Puerto Varas to Bariloche, 200 miles and a border crossing

We were able to take advantage of the really nice kitchen in the morning before heading off. Had some oatmeal, yogurt and banana; delicious and healthy. We love it when we have a grocery store option.

The ride was absolutely beautiful today, and as the day progressed so did the beauty. We are officially in the ‘lake district’. Mountains, grassy rolling hills, small thick forests and crystal clear lakes amongst snowy topped mountains; all with beautiful sunny skies. The miles went by quick as the road was great and scenery pleasurable. We made it back over into Argentina, even though we’ve done the Chile-Argentina shuffles several times already, every border crossing proves to be different. This time as we exited Chile we read a sign on the side of the road stating to buy our mandatory Argentinean insurance here. Well, we learned in Nicaragua that we had to purchase this insurance as about a mile down the road from the border crossing you are pulled over and requested to show proof. But, considering we have not been told to buy insurance in Argentina thus far on our trip AND the cops here have not yet pulled us over (knock on wood), we decided to take a chance and ignore the sign. It was a good choice, at least so far, as we somehow got through the aduana and importation personnel without them asking for it. Maybe we were lucky, or maybe Mikes very strategically place questions were at our aid.

It felt good to be back in Argentina, we got gas and filled up for about a third of the cost. The YPF stations were yet again filled with delicious snacks all for a great price and you actually felt you could buy yourself something to eat anywhere you wanted and not break the bank.

All day today Yosh wasn’t feeling too good. Poor thing only has to take us about another 1K miles, but she is in bad need for a new chain and a rear brake. The brake pad we have, but the chain, we’re hoping she will last…

We knew Adam was camping just outside of Bariloche, so we cruised through the town until we ran across the campground. We spotted his tent right away as it is the same as ours (how cute), pulled up the bank and just as he was stepping out of his tent from his siesta Mike dropped the bike to the side. Nothing like a crash landing welcome!

Adam, resembling a young Fidel Castro looks great. He has a wicked beard growing, but a nice addition to his character. After chatting it up with some stories we walked into town to get some of the great Argentinean steaks, ice cream and chocolate which is what Bariloche is known for. Great steak, amazing ice cream and outstanding chocolate! This country sure knows how to treat you right…although I’m sure my heart and butt are singing another story!

Before the end of the night even though we had been riding out own way for just about 2 months, I felt it was just yesterday that we went our separate ways in Huanchacho Peru. It was nice to be reunited with Adam.

Leaving our nice hostal

Beautiful drive out of Chile

Argentina...

Whoops!

Fuerte!

Bariloche is known for their chocolates!

...and that makes Amie happy

Puerto Varas

Today we did indeed go horseback riding—it has been something Amie has wanted to do on this trip for a long time. I haven’t gone horseback riding since I was 6 I think, and I don’t have fond memories. I distinctly remember soaking in oatmeal after having been bucked off into poison oak and manzanilla bushes. Nevertheless, we went, and we had a great time. Amie mentioned we would be getting some exercise today, but I thought the horse was going to be doing the work. Let’s just say, I’m sore, and I didn’t even fall off.

When we woke up, neither of us wanted to pack up and push on back across the border into Argentina. It won’t sound like fun tomorrow morning either, but we’ve got to do it. Adam Pate, aka Chepe Grande, aka El Guapo is waiting for us in Bariloche and we can’t wait to see him.

Not much else happened today. We walked along the beautiful lake and marveled at how German everything is. The lake districts of Chile and Argentina had heavy German migration in the late 1940s… It shouldn’t take you but a minute to realize this is where many Nazi’s fled to after ww2.

The nature and land here is fantastic. This is the first place we have seen on the entire trip where I would consider moving. It’s that nice. Don’t worry moms, we are not going to. It’s too German, the flies are insanely large and aggressive, and to far from you!

More German influence

"Easy Olof"

"I'm doing it Amie, I'm doing it!"

"And having fun!"
Amie enjoyed the ride We troted through some amazing land

Olof was all love
A couple of dusty cowpokes

Puerto Natales Ferry to Puerto Varas, 14 miles

We arrived at the Puerto Montt port in the middle of the night, but the announcer didn’t blare her usual loud message across the entire ferry’s loudspeaker at that moment, she waited until about 7:30AM in which to announce that breakfast was ready and we had landed in Puerto Montt. I already knew we were there as I remember hearing the loud grumbling sounds of the ferry stop during my sleep.

I was anxious to place my feet on land, so as soon as the announcement was broadcasted I got up and encouraged Mike to do the same. After a quick packing, we were able to sneak the bike off on the elevator with another car and bicyclists while most of the other passengers had just started to enjoy breakfast.

The town resembled Puerto Natales a bit as it looked like a old fishing town which recently done some expansion due to the tourist industry. The old wood shingled buildings, having their once bright colors fading from years in the sun all lined the waterway. As Puerto Montt doesn’t have too much to offer other than it’s location for the Navimag ferry to us, we decided to press on the entire 12 miles to the next town Puerto Vares which was supposed to be quite pleasant.

Puerto Vares, set along a lake, is on the common touristy route to Bariloch. It again has several old wood shingled houses lining the streets. Each house has so much character, and it looks like either they have been built centuries ago, or the ground has moved from underneath them a bit as most of them are a bit crooked in one place versus the other. I think you could make a great haunted house movie with just about any of these old buildings!

There is also a strong German vibe to the entire town, shown through it in much of the architecture. We ended up finding a really nice little hostel which happens to be German owned and full of Germans. Practically everyone here is speaking German to each other, at times I feel I missed the memo on the front of the door. The hostel is one of the nicest we’ve stayed on our trip. There is a really nice garden out front with a fountain that sings a relaxing tune of trickling water, a great kitchen facility, internet (supposedly wifi, but we couldn’t get the darn thing to work) and a nice cozy and clean room. Since we are not in too much of a rush I am considering staying two nights here! I wouldn’t mind looking into the horseback riding they offer around here???

Our first look at Puerto Montt

Somewhat scenic

Amie thought every house looked haunted

German influence?
I'm a land lover

Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt Ferry, Day 3

The last day on the ferry, and I woke up in much better spirits from the night before as we were back in the safe and sheltered sound of the Chilean islands. At about 4AM I believe we entered back into our safe and calm waters.

At 7:30AM the loudspeaker announced breakfast (repeatedly) and for the first time I got myself out of bed to enjoy it. The last few days I would rather not rush to get up just for a plate of uncooked eggs, stale biscuit, butter and jam, but since I didn’t have dinner the night before my stomach gave me that extra push I needed.

Right away I could feel that the air was much warmer, and the skies clearer. You could easily see plenty layers of little islands off in the distance at different depths; it was beautiful. Glassy waters, clear blue skies and that morning glow placed over the entire view.

Most of the passengers on this ship have over the last couple of days gotten to know each other quite well as you can hear the volume in the lounge or cafeteria area increase as the hours and days go by. Although somehow I find myself not wanting to socialize. I think that Mike would be a bit more social if it weren’t for me, always wandering to my cabin or somewhere where nobody will strike a conversation. I honestly don’t know exactly why I feel so anti-social, not just now, but on the trip in general, other than lack of interest. I am not interested in why they are here, what they are seeing, etc. I don’t mean that in a snobbish way either, but I guess I find myself enjoying time by myself or with Mike other than a stranger. I miss my friends, I don’t feel the desire to try and find new ones unless the opportunity presents itself. You don’t realize how enjoyable time by yourself can be when you don’t get it often. At home, between work, all your forms of communication (cell phone, telephone, emails, etc), Mike, my friends and Candy, there is very little time just for you.

Throughout the day, the weather still stayed on the cold side, surprising to me as we are quite a bit north of our original location. We got to see some whales today from beside the ship. Watched pirates of the Caribbean, finished my other book and got a couple good naps in. I think I’m napped out!

Early morning, at like 3AM the boat is supposed to land in Puerto Montt, although they will not let the passengers off the boat until 7AM. I’m looking forward to putting my feet on land!!! I’m sure not born to live on the sea! I miss land!

"I slept great!"

"I'll be happy to get off this thing"

This sheep convinced Amie not to eat mutton ever again

Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt Ferry, Day 2

I thought I couldn’t possibly have more time in the day to think while on the bike, but this ferry has definitely proved me wrong. You literally don’t do anything all day other than wait for your next meal and occasionally fight the cold, wind and at times rain/snow to catch a glimpse of the scenery outside.

As our nights have been late the past month in Argentina and mornings always rushed to get out of the hostel before the early checkout time, having some time to catch up on sleep with nothing better to do was quite nice. I got to finish one of my books, sleep, eat, gaze at the surrounding islands and do the whole thing over again.

I received some really bad and extremely surprising news from home right before boarding onto the ferry, the kind that you don’t sit well with which has become quite tortuous on such a stretch of days with not much to do other than ponder thoughts in your head. Not the best timing to be disconnected from any form of communication that is for sure.

Today out of all the days on the ship was one I wasn’t looking forward to. We were having to go outside the sheltering fjords and into the pacific ocean, which was supposed to be quite stormy. I made sure to take my motion sickness pill, but when the waves started to rock the boat up and down, side to side, I sure pushed those pills to their limit! I wasn’t in the best space and spent the remainder of the day and night in my bed counting down the 12 hours until we were in the calm sound again.

The sea was angry this day

Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt Ferry, Day 1

We rolled the bike on last night, up an elevator, and then finally as far forward as possible, which was quite convenient as it ended up very near our cabin. There are two other motorcycles on this ferry with us, a KTM 640 Adventure and a BMW F650. They belong to a German couple Rhinherd and Betty who are spending time touring Argentina and Chile. We strapped our bikes down with the ties provided, I used 4, the “German precision” required 16. We will be in the open ocean however… so I hope my bike is still standing!

The boat itself is more ferry than cruise ship for sure--don’t let the flyer fool you. That said, it’s much nicer than the ferry we took from Baja to Mazatlan in mexico. There are about 250 people and tons of cargo on board, including horses, goats, sheep, and cows. The cafeteria and communal area is clean but sparse. The windows are small and dirty. The ferry moves at a good clip, 8 knots I think I heard, and the outside air is cold and rainy most of the time. The food is surprisingly good, the scenery is beautiful, albeit unvaried.

Amie has higher anxiety on boats than I realized. She was panicking a bit last night while we boarded; the straight calm like glass, and the boat stationary. Should we really be doing this I thought, wouldn’t we be better just fighting the wind on route 3? She is taking Bonine, which is her motion sickness drug of choice. Problem being, it makes her very drowsy (hence I am typing this blog, and probably will be alone most of the next couple days).

The most annoying thing for me about this cruise is the announcements. They are incessant. They start at about 7am, and announce breakfast every 15 minutes it seems until 9am, and then remind you ever 15 minutes until 10 to return your trays. These announcements are heard loud and clear at every corner of the ship, they cannot be escaped! After 10 they mellow out a bit, announcing points of interest, but at 11:30 until 2pm it’s the same sequence of bothersome announcements and reminders regarding lunch… and they go on and on… the points of interest most the time are not that interesting either… I heard one of my fellow passengers mockingly say over dinner last night “Dear passengers, we would like to invite you to the top deck where it is now very dark. Please, all passengers, we invite you to the top deck to enjoy the darkness. We will have a short talk about how dark it is. We wait for you there!”

The horses weren't happy

Amie fixes PB and honey sandwiches

Mike shivers outside
The views were great from the top deck
Amie sports fashionable head gear (Road Rider $10)

Much time was spent like this

Wait?! Mike Pepper?? How did you get here?

1-25-07 Puerto Natales

We had to kill time today before boarding the ferry. We had heard all sorts of different information regarding when to board and when to board the motorcycle, so we thought it best to be in town today to make sure everything went smooth. Probably five hours passed at a coffee shop with wifi while we caught up on the blog, emailed friends and family, and had some very intense IM sessions.

Our bike was all loaded up outside and attracting a lot of attention. We instill admiration and envy in everyone around here with our big motorcycle, and the freedom it provides us to explore the continent. Two people that noticed the bike were not the average looky lews. Em and Hame, two Scottish world travelers had introduced themselves to us as the couple that had been traveling off and on with our friends Adam and Valerie. We soon learned that Valerie was in a very serious motorcycle accident. Luckily she is OK. Banged up and bruised, but ok. The story goes she was keeping pace with adam, 45-50mph on a gravel road and just lost control, tumbling head over feet twice before sliding to a halt unconscious. This is Valerie’s second crash and it has left her markedly shaken. We are so glad she is OK!

Later in the day, Valerie herself pulled up just as surprised to see us as we were to see her. Her and her bike were on the road again after a few days off, but both were looking badly beaten. She had a black eye, some road rash, and her helmet was damaged to the point we could be sure it saved her life. We both gave her a big hug, told her to take it easy for Christ’s sake, and then ran off to catch our ferry as the best info we had was we had to board by 6pm.

At the dock we were told we could not board before 9pm. Argh. We had to rush off from our friends only to be told come back in 3 hours. However, as soon as we pulled back into downtown, there they were! They were on a mission to get the bike back in order but weren’t having much luck. Amazingly a few days before the owner of the coffee shop Amie loved was mouthing off about how Puerto Natales has the best mechanic in Argentina… We called his bluff, and later found out it to be true as in a couple of hours Val had her fairing fixed, a new fan installed, and whatever else repaired she needed.

We had the best sandwich in Chile at a placed called Masay. It was a “Churrasco Completo” and was piled high with steak, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Feeling full, we boarded the boat at 9pm as instructed. I’ll have 3 days of entries to describe the boat, and I will begin tomorrow.

An old man that crashed a motorcycle in his youth thought it prudent to give us these

Adam threatens Valerie with more violence if she dumps her bike again

All aboard the cargo elevator

The view from the top deck

A room without a view

El Calafate to Puerto Natales, 230 miles

We were very rudely rushed out of Hostel Norte at 10am, even though the check out time was not conveyed to us or posted anywhere we could see. In a mad rush we packed up as the old lady practically chased us out with a broom.

The chain has the o-rings pushing through. Its not long now before she goes. How long we've got on her I don't know. I'd hate to have to buy a new chain in Chile at the end of the trip, but I would also hate to have the chain break in the middle of no where... I cleaned and lubed it as best I could and we pressed on to Esperanza with the "esperanza" we would make it without trouble.

At the YPF gas station, our half way stopping point, we ran into some Brazilians and our Portuguese friends we met at the argentina/chile boarder crossing in route to Ushuaia. The Portugese couple is on a Honda Transalp, and the Brazilian couple a Yamaha dirt bike with the best "strap work" I've ever seen. There site is rotacheguevara.blogspot.com and rotacheguevara.smugmug.com. I had my favorite heart attack plate, steak with two fried eggs on top, French fries and sautéed onions. I’ve been having that a lot lately…

Before crossing the border (again) back into Chile, we made the wise decision of topping off the tank at the gas station and stocking up on groceries for the ferry ride. The price difference between the two countries has me wondering if I should be crossing the border just to get gas… However, although the lines were very short, the folks were bored and not always that friendly. For example, while struggling with my gloves, I was asked about our trip by a customs official. His tone was strange, I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely curious or not. Something told me not. He started asking about what gear we had, and then turned and said, “you had better claimed all that with customs.” ??? Luckily he got distracted by someone and we were able to leave.

We also met a nice gentleman in Rio Turbio who was planning on doing a similar trip to ours next year with his girlfriend. He had lived in the US for a while, and was now living back in his hometown of Argentina. He also gave us some interesting information: In the south, there are no motorcycles available to buy, and for that reason, people are willing to pay incredible prices for them. Further, because there is mining and oil out here, the people make a lot of money and have nothing to spend it on. Maybe I should sell Yosh here, I thought immediately! But our trip isn’t over. He reckoned my bike would fetch $8000, but did not know how easy it would be to convert the US documents to Argentine. He didn’t think it would be too hard however. Its good to know we still have this option.

Back in Puerto Natales it felt like a ghost town, nothing like when we last left. A good thing for us as we were able to go back to our $20 hotel room steal we had the night before without worry of it not being available.

This guy gets an A+ in strapsmanship!

This young pup wanted to come along soooo bad...

El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier, 110 miles

Rain in the morning is a good excuse to sleep in. Everything was great until about noon, when it was still raining and didn’t show signs of stopping. We tried to wait it out, but decided we had to push on to the glacier today if we wanted to see it. We have our ferry tickets booked for the 25th, so its now or never.

On the way to the glacier we passed a couple more lakes that were so blue you would think they were the Caribbean. The blue is a milky blue, not a clear blue however. I wonder what makes them that color…

To get into the park it cost us $10 a person. Once in, it was 10 more miles of paved, and then 6 of mud. The mud was a bit dicey, but we made it ok. Once we got close we were amazed at what lay before us. Like a wall of ice, the glacier flowed down out of the mountains and into the lake. A bit closer and we could see the detail, tons of vertical icebergs, like enormous forest of inverted stalagmites of ice. Closer still and we realized just how large this thing is. Its insanely big. 13,000km or so.

Once we were parked we followed the wooden catwalk down to a series of look out points, each ever closer. Boats looked like ants at first from the road, but as we descended we realized they were tour boats with at least 50 people on them. The wall of ice must stand hundreds of feet tall. As we were walking towards the second viewing platform we thought we heard thunder, it was the cracking of an iceberg—seconds later a huge splash. Soon I would learn that what I heard was only a tiny piece. I was so excited I practically skipped to the next balcony.

Unfortunately for Amie, she had to turn around and use the bathroom at the end of the trail. Moments after she left, a whole sheet of ice came down with a tremendous crash creating a tidal wave that would have capsized any boat in the vicinity. It was truly incredible. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen bar none.

The sun was shinning on us as we watched more and more ice break loose and bob around in the water. I could have stayed for hours, days maybe. It was enchanting. Corny I know, but like nothing I’ve ever seen, or heard. This is somewhere everyone should see before they die.

Approaching the glacier

Hi friends!

To give you some perspective

closer
Truly incredible
wow
detail


Another view
Crash!
Crash Chain is shot, o-rings are coming out

Puerto Natales to El Calafate, 300 miles and one boarder crossing

Some more delicious Nescafe and we were on the road towards El Cafate and the Glacier Moreno. The skies were sunny and warm, a great start to the day.

Just about 15 miles in we came to the border crossing. We are sure getting the Argentina and Chile shuffle down! Every time you approach a crossing, you cringe, and pray that it won’t be a 3 hour ordeal. Much to our surprise it was a piece of cake! In no time at all we got through both the exit and entry points and were back in Argentina, land of delicious steaks, ice cream and cheap gasoline!

We weren’t sure how much of the road would be paved for us today, but to our pleasant surprise we were on pavement the entire journey. Not too much to talk about as far as scenery today, we were back in dusty desolate flat lands. The nice thing is we get where we are going quick, the down side is it gets a little boring.

Just about 70 miles away, we stopped to get gas and a bite to eat at our very favorite and oh so missed YPF gas station. They treat us right, gas is back to 1.25/gallon and their food is cheap and delicious! We ran into a couple from Mendoza (Argentina) on a motorbike. Francisco, the man and his friend were touring all around Argentina and have been on the road for 10 days now. That was the first Argentinean we have run into on the road, several bikers from Brazil, but not yet Argentina. They were both extremely friendly and we enjoy chatting with them over our lunch. After lunch we followed each other the last 70 miles into El Cafate.

El Cafate is the hub for the Glacier Moreno which is a huge tourist attraction not only for Argentineans but globally. It is a giant glacier along side of a lake in which you can stand on a nearby platform and watch huge chunks of ice break off the glacier and hit the water…it is supposed to be quite a site. The town definitely reflected the great attraction as it was full of tourists and tourists shops. The nice thing is you know you will be able to find delicious food, but then again you’re paying triple.

The town as packed as it gets caused us to do the Hostel shuffle for quite some time. It gets old after a while, but our diligence and persistence paid off as we found a clean hostel, shared bath for $30. Usually that would be a lot, but we quickly discovered it was a bargain in this town. We opted out of camping as the campgrounds were packed full and we didn’t want to risk leaving our valuables out while we’re at the glacier tomorrow.

We strolled the streets, enjoyed some delicious empanadas (I would say the second best I’ve had on this trip – a bold statement) and enjoyed the sunshine and warm weather.

Our Argentinean biker friends wanted to meet us for dinner, and given that they are from Argentina, of course it was late, 9:30PM. Francisco got us a reservation at a pasta house, delicious homemade pastas. We enjoyed a nice visit, great pasta and outstanding wine which kept us there well past midnight. Francisco insisted on paying, what a treat! Mike being my occasional translator I was able to be a part of the conversation as well…fun night. We told him he must come to California sometime so we can repay his generosity.

Our new friends from Mendoza, Argentina

Amie loves the clean shave
and, of course, the icecream