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.

PATAGONIA Tour on Motorcycle-06/07 February 2018 Day 16-17

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

Day-16 (06 February 2018) :  Cerro Sombrero >>>Ushuaia (392 km)

After the breakfast in the Hotel we left to buy fuel. The only fuel station is right up there in the down town. It is only 300 meter away from our Hotel. We bought furl and then came back to the front yard of the Hotel. We had got a briefing about today's trip to Ushuaia.

We will have gravel road starting at the Hotel and it will go on until we reach the Ea. San Martin on the Argentinian side at the Atlantic coast.

The weather was sunny with few clouds. The temperature was 12 deg C. We departed from the Hotel around 08:50 and took the gravel road to Cullen. This one is the road on the north side of the town and goes through valleys and flat areas to Cullen. This part of the land is also well productive with oil wells. We saw a few oil wells as well. However we saw also a couple of Lama families around us.

Guanacos

At the junction point near Cullen.

Around 10:30 we arrived at the Hosteria La Frontera in San Sabastian. It was a distance of 100 kms. WE made in average 60-65 km/hr.  We took a rest there and drank coffee. Just a few hundred meters after the café there is the border office of Chile. We finished the exit procedure and then continued on the gravel road which connects us to Argentinian border office.It is about 14 km between the border offices. This is the town called San Sabastian.
The road is better paved now. It is asphalt but little bit windy. On our left we had open view over the Atlantic. We took the direction to Rio Grande but we by-passed the city. At the South end we filled up our tanks in the Estación de Servicio Circunvalacion. I bought also some water and biscuits. After a short rest at the well furnished and equipped fuel station 
we continued our trip. Together we Sadik we rode away before our group. We talked to our guide Christian and agreed on waiting them at the fuel station at the entrance of the city Tolhuin. At 14:00 we were at the fuel station and we waited for our friends. As soon as they came we followed Christian and found the Panaderia La Union which is a bakery shop in Tolhuin. I recommend for everybody. A baker from Malaga, Spain arrived here in 1984 and liked this town. He settled down here and opened this business. 

The inside view of the Panaderia

Our friends sitting in the Panaderia

When we came out the bakery shop there was little rain. But there is no need for wearing the rain gear. Again we departed with Sadik in advance. We made a very smooth ride. The view was also getting better. Big lakes and forest was very spectacular around us. We left the long lake Lago Fagnano on our right and passed the mountains on the south side of the lake. It is the awesome Paso Garibaldi which we enjoyed very much. The asphalt is good for riding and with nice and open curves. I enjoyed very much :) We stopped at the top somewhere and took some pictures.

Looking to North from Paso Garibaldi:- Lago Fagnano

After an enjoying riding on the Paso Garibaldi

Then we continued riding down the mountains. It is still awesome. When we came down we were very close to our target. Suddenly we saw the gate to the city Ushuaia. Last time, in 2008, I came here by plane. But now I am approaching with motorcycle. And this is a totally different feeling and experience for me after 10 years.

Our group :- standing >>Christian (our guide), Daniel, Michael, Martin, Philipp,
sitting>>Sadik, Cem, Ulrike, Winfried

We continued further into the city. There was a road construction and we took the dusty gravels detour. We came to the center. And we took a few picture before reaching to the Hotel.

After having made some pictures we moved to our Hotel Canal Beagle which is located at the main street along the coast.

Our aim was also to change money.  Gentleman at the reception showed us on the map a change office. And we went there. On the way we discovered some friendly bars, Pubs and restaurants. We sat in a bar at the San Martin Street. There we bought to IPA and drank with Sadik. The guy in the Pub was friendly and changed some USDs for us.

The bar/restaurant in the corner where we sat for beer

View in the down town of Ushuaia

At 19:30 we were back in the Hotel. Our guide Christian had booked a restaurant for all the group and we walked to this restaurant on the San Martin Street.

The restaurant Villaggio where we ate altogether:- Very fine food including lobsters.

 After the dinner we walked together with Sadik in the city. We sat in Hard Rock Café and I drank two Mojitos. It was late but we continued walking in the city. On the Av. Maipu I found Ramos Generales, Pub/Restaurant. I had visited this place in 2008 and I had got good memories about it. It is really good to find this place again and to sit. It was approx. 01:00 when we came back to our Hotel.

Day-17 (07 February 2018) :  extra day in Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego N.Park-52 km)

We have a day trip to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. It is about 30 km on the west of Ushuaia. Tierra del Fuego National Park was created in 1960 and is located against the border with neighboring Chile. Departing from the Hotel Canal Beagle we took the road in the direction of the airport. We passed the junction to the airport and continued on the gravel road. Last time, in 2008 I had taken a bus and I had been on this way together with other tourists. Now I am riding on my bike to the West of Ushuaia.

After 8-9 kms we came to the historical Train Station. We took some pictures and I bought some souvenirs for my friends. It is a clear and sunny day and this makes our pictures clear, too.

After the break at the Station we continued our ride on Route 3. After 10-15 minutes we came to the Parks 's post office which is the most southern post office on the world. I bought a few postcards and stamps. I am planning to send them to my son who is studying in Brighton/UK and to some of my friends living in Istanbul. There we had got also a nice view over the Redonda Island. 

View from the point where there is southernmost postoffice. Looking over the Redonda Island.

After half an hour we moved to another place where we walked on the wooden platform to see the panorama. Then we took the road to the restaurant in Alakush. We sat there and we bought some food. After finishing our lunch we departed with Sadik for Ushuaia. After half an hour we were in Ushuaia and we filled up our tanks at the fuel station just in front of our Hotel. After that we came to our Hotel and we went for rest to our room. 
later we went out with Sadik and walked in the down town in the direction to the Maritime Museum. As I had visited this place in 2008 I want to show to Sadik this place and the prison building here. There is an old and interesting building built as prison.
The entrance fee is 400.-A$.

The construction of this prison started in 1902. The jails had five pavillions with 79 exterior facing cells each. There were 380 cells for single but there were maximum 600 convicts at one time.

 After we had finished our tour in the prison we walked back to the down town. Sadik went to Hard Rock Café and I have left him there. I walked in the city and I bought some souvenirs. 
I took also some pictures in the down town.

I sat in Austral Modern Café and drank a coffee and ate some cakes.It is a nice coffee shop and located in 9 de Julio 74 Street. I recommend this coffee stop.
I left the coffee shop and I started to walk on the Av. Maipu. I saw some people at the side of the street where they were dancing.

Tango is life in Ushuaia.

At the coast line of Ushuaia.

Then we met with Sadik at Ramos Generales. After finishing my beer we started to walk to 
the restaurant which we had fixed in one of our previous walks. 

Shelves of Ramos Genereles.

We came to the Restaurant Paso Garibaldi on the Street Deloqui. We enjoyed the dinner and we left with good taste. Then we came back to our Hotel.