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Trans Americas 2009 - The Blog
The Just One More Mile story of Paul's Trans Americas 2009 motorcycle expedition.Tuesday, 10 November 2009
A short ride through stunning scenery...
After a good night's rest, I packed the bike and joined the crowded breakfast room to enjoy a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee, before riding the bike out of the hotel car park and making my way across town. I stopped briefly to fill up with fuel, then out on the open road I caught up with Richard & Karen and with Nick tucked in behind we rode along the valley and up into the hills. Under a bright blue sky the landscape was reminiscent of the UK, bright green fields and rolling hills, the temperature low enough to complete the illusion. Soon we started climbing and the landscape opened out, a bright blue river meandering across the plain the colours beautifully intense.
Once again, the ride was working its magic on my soul, lifting my spirits and soothing away the aches and pains of the last week or so. As the road crossed the hill and then ran alongside the bluest lake I've ever seen, the temptation to stop just to absorb the view was too great, so I pulled over and Nick and I stood in silence just staring out across the lake to the distant snow-capped mountains. This was going to be a very good day's ride...
And so it continued, as we crossed over more hills and rode along a couple more lakes, the water so bright and clear it mirrored the sky perfectly. It was still cold, and the wind was picking up as we reached the petrol station and café that marked the turn-off point for those taking the dirt road extension. We stopped and had a coffee and a small cake, then Nick went off to take a longer road route whilst I continued directly to San Carlos de Bariloche, determined to keep the day short and to rest as much as possible. Riding alone again was highly enjoyable, just me, my bike and this beautiful landscape. Soon I was riding along the shore of Lago Nahuelhuapi, with the town of Bariloche spread across the shoreline on the far side of the lake, against a backdrop of snowy mountains. Naturally I had to stop and take a photo, my battered bike still looking like it belongs here...
Sometimes I have to remind myself just how lucky I am to have been able to ride all the way to Argentina...
When I got to the hotel there was another 1200GS Adventure in the car park, with UK number plates. Chris was about, unpacking his own bike, so I gestured to the bike and asked if he knew who it belonged to. It is Hamish's bike – he was originally due to do the whole Trans-Am but switched to the Patagonia trip, and on arrival had his rucksack with all his documents in stolen from the hotel. He had therefore been trying to get copies and a new credit card, and was running a day behind his group, hence he was still in the hotel when we arrived. We had a brief chat, and then he was gone, giving up waiting for his credit card and setting off to try and catch up with his group.
After a long hot shower and a snooze, I went out for a wander round the town. It's very much like a Swiss ski resort, all outdoor shops and chocolatiers plying their wares. The main square is very pretty, with old buildings and large St Bernard dogs complete with brandy barrels round their necks... oh, and a group of tourists performing some weird dance...
After my wanderings I made my way back to the hotel and had a snooze, still sticking to my plan of taking it easy and getting as much rest as possible. I stirred around 7pm, heading down to the lobby and joining a small group going out in search of a bar, where we discovered draught beer for the first time in months. Several pints later we made our way to a restaurant where I had an excellent steak and a good bottle of Merlot, before heading back to the hotel and my bed...
Postscript: On the dirt road that I avoided taking, Ozzy Andy hit a big rock and has severely damaged his bike. The front wheel is bent, but much more seriously, the drive-shaft/swinging arm has been shattered, rendering the bike unusable. He is OK, thankfully, managing to bring the bike to a halt without falling off, but now the challenge is for Kevin to source a replacement part (a real problem given how remote we are) or for him to arrange a hire-bike from Sonia in Osorno so Andy can continue to ride. With just 2 weeks until we're due to reach the southern most point (Ushuaia) it's not going to be easy to get him riding again in time...
Once again, the ride was working its magic on my soul, lifting my spirits and soothing away the aches and pains of the last week or so. As the road crossed the hill and then ran alongside the bluest lake I've ever seen, the temptation to stop just to absorb the view was too great, so I pulled over and Nick and I stood in silence just staring out across the lake to the distant snow-capped mountains. This was going to be a very good day's ride...
And so it continued, as we crossed over more hills and rode along a couple more lakes, the water so bright and clear it mirrored the sky perfectly. It was still cold, and the wind was picking up as we reached the petrol station and café that marked the turn-off point for those taking the dirt road extension. We stopped and had a coffee and a small cake, then Nick went off to take a longer road route whilst I continued directly to San Carlos de Bariloche, determined to keep the day short and to rest as much as possible. Riding alone again was highly enjoyable, just me, my bike and this beautiful landscape. Soon I was riding along the shore of Lago Nahuelhuapi, with the town of Bariloche spread across the shoreline on the far side of the lake, against a backdrop of snowy mountains. Naturally I had to stop and take a photo, my battered bike still looking like it belongs here...
Sometimes I have to remind myself just how lucky I am to have been able to ride all the way to Argentina...
When I got to the hotel there was another 1200GS Adventure in the car park, with UK number plates. Chris was about, unpacking his own bike, so I gestured to the bike and asked if he knew who it belonged to. It is Hamish's bike – he was originally due to do the whole Trans-Am but switched to the Patagonia trip, and on arrival had his rucksack with all his documents in stolen from the hotel. He had therefore been trying to get copies and a new credit card, and was running a day behind his group, hence he was still in the hotel when we arrived. We had a brief chat, and then he was gone, giving up waiting for his credit card and setting off to try and catch up with his group.
After a long hot shower and a snooze, I went out for a wander round the town. It's very much like a Swiss ski resort, all outdoor shops and chocolatiers plying their wares. The main square is very pretty, with old buildings and large St Bernard dogs complete with brandy barrels round their necks... oh, and a group of tourists performing some weird dance...
After my wanderings I made my way back to the hotel and had a snooze, still sticking to my plan of taking it easy and getting as much rest as possible. I stirred around 7pm, heading down to the lobby and joining a small group going out in search of a bar, where we discovered draught beer for the first time in months. Several pints later we made our way to a restaurant where I had an excellent steak and a good bottle of Merlot, before heading back to the hotel and my bed...
Postscript: On the dirt road that I avoided taking, Ozzy Andy hit a big rock and has severely damaged his bike. The front wheel is bent, but much more seriously, the drive-shaft/swinging arm has been shattered, rendering the bike unusable. He is OK, thankfully, managing to bring the bike to a halt without falling off, but now the challenge is for Kevin to source a replacement part (a real problem given how remote we are) or for him to arrange a hire-bike from Sonia in Osorno so Andy can continue to ride. With just 2 weeks until we're due to reach the southern most point (Ushuaia) it's not going to be easy to get him riding again in time...
posted by Paul # 23:52 
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