Rio Grande to Ushuaia
It didn’t matter that the sky was sunny and clear when I left Rio Grande, with the wind almost 30 miles per hour, it was chilly. After an hour of riding through the plains along the Atlantic coast, Ruta 3 begins ascending into the mountains. The wind was consistent with only a few occasional gusts that would push my bike a few feet over in the lane. There weren’t any hair raising gusts but a couple moments where myself and the bike were leaning at a 45 degree angle trying to stay upright.
Almost halfway to Ushuaia is the small town of Tolhuin where there is the famous bakery, La Union Panaderia. A hot coffee, pastry, and a few empanadas warmed me right up.
It’s a popular spot for travelers. They have a small dorm room in the back where traveling cyclists can stay for free. Anyone that’s cycling through this wind and cold deserves at least that for braving the conditions down here. There was a young couple with a toddler who have rode their bikes from Alaska to here with the kid in tow! Incredible.
Leaving La Union I had 60 miles until Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world. The road started weaving it’s way around lakes and through the mountains until finally I came around a corner and there was the grand entrance sign to the city. Nothing but sunny skies when I arrived which made my entrance feel all that more grand. I stopped at the sign and took a few obligatory photos. Even though I have arrived at the southern most city in the world, I still have to ride to the end of the road. I’ll do that tomorrow.
A friend told me about a cheap unofficial hostel called Momo’s for 120 pesos a night ($12 with my latest 10:1 exchange) it’s a casual spot with only a few rooms. It felt like we were all just hanging out at a friends house. The night I arrived we had a big asado (bbq) everyone chipped in and we feasted until late in the night. I kept meeting all these other travelers who had been on amazing adventures. A frenchman who built his own sail boat and is sailing around the world, two Colombians who just finished a two year bicycle trip through South America, and a few Australians, Americans, and Israelis who have done some incredible mountaineering adventures. Tomorrow I’ll ride to the end of the road!
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