Ushuaia - the end of the world, the beginning of everything,

Ushuaia - the end of the world, the beginning of everything,
 
it’s a must for cyclists, the place they call the end of the world. There are no roads on the planet that go any further south. On the way there I met 2 French girls who had set off cycling to Peru, I asked them what about the slums? We might take a bus for that bit they said. We said goodbye and I continued in the other direction. It was a hard ride after weeks of gentle rolling land, full on mountain passes were making my legs feel like lead. I was beginning to think I wasn't going to make it when suddenly I descended for ages down to sea level, I had arrived.
 
I didn't know what to expect, after hours of riding through mountains some with snow on I was a little disappointed to see an industrial looking place. I stopped and asked a guy where the centre was, he turned out to be an American who had just come to the end of his four month trip," I fly out of here tomorrow, I can't believe it’s over" he said, he was in his own little world, I left him to it and wondered how I will feel when it comes to the end.
 
I got a hotel, I hate hostels I would rather pay a little more a have a hotel room or sleep in my tent. I went down to the restaurant and ordered a beer, then a meal and a bottle of wine. At the end I got another bottle and took it to my room. This is how I relax; I was going to get pissed. The next morning I got up early and headed down to breakfast, incredibly even after all that booze I was early for breakfast it opened at 7.30 I chatted to the guy on reception as I waited for it to open. I told him I was going to take a boat trip the next day; I had shopping to do today. "No do the boat trip today, the weather here changes so fast. You have a good day today, use the weather" he explained. After breakfast I thought he has got a point I will buy some warmer clothes later. I put all my cycling tops on and headed off. The trip was ok; if I'm honest I got really cold and a bit bored.
 
I got back and started exploring the town, apart from the fact everybody was wearing gortex I could have been in Europe, with European prices to match. I figured I’ll get warmer clothes on route but what I must get are decent waterproofs mine just didn't work. £150 later I had new waterproofs and waterproof skiing gloves.
 
I went to the kiosk near the hotel and bought 5, 1 litre bottles of beer, like I said before this is how I relax. On the third night, 6 cans and a 1 litre carton of red wine I then staggered down to reception and got another bottle. I had so many empties I didn't know what to do, I had been hiding them in the wardrobe when I was pissed so the chamber maid didn't see them now I had loads. I was tempted just to leave them so the next person would be confused to why the wardrobe was full of empty bottles and cans. In the end I put them in the bags my shopping came in and strolled down the road and chucked them in a skip.
 
Before I knew it I was back on the bike, three days had flown past. I put my new waterproofs on it was raining, it doesn't matter how much you spend after 8 hours of pouring rain you are going to get soaked. I was feeling miserable, hard riding, wet and I had to pitch a tent in the rain. The days off had made me lose my mind-set. I needed to refocus on what I am doing here, toughen up a little and get back into the groove. Who knows I might even catch up with those French girls!

Rio Grande and little victories,

Rio Grande and little victories,


Sleeping in the tent is uncomfortable at the moment I wake a lot during the night needing to move my legs I have what feels like very faint cramp, this is a pain in a sleeping bag as I have to unzip it and move around, fall asleep, wake up cold and then get back in. I am wearing a jacket now almost all the time the days are still sunny but the wind is cold.

I booked into a small hotel in between two towns, originally I was just going to get supplies and camp in the dessert. When I got in out of the wind I thought sod it I'm going to stay. On the form you have to fill in under occupation I put 'bird of prey hair stylist'. The form wanted to know if I was single or married. Why they need to know this for a hotel room I don't know. The room was basic but nice, the taps said 'hot' and 'cold' on them, it took me a while to figure out they had been plumbed up the other way round. I asked the owner where I could put my bike and he said 'put it in your room' this meant wheeling it through the restaurant it was tight and we had to keep moving chairs and tables. I folded my map over for the last time I am on the last section, I have also worked out my winter kit is not going to be warm enough for the Andies as it will turn into winter as I climb them. I will buy some new kit in Ushaia.

I managed a good day from the hotel to rio galegous the rest had done me good as I entered I stopped at a service station and got a drink and packet of biscuits and wondered what to do I had been given an address by the couple that gave me the bananas but I thought it would be a bit rude to turn up out of the blue on a Friday night plus all I had was an address the place was a small city, I chuckled as I cycled passed the massive bus depot advertising a 36 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires was that all?

I cycled down the streets and was looking ahead when someone waved to me I waved back and was still looking down the street thinking I'm going out of town I need to go back. I turned round and was met by Juan Carlos on a bike he said follow me, I had cycled passed Geraldine and Juan Carlos (the people who gave me the bananas and there address) they had waved but I had cycled straight pass, I felt a bit silly for not stopping. I wasn't expecting to see them it was like bumping into someone in Newcastle. As Geraldine said 'it must be destiny' I soon had my map spread out and was showing them my route, Geraldine told me about a Argentinian cyclist (Damian) who had been in the paper that day who had been on the road for four years and was on his way back home he was in town and her husband Juan Carlos was joining in with a group cycling with him the next day. She very kindly took me to a bike shop and I asked for some new tyres, they didn't have any they gave Geraldine a phone number when we got back she phoned it and then told me Damien the cyclist was going to come over to see me, I was touched it was so nice of her. Damian is tanned, good looking and speaks perfect English we went through my route and he told me the best route to go (not the easiest, but the best route) he also warned me against Lima in Peru to many cyclists had been robbed in the slums going into the city. "Your white there going to think you're a gringo, they will rob you" I had been lulled into a false sense of security with Argentina it was safe. "You need to be sharp or you will get robbed or worse" Damian told me. I had dinner with the family which was great and went to bed thinking about what Damian had said. Please check out his website,

The next morning Geraldine had put a magnificent spread out for breakfast, she warned me it was a 4 day bank holiday in Argentina (sat to tue) and that there was a four hour wait in the border crossing to Chile. I said my goodbyes and set off.

I reached the crossing late afternoon parked my bike and joined the quad it was over an hour before I got my passport stamped that wasn't too bad I thought as I cycled off only to be see another checkpoint I went through it all again to get into Chile. Chile has something I had never encountered before cheerful border guards I went through my route with them and chatted it was nice to be welcomed into a country with a smile. I noticed a coach driver with a stack of passports he idly looked through a few while queuing, rather like a fat Jason Bourne choosing a new passport I thought ad I collected my bike. Once again I was searched for fresh fruit and then I was off.

The road soon disappeared and I was cycling on gravel it was hard going and the bike and me was getting shaken to bits. I stopped at a truck stop and had a sandwich while I was having a coffee a load of Brazilians on motorbikes turned up they were in the middle of their tour I posed for pictures and one of the guys said "one day I'm going to be like you and go on a great adventure".

After a while I came across some workmen putting more gravel down, they were keen to stop and chat to me. They insisted I had something to eat and drink with them it was great we talked the international language of football!

By the time I reached the boarder i was tired I stopped and asked an old Chilean guy if there was camping nearby. He motioned me to follow him and let me pitch my tent in his back garden behind his shed out of the wind. I am looking forward to going back to Chile.

I cycled on to Rio Grande and stopped in the town centre after the 8th cash dispenser I realised they were all out of money a 4 day bank holiday and low denomination notes had left them empty. It’s not just staplehurst that runs out I thought, beginning to panic a little. I had passed a casino with a hotel in it I knew they would take cards it looked very posh (and out of place) I wasn't sure what to do. Ahhh I might as well ask how much the rooms are I thought. As I went in, please bear in mind this place is posh and I haven't washed for four days, I saw a cash dispenser tucked round the corner I quickly went over and popped my card in. A security guard shouted, it was not for rif raf to use, to late I had got my money. He angrily escorted me off the premises, I was tempted to march up to the hotel reception plonk my visa card down and order a room in my poshest voice. When I got outside I chuckled and realised that's what this trip is going to be about, 'little victories' and I am going to take them where I can.

For Hugh grant in love actually its airports, for me its services stations, ok there's no love, but they all have food, cold drinks and they are always open. Most have cafes or seating areas, I enjoy sitting and watching the people come and go. It’s always a welcome sight to see a service station.


Or it was, I had a slight tiny problem, I ran out of money I had about £1.70 left I hadn't been to a town big enough to have a cash dispenser (I can't draw cash out over the counter like an Argentinian can, only big towns have cash dispensers) I do have a backup 50 American dollars which I am sure someone will take.

I had been camping for 6 nights in a row, the ground is dust that gets on everything, and I’m filthy when I put sun cream on with the dirt on my skin it just turns into a paste. I was looking forward to a hotel room and a shower.

I only have two patches left out of the twenty I bought out. All three spare tubes have punchers as well; I am going to need to find a bike shop very soon.

I stopped at a service station there wasn't really anything I could buy but hot water I had a couple of coffees standing there cursing myself for being so stupid, I should have checked I could get money out. The next big town was just over 100 miles away I still had some fuel and some dried pasta. A big day and I would reach the town or worst case be there next morning, I would go hungry but it was possible to do. I set off.

If you go to any internet forum or read books on cycling in Patagonia, they all ways go on about the wind, its strong, you have to lean into it and suddenly it will drop just as you stop leaning it comes back and pushes you of the edge of the road because there was an 1" or so drop I couldn't bump back up it without risking breaking a spoke so I would have to stop and get back on the road slowly. This happened hundreds of times and was so frustrating. At lunchtime I cooked some pasta it wasn't very nice but I had to eat something. It started raining with the wind it got very cold I had most of my winter gear on but was still shivering at 6 o'clock I had only done about 50miles but I was so cold, wet and tired I knew I needed to stop, pitching my tent in that wind with numb hands was so slow and frustrating. The next day I got up and got on again the wind was fierce and I was climbing I hadn't eaten, I needed to reach the town by the evening, it was painfully slow going it was still wet and cold as I stopped by the side of the road behind a pile of earth out of the wind I noticed my breath was condensing it was cold, how I thought? A week ago it was mid-thirties it can't get that cold that quick. The Garmin said I was 2500 ft. above sea level I knew at my current pace I would never make the town by nightfall I was going to try though. With about an hour of usable daylight I had 26 kilometres to go, I couldn't do it. Oh well I'm not far out now one more night in the tent. I was suddenly treated to 12k of descending it was fantastic the views were immense; I didn't take a single picture my hands had been numb for so long I couldn't open the pannier to get the camera out. On the way down I saw a cyclist loaded up going the other way I stopped and we chatted he was from Argentina he was on his way back from the south, he was in full winter gear, his lips where all chapped and he had more stuff than me. He asked where the next supply point was I told him he had almost 100 km, I offered him the last of my water he declined "I'm always running out" he said "I just stand in the road and stop cars, they always let me have water" suddenly I didn't feel too bad about running out. After about 20min I pushed on, no way I could make town tonight. It was also hard to find somewhere to camp as it was outskirts of an industrial city. I saw a sign for camping, I got there pitched tent I was just 6 miles away from town. I fell asleep quickly looking forward to eating something the next day.

In the morning I got up about 8, packed up and set off. As I got into the town it was about 10 I was starving I saw a sign for a cash dispenser I went and drew out 1000 dollars next to me was a big building I could see a cafe type place and a sign for sandwiches I went straight over some school kids were differing about so I rudely pushed passed them 'sorry I have to eat' was all I could say. The woman serving looked confused I get that a lot people don't expect to see someone in cycling gear covered in mud. I ordered 3 ham and cheese rolls and a family pack of biscuits and went and sat down for 15min all I did was eat. After a while I looked around the place was full of school kids "hmm must be a school nearby I thought" it took about 5 more minutes before, I guess sugar to get into my blood and me to realise I had just walked straight into a secondary school and was sitting in the canteen. Oops well I wasn't hungry anymore.

I spent the next two days in Comodoro Rivadavia, it had warmed up again the sun was shining I spent a bit of time thinking, I realised I had to change what I was doing I need to cook more and plan better. I am going to be doing this for a long time.

Today I set off again, I'm keen to get back on the road. I was nice to have a break but I don't like being still for too long.

Photos on Facebook

I have uploaded some photos to Facebook and made it a viewable to everybody, please feel free to have a look.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=272767&id=636621016&l=b5b1a96605

What a difference a day makes,

What a difference a day makes,


After my tough couple of days I decided a full days rest off the bike was needed, I booked into a hotel in San Antonio Oeste. It’s a small town and I enjoyed just sitting in cafes drinking coffee and watching the world go by, I had a nice lunch and went to the supermarket my first though was, how many complaints would Tesco get if they played music this loud? I enjoyed walking round the supermarket and just seeing the differences, I got a few supplies and a wooden spoon. On the way back to the hotel I spotted a bike shop I couldn't believe I had missed it earlier, that night I went through my kit again (by the way I will do another kit list of what stayed on my next rest day). I couldn't bring myself to get rid of my chain set I'm going to need it at some point. I decided my fleece liner would go it only cost £20 and I could get another one shipped out. The next morning I went to the bike shop and got a full service on my gears and everything oiled up, I then got 12 litres of water, I wasn't going to run out, the wheels might collapse but I wasn't going to run out of water. I chomped through the miles and camped just before Sierra Grande, the next day the scenery changed it was rolling ground and hills it was stunning. It was great to be climbing again buoyed on by this I stormed down to Puerto Madryn. I had two punchers today that's 4 in total now, it’s the plants every single one has spikes.

On the way down at about 2pm I saw a restaurant by the side of the road I wasn't sure if it was open I decided to go and have a look, to say the building needed decorating would be kind it looked like it was about to fall down. I went in, there were quite a lot of people in their eating I went and took a seat at the window so I could keep an eye on my bike. An old man stooped over, shuffled up to the table, I asked for a menu in Spanish, he gave me a blank look I resorted to signs I pointed to the people next to me eating and motioned I wanted the same. He understood I had ordered something, he cleared up two tables were people had left both had half full dishes of bread he emptied one into the other and placed it on my table. I was guessing he didn't have a certificate of hygiene hanging in the kitchen. This was a real Argentinian working man’s place to eat. After a while he put an empty plate on my table and shuffled off and came back with a pot I had seen him with before. It dawned on me there was no choice you had one dish, he piled my plate with a mixture of pasta, beef and a few vegetables. I tucked in I couldn't manage it all and paid the pricey sum of £2 for it, as I walked outside I smiled for I knew for certain my leftovers would have gone straight back into that pot.

Suffering and the kindness of strangers,

Suffering and the kindness of strangers,

The last few days have been tough, I knew it would get tough, I had no idea it would be so soon. It started on my way to viedma I stopped for the night in a small town the next morning It was dead I had nowhere to get any water oh well I still had 1/2 a litre something would come up soon. Nothing came up for miles I was really dehydrated that when I finally got to a shop when I took a swig of water I was just sick straight away I lay in the shade outside sipping water till I had the strength to carry on.

I got to Videma and got a hotel room I splashed out and got one with air con I needed to recover, I drank plenty of water and had a nice meal. The next morning I set off two guys in pickup trucks asked if I wanted a lift I politely declined I wanted to cycle this, a couple stopped and gave me some bananas they also gave me there address and insisted I stay with them when I get further south (they are on holiday in the north). By lunchtime I was starting to feel awful again my water had heated up and made me gag as I drank it I realised I hadn't fully recovered from the previous day and here I was back in the heat with no shade, still I had no option to push on. At about 6pm I was really suffering I had only done about 50 miles the headwind and exhaustion had broken me, I turned off to go and find a town 12k off route 3 after about an hour nothing the garmin told me I had gone past it but there was nothing there, I hadn't had a mobile signal for hours or I would have given someone at home my lat and long and got them to look on google earth for me I saw a turning with what looked to be some buildings in the distance I was in luck it was a farm there was a guy outside 'excuse me sir may I have some water' I shouted "si" he filled my bottles up from a stand pipe, I eyed the water tower there was no way he could be on mains out here. So far on this trip I had only drunk bottled water of sod it I thought time to stop being such a wuss, these people are alive, so I just drank straight out of the bottle when he handed it back to me. I rode just out of sight of the buildings and pitched my tent between some bushes it took forever the surface was about 1" of dust with what felt like concrete underneath, I searched for ages for a rock to knock the tent pegs in but couldn't find anything bigger than a pebble. I fell into my tent only to scream as some spiky plant dug straight into my back I stamped it flat with my shoe lay back to rest for a few minutes, when I opened my eyes it was the next morning. I got up eager to find this town before it got to hot, I rode around for about an hour there was nothing, other than the farm I hadn't seen anyone since I had turned off I decided to get back on route 3 at least that had people going past in case something happened. I could see from the garmin and the compass that the track I was on was heading back to route 3 I wasn't far away when cruelly the track came to a dead end just some big concrete pipe sticking out of the ground in the distance I saw a bus I was about a mile away, I threw my panniers over the fence there was no way I was going back. It took me about an hour I couldn't cycle the dust was to deep the spiky plants had scratched my legs to pieces, I had long finished my water by now. When I eventually got on to the main road I realised I was going to have to ask for help, a camper van went past slowly I grabbed my water bottle and waved it in the air the van pulled over two young guys they gave me 2litres of frozen water I couldn't believe it, I wish I could have thanked them better. The ice was melting so tantalising slow even In the heat, I was going to cut the top open and smash the ice so it would melt quicker, I decided against it at least this way it would stop me drinking it all to soon. I was about to strap it to my bike when I suddenly thought off the tour de france riders and stuck it down my shirt against my back every kilometre mark I would talk it out and have a mouthful. 3 or 4 times I pulled over and made myself as small as I could in the shade of my bike unable to carry on in the heat I would stay like that for 1/2 an hour or more when I stood up I felt dizzy and it was an effort to get the bike going again. The strange thing was, there were small storm cells floating about, 3 times it rained on me I kept my collapsible sink in my jersey pocket and every time it rained (only for about 60 seconds then everything would be dry again) I would get it out and collect as much rain water as I could it was hardly anything I would just slurp it out of the bottom and off the plastic bag on the back off my bike.

With 45 kilometres to go to San Antonio I saw a farm about a mile away I decided to go and ask for water, I cycled to the gate then took my bottles in I was greeted by 5 scruffy looking dogs who jumped around barking, a guy came out of a building to see what was going on I explained I was cycling and may I have some water, he pumped 5 litres of water out of the well for me it was brown and tasted of mud I thanked him and I had drunk 1 1/2 litres by the time I had got back to the bike. By the time I got back to the main road I was starting to feel better, I had something to eat drank some more, put in my ipod and set of a different person than one I had been 20 minutes before, my strength was back and spirits were high again, I powered into san antonio drinking brown water like it was champagne.

My headwind is somebody's tailwind,

My headwind is somebody's tailwind,

I stayed in a campsite at a lagoon last night it was good to have a bit of human interaction. I was immediately surrounded by people and bombarded with questions,
"Where are you from"
"Where are you going"
"Why are you cycling"
"Do you have a job"
"How old are you"
"Are you married"

I got my main map of south America out to show them my route, an old guy poked me in the ribs and then pointed to the Falklands, oh god here we go I thought. So I pointed out Maradonna hand of god - Falklands = it’s a fair trade. After I had shown the guys everything electrical and I had and let all the women kiss me on the cheek I was left in peace. I set up the tent and went for a walk about, a young guy came up to me and asked if I was the cycling guy I said yes he said ahh come and join us for a drink he was with two Americans, a South African and an Irish guy. They had come out to fix a gas turbine but where waiting for parts so they were passing the time at the lagoon wind surfing and having a bbq. It was great to be able to chat normally for a while it had been 10 days since I had had a proper conversation. It was Saturday night and the music went on till 5am, the South American version of Chas and Dave doing a song to the tune of jingle bells began to grate after a while.

Today I came across the first cyclist like me, an Italian guy who had a big grin on his face my terrible head wind was a stonking tail wind for him, we had set off at the same time that morning he had done 60 miles to my 30. He had started in Chile about three months ago and was coming to the end of his trip he had been right to the south the same route I will do but the other way. He warned me about the winds in Patagonia '100kph and change direction all the time they blow you all over the road be very careful'. I directed him to the campsite I had stayed at, I knew they would keep telling him about the 'English guy'.

At the petrol stations they normally have vending machines that dispense hot water, 50 cents gets you a litre, I figured it was cheaper to make a cup of coffee using this than setting up the stove and boiling the water, so I put some coffee in my cup and then put my money in and hit the button when my cup was full I let go off the button but it seems when press it you get it all even if you don't want it, I quickly walked away leaving boiling water pouring down the front of the machine and stood by my bike pretending to fiddle with stuff as I quickly drank my coffee.

The facilities over here take a bit of getting used to, a squat for a toilet with a bucket of water for a flush or just a hole in the ground. Showers with no hot water! Mind you, it’s still better than France!