March 20

View Larger MapDriving Directions

Last few days have been a blur.

Drove out of the lonely wildness of Argentina back into the lush Andean foothills of Chile on the 19th.  Beautiful riding.  No sign from the maps that it would be so stunning.  The land is wide open shrubland with mountains rising to the horizon and volcanoes keeping sentry in the distance.  Cattle, horses and hawks complete the landscape.

Still lots of dirt - banged my leg on a stretch when the bike heaved to the right.  It´s fine but it was a good reminder to be very, very cautious out here.  

Caught my breath with an extra day in Pucon - a quirky town catering to backpackers and independent tourists.  With a huge, beautiful lake and lots of good day trips, a lot of folks make it a base for a week or so in Middle Chile.  

Caution - Deteriorated Bridge.  Thanks.

Big skies and lonely roads.

There are more hawks than people in this part of Argentina.

This volcano dominates the landscape at over 12,000 feet... no matter how far you drive it keeps an eye on you.

March 18

View Larger MapDriving Directions

Getting dirty.

Long day today.  Woke up to frost outside.  2 hours of very cold, fast, riding.  Then dirt, then hot desert sun towards the end of the day.

Home tonight is a village called Junin de Los Andes.  I have finally found my fantasy of a Latin American frontier town - the streets are mostly unpaved and cowboys on horseback patrol the streets.  It is hot and dusty.  It´s another one of those towns that feels run down when you drive past.  But, walk around and folks are optimistic and cheerful.  The internet cafe has new computers.   A new supermarket opened in town.  Dusty, but not down.

Tomorrow will be a shorter day, back into Chile towards the Ruta Panamerica to make some heavily miles to the north.

Fresh snow starting to fall this time of year.

Chilean cuisine

Cardiologists have nightmares about this stuff.

You have your choice of:

Bread

Meat

Mayo

Oil

Fruits and veggies include:

Potatoes

Guacamole

Ketchup

You can also make pizza with these ingredients, and there is pizza.  And sandwiches.  And lots of ice cream, cookies and cake.

Someone here mentioned that fruits and veggies are really expensive because it is all exported to the US and Europe... and Americans can afford to pay a lot more for winter greens than Chileans.  if it´s true, good for their economy, bad for their waistlines.

Yes, this is a hot dog smothered with guacamole and mayonnaise.  It is everywhere.

Ok, to be fair, this was in Argentina.
The French Fry Palace

Burger King dropped the veggies and added mayo and heavy bread to please local tastebuds.

A different take on the double bypass battleship.

Eggs are optional.

Fast Food King - their specialty is bread, stuffed with cheese, deep fried in lard, and served with mayo and mustard.  Texas, sorry, Chile might have one-upped you here.

March 17th

First day of the trip might have been the most exciting hours of motorcycle in a long time.

Day started with rain, countryside resembling Vermont.  Climbed towards the border, hills turned to mountains and farms to a rainforest out of Jurassic Park.  Deep green valley with towering mountain ridges on either side, huge ferns along the road, waterfalls cascading out of the ridges like those pictures you see of Hawaii.

Border crossing uneventful.  Gained altitude, rain turned to light snow, visibility dropped but the road was good. Got a bit chilly over the pass into Argentina.  Warmed up at the border, uneventful crossing, and then descended into a spectacular landscape.  Reminded me of the Tetons, or maybe the Alps.  Finally ended the day at Bariloche, landscape changed again on the last leg - dry with sweeping hills.  Utah?

By pure coincidence, found a hotel run by a Polish immigrant (´Viktor´), who recommended a bbq spot run by ´´tony´´, who served a 14oz. ribeye and a glass of wine big enough to embarrass a BIG GULP.

Viktor's parents left Poland right after World War II, when the future with the Soviets didn't look so bright.  He was born in Buenos Aires, and, having caught his parents restlessness, thought the future looked brighter in Bariloche than in Buenos Aires, so he moved there to open a hotel.

Bariloche is the hub for the region, Argentina´s version of Aspen or Vail.  There are world class hotels and restaurants to complement all the outdoor activities and jaw dropping views.

While it's full of wonderful, often expensive, things, there seems to be an uneasy marriage between the heart of the economy - serving wealthy Argentinians and foreigners - and the gritty reality of life for its residents.  Public services seem shoddy.  There is some litter, and graffiti.  And, just a few blocks off the main street, the roads are dirt and the homes look more like shacks.  Tourism brings jobs - there´s no doubt about that - but it´s not hard to see how it could bring frustration, even resentment, as well.

But... maybe life would be better somewhere else.  Viktor is thinking of selling the place and moving to Uruguay, where 'life is really nice for Argentinians'.  Or maybe Poland?  He hears it has really improved.

Argentina... a place to escape communism.  And then 60 years later, Poland as a place to escape Argentina.

Welcome to Chile´s lake district.

Bariloche´s neighborhood

Bariloche - beautiful a first glance....

....but something is not right.

What carries sheep and rhymes with Wojtowicz?

Spotted in Argentina.