More Pictures

The penguins at Punta Tombo, they deserve more publicity

The Cathedral in Cordoba

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Cordoba

The Museo Rocsen in Nono had quite the variety, it was like a garage after 70 years in the same house

Almost like it's waiting to be let out

Atleast I could find the first one on a map

Cordoba, Alta Gracia, Mina Clavero and Rosario

It´s been a while since we´ve posted anything new in the blog. These pictures should catch you up a little bit on what has happened in the past couple of weeks. When we left Santa Rosa, we headed north to spend a few days in the wonderful university town of Cordoba. There we again met my friend David Lange, only this time it was close to the end of his time in South America. The above picture was taken on Sunday morning. Yes, it´s huge line of people waiting to get into the church for services.

Here´s a picture from the front of another Cordoba church. I wonder if St. Peter is aware of what it takes to keep him up there.

In this one David, Landon and I are having a little something to eat, and a little something to drink.

After David left for Buenos Aires, Landon and I loaded up the bikes and headed into sierra, stopping at the small town of Alta Gracia, boyhood home of Che Guevara. Here´s a shot of me standing in front of his famed motorcycle. They weren´t interesting in letting me sit on it for the photo opportunity.

Later we went over the mountains to the west of Cordoba on the dramatic road that leads to the resort town of Mina Clavero. A nearby museum seemed to include absolutely everything, including this shrunken head.

We set up our tents in a Mina Clavero campground with this beautiful view of the River Sauces and the sierra.

Landon left the next day to visit his friends in Santa Fe. I stayed behind and took a week of retreat in the campground, alternating times of solitude with extended conversations with other campers. I didn´t carry the camera much but did get this picture of two of my young neighbors on my bike and their dad. I really enjoyed Mina Clavero.

It was fun to meet up with Landon again in Rosario yesterday. The two main museums were closed this morning, but we did get the chance to visit the flag memorial which honors Argentina and the Organisation of American States. I like this picture of the fire in front of the tower overlooking the river.

It´s Mostly the People

As Landon says, we had such a good time in Rio Mayo. About 20 miles before we got to town, a car was stalled along side the road, and we stopped to see if we could help. It was a couple and their little girl headed to Rio Mayo. They asked us if we could send a tow truck. We continued into town, stopped at the first store we saw, and had the pleasure of meeting these folks who owned the store. They were great. They helped arrange for a police truck to go get the family in the broken car. Then they showed us their new store next door, and invited us to the grand opening the next day, and to stay for the big celebration Landon wrote about. We decided to take them up on the offer and give ourselves a break-

These cherries reminded me of home in Nebraska. I picked a few and enjoyed them.

Same with these currants.

This is another picture of the owners on the day of their celebration and grand opening. We met a lot of local folks then.

Here´s a picture of their daughter and her friend. They liked our stories and made us laugh.

Then we ran into the couple whose car had stalled along the road. Their car was fixed, and they gave us mate cups. We had the pleasure of seeing them several times in the next few days. They were selling local handicrafts at the fairgrounds.

Landon showed pictures of the rodeo and other events at the fairgrounds. Here are some pictures from the closing parade.

I like this one of the queen and her gaucho


This little guy was watching the parade with us. If it had not have been for the couple and their little girl stranded alongside the road 20 miles from Rio Mayo, we would have driven right through town and missed it all.

Two days ago we went to Punta Tombo and saw the largest penguin colony in the world--over 300,000. Here are two maturing chicks who are very fond of each other.

Now we are in Santa Rosa. Does this qualify as wearing a helmet? We´ve seen several bikers riding around with their headgear on their arms.

The windscreen on my bike finally went too far. The right bracket broke several months ago and I had it welded in San Jose, Costa Rica. But in December it broke again in the Patagonian wind. I braced it with duct tape and a bent piece of re bar I found in the parking lot. Then last week the other bracket cracked, and I made another brace out of a stick and duct tape for the other side. It all got a little shaky yesterday when it finally broke too. I ran into Jorge, a welder, in the hardware store this morning and went to his shop this afternoon. They were so great. They were surprised that we had driven all the way from Texas and interested about where we had been. He and his assistant, Abel, helped me get the windscreen off the bike, weld the brackets and paint them, and get it back on the bike. Then they broke out the ice water and ice cream bars. When I asked them how much it was, they said nothing. Just send us a post card when you get home so we know you made it okay. This photo is of them. It´s mostly the people that make this trip so wonderful and make me happy and proud to be human.

Festival Nacional de la Esquila

During our stay in Rio Mayo, we attended the National Festival of Sheep Shearing Competition. Quite suprising that a town of 3,000 people would host a National competition, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but yes, they did. There was a pageant for reinita and gauchito, little queen and little gaucho.

Of course there was the shearing competition, judged both on time and quality.

Some not so willing participants

Later, the gauchos had the rodeo, gaucho style. No chutes here, half the fun was getting on the horse.

The time for the ride seemed to be about 15 seconds

It was hard to tell because not alot of riders made it. The ground wasn't what you would call soft, either. Between rides the crowd was entertained by singing comedians who would ad-lib songs about the gauchos and their hometowns.

Sometimes it was kinda tough to watch. At least the ambulances were always at the gate, ready to go.

On Saturday night there was an award ceremony with the selection of a new Queen and a dance. The Queen was selected at 3 am and I didn't have the energy to stay for the dance, so I have no idea how it turned out.

On Sunday morning the gauchos paraded through town in their finest, it was quite the parade.

The Last of the Ripio (gravel roads)

Taking a break on the road this morning. Yes that´s snow.

You have to see the blue sky of Tierra del Fuego to believe it.

Here´s a little more blue: an iceberg from the glacier that Landon wrote about.

We left some marks along this stretch of road. Even at slow speeds, it is easy to get off track in these ruts of Ruta 40.

Landon giving thanks for the tarmac at the end of gravel.

This is sunset at Bajo Caracoles, where we got the last room in the hotel after a hard day. It had a heater and hot water. We were grateful.

Torres and Glaciers

From Punta Arenas we moved north to Puerto Natales, the jumping off point for the Torres del Paine National Park. We spent the next night camping at the park. The view from the road

Morning rainbow over the campsite. I think to see the really spectacular stuff you need to spend 5 or 6 days hiking and camping your way around the Towers. We didn't have the time.

One of the bridges in the park.

After Torres we went to El Calafate, the base for people from all over the world who come to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. Truly a sight to behold
Yes, it is cold enough to justify all the clothes. Lou checking out the icebergs.

Something from Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego is the island , just South of the continent, so there all all kinds of categories as to southernmost this and on the continent that, that sometimes it gets confusing . So everyone gets an opportunity to call their town or area "the most". After I paid seven US to get into the park, I had to wait for all the tourists to clear out so I could take the picture. You can see it if you click on the link at the right for Lone Star Cycle BMW. I wouldn't wait too long, they're liable to replace it with another exciting picture of the parts counter pretty soon.

The beaver dam in the Lapatia National Park

On the way to catch the ferry in Porvenir we found this German damsel in distress, luckily we had 15 liters of gas to help her and her friend get down the road. Sean doesn't know what he's missing

An old shot from the trip into Bariloche

Lou learns valve adjustment in the campground in Ushuaia. The 40 degree mornings made it feel like winter here, and made it tough to get out of the sleeping bag.

it happens..... just unload it , stand it up , reload it and 20 minutes later you're on your way