The view from inside my camper upon waking up in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine the other morning. Kind of other worldly:

Today marks twenty one days into the journey – the halfway mark. It’s been absolutely awesome so far – no major or minor problems, no mechanicals – which is amazing with the number of bone jarring miles I’ve driven on unpaved and washboard roads, if you could call some of them that. I’ve felt like I’ve been in the zone every day, which is very special.

Time takes on a unique characteristic on these long trips. Initially, it feels on a multi week voyage that the trip will last forever. As the midpoint nears, time becomes very much like a piece of taffy – it stretches and shrinks back on different days and vantage points, providing the alternate feeling that the trip will last indefinitely, then that it’s whizzing by at a very quick pace. I’ve found that being in the moment and appreciating how special each day is is what it’s really all about.

Current events – Argentina just elected a completely inexperienced right wing nut job as President (he campaigned with a chain saw, pledging to abolish the central bank, dollarize the economy; inflation is running at 145% so far this year), close two-thirds of all federal agencies and end the public handouts (which of course bought votes) that have characterized the past twenty years of federal government largess and resulted in the de facto bankruptcy of South America’s second largest economy. As we like to say up north – “Good luck with that.” The interesting thing to me is that no one seemed concerned about the results (56% – 44% win). It seems as though people have concluded that the status quo has failed them, and they’re willing to roll the dice on a whack job. Gee – where have we heard that before?

Anyway, I cruised from Torres del Paine NP to Puerto Natales, a really beautiful town that has pivoted over the past twenty years from fishing and bue collar industrial work to tourism. It’s now the central jumping off point for visiting Torres del Paine, and it has many charms borne of its humble beginnings combined with recently opened upscale restaurants and hotels catering to tourist dollars and Euros. Some photos there:

En route from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas, getting closer to Tierra del Fuego:

Punta Arenas was nothing special. Big and gritty, I found that I was ready to take off within hours of arriving.

Oh, yeah…

Another ferry required to continue southward:

In:

I stopped in Rio Grande for dinner and fuel. Nothing special – it is Tierra del Fuego’s commercial hub, but it’s pretty much a dump for its 95,000 residents, IMHO. It does shout valiantly about the Falkland Islands War of 1982, in which Argentina unsuccessfully attempted to seize by force the islands that they have always called Las Malvinas. Britain sent an armada and task force 8,000 miles to defend its honor (nothing of commercial or natural resource value lies within these islands), and both sides suffered huge casualties and materiel losses before agreeing to a truce that solved neither’s claims. Ultimately, the UK prevailed through an agreement recognizing its colonial era sovereignty, but Argentina still lays claim to the islands located only 350 miles from its coast. Memories of the war are still quite fresh forty one years on:

Tell it to the Brits….

I came upon these hearty (and crazy) Brazilians about sixty miles outside of Ushuaia. It was 34F out and raining – not good riding conditions, to say the least – but they were boisterous and stoked for their journey north to Torres del Paine. I love riding my GS, but I also prefer not to freeze my ass (and other body parts) off…

Getting closer to Ushuaia, the mystical end of the Earth and southern most city on the planet:

Nature just reaches out and grabs you down here. I love feeling really small.

Ahhh – touchdown:

Ushuaia is impossibly beautiful in its natural setting and vibe. It has boomed as a tourist mecca, especially for Antarctica tours (I passed on that – it takes 7-10 days minimum to spend two hours looking at penguins and snow; and I’m not a cruise fan). Everywhere you look, nature’s grandeur beckons. Mountains and the sea cradle its downtown, and lush evergreen forests, rivers and lakes abound.

The only Argentine naval vessel that survived the Falkland Islands War (just kidding…).

Downtown scenes near the port:

Yet another nod to the Falklands War and the huge human toll that it caused in these towns:

I met a really nice couple from Cleveland – Joe and Tina, at my fave restaurant here – Ramos Generales El Almacen. It’s extra special because my Mom’s name is Alma. We talked for quite a while about our respective travels, political goings on in the States (I was curious because of their midwest location and sensibilities) and life in general. They’ve definitely got wanderlust, which is contagious in these parts….

Hi, Mom:

Old analog tube radios in El Almacen – close to my heart:

Futbol – religion down here:

‘nuf said:

I spent yesterday in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, which is an incredibly wild and rugged place. It borders Chile on its western side, and of course I decided to enter yet another frontier, this time without the hassle of border guards, “Documentos, por favor” and the related protocols. Although I had no cell service, Apple maps still located me in real time, so I could tell that I was getting closer and closer to the unmarked border as I trekked westward.

En route to La Frontera:

Yeah, right…

The Earth was completely spongy, filled with what I took to be mycelium. Every step I took (and I had to watch stepping into water with each one, which was everywhere) resulted in my foot sinking in 4″ – 8″. It was a total trip, and the spongy creatures yielding to my weight and presence sprang back to their prior form after I walked on. A cool communion…. After watching the movie Fantastic Fungi, I came to believe that mycelium are God. No joke. Watch it. There I was, in one of nature’s grandest cathedrals, completely blown away. I love feeling really small in nature, and I felt like I almost didn’t register physically on this hike. I haven’t felt nature’s incredibly overpowering presence this much since visiting and meandering through Wrangel-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. The dudes:

Approaching the frontier. I hoofed it westward for around an hour and a half, estimating the distance at about 4 miles each way.

Miles from Nowhere, guess I’ll take my time….

Success. My left foot is in Chile, my right in Argentina. The Rio Not So Grande separating both countries…

Yup – I’m in chilly Chile:

Crazy cool hike with only a little rain. I headed back to town – 13 miles on what else – a dirt road, had dinner and crashed around 11:30. Still pretty darned light out, though.

Today I’ll explore more of Ushuaia, then head northward. I expected, back of the napkin, to hit Ushuaia somewhere around three weeks into the trip, so I’m pretty much right on target in terms of having ample time to see everything I’d like to en route back northwards. I plan, but have not nailed things down precisely as I like to meander and poke around, to stay close to the spine of the Andes yet again, but this time on the Argentine side. There are amazing glaciers, peaks, rivers and national parks to visit all along the way, plus wine country – Bariloche, Mendoza and the high plateau wineries. Should be fun. Catch you all soon. Thanks for reading and coming along on the journey.