Shocks and suprises

I just wanted to post this so I could share something about our journey on the 'luxury' vessel we were on when we went to see the Glacier. I know it's posted in retrospect and after the Christmas blog but I think it is important that I share all of the trip with you.

I couldn't wait to see Brian's face after he had seen the 'cruiser' we were booked on. What a laugh, we'd got ourselves all geared up for a luxury liner and then found an old tub that was in the process of being repaired ready for our 4 day excursion.

There were quite a few bikers waiting to load their bikes onto the vessel. A group of 6 from New Zealand and a guy from Canada. When we got to our cabin we found that it wasn't quite up to the P & O standard we were used to. This was a small dark oblong box with four wooden bunks and four lockers. It had a heater so we knew we were going to get cold but it also had a window so we didn't need to feel too claustrophobic. We settled in and after several walks around the decks looking at the stunning islands and scenery



and several drinks in the bar, Brian made it very clear that he was getting bored. Thanks goodness for the Captain's bridge. We had been told there was an open invitation to go in and look around. It was like going into Santa's grotto. So many gadgets and gizmos. We spent ages in there with Brian asking questions and doing his 'Captain of the ship' thing - checking charts, sitting in the Captain's chair etc. It was a brilliant photo opportunity as you can see.


The backpackers had taken the bunks on the corridor which were much cheaper and less confined. We both laughed about them leaving their trainers and boots out on the main corridor but believe me I soon had our outside the door as well. The stench coming off our gear in that confined space was unbelievable.

On the second day we were out into the Pacific Ocean and boy was it rough. We ended up laying on our bunks from 2.30 in the afternoon. I couldn't eat anything of the meal in the evening and really just slept until the following morning when everything was calm again and we were heading towards the Glacier, Pio Xl

Seeing the glacier was amazing and the main reason for taking the ferry but I didn't expect to get quite so close to it. As we got closer to it we went past great big lumps of ice that had broken off and were floating away. Truly spectacular.

It was all a bit of a rush on the 21st December when we had to disembark. We got into Puerto Natales much early than we expected and then we had to fly round to try and find a place to stay that had Wi Fi so I could Skype my Mum the following day to wish her a happy birthday. We tried a few places before finding a room in Hostal Natales which from the outside looked quite neglected but actually was a really lovely place to stay.

We found some really good seafood in a local restaurant and confirmed which road we would take to Ushuaia and that was it. Finally we were on our way to the Fin del Mundo.

Christmas Greetings from Ushuaia

We want to wish all of our family and friends old and new a very Happy Christmas and also to send our best wishes for good luck, good health and happiness in 2010 xx

The good, the bad and the ugly

Leaving San Rafael found us with the usual problem of getting the right road out of town. The first attempt had me slightly unnerved when we found ourselves on a virtually unmade road with big pot holes and plenty of loose gravel. Incredible to think that we had only followed a sign for Malargue. Still, after heading back into town and asking at a garage we found ourselves on the main road and I could breath a little easier. I dread the tough roads now. The rest of the ride was fantastic. Blue skies, good roads and beautiful mountains along the way. We got into Malargue at 3pm and found it to be a lovely place. Wide open roads and avenues, businesses open from 9 - 1.30 then a little rest before re-opening at 4.30 for the evening.

The atmosphere was relaxed and unhurried. However, it did mean that after finding a cabanas to stay in for 3 nights we were starving until the supermercado opened again for the evening. Thank goodness for the local garage where we could get some cola and a couple of pasty 'type' things which obviously I couldn't eat.


The following day we walked back into town to try and book some small tours around the area. There really is a lot to see and do according to the lonely planet book, just not at this time of the year. The only tour available would have taken 10 - 12 hours altogether and there was no way we could do this. I still remember Denali and that was only half that time! We had a quick discussion with a brainy guy in the Pierre Auger observatory (Brian asked some questions) and then we walked to the planetarium to ask about shows there. At last we found something we could visit. Luckily there was a showing that night otherwise we would have missed that as well. Brian had his second haircut of the trip and we returned to the planetarium for 5pm. What a fantastic show. Andres told us that if the expected party didn't show up he would put the programme on in English and that's exactly what happened. It was my first time at a planetarium and I didn't know quite what to expect but it was truly mind blowing and thought provoking, made even more so because we were in this big theatre and just us two sat in there. To be honest I think Andres enjoyed this one to one show because it allowed him to show off the computer programme he had which of course had Brian's total interest and attention. The immensity of the data and the almost incomprehensible time lines of what we see actually made me feel a little emotional and was certainly immensley thought provoking. This was most definitely a GOOD part of the trip.

As we had been unable to book any tours I suggested that we go on the shed to Los Molles, a place 60kms away that had hot springs. The ride there was lovely. Just trousers and T-shirts, beautiful sunny skies, a slow and steady climb up towards the mountains, no traffic and a road that at times could be challenging because of rock falls and pot holes.

When we got there we found, yet again, that most of the town was closed but there was no getting away from the stench of sulphur from the hot springs themselves. Unfortunately, these were housed in buildings which were closed to the public when we got there. Still, I loved getting there and back and the shed seemed to love the freedom of having little weight and bulk on it.

Ready to leave on Friday 11th December and a quick call to my sister-in-law, Diane, to wish her a happy birthday. It was great chatting and laughing and what I needed really because I knew we had some gravel road to ride to get to the next town and even though both Brian and I were talking confidently about it I knew I would not be happy until it was done. As it goes, I had every right to feel this way. The gravel went on for much longer than we had been led to believe, in wasn't compact gravel either. Then there was the big pot holes, bits of broken pavement, more gravel, windy weather and I could feel the tension in Brian. I kept asking if he wanted a break and a drink reminding him that it was ok to stop for a few minutes.

After a snickers, a drink of water and a little talking to himself we were on our way again. Both of us shocked at how far these conditions were running for and then, we saw it. Right across the road ahead the Andes were spilling their guts in the form of sand. I suggested that I get off and walk through it. It was amazing. When we first saw it, it just looked like a drift but as I walked through it and I started sinking up to my ankles and I could see that the shed was having the usual problems with the horrible stuff. Definitely a BAD part of the trip. Still, we got through it and back onto the horrid gravel. How relieved we were when we saw the pavement road ahead and what a fantastic road it was. Heavenly smooth surface, brilliant sweeping bends and good sign posts which always give you confidence that there will soon be a place to stay. On this occasion the place was Barrancas, a quiet, sleepy town off the main road.

Not much to it really just some dusty unpaved roads, a square, a school and a couple of shops. It felt sort of unlived in really. We found the only Hospidaje and restaurant in the place had a late lunch and then relaxed for a while.

Here we met Alberto Saal, an Argentinian professor living and working in America for the last 20 years. What a lovely, interesting guy. Really friendly and, as we would find out soon enough, really helpful and accommodating.

We all ate in the quiet restaurant that night swapping stories and life experiences. The following morning Brian discovered that the tent and camping gear had all been stolen from the shed. Foolishly, as we thought the town looked quiet etc, we had left it on overnight something Brian is always reluctant to do as a rule and something I have often told him wasn't necessary to do. We also discovered that they had taken our token gesture of Christmas decorations, a lovely Father Christmas which was housed at the front of the shed. So much for Christmas spiritand the season of good will!

After lots of ooohing and arrrghing from the owners of the hospidaje and local people the police were contacted. Alberto delayed the start of his day and helped Brian communicate with the police, making statements, giving descriptions of the gear and then we agreed to stay an extra night because the police had been given information they believed would lead them to recovering the property. They just had to get a form signed by the local judge and that would be that. What a long day. We sat outside from 11am until 6pm, reading books, drinking lager and eating corned beef and tomato ketchup butties. Finally I had found tins of corned beef in Argentina.

At 6pm Alberto returned from his fieldwork and off they went to the police station only to be told that no further action would be taken because the judge wouldn't authorise the search and any police action could result in retribution on the owner and the family running the hospidaje. What a waste of a day. We were both frustrated and angry at being left hanging around when there was absolutely no chance of any action being taken. This was definitley an UGLY part of the trip. Still, we were both philosophical about it understanding that much, much worse things could have happened on this trip so far.

The following day we were actually able to get away and, on Alberto's recommendation, made our way to Las Lajas quite close to the Chilean border. What great advice. We found ourselves at ******* a hospiaje run by Alberto and his wife Lliona.
He hurried us along to the supermacardo before it closed for the day and then, when we returned, invited us to join he and his family for a BBQ meal. It was lovely. A huge quantity of meat, salad and wine sat round a long family dining table. There were ribs, sausages and some black stuff that looked like black pudding (which I love) but I was careful what meat I took.

Fortunately I had brought along my personal taster who informed me that it was indeed just like black pudding so I got stuck in. It was difficult to communicate as neither spoke the other's language but, with the help of Alberto's son and a lot of guess work and gesticulation, communicate we did. We went for a walk around the town after dinner but didn't get very far because of the really strong wind. Brian asked Alberto about the road to the border and in particular about the length of gravel road between the border points and we were reassured that it was good gravel road and should present no problem. We'll see.

Alberto and his family are quite a blessing to travellers and as testimony to this he showed us a visitors' book that travellers from all over the world have commented in and signed. Their warmth, generosity and hospitality really are memorable and because of this our last memory of Argentina at this point is a GOOD one.

Uncertain times in Argentina

After Richard had gone we started to get ready to hit the road again and I was really looking forward to getting back on the shed after such a long break. Though we were aiming to be heading south towards the Chilean lakes district I thought it would be a good idea to cross over to Argentina and visit Mendoza. We were so close to the city it was too good an opportunity to miss. Brian wasn't too sure so we had a little planning meeting and finally agreed to head for the border. The following day, our last day in Santiago, we got a surprise phone call from Henri checking on progress with the shed and arranging to meet for lunch so we could say our farewells.

Henri talked about the ride to the border with such passion that we invited him to join us and perhaps to go into Mendoza where he had a friend he could visit. Unfortunately, after trying to arrange to do this, he was unable to get the necessary documentation in place. This was a tragedy as the ride was astonishing through wonderful mountains, hairpin bends and spectacular scenery.

Brian really got in 'the zone' and we were through the hairpins in quick time with a smooth, continuous flow of leaning from side to side. He really is brilliant at this type of stuff.

The border crossing felt very strange. There were such long distance between each process. No-mans land went on for ages but what a helpful and friendly lot they were. Everything was under cover and the staff came to us, not the other way round. Very impressive. For a short period we and the shed felt like celebrities again when a Colombian family asked to have their photos taken with us.

This wasn't the last we saw of them either.

The first sight of Argentina was quite breath taking. The road was banked by beautiful mountains and the road, though patchy was a joy to ride.


On to Mendoza, a beautiful, clean, unhurried and open city. It took us a while to decide on a hotel, largely due to the amount of help and advice we kept being given, but we eventually settled on the first hotel we had tried which was across from the main Plaza. We had arrived in time for a bank holiday weekend so there was some bustling going on in the Plaza and around some of the street. We tried some delicious Argentinian steak in one of the street cafes and took several strolls around the town. On one of these we met up with the Colombian family we had met at the border and surprisingly he recognised us without our gear on. On Sunday we enjoyed a morning going round a couple of wineries and an olive grove and processing business where, much to my surprise, I found I quite like bread soaked in vigin olive oil of different varieties. Both wineries were traditional, family concerns and we were shown how to go through the different stages of wine tasting. I now know about it's legs, what I'm supposed to be smelling and what the colour indicates. However, this wine tasting will never remain as clear and fresh in my mind as the afternoon wine tasting in Moxee , Washington with our friends Roy and Shelley.

On the Monday were ready to move on south in Argentina heading for Malargue. To our surprise we woke up to dark skies and rain, something we hadn't had for a while. Brian checked the forecast and it seemed it would start to clear as we headed down the country so we took our time getting the shed packed and once the rain head eased of a bit we set off. It took us a while to get out of the city but we were soon making good progress and the rain remained light and intermittent. Until, that is, we had reached the open wilderness, where there was nowhere to shelter, nowhere to stay and no real option but to keep going forward.

Water stayed on the road surface making it inevitable that when the occasional, and I mean occasional, car or truck came towards us we were drenched in road surface water. The bike was at risk of water planing and Brian was having a lot of difficulty with visibility. Sat as a pillion you become very aware of every shake of the head, checks of the dials and tension in the shoulders of the rider. This, combined with the silence between rider and pillion speaks volumes. It's easy to sense when things are not going well but there really is nothing you can say. Brian and I are now very good at digging deep and getting through these things. There was absolutely no sign of this rainstorm passing and eventually the water started to find it's way inside my jacket, running down my neck and down the front and back of my body. With this turn of events I started to get cold and was really beginning to think that we were never going to reach the next town, San Rafael, but come across it we did and just in time. We stopped at the first hotel we came to not caring what it cost or what facilities it had as long as it had hot water. Brian was absolutely shaking from head to toe, even more so than on Friday the 13th. The guy at the hotel hurried us to our room and turned the heating on full whack and I made Brian get in the shower whilst I got some dry clean clothes from the panniers. Once we were warm and dry the staff made us a delicious sandwich, which along with a Cerveza made everything in the world seem much better. We then found ourselves with the problem of trying to get everything dry. Initially I put stuff on and around the heater but this was clearly going to take a long time. About 4 hours later the sun burst through and it was hot enough to hang things on the trees and hedges to try and get them dry.

Thank goodness! A little earlier I had been into the bathroom where Brian had put the sheepskin to dry. It stank to high heaven and I had to put it outside because it was making us feel sick. Thank goodness the sun is nice and hot in Argentina. Pretty soon much of the gear was dry or so we thought.

The following morning we got ready to go on to Malargue our original destination. We were a bit late checking out but the receptionist was fine about this. Brian put his boots on and they were still wet inside. His gloves, though dry, absolutely reeked but for all that we were still glad to be on our way and traveling in beautiful sunshine.

All over and so soon

Finally, after a full recovery but a late start we were all up and about and ready to face the day, which by the way was glorious and sunny. We had a bit of lunch then headed into down town Santiago. It was so quiet in the town. Most of the shops were closed along with many of the bars and restaurants. Finally, after much wandering about, we found a bar which insisted that we order something to eat before serving us our Pisco sours and Brian's Mango sour which was absolutely awful.

He then ordered a beer or Schomp which is a draft beer. He waited and waited, waited and waited. The wind blew my Pisco sour over, straight onto Brian's lap and still he waited for his beer. Eventually, after getting someone's attention, we found out that there was no Schomp blonde so an amber Schomp was ordered. We waited and waited, waited and waited and then were informed that this too had run out. With a certasin amount of resignation and the bill paid, off we went. Eventually we found a shop that sold sunglasses for me, which was what we had set off to buy in the first place. Very close by we found a bar that finally brought us some beer. Big, big bottles of the stuff. All our shopping complete, we hailed a taxi to take us back to the apartment. What a stroke of luck. The cab driver, Roberto or Bob to us, had lived in London when he was a young man and spoke perfect English. He gave us his card and asked us to contact him if we needed anything.


The following day was much cloudier but still warm. We went to watch the changing of the guard but found that it wasn't on on a Sunday so we got the metro back


in perfect timing for being collected to go horse riding in the mountains.
What a laugh. None of us were over confident. Richard is incredibly tall and needed a big horse. He told us that he usually gets horses named Killer but on this occasion it was called Diego. Brian's horse just hadn't got much get up and go in him and Brian definitely was not comfortable with no throttle or brakes. Me, even though Suzanne told me I had a good posture on the horse, felt quite nervous initially. We went through some beautiful scenery and had some challenging ground to cover going down steep drops, across rivers and up the steep embankment on the opposite side.




Despite the fact that neither Brian nor Richard were what could be called competent riders, they kept insisting on racing each other, trying to beat the other round tight bends and along narrow paths. I laughed so much my jaw started to ache. At the end of the day, with trembling, shaking legs we dismounted and managed to hobble over to a waiting beer. The guy who owned the land offered Brian a recently removed sheepskin, still having a little blood and guts on the inside.


He thought that this would protect Brian's bum when riding on the shed. On the way back to the apartment we decided t go to one of the local watering holes to celebrate a good days riding. I won't tell you how much the bill came to but we all knew that we hadn't drunk the amount on the receipt, but hey, what can you do.


The following day, Monday, we went back to watch the changing of the guard. Another beautiful, sunny day and the pomp and ceremony was well worth going to see. This was something that Bob, the cab driver, had recommended. He came to pick us up in the evening and took us to a fish restaurant called the Ocean Pacifco.


What a fantastic experience. You have to take a camera when you go, so much to see and then the food - perfecto!

Tuesday and it was time for Richard to get ready to leave. Bob came to the apartment to lead Brian and the shed to Gabriel who was going to carry out a service.


Richard had brought lots of spare parts over and we were all pleasantly surprised at how big a concern Gabriel's place was. The shed safely delivered we went to a mal to get bag for the camping gear (the original had rotted and came apart when we took it off the back of the shed) and then just time for a spot of lunch before heading for the airport with a pannier lid in hand. Once Richard was checked in and Brian had bought a Santiago sticker we headed for a final drink together. Richard had the honour of putting the sticker on the pannier. A duly deserved honour having traveled all this way.

It became quite tough knowing that the time was nearing for saying our farewells.

I had a fantastic few days whilst Richard was here. He told me some very funny stories and he and Brian are quite a pair when they are together. He is Brian's best friend and he couldn't have better. Thanks for everything sweetie. It truly was great to have you here and your support on this 'unsupported' trip is very much appreciated.

Santiago at last

I was really excited about seeing Richard but unfortunately, despite his best attempts to prevent any delay, the airline managed to cause him to miss his connection and he was 24 hours late arriving in Santiago. We had an uneventful ride into the city and with no-one to meet at the airport we were under no time pressure. The ride was a little chilly just like most of the morning rides, but the sky was blue and promising. Santiago is a huge city and though we had really studied the maps the previous night there was little hope of us finding the apartment so, after I eventually managed to get the taxi guys to understand me, I got in the cab and we led Brian through the city to our accommodation. The cab driver had little understanding of the need to make sure the bike could follow. He hardly used his indicators as he started ducking and diving through traffic. I held my necker out of the window so Brian could see where we were and not loose us in amongst all the other identical black and yellow cabs and asked the senior to 'lento, lento' but with little effect. The apartment was brilliant and in a really nice part of the city close to lots of different restaurants and bars. All we had to do now was wait to meet Richard to arrive the following day.

His flight was delayed, again. Few flights arrived as we waited for 2 hours then 5 or 6 fights disembarked at the same time and came into the terminal through two different entrances making it very difficult to see anyone. We decided to split up so we didn't miss him. It was fantastic to finally see him, and remarkably calm and cheerful considering everything that had happened to get him here. It didn't take long before he was unpacked and we were on our way to one of the nearby watering holes.

What a laugh. We very quickly started to feel the affects of the alcohol and Brian and Richard certainly drank enough to eventually slip into unconsciousness.

It's a good job I took photos and videos of the evening so they could be made aware of events that they had no memory of the following day.

The next day was the first of the memorable days in Santiago. Richard had arranged for us to fly over the Andes in a helicopter.

For Richard and Brian the helicopter is a very familiar thing but for me it was very new and I had no idea what to expect.

It was amazing! The pilot was quite a comedian, the views were spectacular and the whole thing was over far too quickly. The Andes and I kissed and made up after the cruelty they had shown me in Peru.



We flew over a couple of very nice ski resorts and even spotted a couple of Condors soaring around the mountain tops. Breathtaking. I definitely recommend the helicopter as a means of transport. Taking of and landing is a little peculiar but not at all unpleasant. It just feels a little wrong when your just sat there, hovering.

Richard used to work with a guy who lives and works in Santiago and we were introduced to Henri, a keen biker who also had a friend that rode BMW.

Henri was really enthusiastic about meeting and helping us. He is such a friendly and generous guy and it was a real joy to spend time with him. Henri had organised the apartment for us, arranged for the shed to be serviced by a very experienced BMW mechanic and took us all to a Peruvian restaurant for lunch. It was delicious. I even enjoyed the Cerviche (marinated raw seafood) In the evening we went to Henri's home to meet his wife Laura and some of his friends and to enjoy a fantastic BBQ. Laura brought us lots of different nibbles, some of which were very traditional dishes and, as we know from previous blogs, I don't always get on with 'traditional' The meat they served was Argentinian beef and I haven't tasted anything quite like it. We ate large, thick and juicy steaks which were cooked to perfection. My mouth is watering now just thinking about them. The night was a lot of fun with all of us swapping stories and having a really good laugh.


Time seemed to pass incredibly quickly and we were sorry to be saying our farewells. A big, big thank you toHenri and Laura for their fantastic and generous hospitality.

That was the end of our first full day with Richard, but believe me there were a lot more laughs to come but that's for another blog.