12,000 kms after starting in Lima, Peru we have reached the southern extreme of this leg of worldbybike. Ushuaia, the capital of Argentine Tierra del Fuego is a beaut wee city on the shores of the Beagle Channel. Last port to the ships that these days bring 45,000 tourists a year down here for their Antarctica experience, the town is on a roll. When we arrived there were 11 tall ships here, including the Esmeralda to commemorate Argentina’s bicentennial of independence from Spanish rule. So it was party time – how lucky is that? Fireworks displays and next morning the big sail off as all the big ships departed – hell of a spectacle from our waterside hotel.
We’re just please to be here – such a neat town after so many miles, some of them incredibly scenic – one can’t exaggerate of Andean Patagonia – and some of them moronically barren and arid – those miles and miles across the Pampa of Patagonia and northern Tierra del Fuego. And the roads and weather – all so variable. But the highlight of the ride south has undoubtedly been – strictly from a motorcycling perspective – the Carretera Austral in Chile. This road that enables you to ride down Chile’s “West Coast” and marvel at its remoteness and beauty, is one of the world’s top 5 rides – no question.
Now we’re here, nobody wants to leave – this southern oasis is a treasure. Photos here
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