The Party Is Over !!

Notice the Elevation!
This is what it looks like up there, looking toward Santiago in the smog below.

Fri. 27 Feb.

Today I decided to go high into the Andes, since it’s my last full day here….nine thousand, two hundred and seventy five feet high, to be exact. Translated into Spanish numbers it would look like this 9,725Ft. That’s as far as I could go as I headed up to the Farellones ski area just outside Santiago. Up there, there are a number of very nice ski villages that have got to be a beehive of activity here in the winter. There are more Restaurants, Pubs and beautiful Ski Chalets up there than you can shake a ski pole at. Unfortunately not a one is open at this time of year. I’ll bet it would be a great place to work for a winter! This is the construction season there. Many people building and repairing things up there today. If you want to go to Google Earth and see where I was, copy and paste these coordinates into the search window:
-33.3334305555556, -70.286275

Other than that, it was a sad day, because I started to pack things away that I probably won’t see until next year. Bike things! Worst of all, tomorrow I have to put the bike away since I will be hopping a plane to New York’s JFK International at 9:05pm local, tomorrow night. 7:05pm for all of you back home. I really like this bike and I’m going to miss it! Oh well, it's been one hell of an adventure!!! Where can we go next year?

New Location For Chaiten Announced

Chaiten will be rebuilt 6 miles North of the present location in the area marked "Santa Barbara"
Click Picture To Enlarge.

The Chilean government has announced that a location for the "New Chaiten" has been chosen. Estimated cost $70 million, estimated time to finish the project 2,402 days. Wow!

Read the whole story here: http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKTRE51O7UM20090225

More Here: http://www.emol.com/noticias/ingles/detalle/detallenoticias.asp?idnoticia=346370

Chile / Argentina To Host 2010 Dakar Rally Once Again

Once again, Chile and Argentina will host the 2010 Dakar Rally, after the success of the most recent edition of the event. Chilean government spokesman Francisco Vidal announced on Tuesday. For the whole story go here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTXo3nYPmU6e7WU1nMsJhT4io3-g

Chaiten Volcano Roars Back To Life. Chaiten Evacuated...Again

Chaiten evacuated once again as the nearby volcano threatens the area.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, Chilean authorities once again evacuated as many as 160 remaining inhabitants of the destroyed town of Chaiten as the nearby volcano renewed its furry. Large amounts of gas and ash were spewed high into the air surrounding the volcano, some of the ash falling as far away as Futaleufu near the Argentina border. Authorities flew over the area on Thursday and said the situation is risky for the nearby town of Chaiten because rains could trigger avalanches once again flooding Chaiten. An estimated 4000 people lived in Chaiten at the time the eruption began on May 2, 2008. Many of the residents of Chaiten have resisted efforts by the Chilean government to resettle the town elsewhere. Residents opposed to the relocation, in recent weeks staged protests, cutting access in or out of the area. Chilean authorities stated on Thursday that this "was exactly the kind of danger we were talking about when we decided to relocate Chaiten. "The relocation site has yet to be determined.


Some great recent pictures can be seen here: http://www.fotos.emol.com/index.asp?G_ID=8803
Here is a short video of the Chiten Volcano as it is now: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7902923.stm

New Pictures Uploaded

I have uploaded, to the "Picture Gallery", all the pictures that I took in the destroyed town of Chaiten, Chile. Have a look, don't forget to hit the "Slide Show" button. I have also uploaded the best pictures I've taken on this trip. They will be in the album called "CHILE/ARGENTINA 2009" and remember you can control the speed of the slide show in the upper left hand corner of the thumbnails by placing the cursor up there while in the slide show.

Back In Santiago

North East part of Santiago
I'm back in Santiago, Chile's Capital City, until the 28th of February at which time I return to the U.S. The trip today from Chufquen took seven hours, under warm sunny skies. I have a lot of things to do before I put the bike away again until next year, so I will spend some time taking care of things like insurance for the bike, the 20,000Km. service and things like that. I might even sneak in a trip or two to "El Rancho Del Che" to satisfy that urge for Argentine Steak. Who knows?

Volcanoes and Champagne

Lava field from Volcan Llaima
The Champagne crowd

Sat. Feb. 14

Happy Valentine’s Day !!

I decided to take off to Parque Nacional Conguillio this morning, since I have been lying pretty low since I returned from Ushuaia. The Park encompasses the Llaima volcano that was in eruption last year at this time. The ride took me thru the towns of Victoria, then to Curacautin and then up toward the Park. As I entered the park, I came to a scenic overlook, so I stopped to take a couple of pictures. There were a few other people there at the time, and as I got off the bike and said Hi to them, they asked where I was coming from, so I told them, and before I new it, I was handed a glass of Champagne and offered some home made spicy ham. You know, everywhere I have been, on this trip, the people I’ve met have been so, so nice. I can’t say enough about the people in this part of the world. It’s like, once you strike up a conversation with them, you become part of the family. I mean, here I am in the middle of nowhere on the side of a volcano, and I stop to take a picture, and the next thing I know, I’m drinking Champagne with people I just met! It doesn’t get much better than that! Any how, after a few pictures of me and a few of them, I was off again down the very rough roads leading into the Park. I went up to the Ski Center and then back to Chufquen via Temuco.

Total Distance Traveled

Yellow indicates the trip down, Green indicates the return trip. Blue is Ferry crossings.
Fri. Feb. 6

Looks like the total kilometers traveled during my trip to Ushuaia equals 6,571, that translates to 4,083 miles. That’s from Santiago to Ushuaia and back to Chufquen, my Aunt’s ranch. You can add another 664 kilometers back to Santiago.

The Long Haul To Bariloche

A great place to dine in Bariloche
Tue. Feb. 3

Up and on the road at 5:30am this morning! Today I want to make it to Bariloche, not an easy task, it’s a long way! Averaging probably 75 miles an hour, I drove 15 hours before finally shutting the bike down in Bariloche. There were parts of my body that I couldn’t even feel anymore. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to sit down again! After stopping for gas in Esquel, I drove north to Bariloche passing thru the town of El Bolson. A very quaint town full of all kinds of stores for the tourists. This last stretch from Esquel to Bariloche was very, very scenic, and I spent a lot of time riding on the sides of my tires! Any Hoo, one of the main reasons for wanting to get to Bariloche had to do with a place called “La Parrilla de Julian”, an eatery I discovered last year on my first trip to Bariloche. That is where you can get some of the best steak I have ever had! Arriving in Bariloche, I went to the same hotel as last year, right on the lakeshore and got a room. After a well deserved shower, I headed right over to Julian’s for a meal to top off a very long trip. At Julian's, I ordered the 800 gram steak (half a cow), a salad, and an ice cold beer. Julian came to my table and remembered me from last year, because of my bike. Julian makes a point to go to each table and speak with his guests. A very nice man! After a wondeful meal, it was back to the hotel to get some sleep, and in the morning I would drive the final six hours to Chufquen, my Aunt’s ranch. This will be the end of a trip to the far southern tip of South America that has lasted sixteen days.

To Torres Del Paine

Unfortunately the Towers were behind the clouds
Guanacos are everywhere in the Park, by the hundreds

Spectacular scenery!

Mon Feb. 2

Leaving Puerto Natales this morning I headed to Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile. It took about two hours to reach the Park, some of the road being gravel, especially in the Park it’s self. The closer I got to the Park, the more beautiful the scenery became. The Park is quite large and I didn’t have enough time to see it all, but I did get to see the world famous towers that the park is named for. Unfortunately the peaks were shrouded in clouds and I managed to take one picture that barely shows them, after waiting quite a while. One interesting thing was the hundreds of Guanacos in the park. They were literally everywhere, some grazing, some sitting and some where playing some kind of game where one jumps on the back of the other one to get a piggy back ride, or something like that. Any how, I stayed about an hour or two, then headed out of the park and back into Argentina to start my trip north. I drove all the way to Puerto Santa Cruz on the east coast, the town that I stayed in on the way south, where the Argentine Army base is. There, I fueled up and went to the same hotel as before.

Leaving The End Of The World Behind

Statue in Puerto Natales
The Hostal I stayed in, I was very well received.

Sun. Feb. 1

This morning leaving Ushuaia and the end of the world behind, I rode out of town in a steady rain. Can’t complain though, because I have been very fortunate as far as weather goes in this part of the world. To come into Ushuaia for the very first time and have a day with no rain and even some sunshine, it’s a good day! After less than an hour the rain cleared up and the sun came out for the rest of the day, although it was still cool and I reencountered those winds once I got out of the mountains. Passing thru customs at the border once again, I continued a short way and came across a group of riders that stopped at a roadside cafe. There I bumped into an aquaintace that I met in Vermont a couple of years ago at a BMW National Rally. The person was none other than Ron Ayers, owner and operator of Ayers Adventure Tours. I had to go in and say hi to Ron, because while in Vermont we discussed the possibility of my becoming a guide for his South American Tours. After my chat with Ron, I continued to the Ferry that would take me back across the Straights Of Magellan. When I arrived at the Ferry to cross the Straights of Magellan again, the Ferry was waiting for me and in minutes we where on our way to the mainland. There were black and white Dolphins following, and playing, all around the boat, but I saw them too late to take pictures as we where just about to reach the other side. The Spanish guy who rode from Alaska to Ushuaia told me I should not miss Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile, since I was so close to it, so rather than going north on Rt. 3, I headed west back into Chile’s Andes Mountains and to the town of Puerto Natales. Shortly before reaching Puerto Natales I came to a police check point were there where two other riders as I arrived. The police asked all of us for our documents, and where we were coming from, and after processing each one of us, let us go on our way. Just as I was going to pull away, the Top Cop came out and asked me, “How did you get from Ushuaia, Argentina to Puerto Natales in record time”? Ooooops!
Ummmm, Well, Uh! I thought the speed limits down here were just suggestions, because even though I was averaging 75 mph I was usually being left in the dust by most drivers, especially in Argentina. Besides, you rarely see a speed limit sign out here. Any ways, he was very pleasant and almost kidding me about it, but I got the message loud and clear! He let me go. I continued to Puerto Natales, where I am now. In the morning I’m off to Torres Del Paine National Park, a very beautiful place from all I have seen of it on TV and the Internet.