Then we finally got started.
Now we have prepared, read, packed, traveled to Ushuaia, tried to learn Spanish, cycled to the end of the world. And now. Now we finally have to start the real adventure.
The three days in Buenos Aires were pleasant and warm, but we were both so filled with the joy of anticipation about the real purpose of flying across the Atlantic that we probably didn't do the city full justice. But of course it turned out to be a huge steak. And then off to Ushuaia.
We had 5 days on the school bench, where we conjugated Spanish verbs for the big gold medal. And our teacher tried to impress upon us the names of all the parts on a bicycle. Between the notes of Shakira's "Mi bicicleta". Don't come and say that the teaching was not tailored.
Our hostel in Ushuaia was a seething, bubbling cauldron of people from all over the world going in every imaginable direction. So the evenings passed quickly with red wine and talk about the wild sailing trip to Antarctica, the incomparable trekking routes in the mountains of Patagonia, and of course the bike trip to Alaska. And believe it or not, we met a guy who will be cycling the same trip as us.
And then, finally, the day came when we packed our bikes. Not in three hours as expected, but in eight. And we cycled a short distance to the end of the world. Fine del mundo. The end of the road. We spent the first night in the tent and we had all our gear tested, so it was with a smile from ear to ear that we went to sleep by the lagoon, with a view of a beautiful mountain.
The next day, the first on the trip, for real, we drove to the obligatory sign, which says that this is where the road begins. We had pictures taken and the bike computer reset. And THEN off.
It felt really good to get started and the next few days were full of high spirits and big smiles - despite the very changeable weather. In Denmark we often talk about the unpredictable weather, but it falls short compared to here. Sun, rain, wind, constantly changing. The worst, however, is the wind. We have driven half the time, so far, directly against the wind. And even a wind that any surfer would give his right arm for. Most of the day is between 15 and 20 m/s. But there is only one thing to do – step on the pedals, quietly.
During the first week on the road, we quietly worked out how to trim our equipment and bikes so that they are perfectly tuned for the rest of the trip. Funnily enough, a few small things had crept in that weren't on the packing list. So we're back to the mantra for the tour; "If you think you need it, then you don't need it". We only drive with things that we know for sure we use often. Everything else is excess weight. The bikes have also been trimmed a bit with a new stem for Marie, and a softer saddle for Kenneth.
Yesterday and today we had rest days in Punta Arenas. We live again in a hostel full of lovely people. And we try to get the washing done and sorted and written in the diary and uploaded etc etc. At the same time we mustn't forget to find good coffee and delicious cake.
Tomorrow the trip continues towards Puerto Natales. There are 3 days of good cycling against the wind up there. On the other hand, there are no towns along the way, so again we have to stock up on plenty of provisions for the trip. In Puerto Natales we have access to Torres del Paine National Park. It is already one of the highlights of our entire trip, where we go hiking in the beautiful mountains.
We are really looking forward to it.
Here are some pictures of our impressions so far:
