Sunday, January 29, 2012

Oakland to Reno, NV

Rode from Oakland to Reno on the 26th of January. 222 miles.




Started to rain at Colfax and got worse as I gained altitude. 47 degrees approaching Donner Pass, rain but no ice or snow on I-80.


A rainbow welcome to Reno.

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Home

Sorry for the delay in posting but I've had some real problems with Google.

When I find the time I'll fill in the missing days.



Getting the bike from AAL at SFO



They really did a great job with the bike in Santiago.



Free at last. Ready to ride.

We drove over to Oakland on Tuesday the 24th of January and stayed with Kathy and Phil Caskey.

Cleared the bike with U. S. Customs on the 25th and rode home on the 26th.

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Location:Rock Hill Cir,Reno,United States

Friday, January 13, 2012

Puerto Muntt to Orsono, Chile

Back to civilization and the Internet after four nights on the MS Evangelitas. We docked at 06:15 this morning in heavy fog.



Waiting to ride on to the ship. 22:00 hours on 9JAN. Note, it's still daylight.


A very scenic trip from Puerto Natales to Puerto Muntt. The inland waterway was calm but midway through the trip we were in the Pacific Ocean for about 12 hours of rock-and-roll. At dinner we took a big roll and a couple of hundred cups and plates side off the serving counter and on to the deck.



My home for four days. Great luck, nobody snored! Also none of my roommates spoke English.



12 bikes on the ship. 5 Beemers.



Great Sunsets.


Coming in to Puerto Muntt at 06:00 today. Note, it's daylight.




There are two levels for vehicles and they unloaded ours last, so I didn't get to ride down the ramp until 08:45.

As I rode north to Orsono the coastal fog cleared and it became a blue sky day.

Tomorrow I'll ride to Los Angeles, Chile and then Sunday up to Santiago.

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Location:Ramón Freire,Osorno,Chile

Monday, January 9, 2012

Departing Puerto Natales

I've picked up my boarding pass for the ship and processed the bike with the Aduana Office (Customs) so now all that is missing is the ship.




It's been raining on and off all day. Hopefully the rain will help with the fires at Torres del Payne.



The sun came out. This is the path out of the harbor.



The MS Evangelistas just docked. So in six hours we'll start boarding although we don't sail until 06:00.

Some pretty serious seas the first 24 hours, 30 degree roll, after that it should settle down. They tie the bikes to the bulkhead.

No Internet until we dock on Friday at Puerto Montt. I probably won't post anything until I get to Osorno Friday night.

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Location:Pedro Montt,Natales,Chile

El Calafate to Puerto Natales, Chile

Argentina in to Chile, my last border crossing in South America. Wow! Still have to process the bike out of Chile but the freight forwarder will take care of the Aduana Office, all I'll have to do is claim the bike in San Francisco.

Leaving El Calafate at 08:00, after getting a fill with no line, as I was pulling out of the station the five guys from Argentina I met two days ago rode by. So I joined them. We caught up with a couple on a Beemer. Rode with the group for fifty miles and then took the cutoff to Puerto Natales. Rough gravel for 40 miles but gave me a 170 mile day vs a 250 mile day. It was worth it as I met four Germans. One couple is on their way to Deadhorse so I of course exchanged cards with them and invited then to stop off in Reno.

Crossing out of Argentina I met a couple from Brazil coming up from Ushuaia. She is flying home from Puerto Natales and he is riding back to Brazil.

Arrived safely in Puerto Natales at 13:00. Will process the bike for getting it on the ship tomorrow afternoon. The passengers are boarded at 22:00 although we don't sail until Tuesday at 06:00. Arrive Puerto Muntt on Friday at 07:00. Am told it'll take two to three hours to off load the vehicles. Then its a three day ride up to Santiago.

I'll fly the bike to SFO on the 18th or 19th. I fly on the 19th and arrive Reno in the 20th.

We'll drive over to San Francisco on the 24th and I'll claim the bike in the 25th and ride home. Hopefully Donner Pass will cooperate.

There is no Internet on the ship so the next time I post anything will be Friday the 13th from Ordino, Chile.








Processing the bike out of Argentina. A one hour process.



Came over the ridge and there is Puerto Natales 14 miles in the distance.



Many motos in town, all waiting to board the ferry Monday evening.



Some fun trash receptacles in Puerto Natales.

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Location:Blanco Encalada,Natales,Chile

Saturday, January 7, 2012

El Calafate & the Moreno Glacier

Today was a sightseeing day and I rode out to hike on the Moreno Glacier. It was a beautiful ride out, about one hour with some great twistees along the lake.

A boat took us over to the glacier and we were fitted with crampons for the hike. Very much like walking with snowshoes.





As we hiked up the glacier further down the glacier, next to the lake, we heard and saw calfing every few minutes. One chunk of ice was about the size of s small house. Created a very large wave, or waves. Of course nobody had their cameras ready for the 'big one'.





Luck was with us as it was a blue sky day all day. The guides said most days are at least partly cloudy and many times you can't see the mountains at all. The moisture comes off the Pacific Ocean, about forty miles to the west, and causes snow about 300 days of the year at the higher altitudes. There is no global warming here in the Andes, the glacier is stable,





Had a nice chat with Awy Julianto from Singapore.







Toasted at the end of the hike with a bourbon over glacier ice.

Tomorrow I'm off to Puerto Natales to catch the ferry to Puerto Muntt, Chile. A four day cruise (9 - 13 JAN), with no Internet or mobile phone contact. We get on the shop at 22:90 on Monday, set sail Tuesday at 06:09 and dock on Friday at 07:00.

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Location:Miguel Sánchez,Natales,Chile

Friday, January 6, 2012

Punta Arenas to El Calafate, Argentina

Left this morning at 06:30 under a blue sky, 47 degrees and light wind. Plus, the gravel roads are behind me.


Crossing from Chile in to Argentina I ran in to four guys from Brazil heading to Ushuaia. They insisted on pictures so I had them take one with the iPhone.


The Chile and Argentina Aduana desks are next to each other and not miles apart so it's really easy to process the paper. You wouldn't believe the sound of documents being stamped at these border crossings.


This sign on Ruta 40 in Argentina says it all.



Came over a ridge and there was El Calafate about 30 miles in the distance.

Off tomorrow for a day hike on the Perito Moreno Glacier. Then Sunday I'll ride down to Puerto Natales to load the bike on Monday, board at 22:00 and sail Tuesday at 06:00. We arrive at Puerto Muntt Friday at 07:00 and it takes two to three hours to unload the bike. Go figure.

Then a three day ride to Santiago, Chile. This ride will be similar to a ride from San Diego to San Francisco, only a bit longer. Great freeways in Chile but many tolls.

I'll air freight the bike to SFO on the 18th and I'll fly to Reno on the 19th, arriving on the 20th.

The Adventure is nearly over. It was sure fun but I have to admit it'll sure be nice to get home.

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Location:Simunovic,El Calafate,Argentina