The goddess of wind tricked us; it was relatively calm in the city but 20 km out it was screaming - and then it got worst - 50 km sustained with unbelievable gusts. We all had giddy smiles on our faces each time we stopped just to have made it...
We only rode 239 miles today - about 70 miles on rutted hard packed dirt and gravel - it wouldn't have been a hard ride but for the cross-winds that would blow the bikes across lanes when you hit loose pack and completely over when we stopped. I met a south african guy in Buenos Aires that told me he had to tie his bike down like a small plane each time he stopped - I just rolled my eyes - now I'm a believer. I hit loose gravel while passing a semi and when I cleared the truck and got hit by a gust I almost became road kill when I was blown 6 ft skidding diagonally - your only friend in those instances is the throttle used liberally.
We cleared two borders today - that means four stops (they are not consolidated) for passport control and to clear the bikes through customs. Leave Argentina, enter Chile, leave Chile, enter Argentina - and they almost fought a war over this little strip of pseudo- tundra.
About noon we boarded a ferry to cross the Straights - there isn't a dock - this monster barge-thing just rams itself into the shore and drops a ramp onto a biece of windswept concrete; then the biggest truck rolls off fast so they can get rid of some weight and try to push the ferry higher onto the shore. Riding onto it looked harder than it was.
A good day of adventure riding!
Checked into a little dive that would make a Bolivian envious (it has heat and hot water) but that's about it - no stars tonight.
Had a great meal of Argentine beef and wine and many laughs while telling lies of past exploits - the sun was still up when we left at 10 pm - getting closer to the Antarctica.
Going to make an early start tomorrow for Ushuaia.
Nick
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