So, where were we? Really rugged rock faces here as the valley gets narrower and the road climbs higher, tortuous, angry old mountains, great cracks and crevices, agonised twists in the layers of colours, yellows, browns, reds even green, and a quick sighting of Mount Aconagua, nearly 7,000 metres!!, snow capped, proudly standing out as the highest peak outside the Himalyas (across the border I meet a couple of German guys who are going to climb it) then into some serious going up bits, one section has 27 hairpin switchbacks in an almost vertical rise, mind boggling dimensions to the scene, [View Full Entry]

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I was surprised how quickly we were out of the mountains and onto the agricultural plains of rural Chile. Just regular, ordinary farmland with some rolling hills, and huge plantations of pines and eucalypts again. Once more the smell of eucalyptus in the air...aarrgghhh always gets me! Some of the locals are a bit sceptical when I tell them all eucalypts come from Oz.....well, that’s what I was told! I’ve seen a couple of massive treatment plants, don’t know if I just don’t get out enough to see them at home, but these facilities are monstrous. The central construc [View Full Entry]

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I could just about crack it for a few bars of “The Happy Wanderer” Is it just the lack of oxygen? I don’t think so, there must be something more….but everyone is so cheerful! Along the road the road workers grin and wave, a gaucho herding some horses along the river bank waves his hat, I almost expect him to pull out a colt 45 and fire a few shots into the air, backpackers waiting patiently by the road wave and smile, call out greetings, cyclists nod or wave, depending if they’re on the ascent or descent, at every stop along [View Full Entry]

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Another perfect day!….Bariloche breakfast and then off under another Simpson’s sky, little fluffy clouds on azure background...sweet!....snowcaps on ragged mountains all around, perfecto asphalto, nice curvery, off towards San Martin de los Andes. Winding thru’ the mountains, in fact fanging thru’ the mountains, getting some of the dust off the bike…. close-up, wildflowers, behind, pine trees up as far as they can go, then rock and more rock right up to the snowline and the sky. Then the road plunges down, sweeping along another huge, dark greeny blue lake, t [View Full Entry]

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After the last thrilling visit to the barber I know you’ve been hanging out waiting for my locks to lengthen anew….today was the day. I nearly didn’t make it as I had a small session in the wonderfully decrepit bar of the museum hotel. I’m writing from the bar this evening, the music is astonishing, some v cool jazz from I don’t know where, but the lighting is extremely low and moody. Several antique chandeliers have small coloured globes, the antique cash register has a little strip light, just enough to see your money. Mostly its dark! Late in the night, [View Full Entry]

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Bit of a backtrack as I don't think I did the glacier justice. I still can't believe that it is moving!...like a river in really slo-mo...(and why abbreviate a word like slo-mo?) and the middle runs (?) a bit faster than the sides, and the face we see probably fell as snow about a million years ago!!.....and the snap, crackle and pop is exactly like a hugely amplified version of pouring your single malt over frsh ice...(I had a girlfriend once, she never believed in, or understood 'fresh' ice!) I saw another (little) glacier today on a tour of the lake [View Full Entry]

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I was sitting in the window seat of a restaurant, just snacking and watching the world go by when I noticed nearly everyone going past was staring in at me!…I was getting a bit self conscious….was it something I was eating? bits of food hanging out of my mouth? fly undone?…..later, as I was walking home, I looked at the window and realised it was a mirror!..everyone had been looking at themselves…hmmm This is totally a tourist town, hordes of touries from all over the world…. cars, buses, bikes of course, 4x4s, trucks, all manner of tour vehicles, and all [View Full Entry]

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Leaving BA on New Year’s Eve in the morning, foregoing the fab fireworks, promises of endless love and mediocre sex…..driven by the need to get back on 2 wheels…get moving again.....we are all together again, the 3 musketeers plus one, and maybe Mar del Plata will be OK. ... Just one small thing...I'm not sure what transpired or conspired but the last blog was of 2 parts, photos and non. Needless to say, I'm confused. As it turned out MdP was interesting to say the most. Maybe someone else can make something out of it. OK a cut-and paste from some [View Full Entry]

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Ahh, what a fabulous city this is…….haven’t felt so at home anywhere for a long time, if you’ve got to live in a city then this is probably iit! My little friend was telling me the other night about a giant frog that lives around here and it has teeth!..Well, I couldn't just let that go past, frogs don't have teeth I replied. Then it was on...all sorts of memories, anecdotes, we had the wait staff at the bar involved, later, taxi drivers, bystanders, people on the street. She had a definite advantage, she speaks espanol, so she could ask the [View Full Entry]

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My little friend was telling me the other night about a giant frog that lives around here and it has teeth!..Well, I couldn't just let that go past, frogs don't have teeth I replied. Then it was on...all sorts of memories, anecdotes, we had the wait staff at the bar involved, later, taxi drivers, by standers, people on the street. She had a dfinite advantage, she speaks espanol so she could ask the question and filter the answers..I understand enough about espanol and also arguments with women! [View Full Entry]

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