Short Circuiting South America

[madaru moto]

Episode 30, 31 minutes long. A few days spent exploring San Carlos de Bariloche, a mountain resort renown for its chocolate, trout fishing and skiing, also its curious past regarding a mad scientist's experiments with nuclear reactions, and the devastating fallout from the 2011 Puyehue volcanic eruption. A few tenuous links to Australia, also a ride up a funicular to see some amazing views, plus a bit about music censorship during Argentina's military dictatorship.

[madaru moto]

New episode, 18 minutes long. Leaving Bariloche I see graffiti sprayed on the road surface that is a reminder of Argentina's tragic past. Scooting around Lake Gutierrez, where wind has whipped up some small waves, I pass the 6000 km mark on my bike's odometer, riding through lovely Patagonian countryside and Ruta 40, after 303 kms arriving in the town of Esquel where I have difficulty finding a room for me and Atwakey, dental problems manifest (again!), and find my expensive cameras and GPS units are all broken. But a surprise is waiting for me in the form of an historic steam engine, the Old Patagonian Express.

[bikerdoc]

Amusing sound effects
Pity about the device failures
Lucky you found the multi-disciplined dentist
Oral ABx...
22000 km direct to Sydney
Awesome

[madaru moto]

new epsiode, #32, only 10 minutes long: In my final afternoon in Esquel I visit a local art exhibition, see something relating to the Falklands War posing as art, see an item recovered from a local time capsule, and see parked in the street an Argentine Ford Falcon, a car which has both a fascinating and sinister role in Argentina's tragic history, notwithstanding its connection with Australia via one of its former CEOs. Farewelled by my hospitable hosts Armando and Anuska, I hit the road, the legendary Ruta 40, continuing south. The land becomes flat, almost featureless, except for a few wild horses and car wrecks. Passing an abandoned gas station and rusted car wreck, I try to refuel from my plastic jerry can in high winds, with limited success, before finally having to drop my bike when caught in extremely strong winds at the town of Rio Mayo, said to be Argentina's National Capital of Shearing.