SOUTHERN PAMPAS- Jan. 25th

Southern Pampas Jan 25^th

This morning I left Punta Arenas. Chile where I stayed with Ivette for two days. Punta Arenas is an interesting collection of historic buildings that show the opulence created by the Tierra del Fuego Exploration Company toward the end of the last century. The buildings are immense, of European architectural flavor and are found close to more modern versions of someone’s home. Tin is used a lot here and much of it, though over 50 years old and rusted still seems to hold up although sometimes flapping in the wind.

As I left town and headed off the pavement and back on to dirt and gravel roads heading toward Argentina and Tierra del Fuego, the cold and relentless winds whipped at my backsides. Off the southern Pacific Ocean and noted for their ferocity, in this area there are no mountains to provide shelter and the windswept pampa or grassland is subject to daily winds that can reach over 100 miles an hour. They were not that strong as I fought to control the motorcycle from the sudden gusts on top of the steady 60 mph wind. With white knuckles from holding on tightly I’d sometimes stop in the lee of a rise of land seeking a respite from the wind. Sometimes I couldn’t control the bike at a stopstill as the winds blew stronger than I could retain the bike.

The big trucks coming in the opposite direction create a blast of air that pushes you sideways.  Always tricky.   Coming  around a sweeping curve with the wind blowing from the side I lean strongly sideways to retain control. I’m being forced sideways by the intensity of the wind only to find myself closing in on a big truck coming toward me. I’m already too close to his lane. I lean harder hoping not to lose control on the pavement and say “shit,shit,shit” as I pray. Why am I here? What am I doing this for? Oh well, too late to change anything right now. Let’s just get past this truck!

Long stretches of gravel road point in a direction and you get use to the wind from that angle, then you have a long sweeping turn in another direction and the wind is right on your nose. It is hard to make or keep a steady speed while going into the wind.  Next comes another turn and all of a sudden the wind is at your back and it is silent and with a 60 mile an hour wind at your back you make fast progress with little effort.

The trip from Punta Arenas, Chile to Tierra del Fuego involves taking a ferryboat from Chile mainland to Chile Tierra del Fuego. Been here, done that. However when I approached the landing area (cement ramp down to the sea) and saw the size of the waves, felt the strong wind blowing sideways and wondered how was that Captain ever going to land that boat on the beach. A couple of tries and a couple more and the front ramp of the boat dropped and cars and trucks started disembarking quickly as the boat fought to retain position again both waves crashing on its side and wind trying to push it. Then we loaded. I was scared since the metal ramp was slippery and narrow and the side wind was howling.’ Give it plenty of gas and power the bike up the ramp and onto some semblance of safety’. That is what I told myself. I did it, my anxiety dropping until we departed and I had to hold onto the motorcycle so it wouldn’t fall over from the violent up and down wave action coupled with big waves coming over the front and dousing me with salt water. Luckily I had my helmet on so it was just like rain, but salt rain.

Getting off the ferry was easier and back on another 100 km of dirt and gravel roads but this time with other vehicles that kick up plenty of dust. I waited for about 15 minutes eating some old salami and yogurt to let everyone race 100 km. to the border crossing into Argentina. Good choice. Not so bad. Wind kept up, all alone, last one off the ferry.

To throw in a little spice to this road is to add piles of gravel that mound up on either side creating tracks for the tires to run more smoothly. It is OK as long as you are able to stay in the rut. When the wind blows you into the mound of gravel you can easily loose control. Already reduced to 25-30 mph for the next 100km you have to go slower on turns and when the wind wants to send you across to the other side of the highway. ”Shit,shit,shit” my riding buddy Stan used to say as he would describe a hairy road situation like this. White knuckle time again.

A bus stop out in the middle of no where to protect one against the wind.

 Ivette who was my host in Punta Arenas, Chile

One of the typical farm compounds in the isolated and desolate pampa

The Straits of Megallan was surprisingly calm like Puget sound on a quiet, windless morning.

The ferry that took me from the mainland to Tierra del Fuego. Landing on the beach with cement as the ramp, the boat had lots of difficulty maintaining position to disembark and load. Big waves and strong wind didn't seem to bother the Captain or the crew.

I'm I dreaming? Is this Washington or Tierra del Fuego?

The desolate and beautiful Pampa.