Ushuaia

I made it. After 4 1/2 months and 4,000 miles (more or less; I lost my odometer) I’m in Ushuaia.

It’s been an amazing ride. Every morning I get up in anticipation of a new day filled with discovery, challenge and excitement. Every evening I arrive in a new place where I’m invited to pitch my tent, lay down my Therma-rest, or enjoy a soft comfy mattress. When I start out the day, I never know how it will end. There within lies the beauty of travel. I have learned to be open to the spontaneity of the moment and to trust that all will end well and that I will be taken of. I think this is called “faith.”

Just a small example of the hospitality I’ve experienced on this ride occurred over eight consecutive days on my way here to Tierra del Fuego.

Day 1:  Invited to stay in the police dept in Chimen Aike.

Day 2: Estancia (Hacienda) Monte Dinero in the school house.

Day 3 and 4:  Argentinian Armed forces in charge of the lighthouse at Cabo Virgenes.

Day 5:  Estancia Tres de Enero (Third of January) -camped on their property.

Day 6:  Office of Tourism at the port on the Strait of Magellan offered us a room.

Day 7:  The owner of the bakery in Tolhuin housed us for two nights.

Day 8:  We enjoyed an abandoned cabin on the gorgeous “Lago Escondido” (Hidden Lake).

On top of this, we Couchsurfed in Ushuaia for 7 straight days with Raul who had no problem with us staying forever. This is Argentinian for you. The people are generous, friendly and warm-hearted without measure. Unbelievable.

Ushuaia is gorgeous.The snow capped mountains come down to meet the sea.  While here we walked up to Glacier Martial, went to the Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego (and hiked to the border with Chile) and rented a car and drove to Estancia Moat on Ruta J, the most southern road in Argentina. We also ate tons of pasteries from the bakery, drank mate until we were green and reminisced about our amazing adventure.

We are now in a hostel enjoying our last day in Ushuaia with other bikers we have ran into several times over the course of 4 1/2 months. Tonight we will have a final “asado” with our fellow bikers from Brazil, Slovenia, Austria and Holland. All proud of our individual triumphs.

Tomorrow Nano flies back to Buenos Aires. I’m super sad to lose my companion on this second half of my journey, but we will meet up again in B.A. before I leave the Southern Hemisphere. I have decided to ride back to Santiago, Chile. There is still a lot I’d like to see in both Chile and Argentina before I will fly back to Seattle mid-June.

So, here I go again. Off on yet a new adventure to distant shores. After being accompanied for so long, I’m nervous to start off solo once more; although, I know I will be fine once my wheels start rolling. And so, with air in my tires, tightened nuts and bolts, and new brake pads, I head north on Sunday.