ARGENTINA

DECEMBER 2005 TO JANUARY 2006

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My Honda in Uraguay. It's a 1983 Honda GL650 Silverwing, a precursor to the Honda Goldwings.

Notice the tire on the back. Take note as the trip progresses how much less stuff I have on the back of the bike. I packed a lot of the spare parts in the fairing and repacked so my stuff took up less space.

Route 3 south. Kind of like driving across Texas. TWICE.

Sea Lions near Puerto Madryn.

Penguins near Puerto Madryn.

Sea Lions near Puerto Madryn.

Armadillo near Puerto Madryn. These are the only creature besides humans that can catch Leprosy. These guys were begging for food. By the way, these guys taste great.

Armadillo near Puerto Madryn.

Sea Elephants near Puerto Madryn

This was when I REALLY started looking for a spare gas can. A few stops later I was about a half cup away from running out when I finally got to a gas station.

ME!

A German on a BMW. He was complaining that his fat front tire made the bike hard to drive on gravel roads. I think it was more likely the two tires on the back seat, along with the gear that was packed inide the tires, and the gear underneath the tires, and the gear on the back seat, and the tank bag, and full panniers, and two tubes attached to the bikes filled with hear, and the rather large German driving.

Italians on Vespa Motorscooters. They rode from Buenos Aires down to Ushuaia and were on their way back to Buenos Aires. I am not sure why the one guy is looking at a map. There is only one road to get there.

NOTES

I am not the kind of guy that stays at places that fold up their towels like this. But it was the only reasonable place in town. They even went in when I went for dinner to turn down the bed and turn on the lights and TV. That got me searching the place with my little Swiss Army Knife.

NOTES

This was my key for a while. Plug in the connector to go, disconnect to stop. I later put a switch on it.

On the ferry in Chile. It is very short and free for bikes. It was so windy and rough that the bike tipped over and I had to hold it up.

NOTES

Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina.

Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world.

Ushuaia, Argentina

The bike on the right belongs to a crazy Polish guy who is living in the USA now and came down to be with his friends. The bike on the left belongs to a couple from Poland who are riding around the world. They are almost done at this point. Very nice people.

The Polish couples bike.

Me at teh Park near Ushuaia. The end of Rt. 3

The Beagle Channel near Ushuaia

Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina

I was in Chile for two short stretches. One was on the way to Ushuaia, the other was on the way out. You notice the gas cans on the back of the bike? They were bade out of the same material as milk jugs, only thicker. I had three because I could not trust them not to leak. Eventually 2 of them leaked.

These are either Llamas or something that is very much like a llama. They are fast and like to run in front of bikes. This was in Chile.

NOTES

This mine field was at the Ferry Crossing in Chile. I am not sure if it is active or just an old one that they are not sure if they got all the mines. Either way, I decided not to go for a long walk.

This is at the Perito Merino Glacier in Argentina, in the Andes.

NOTES

The Perito Merino Glacier is FANTASTIC. Lots of great sounds as it breaks apart. It moves 1.5 meters a day. That's fast folks.

Perito Merino Glacier

Notice the little spec in the water, on the right, near where the land disapears into the glacier? That's a sight seeing boat. Perito Merino Glacier

Perito Merino Glacier

The blue just does not show up well in the photos. It is BLUE. ALmost glows it is so blue. Perito Merino Glacier

Perito Merino Glacier

This is where the glacier blocked up the flow of water from one lake to another. It does this from time to time and the water level rises on one side. Then, the water breaks through in a loud dramatic event. Perito Merino Glacier

Perito Merino Glacier

Note the site seeing boat to the right of the center of hte photo. Perito Merino Glacier

Perito Merino Glacier

A 195something VW Bug in VERY good shape.

NOTES

Notice just behind the passenger window, there is a vertical something on the post? That's the turn signals. It's a semifore. Pull a lever or something and it swings out to let people know you are turning right. There is a matching one on the left.

It's like Texas next to Alaska.

NOTES

There were a lot of these horses out in the fields. Not sure if they are wild or just put out for now.

NOTES

Somewhere in these pics are Ostriches. Some baby ones and some adults. Even in the big picure they are hard to find. They also like running in front of bikes.

Ostriches.

The coast, near Olivia.

This is a Petrified Forest park near Sarmiento. Great place to walk around.

Petrified Forest park near Sarmiento

Walking around, there were so many pieces of petrified wood that the you made music with every step. The stuff sounds great. Petrified Forest park near Sarmiento

Petrified Forest park near Sarmiento

I kept running into a couple on bikes that is touring from Brazil. The guy has a Honda similar to mine. He gave me a sticker so I finally was able to put my own sticker on.

Flamingos

On the way to Bariloche

Bariloche, Argentina

NOTES

Not sure what mountain this is, but it is BIG.

NOTES

A lake behind a dam. Reminded me of Lake Powel

I made a new friend.

In Rosario, a monument either to the flag or to the guy that designed it. Lots of half and fully naked statues that are anatomically correct. Quite a large monument and very elaborate. Looks especially great at night.

NOTES

These people do some significant touring on this bike. When they said they had come from Puerto Rico, I was really impressed. They finally cleared it up that Puerto Rico is a town north of there.

Iguazu Falls - these are much more impressive than Niagara Falls. You can really get in close to see them. If I remember right, more water falls over these than Niagara, but Niagara is taller.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls - There is a small Aligator hanging out in those branches.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls - There is a boat ride that was highly recommended. THey go up river and look at this part of the falls.

Iguazu Falls - then back past the starting point.

Iguazu Falls - then they go over and look at this part of the falls.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls - and take a dip into these falls. Certainly not the wild trip I that was mentioned.

Then they go back towards the starting point. I was not overly impressed with the trip.

Iguazu Falls - but then they go back past the starting point towards the falls we first looked at.

Iguazu Falls - then INTO the falls, notice the boat in the falls? You are guaranteed to get wet on this one.

Iguazu Falls - notice the boat in the falls?

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls - a bird trying ot swallow a fish that is way to big for it.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls - this is the view from the top of the Sheraton Hotel.

Iguazu Falls - This is the view from teh top of the Sheraton Hotel

Iguazu Falls - a big lizard

Coatimundi, also known as Coati, relatives of the Raccoon. These guys are very inquisitive and can carry rabies. They realy get agressive if fed.

Iguazu Falls - Coati

Iguazu Falls Hostel - One of the young people that adopted me. There are a lot of young people at the hostels. They often adopt me, kind of like a father figure, or maybe more like the strange uncle that sometimes shows up at holidays for free beer and food.

In Puerto Rico, this shop let me change my oil then the owner invited me over for lunch with his family. The shop has everything from bicycles to sport bikes. No bikes like mine though.

Puerto Rico, no not THE Puerto Rico, this is a town in Argentina.

Some pictures I stole from the web of the cars by Citroen that I saw.