast and I also saw guanacos (llamas), foxes, flamingos and a condor.
The extreme environment is tempered by the incredible hospitality of the locals, especially towards cyclists. In the absence of "normal" camping options, I shared some interesting sleeping experiences with my cycling buddies:
- in the shearer's quarters of an estancia - in the waiting room at the chilean/argentine border at San Sebastian
- with Rio Grande's volunteer firebrigade - in the gymnasium of the owner of the Panaderia in Tolhuin.
These experiences, and good luck with the wind, helped to make my journey across the pampa surprisingly enjoyable.
My route took me to San Sebastian and Rio Grande on the Atlantic coast, then southwestward down to Ushuaia. The pampa gave way to an alpine environment of trees, mountains, glaciers and lakes. Five days after setting off from Punta Arenas, I rolled in to Ushuaia. It was time to celebrate!
For most of my cycling companions, Ushuaia marks the end of their trip and it's time to go home - with the memory banks bursting with months worth of travelling experiences. For me, it's the end of a chapter. I've had two fantastic months exploring Patagonia and have reached my goal of riding to Ushuaia, making lots of new friends along the way. It is a satisfying feeling. Now my thoughts are turning to new adventures in the north of Chile, Bolivia and Peru. That's where I'm headed now, taking things slowly by bus, travelling north, following the sun.
With the bomberos in Rio Grande.
Horses near Lago Fagnano.
Approaching Ushuaia, the mountains return.
What do four hungry cyclists from Colombia, USA, Canada and NZ eat on their last night together at the end of the world? Burgers, of course!And the obligatory photos of me...(hi mum!)
At the very end of Ruta 3.
My complete route through Patagonia.
Villarica to Coyhaique.
