PATAGONIA Tour on Motorcycle-08 February 2018 Day 18

SOUTH AMERICA / PATAGONIA TOUR with MOTORCYCLE
Riding to EL FIN DEL MUNDO between 21 January - 10 February 2018.

Day-18 (08 February 2018) :  Ushuaia>>>Puerto Harberton>>>Rio Grande (290 km)

First partof our route from Ushuaia to Rio Grande : Stop at Es. Harberton for Penguins

After having the breakfast at our Hotel Canal Beagle we walked to the park at the sea side which is around 150 meter away from the Hotel.There, we made a group picture altogether.
(I do not know why that picture is not available !!)

After that photography ceremony we came back to the Hotel and took our motorcycles and departed from the Hotel in the direction back to Rio Grande. The streets in the city are under construction and therefore there are lots of detours in the city. It is also dusty and with lots of bumps. But as soon as we get out the city the asphalt road (Route3) took us in 25 minutes to the junction to Puerto Harberton. After the junction we had got gravel road in the forest through the valleys. At 10:00 o'clock we were at the Pt. Almanza (approx. 67 km from Ushuaia). From here there is a view over the Canal Beagle and far on the south someone can see Pto. Williams which is on the Chilean side.

At Pt. Almanza:- The other side of the canal belongs to Chile and there is Pto. Williams

Then we continued to ride in east direction. The view is fantastic. We were riding along the coast but we up and downs on the gravel road. The road was well pressed but in some sections the grader was working and we had to be very concentrated on the road. Around 11:00 o'clock we came to Harberton Museum for Sea mammals. Meanwhile we saw that, the front tire of Kevin (from Shangai) was flat and Thomas repaired it on site.

Since our penguin tour was scheduled for 12:00 o'clock we visited the museum and saw skeleton, bones and pieces of the sea mammals like wales, dolphins, sea lions, etc.

Teeth (?) of a big Greenland Wale

It is very strange that there were lots of people visiting this museum. I think this place called Pt. Harberton is a famous site for those who are interested in sea mammals and penguins.
Then we took our motorcycles and we moved to the site Harberton where from we would be driven to the penguins' island. 

 

We sat there half an hour and drank a coffee. I took also some pictures in the nice weather and blue sky. Then we departed with the boat (2 x150 HP engines) to the island on the Beagle Canal. The travel on the boat took roughly 25-30 minutes.

As we arrived at the penguins' island we got out and walked on the island among the penguins. Our guide for penguins explained a lot of behavioral things about the penguins.
Their family life, waiting for their nests which they dig in the ground, guarding the eggs etc.
We were right at the time when penguins were changing their fur. Most of them were slowly moving or maybe mostly sleeping. They may not swim and dive with their unfinished furs.
The cold water might cause them trouble because the thermal protection is not enough with the new furs.

We said 'bye-bye ' to the penguins and left the island again with our boat. We arrived back at the Harberton jetty after 30 minutes. We rode with our bikes to a nice restaurant on top of a hill which is only 400 meter away from the Harberton Houses.

We ate nice food at the Harberton Restaurant. After the lunch we returned back on the same road to the junction to Rio Grande. It is about 70 kms from here and we turned back 

to the asphalt road (Route 3). 

We came together with the whole group there and then we departed for Tolhuin which is on the mid point of the road to Rio Grande. We used the same road back to Rio Grande. We passed Passo Garibaldi in the reverse direction. The road conditions were very good even there was mild wind getting closer to Rio Grande.

Around 16:00 we arrived at our Hotel Grande in Rio Grande. It is a modern Hotel located in the city. The city is without trees and looks like a city in the desert. After we set up in our room with Sadik I took shower and changed and then went to the lobby and ordered a pisco.

While enjoying my drink there came our luggage with the van of Moto-Avventura.

I took them to our room and then I continued my drink at the lobby.

Around 19:00 we moved to the restaurant of the Hotel for dinner. The whole group were together at the dinner and this was our second from last night together with our group.