Dublin to Ushuaia

Well lads and Lassies, I haven’t been on since leaving you in Salta, so I guess its time for an update. Christmas and New years were spent in Buenos Aires with my mates, no real biking stories so I wont bore you all with the. Just plenty of random drunkenness! Simon my mate from earlier in the trip arrived back from Ushuaia, and Guido who put me up in Ecuador was around also. So after touring around Buenos Aires and a few stop overs in Dakar Motos, and plenty of drunken nights, I headed up to Iguazu without the bike






The falls are impressive .. not quiet captured on the pictures, but there is a video on the website. www.kevfoley.com



translations on the signs are kind of funny
So after the falls made it over to Florianopolis , i wanted some beach and sun!! And a breeze. Its too hot and humid in by the falls.


And of course some nice girls

So feast your eyes


But had to leave as my parts were arriving back in Argentina.
Stopped in Uruguay on the way to visit Punta del Este.

Nice place, even saw a man talking his Cow for a walk! Serious.. with a collar and leash!! Pity i didn’t have the camera with me! Montevideo was quaint, but more life in Buenos Aires.
So now back here in the Capital of Argentina, to put the bike together and get ready to head south to Bariloche.


Ps Dave thanks for the tips on Argentina! its a great country isnt it! wish i could stay!.. actually i might just do that

Well lads, here I am, Ushuaia,el fin del mundo, the most southerly city in the world. Uruguay and Brazil were a blast, but the last few days have been all about getting here.

Man the wind on ruta 3 is bad. Set out from Buenos Aires with Fabrizio and Jeff, who were kind enough to put me up for many weeks in Bs As. We drove down to Azul to visit La Posta del Viajero en Moto. Its kind of a hostel place for travellers to stop over.







Along the way I think we passed the essence of Argentina, Beef!! and lots of it.







and of course had an Asado







The next day we had to part ways so it was which way do i go? Salvador do you recognise the pants?







Ruta 3 the rest of the way down is fairly uneventful, lots of wind and lots of straight driving. I like to think of it as the ride to work. Its not too windy until after Madryn.

I stopped here for some seal watching and some diving. even got down to awreck, it was cool, but visability was bad.













This picture is of the first houses in Madryn.. i am still looking for them







Stopped at the welsh village of Gaiman for tea



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The ferry to Tierra Del fuego was free! blaggedmy way on







After that i got a shredded tyre sorry no pics,, so stayed in rio grande, at hostal argentina, then Ushuaia the next day!













Its nice here, but cold and windy, next trip is how to get home!

Congratulations and well done. Thought for a while there you had gone AWOL so great to hear from you again. Keep the news coming

Congratulation's on completing your trip,I'm sure you have mixed emotion's now that it has been achieved i.e. glad it's over but never wanting it to end
now you just have to do it in reverse

Great write up's by the way



Schultz

What a terrific adventure & fascinating write-up, congratulations on achieving your goal

Really looking forward to reading your exploits about your return journey.

Many thanks for such an entertaining read over these bleak, wet winter months.

Heres wishing you a safe return

Dave56 said:

What a terrific adventure & fascinating write-up, congratulations on achieving your goal

Really looking forward to reading your exploits about your return journey.

Many thanks for such an entertaining read over these bleak, wet winter months.

Heres wishing you a safe return

Click to expand...

thanks guys!

Was in a bit of a rush as I wrote the last post, and was doing one just now for one of the american sites, so here you go again..! with a bit more detail, sorry about repeating some of the pics!

Also met another Irish dude in Ushuaia so on the way back up Ruta 40 in a few days. So below is summary todate , including the swim in the Beagle Channel!!

Well now that i have a few moments I have decided to put a few words together on the last few days. After leaving Brazil and Uruguay I got back to Buenos Aires and got the parts together for the bike. All was reassembled and service work done etc! Gear oil, Engine Oil, filters, valves etc. Tyres changed, and all prepped. On the Saturday I rode off with the rising sun, along with Fabrizio and Jeff, who I had been staying with in Buenos Aires. We made our way down to Azul, and stopped in to visit La Posta del Viajero en Moto. Its kind of a hostel place for travellers to stop over. Nice friendly people. We signed the guest book, added a message and were on our way.



In the evening we stopped in for a famous Argentine Asado!

We had to part ways the next morning and I set off solo once again. Wondering where it is the world I am going to! But luckly I had bought a GPS in Buenos Aires so after a quick consulation I was on my way! Ironic that i made it across Salar de Uyuni on a free tourist map and now I regressing to GPS! But however it is cool for looking at your track after.

I rode out over 1000km to Puerto Madryn, right into the top of Patagonia. I found a cool ACA campsite and pitched my tent! It even has a shower block! Wow.. pure golden luxury. There were a cool overland tour group there also in their big yellow truck. I was to meet them again in Ushuaia! Cant get away from these people! I assume they will be in Torres del Paine also.
Driving down the road i saw a sign for Buceo! .. (diving for those who don’t speak Spanish). Thought , its a little chilly, but a dive sounds cool. So I asked and the next day I was down for a dive on a reef, and on a shipwreck. The the visibility was piss poor, but it was awesome to dive again, now i can add Patagonia to my log book!
Madryn was first settled by the Welsh, and there is a sign where the original houses were. It reads “first houses in Puerto Madryn, respect this place”. I am still looking for the houses

Dying for a cup on tea on the way, I heard of a wee place called Gaiman. The original Welsh village complete with tea houses!


You get a huge pot, with a tea cosy on it and a large selection of cakes and biscuits. Awesome! I must say I consumed the whole lot!! It was a little surreal, sitting drinking English tea in Patagonia while the “in house entertainment” played a version of “oh Danny boy the pipes the pipes are calling” .. It was truly emotional.
Next day was a long drive also! Man there is nothing really to see on ruta3, just lots of wind and sheer bleak nothingness! I did stop off to see some Lobosmarinos.. sea lions. These guys are great.



Also there is lots of time to think, and consider the meaning of life! Personally I just listened to my iPod.

Stopped over in Rada Tilly, its a small seaside town, but is really expensive as its got lots of oil workers who work the local petrol extraction. Then on to Rio Gallegos. This town is best avoided. Think communism gone wrong, delightfully ugly. I pitched my tent and in the morning was on my way again!
The crazy thing about Ushuaia and the Island of Tierra Del Fuego, is that although its part of Argentina you need to go into Chile to get to it! So two border crossings are required. The road in chile is back to gravel until you reach Argentina side, where it reverts to Tarmac.
I got a puncture.. or more precisely a blown out tyre (completely shredded) near the second border crossing. I guess it did like driving at speed over dirt roads. I tell you at this time I am near expert at getting the rubber off my rims! So in no time at all I was on my way.
The real problem down here is the wind! Its wicked. Starts coming up after 10am .. and by 7pm is almost impossible to ride. Just blows you right off the road. A night was spent in Rio Grande at the Argentina Hostel. (actually i am here at the moment on my way back with another Irish bike, and two Germans, we have a wee BMW garage out the back).
Then finally I got to Ushuaia.

Despite what people say about there being nothing to do there I had fun. Its cool, some nice walks, I got to see Ireland beat Italy in rugby while sitting in an Irish bar, with a pint of beer, with a few more Irish ex pats! Class! Come all this way to find a town with 3 Irish bars! How random

Next day while looking at the map, we were looking at the map, and not entirely happy that Ruta 3 was as far south as we could go, we came across Moat. A few more degrees further south. Maybe I should mention that I had met Stephen, a fellow Irish man, on his F650 down here also. Same Age from the same part of Dublin! To many coincidences I tell you.
So off we went!


To the little house on the prairie!

And the true end of the road

Of course to be well hard when we got there we had to go for a swim! So into the Beagle at the end of the road! Man it was cold! (not quiet the 40 foot in Dublin of Christmas Day)


Afterwards we made our way back through the howling wind which decided to pick up again. Tomorrow we set off for Puerto Natales and should be in Calafate on Saturday to start the Ruta 40 back north!

Slight Glitch is my final drive has started to leak oil a little! need to keep an eye on it and hope i can make it back to Buenos Aires!!

Best of luck u lucky lucky luck b*****d

cheers

brilliant blog and pics - thanks for keeping us posted!
Congratulations

well lads its been awhile, just been busy with the travelling and stuff! Actually back in Europe now., Spain to be exact.. anyone around Aragon next week? On the way home and plan to be back in Dublin in about 2 or more weeks. Then will post a few more pics etc

kev

Right well now i guess I need to fill you in on what happened after I left Ushuaia!
Well first stop was at Hostel Argentina in Rio Grande, where we were filled with Pina Coladas. and pleas not to stay outside in the tent, that it was too cold and really it would be much better inside!
But we Irish are hardy folk.. so tent it was, and after a few more pina coladas nobody will feel anything anyway.
Then I set off over to the mainland and chile

It has some strange shop fronts! (it means Jeasus is Lord!)
Some lovely vistas! (but the wind was fierce)



A little Danger!!

Wondering if the same mines got to these ships!!



The second night was spent in a dodgy gas station, it was too cold and too windy to go on, and we fancied a cup of coffee! Problem was we had no filter so using technique learned from some commando isreali met earlier we added a touch of sugar to the boiling water.. apparantley it helps it cluster in the bottom of the pott?






Made way North to El Calafate, and Chalten, but final drive forced a rethink of strategy and decided that the boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, would be a safer option. So not too many bike pictures from the Andes Argentina .. with Bike, but its a special place so here are a few.





(not quite GS's but next best thing)







Anyway after the ferry and lovely fjoirds etc, I ended up in Puerto Montt, Chile, where I met Fabrizio, We rode to Bariloche, and put the bikes on a trailer and drove to Buenos Aires... after all it is just boring in between



After a few days hanging around booking flights etc, in Buenos Aires, it was time to say bye to my dear friends in South America and head back to Europe. By now my bike was falling apart, It was making strange noises, the seals on the brake and clutch reservoirs were failing, with the resut it was very hard to change gear in the morning when the bike was cold, the front brakes would always lock closed once pulled. In addition one of the cyclinders wasnt firing properly, and the lights were totally off as the subframe was bent, etc etc.. so I arrived in Frankfurt like a cripple.

I slowly drove to Strasbourg for St Patricks day, to meet some old friends and have a pint! or more!!! lots more..
of course at the irish bar


complete with piper


Rest of the city is cool also, really medieval, then it was on to Ulm where I had arranged to have the bike fixed up! the guys in Seitzmotorrad, did great, I even had a brand new 1200GS on loan while mine was being worked on.
So I made a few local trips around southern germany,

It was still the end of winder and a little cold!! with snow





Germany was a little cold, but nothing compared to the Alps on the way over , it really was snowing here,


But Italy as always, dispite the cold and wet, was fantastic. I visited sites such as Florence, and Pisa, and the Riviera etc, I need to return in the summer with more time money and better weather.





I made a quick dash north to France and then across to Spain where I spent a few weeks hanging out, taking the time to visit Andorra also.





(nice road)



some nice girls




Andorra was nice, but at minus 7 at one stage.. freezin my nuts off!!








Cool church!!!




France and England I got throught very fast! Once i decided to go home I just didnt hold back. France I passed in 1.5 days, with stops in Cognac for a glass of Hennessy at the Home of the great drink



and La Rochelle for a night in my tent!! surprise surprise .. it is still cold here in Europe !!!


Next day was Mt Saint Michele in the norht and on to England. Got the Speed Ferries boat from Boulgne Sur Mer. Very cheap and fast!




By now i really was looking like a scruffy biker!!


London was cool, I stopped over with Simon who I had travelled with in Colombia, also made the error of confusing Covent Garden with an Actual Garden.. apparently its very funny.. especially when i found out there is not even a single flower there.



Then it was across England in a day to make it back home to Ireland!!! So this was the lightening quick summary! if you want more go to my site www.kevfoley.com and read it..!!! or wait for the book and i might even sign a copy for you!!

Today I was taking a break from the Interview process, and took a spin up to the Wicklow Mountains outside Dublin, so here are a few pics. Nothing special I am afraid as I was alone .. which doesnt make for great shots. But hope it gives you an idea the country side.

Hi there Celtic Adventurer, great to hear that you arrived home safe & well. Just like to say how much I`ve enjoyed reading your ride reports & will deffinatley be looking forward to the publication of your book.
Stay safe

Great to get the update

Hi Kev,
Welcome home and fairplay
see ya ran into Peadar n Stephen they are still
livin the dream...

Hope ta meet up wit ya in Dublin for a wee spin
in ta them there hills.

ride safe
joe

the celt said:

Hi Kev,
Welcome home and fairplay
see ya ran into Peadar n Stephen they are still
livin the dream...

Hope ta meet up wit ya in Dublin for a wee spin
in ta them there hills.

ride safe
joe

Click to expand...

Hiya Joe, cheers, Yes ran into the two lads, were saying you helped them with packing up and stuff.. and the bike lessons! If your around would be cool to meet up, you can tell me about India! Class journey to mate.