At The Bottom Of The World
Three months ago we left the small town of Chile Chico and headed towards the Argentinean border, crossing it, and eventually arrived at the even smaller town of Gobernador Gregores. Curiously, this is the same town we are in right now during the mandated quarantine. Apparently we are time travelers too:)! The environmental change as we moved from the Andes Mountains with its gorgeous rivers, lakes, and forests into the Argentinian pampa was extreme. The first thing you notice is the lack of moisture in the air. The second thing you notice is how fast that dry air is moving as it pushes you and your motorcycle all around the road. We may not have been able to see the wind, but we felt it so strongly and so consistently there was no denying its existence (similar to how we feel about our relationship with Jesus :).
Eight hours later we arrived at Gobernador Gregores thoroughly exhausted from our long drive. We found a great apart-hotel with just one downside; our accommodations were on the second floor so we needed to lug all our gear and luggage up the skinny stairwell (seven roundtrips). While staying here Sharon did laundry using our ‘Scrubba’ clothes washer. This is a water-proof bag with small rubber nubs on the inside that you throw your dirty clothes in with soap and water, then stomp on it with your feet to agitate the clothes. Then do it again with clean water (twice) and Voila…clean clothes! Check out the change in the water color during the process (see photos). It actually works pretty well and is WAY easier than trying to wash stuff by hand (we’re sure on this one)! Sharon also worked on some sewing projects here. As we get closer and closer to the end of the trip, our clothing is requiring more frequent repairs to keep them usable. The same is true for motorcycle parts: Sharon can be seen sewing one of our air filters that had a tear in it. I mostly worked on motorcycle maintenance and a few minor repairs (burned out headlight bulb, etc…).
Our next section was a real challenge. The road was good to Rio Gallegos, but the wind was even stronger (35 mph) on the day we needed to travel. Sometimes when we stopped for a break we couldn’t even get off the bikes for fear that the wind would blow them right off their kickstands! After this experience, we were much more careful to plan our riding days around the wind forecast as much as it was possible. As you will read later, however, at times we absolutely had no choice.
We spent three nights in Rio Gallegos due to high winds and wanted to fix a small oil leak on Sharon’s bike. I also remounted the tool tube (see pic) on my motorcycle after one of the pipe clamps failed. From here we set an ambitious goal to reach Tolhuin, which required two border crossings, a ferry and a whole lot of miles (in an attempt to avoid the worst winds and freezing rain). We arrived at our AirBnB minutes before a major storm began unleashing its full fury. Being inside a cozy house was enormously satisfying.
The next day we pushed on to Estancia Harberton. The weather was still wet, but the winds had slacked considerably. When we stopped at one viewpoint we were pleasantly surprised to see Patagonian foxes! Within minutes it was painfully obvious they were used to people feeding them (we didn’t). Although it is unfortunate for the foxes’ health, I have to say it is great for photos. As we drove further south we crossed a beautiful mountain pass and several more incredible viewpoints. The side road to Harberton Ranch is 40 miles of dirt and gravel, not in the best condition, though we’ve seen worse.
Estancia Harberton is a historical ranch, that was started by an English missionary in the 1800s and is still owned and operated by his descendants today. Originally, it was dedicated to sheep farming, but has since opened its doors to tourists who would like to get a glimpse of what life was like 150 years ago in this isolated section of the world. We were permitted to ‘wild’ camp here for free for five days! Our campsite was right on the Beagle Channel and surreal in its surroundings. We felt so small and alone with our little tent in that vast expanse. In addition to the historical ranch there is an excellent marine-life museum that was started by one of the family members. Rae Goodall became a world renowned expert on arctic marine life and collected thousands of samples of aquatic creatures that she encountered during her lifetime. In modern times the museum is staffed exclusively by student volunteers that come from all over Argentina to work there. They continue the tradition of cleaning and cataloging specimens that are found washed up on the shores nearby due to the arctic ocean currents. One of the most interesting things we learned is that the age of marine mammals can be determined by cutting a tooth in two and counting the number of lines that can be found inside! Exactly like trees; so amazing!
Our highlight at Harberton was visiting an island that contains three different species of penguins; Humboldt, Magallenaic, and King. On our guided tour we were permitted to get within 6 feet of the penguins (social distancing trendsetters). It was such an amazing experience to be so close to these unique creatures. Many of the penguins were molting (see pics) and looked very punk-rock style with their feathers all askew. The one and only King penguin on the island had a baby chick snuggled under his body right between his feet. In the picture you can see the rear end of the baby sticking out!
One last thing to note about this location…it is the southernmost point of our entire trip! Later, we will travel to Ushuaia (southernmost city) and Tierra Del Fuego National Park; however, geographically we will never get as far south as Estancia Harberton. For us THIS was a major milestone of our trip because we felt that after 14 years of dreaming and 21 months of traveling we had made it from the farthest north to the uttermost south. And we had a blast doing it!
Chris & Sharon
