Twenty-four hours was enough time for me in Chile's San Pedro de Atacama. The small desert town had outrageously high prices on everything. I'd rather ride than hang out in a desert town so I rode on. Paul and Ian were ready to get out as well so we headed east toward Argentina. We rode back up to over 13,000ft through more mars like landscapes. With sunny skies and no one else on the smooth paved roads it was a great morning. Less than two hours after leaving San Pedro de Atacama we … [Read more...]

[Update: As of December 2015 the market for "Blue Dollars" has changed. You can read more about why here. Check online currency listings for the most up-to-date information. Continue reading for a great story on how this black market exchange worked.] The first order of business in Salta was to exchange money for Argentinean Pesos. For a couple of years now Argentineans have lost faith that their peso will hold it's value. The preferred currency is US Dollars, which gives people with US … [Read more...]

It was time to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and all that the fine city of Salta had to offer. With a warm climate and no rain while I was there, Salta was an urban paradise. Trees and cafes lined the crowded streets. People were everywhere but it wasn't a chaotic NYC kind of crowding. Families hung out in the parks, old men sat at cafe tables talking loudly, vendors sold balloons on the street corners. After weeks in some rural and poorer regions in Peru and Bolivia, Argentina felt rich … [Read more...]

On a beautiful morning in Salta I loaded up the bike to continue south. Paul and Ian joined me and once again the three of us set off to discover what else Argentina had to offer. Not long after leaving Salta we started riding on one of the most well known roads for motorcycle travelers, Ruta 40. Ruta 40 in Argentina is one the longest highways in the world. It runs almost the entire length of the country covering over 3,000 miles. Until recent years most of the highway was still dirt but now … [Read more...]

The uncommon rainstorms in Mendoza weren't enough to keep me from enjoying what myself and every other traveler visits Mendoza for, the wine. I read a great blog about doing wine tasting in Mendoza on a budget which meant taking a bus to the Maipu district south of the city. Paul, Ian, and I were meant to rent bicycles to get around but we missed the bus stop for the rental shop. Not wanting to wait in the rain for the bus to return we decided we'd do our wine tour on foot, in the rain. Welcome … [Read more...]

When I left Gaston's farm in Loncoche I rode south on Ruta 5 until Osorno where I turned east on highway 215 to cross the Andes and into Argentina. The road got higher and went deeper into the forest as I got closer to the board. Tall pines covered the land right up to the edge of the road. There was one small set of waterfalls that I saw out of the corner of my eye as I passed them. A quick u turn in the road and I stood by the edge of the river and took in the view. I didn't know what to … [Read more...]

I had ridden over 400 miles down Ruta 40 through a region that was nothing but open plains of large estancias. Way off in the distance I could make out the snow covered mountains but they looked so far away. Eventually when I turned right and started heading West the view changed dramatically. Directly in front of me were the famous granite towers of Fitz Roy. El Chaltén is village in Argentina at the base of two of Patagonia's most famous mountains, Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Chaltén … [Read more...]

Perito Moreno Glacier Along the disputed borderlines of Argentina and Chile's Patagonia region is the Perito Moreno Glacier. I had seen glaciers before but when I rode my motorcycle out to see this one up close I was stopped in my tracks surprised by the size of it. From miles away I could see the massive glacier coming down from the Andes. Little did I know that what I could see from the road wasn't even the whole thing. I'd have to ride further to get an up-close view. Perito Moreno … [Read more...]

El Calafate to Tierra del Fuego I checked the forecast and heavy rains were moving into the area so I decided it was time for me to make the final charge to Ushuaia. I still had 550 miles before reaching the end of the world so I broke it up into a few days. Before I started I made a slight modification to my bike to help shield me from the wind, rain, hail, snow, or whatever else might come my way down here. To keep my hands shielded from Tierra del Fuego's notoriously harsh weather I made … [Read more...]

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 … [Read more...]

Ushuaia, Argentina Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern-most city in the world. It's a claim that's debated as there is a small village on an island further south but most people recognize this as the end of the world. The small city of 60,000 people sits along the shore of the Beagle Chanel and below the snowcapped Martial Mountains. With it's close proximity to Antarctica it's the launching point for cruises and expeditions. Originally the area was home to the indigenous tribe of the Yaghan … [Read more...]

San Martin de Los Andes, Neuquén, to San Rafael I was back on the road. Back to the days of finding a new place to sleep every other night, new scenery everyday. From San Martin I back tracked a bit to jump on Ruta 40 and then make my way to the town of Neuquén. I had read that there wasn't much to do there but that nearby were the world's largest collection of dinosaur fossils. After two hours of riding through nice windy roads passing farms and rivers I was soon riding down the long … [Read more...]