Many times people ask us what our favorite memory of this whole trip is (we’re still on the road!), what was the best place, or what did we like most? There’s no simple answer to that question. Memories of all the people we’ve met, all the places we’ve visited, all the amazing campsites etc. are going around and around in my head and I’m sure things will settle down in my brain someday. To help myself with the chaos in my head and to inspire other cyclists, we’ve decided to write up a few great memories of each country we’ve cycled through so far. A few reasons to visit each of these countries to inspire you! Keep reading to find out what we love about Argentina!
#01 – Patagonia and it’s fearsome winds
I know it sounds stupid, but you just have to cycle against the amazingly strong winds in Patagonia yourself to really understand what everybody is talking about! It’s there all the time and it blows you of your feet! Swinging from left to right, feeling like a drunk driver and getting nowhere after hours and hours of hard work. They say Holland is windy, but this is beyond imagination. I guess now you think it’s a lot of wind, but multiply that by at least 4 and you are getting close. 😉 But, like we said, go to Patagonia and let it blow your mind!
Windy everywhere!
#02 – Tierra del Fuego, reaching the end of the world
Some people start their adventure in Alaska, some only do a short Chile/Argentina trip and some (like us) make it a stop in between destinations, but for everybody it’s kind of the end of the world! After visiting Ushuaia make sure you’ll keep going to Bahia La Pataia in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. There’s some great camping opportunities here, free from WiFi and excellent views.
Apart from the end of the world, there’s a neat crossing back into Chile where you get to see King Penguins. Forget about the San Sebastian border crossing, take road ‘B’ just South of Rio Grande. Since you have to wade through a river here, the border is only open from the beginning of January till the end of April. The Penguins are on Y-85 in Chile, you’ll see it when you get there. 😉
Tierra del Fuego
#03 – Visit buzzing Buenos Aires
Actually, we are not the big city kind of travelers, but Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and worth the visit. As real tourists we took the hop-on hop-of bus with excellent information on the bus and about 25 stops in almost every corner of the city. Stop at Evita’s grave, drink espresso with the yuppies in downtown city and watch a tango performance in Boca. The last is a must!
#04 – Hike / Bike from El Chalten to Villa O’Higgins (Chile)
Before we left on this long distance adventure the crossing was on our Bucket List. I’ve read about in books and other blogs and it sounded like fun! But, you have to be lucky though, boats may break down or they just don’t sail due to heavy winds. The trip is like an adventure game where you have to cross obstacles to get to the next level. 😉 It’s steep, it’s rocky, it’s narrow and you’ll be pushing your bike up the hill for about 7 kilometers, through bushes, streams and mud. Is this fun? Yep!
Hike-biking from El Chalten to Villa O’Higgins
#05 – Cycle the Puna in Northern Argentina
Maybe it’s because we are from a country with a high population density (nr. 28 according to Wikipedia), but we just love the emptiness on the Puna in Northern Argentina. Crossing the high Andean passes, such as Paso Sico and Paso San Francisco and not see cars, houses, or people for that matter, for days in a row. Being completely self reliant in these remote and high (+4000m) areas is literally breath taking. It’s cold, it’s high, it’s windy, it’s harsh, it’s empty. It’s not of this world.
Paso San Francisco
I’m sure the list is far from complete, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and experiences by adding a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!