tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33981390716344976842024-03-17T12:25:59.998-07:00Sherri Jo's Because I Can World TourExploring the World by Motorcycle - She had owned and ridden a Harley in the States, acted as a navigator and co pilot in light aircraft and sailed a yacht dodging pirates through the islands of the pacific – surely this was the next logical step.
The big difference though – she is doing the newest great adventure around the world on a motorcycle..
So come along for the ride!!
© Sherri Jo WilkinsSherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-78985682550238887562013-09-15T14:18:00.001-07:002021-03-27T04:04:30.087-07:00There's no place like HOME - South Australia!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well I could have done this sooner, but life (living at home) has been super hectic. Today is the day I can officially finish my last traveling blog post of Sherri Jo's Because I Can World Tour. I suppose in the back of my mind I've been procrastinating this as well. I don't REALLY want it to end. But I also know when you shut one door, another more amazing door opens and that is something to be excited about.. so lets close this door!<br />
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I had just crossed the border from Victoria and I was actually in a bit of a daze while riding along the Princes Highway. I buzzed right past this sign when it hit me! Sh__!!! I just crossed my LAST border!!!!! So I spun the bike around quickly right in the middle of the road and went back for a photo. My home state, SOUTH AUSTRALIA... Lord have Mercy!!! Is that for real????? It seems like just the other day I was in Brazil. How did I get here already!??<br />
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And then I thought, I better take some photos of myself! These are the last official photos of me riding on this world tour! I was trying to be somewhat safe and keeping my eyes on the road while driving with one hand. <br />
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Look! These are my <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-30.0,135.0&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-30.0,135.0%20(South%20Australia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="South Australia">South Australian</a> trees!! Okay, I agree. I'm getting a bit carried away.<br />
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I'm truly getting a bit overly excited about being this close to home. Thank goodness there's nobody around to see me. I'm waving the bike all over the road as if it was just given to me as a present. If I could, I'd pop a wheelie! What the heck, one more photo.. ;-)<br />
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It is still winter here in the south. The weather changes from downpours to full sun every 30 minutes. That's okay, you won't throw me off today!<br />
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Gotta take the obligatory photo by the big lobster.. which is for sale if anybody is interested! Everybody needs a big lobster in their life, right?<br />
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Riding, riding.. I find that the more I think about getting home the faster I seem to go. I manage to control the speed (most of the time).<br />
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This is the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-36.0491666667,139.553611111&spn=0.01,0.01&q=-36.0491666667,139.553611111%20(Coorong%20National%20Park)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Coorong National Park">Coorong</a>. This is where I had spent most of my time in Australia when I moved here from the United States many years ago. That is so in the past, but it's nice to see my old stomping grounds, which means I am getting REALLY close!<br />
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Yep! There's my old driveway. How many times have I jogged up and down that track in my life. Either with my dog, pony or a kangaroo in tow for company! I enjoyed my time there, but I can't help to reflect at how proud I am to have escaped this place and moved on to an even better life!<br />
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Not much further and I met Neil Collard on the road. He invited me to stay in his house for my last night in the south so I can plan to be home tomorrow at a certain time. Neil and I take the ferry at Wellington. I forgot about this ferry! <br />
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A few days ago, I got a message from wonderful facebook follower Ally Cunningham asking if she'd mind if she and a few others could ride along with me my final kilometers. Absolutely! I would love that! Then she made a facebook page event and called it the "Because She Could" ride home. That was super cool and gave me quite chuckle on one hand and a bit of a tear on the other. I saw a few riders said they were "going" on that page and I was excited. To make it easy to meet them on the road and to let my neighbors and friends know what time I'll be home, I stayed at Neil and Chris' house Saturday night with a plan to meet Ally and her friends at 10 AM Sunday at the local coffee shop before riding home.<br />
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It was a good final night on the road and nice home cooked meal.<br />
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Neil Collard</div>
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Phew! I can tell one of the first things I'm going to do when I get home is get a hair cut!! I heard a heap of motorcycles ride past while I was packing up the bike and Neil said they must be going to the coffee shop to meet us. I told him 'No, that was a huge group, they are just out for a Sunday ride."<br />
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We pulled in to the coffee shop and there were A LOT of motorcycles there! I parked the bike to meet Ally and her group. I don't know hardly anyone in South Australia who rides motorcycles, I wasn't part of the culture before I left, so I am still thinking that most of these bikes must be some other group who just pulled in for a favorite coffee spot.<br />
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Until I finally met Ally Cunningham in person! She said they are all here to meet Sherri Jo! What? I pretty well just want to fall over. How is this possible??<br />
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Big Thanks to Ally Cunningham!!</div>
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Even today I'm looking at all the bikes and still can't get over it! I feel beyond honored. Many of them came a VERY LONG distance from other parts of South Australia just to be here this morning. Thank you ALL again!!! I remember feeling very humbled and quite honestly like I might throw up at any minute. But, I will keep my composure as best as I can.<br />
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These guys are too cool. And looking at this photo, I've just realized that I've clearly been on a bike too long. Am I really that bowlegged??</div>
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Brian Campbell</div>
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This guy, Andy, freaked me out a bit, the poor dear! He kept making me do a double take. He was reminding me so much of Kevin. He looks like he could be a cousin! Not only did I quickly find out he's from Scotland like Kev, so he has the same accent and he stands with arms folded the same. He also has that same confident smirk. If only Kevin could have been here today, I bet they'd find out they come from the same Scottish bloodline somehow! <br />
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I had to put this picture of Kevin in from when we were near Medellin Colombia last year. See!!?? Possible Scottish cousins!!?? ;-)<br />
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So many amazing people here. I wish I could talk to them more. The good news, is these are the local riders I never knew before I left. I hope to ride and spend more time with them now that I'll be in one spot again for a while.<br />
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Martin Castilla (middle), Craig Sickerdick (right)</div>
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Craig Sickerdick (left) Glenn Hall (right)</div>
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Ally who is the master of the day, called the time for us all to get ready to ride!! A huge group, the Easy Riders were heading on South for their official Sunday lunch ride. But it was so cool they all came here this morning to say g'day. I really loved it. The others are going to ride with me home.. Yeeee Haw!!!<br />
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Getting everyone lined up and safely on the opposite side of the road.</div>
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I kept looking at all those little headlights in my mirror. Are they all really riding with me?<br />
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We pulled over near Sellicks Beach for a group photo. Just for fun, Because WE Can!!<br />
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Next stop, Sherri Jo's neighborhood...<br />
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OMG... this is my street.. this is it.. It's nearly over...<br />
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A couple of Mark Pearce's photos. We were running late. And they told me they heard the motorcycles a fair distance away and knew we were coming in. With all those bikes, it sounded great and you'd have to be a very deaf neighbor not to know that Sherri Jo is coming home!!<br />
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My previous excitement turned to full-on tears.. sorry for the soppy bits, but this is what happened.<br />
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To the driveway, where good friends Clare and Randall had my house open, the garage door up so I can come home and park the bike good and proper. I got off the bike and went into the most ridiculous cry. Overwhelmed at everyone who rode with me today, everyone who was waiting for me here, and of course, the official end to Sherri Jo's Because I Can World Tour. Thank goodness I gave that tour an achievable name! Once I got my breath back, then it was.. Woo Hooooo!!!<br />
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Tina Haigh, Randall and Clare Kiesewetter</div>
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I can't believe it!!! I'm HOME!!!!!!<br />
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Happy! I made it!! ;-)</div>
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High Five!!</div>
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Wonderful Mark Pearce who drove all they way down from Port Pirie today! And let me borrow some of his photos. Good to finally meet you in person and thank YOU! ;-)</div>
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I think Mark was one of my very first facebook friends! If I remember, he either saw the newspaper article or listened to me on the radio way back in 2010.<br />
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Peter Tee who has given me heaps of Apple Computer and camera advice over the years! Tina Haigh who is one of my first ever Aussie friends and the first host I had when I stayed at her house in Port August on my very first night on the road in 2010... going a whopping 70 km/hr all day long.. haha!!! I was such a dreadful rider when I started! <br />
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Ciao!! Thanks for coming!!!</div>
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I'm in the garage! This is the last point of panic before I started the bike and rode away alone on June 1, 2010. The tenants showed up an hour early and I still couldn't quite figure out how to pack the remaining items in! So I tossed them in the shed, shut the door and hoped for the best. Completely shaking when I started the bike, completely wobbly from nerves to rev the throttle, I left. Now I'm home and know there was nothing to be afraid of. Tony is safely parked in the same spot. All is well.<br />
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Given that all my furniture is still out in the shed, I set up camp in one of my spare bedrooms. They have carpet, the master does not. <br />
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And how good was it the next morning to find my kettle and tea cups right at the shed door! Smart one Sherri Jo! The happiest I have been in a long time is to be in my own home, drinking my own tea out of my own teacups in my OWN kitchen!!! Love love love it!!<br />
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I worked all day bringing boxes down from the shed, and then on the bike running around to my first day appointments. There was literally no rest, but I will not complain. I'm so happy to be home.<br />
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So there we have it. After everyone left and the sun was going down I took a moment to breathe. Look at Tony parked in the drive. So surreal and I'm thinking that it seems like it was only a couple of months ago that we were here, but it was actually 1,160 days (3 yrs and 2 months) ago. I look at my yard and the wonderful views and feel really really grateful. Like anyone in life, I've had my ups and downs over the last 3 years, but mostly ups. I've seen so many amazing places, things and met the most incredible people. I had no idea what an impact the people of the world would have on me. The overwhelming generosity from strangers is still my biggest surprise. <br />
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I'm so happy the idea to ride around the world on a motorcycle popped into my head one day. Horses for courses, I'm glad it wasn't to sail a boat around the world! I admire the people that do, but having spent some months on a sailboat before, it's so limiting and boring in comparison to the experiences and places a motorcycle can take you. I'm glad it wasn't a bicycle that popped into my head. I wouldn't have had the patience! Would I do it again? Absolutely! But if I don't, I feel that I can leave the planet at any time from now on knowing that I'm proud of my life. I gave it a go and didn't sit back and waste it. I love my life! (There, that is the last time you'll hear me say that for a while...)<br />
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Hearing your comments and knowing that somebody out there was actually reading this gave me inspiration to not only keep writing, but to keep going when I needed a boost just to keep going sometimes. I only started this blog so I can have the memories for when I'm an oldie. I never really expected that so many people would actually read it. That has also been a huge fun surprise and I've made a lot of good friends because of it. Thank you ALL for following!<br />
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Thank you to my wonderful sponsors. In particular Rukka Riding Gear from Innotesco in Melbourne <a href="http://innotesco.com.au/">http://innotesco.com.au/</a>. They really did so much with 3 amazing riding suits and gloves keeping me warm and dry the entire time. And a huge thanks to Safari Tanks <a href="http://safaritanks.com.au/">http://safaritanks.com.au/</a> and Touratech <a href="http://www.touratech.com.au/home/">http://www.touratech.com.au/home/</a>. Still my favorite accessories and proven they can take a Sherri Jo beating and still function perfectly! ;-)<br />
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And lastly a super huge hug and thanks to my family and friends. I'm so lucky to have the best in the world. <br />
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It's time to bid farewell. I know it's a common cliche, but honestly and truly, if I can do this, ANYBODY CAN!<br />
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<i>Lots of Love,</i><br />
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<i>Sherri Jo Wilkins xxx </i><br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com38Adelaide SA, Australia-34.928621199999988 138.5999594-36.593689699999985 136.0181724 -33.263552699999991 141.18174639999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-1726318198123728322013-09-03T18:15:00.001-07:002021-03-27T04:06:00.903-07:00Coming Home!! Australia once again after ALL these years.. ;-)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow... how did I get here? It's gotta be done. Time to officially finish off this long journey and go home. I land in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-37.8136111111,144.963055556&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-37.8136111111,144.963055556%20(Melbourne)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Melbourne">Melbourne</a> where I will wait for poor Tony to arrive by ship. It was exciting to land in my own country followed by a crazy taxi ride through the night, but not far to my wonderful hosts house in Essendon. <br />
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I had a couple of days to get to know where I was, try to accomplish some "home" goals, getting my mobile number re-established, internet, preparing to have things and people organized to move back into my house, etc etc. I really got to know the trains and trams of Melbourne! I was never a fan of this city before, but I'm most impressed with the public transport system! I was really into hitting the ground running with projects, that I didn't take time for photos. Ridiculous! So I borrowed one online at this website, http://us.123rf.com. Boring, I know.. ;-(<br />
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But! Good news! Literally the day after I arrived, Robin Box from Safari Tanks and Touratech called me. I can't remember in my mad 6 month planning to take this journey in 2010, how I got on to Robin. I think I had questions about some Touratech products. He graciously gave me partial sponsorship on those things. And then one day I got a call about the Safari tank he was recommending. I never heard of one, but when I heard the story, and he offered to send me one free of charge.. well okay then! I really didn't know what I was doing setting up my bike and I think he caught on to that. But it's special people like this that has made the journey for me, and this was the start of it.<br />
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Robin knew I had a few days to wait for my bike so he invited me up to his family home near <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-36.36,146.32&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-36.36,146.32%20(Wangaratta)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Wangaratta">Wangaratta</a>, about 3 hours north of Melbourne. So, I took the train! Haha, well for that public transport system? There is a buckle in the train lines, so they put us on buses instead. Oh well, it was a nice ride and one I didn't have to navigate or think much about.<br />
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Into the R & V Aqualine warehouse, they built this business way out in the country and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw size of the factory.. on a remote farm! Heaps and heaps of Safari tanks in all different sizes and colors... everywhere! Very well organized and super impressive. I have always said since day one, that my Safari Tank that Robin so generously offered is my all time favorite accessory. Forget the leather purse or pearl earrings, I'm in and have been in love with my Safari Tank the entire time! I know I've said it a million times, but stock fuel capacity on my bike was only 12 litres. With the Safari Tank, he gave me an extra 14 litres making it 26 litres when both are full. This completely made travelling to remote areas possible. Now I can only imagine how much I would have missed in the best remote parts of the world if I didn't have this extra fuel tank to take me farther. Freedom and peace of mind. I can't be more proud to get to know the people who have helped me so much. And I'm more than happy to say if you need extra fuel capacity on your bike, check them out at <a href="http://www.safaritanks.com.au/home/">Safari Tank Website</a> <br />
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While in the "Safari" shed, I'm eyeing a new Triumph Tiger 800 equipped with one of the Safari Tanks. Robin asks, "Do you want to take it out for a spin?" I initially told him no, because I don't want to fall in love with another motorcycle until I know I can get a new one for myself. Plus I still don't have any riding gear as it's still on the shipping crate with my own bike. He says, "You can borrow my daughters gear! What size are your feet?" I tried on her boots, they fit perfectly. I tried on her Touratech jacket, it fit perfectly. No more excuses, Let's go!<br />
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It was a big bike! It felt all right but so much bigger in comparison to my own that I didn't go crazy on it... yet! ;-) Robin kept saying, go faster.. open it up!!! That man has speed in his blood!! It was only a small ride. But I really enjoyed it and would love to do MORE! ;-)<br />
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The following day is Sunday and the Box family take me out (in a car) to show me around. I just keep noticing the smell and the sounds of my favorite Aussie birds. The Kookaburras, Cockies and the Galahs. Beautiful Lorikeets. It feels so good to be in familiar territory and I'm really recognizing I'm nearly home... The bird photos are not mine. I just threw them in so people from overseas knows what I'm talking about.<br />
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<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kookaburra" rel="wikipedia" title="Kookaburra">Kookaburra</a></div>
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Galah</div>
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Lorikeet</div>
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Beautiful lunch and small hike near Bright, Victoria.<br />
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Thanks again for a super fun weekend.. Big thanks for helping an ignorant ol' girl prepare a motorcycle properly for a huge trip around the world! With that Safari Tank and the Touratech Panniers, I couldn't be more grateful.<br />
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I made it back to Melbourne. This time on the train, not the bus! With only one more day to be reunited with Tony.<br />
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Couldn't wait to get to the warehouse and unpack Tony from the little crate. Did he survive the smallest crate of all? Yep! Perfect and I didn't have any quarantine or cleaning fees. My toothbrush cleaning job in New Zealand worked again! Ivan from Bikesabroad was there and he helped me unpack and put the bike back together again. I love the photo of him on my bike. I love the smile that motorcycles bring to peoples faces as soon as they're on one!! <br />
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Once I got organized and packed up the bike, It was time to hit the road!! Riding out of Melbourne city was entertaining. I left my Australian gps map card in America with a stash of other things a couple years ago, and I neglected to pick it up last time I was there. Not to worry, this is MY country and I know my way around. For the most part. The city was easy enough, I found my way with only one unnecessary diversion.. haha. The main highway south to Geelong and on to the Great Ocean Road. All of these roads I'm familiar with and easy peasy all the way back to South Australia from here.<br />
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Well I didn't get to far, only to the coast, a town called Anglesea. The bike was revving up on it's only especially when I took a left turn. The throttle cables were installed on the wrong side of the bar causing them to be too short and straining. There's no hurry getting home as I'm not due in to Adelaide for a few days, so I park the bike in a very abandoned camp ground (winter!!) on the ocean and had the place to myself. Love that!<br />
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I went back to Geelong and a great mechanic helped me sort the cables out, and a couple of other tidbits that I should have attended to, easy done.<br />
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Now, time for the Great Ocean Road! I've travelled this road twice in my life already. I've stopped and seen everything before, so it's less eventful than it should be on a world journey. Yet spectacular enough that I'm so happy to be experiencing the curves this time on a motorcycle.<br />
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I've marvelled at this house every time I pass it, but this time I thought to take a photo. I also remember seeing it on an Architectural Building show in Australia in the past. Yes, I love those shows.. But I can't help thinking that it's a bit surreal after riding to very strange places on this motorcycle in the last 38 months, that I'm now in places I know well and seen before. It would take a special person to think of building a house on a stick like that!<br />
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What's also cool is that this is a week day during winter. Otherwise this road is full with tourists during summer or the weekends. <br />
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Snack break!<br />
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Morning Walk!! Soooo happy to be here.<br />
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It was so funny to come across the Plovers. The silly dears have laid eggs next to the parking area. A lot of large sqauwking and those raised wings. Ooooooo, I'm so scared, little one! <br />
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I see your eggs are safe. The screeching calms down and now I think she wants to sell me a new watch under the jacket.. ? Tourist business is slow at the moment.. ;-)<br />
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Back on the great road..<br />
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Just out of curiousity I stopped at Logan's beach. When I pulled up, I saw several cars, so it might be a good day to see if the Southern Right Whales are around. Yes, they are!! Probably a bit hard for you to see in the photos, but there is one on the right about 2/3 down.<br />
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Not a clear photo but with the zoom and crop I got him! Little baby was doing tiny breaches! So cute. It just makes me feel good to stop and see the whales. I'm glad I did that, familiar or not.<br />
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Logan's Beach </div>
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I decided to stop for the night in Port Campbell. I stopped into the camp ground first. It put me off a bit, and I thought, I've done enough camping and stayed with the most amazing hosts in Melbourne. Tonight is a hotel night! It's been a really long time since I've stayed in one. The cheapest I could find of course! This lovely hotel in the photo has much cheaper rooms out the back. How many times in my life I've stayed in Outback pubs, and this one is a classic beauty.<br />
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Next stop, South Australia!!!!!!!!!! (If I think about that too much, I get a bit teary. So let's push that aside for now..) Cheers!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Great Ocean Road, VIC, Australia-38.6804625 143.39140509999993-39.475103999999995 142.10051159999992 -37.885821 144.68229859999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-18048936170355537962013-09-01T13:20:00.000-07:002013-09-03T18:32:11.936-07:00Final days, New Zealand ;-((<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After I sent the motorcycle to Australia in a ship (so sad!) from Christchurh New Zealand, I had plenty of time to waste over the next 3-4 weeks. You can always count on the Gold's to pipe up and they invited me back down to their place! The day I rode my motorcycle north from them a month ago was full of rain and I didn't get to see the spectacular views they insist I see now.<br />
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So I got a bus ticket, only $35 to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-44.4833333333,169.966666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-44.4833333333,169.966666667%20(Omarama)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Omarama">Omarama</a> from Christchurch.. cheap! It was a 5:30 AM depart time, and with advise from Carole to sit on the right hand side, I enjoyed the most amazing views all the way there. We arrived at Omarama about 15 minutes early, but not to worry! The Gold's are there and already waiting! Carole has picked up some groceries for her upcoming 8 course meal tonight! But it's hard to walk past and give a hug when a huge FOOTLESS dear stealing the show!<br />
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They have really good friends coming over for dinner and for them it's a normal meal. For us it would be Thanksgiving! Carole made 2 meats, lamb and chicken. And 11 vegetables. Eleven! And each of her friends brought beautiful deserts.. along with the wine. I'm so full I could bust! I'm so happy to be back!<br />
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That was Saturday and on Sunday we pack up the car and head south back to good old <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-45.8666666667,170.35&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-45.8666666667,170.35%20(Mosgiel)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Mosgiel">Mosgiel</a>. Ross plans on driving me back the other scenic route that I missed last month. Remember the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.brassmonkeyrally.org.nz/4.htm" rel="homepage" title="Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally">Brass Monkey Rally</a> I attended and the roads that were closed due to strong wind and snow? Today's the day to see what I missed.<br />
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On the way out, we stop to visit family friends and their new baby. What a gorgeous family and beautiful place to live!<br />
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This is the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-43.9833333333,170.45&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-43.9833333333,170.45%20(South%20Island)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="South Island">South Island New Zealand</a> and very much winter.<br />
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<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindis_Pass" rel="wikipedia" title="Lindis Pass">Lindis Pass</a>, New Zealand</div>
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Once through the pass, we come back down to a non-snowy elevation.<br />
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How pretty is this!?? I'm really glad to be here and see this. Most riders experience New Zealand in the summer. Pretty, yes, but this is more spectacular!<br />
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On Monday the Gold's go back to work and what am I to do??? I did a sneaky one. I told them I'd have dinner waiting for them when they get home. No problem. Carole is humming along and says that she wants me to come back for Christmas. She is thumbing through her wall calendar and marking down the days I will be leaving NZ and home to Australia. And she says, I need to mark your birthday on my calendar too. "When is your birthday Sherri Jo?" I couldn't tell a lie, I said, "Today!" What!??? I'm sorry for the blurry photo because the light was low, but I love her excitement! It's nearly an exact match to the way my Mom used to smile and react. Those two would have been best buddies, I can assure you!<br />
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Firefighter Dave came to dinner too, which was really nice. He even brought me a cute birthday present! How perfect is this?? Legos, one of my favorite childhood toys (along with Matchbox cars AND Barbie) I probably shouldn't admit that, it's a strange indication to my adulthood. Anyway, this Lego set is a firefighter AND a motorcycle. Perfect!<br />
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Dave has just bought a motorcycle, so it was good for him to meet Carole and Ross as they are having a big Ulysses Moto party on the weekend. I won't be there, but it will be fun for them! But he did invite me out for a great morning hike near Dunedin at <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-45.921229,170.458556&spn=0.01,0.01&q=-45.921229,170.458556%20(Tunnel%20Beach)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Tunnel Beach">Tunnel Beach</a>.<br />
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Last night Carole was explaining how she likes to liven up a party if it gets boring with planking. I've never EVER heard of such a thing. So Dave was happy to demonstrate for me here on the beach. We all will just have to imagine Carole doing this on furniture at a party??!! haha It's really quite strange, but funny! Is this just a Kiwi thing?<br />
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We took turns taking photos of each other up on the cliff. Cool!<br />
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So beautiful here, I think we might need to sit and ponder the world around us. I didn't get to sit down before the self timer sent off.. ha!<br />
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Afterwards we went back to the Port Chalmers Volunteer Fire Station for a proper firefighting experience?! Well nearly. <br />
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I got to wear the gear and ride in the big truck! Everyone should do this!<br />
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So if I want to make myself known, which siren sound should I pick?? I don't see myself as a wailing type of girl, definitely a yelper for sure.<br />
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Thanks again for showing me around Dave. Gee whiz, since the time I met Dave when the firefighters invited me to lunch at the Dunedin Firehouse, he has been the most excellent local tour guide!<br />
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Back home to Mosgiel where I plan to pack up and head to Auckland for a few days before making my way to Australia. Lovely Carole couldn't help herself and she gave me a heap of birthday presents to open. Since I didn't give her advance warning, she came home with all of these wrapped the next day! She knows I'm looking forward to being back in my own kitchen soon, so I got lots of fun kitchen gadgets AS WELL AS, the local favorite Kiwi cookbook, Edmonds. These are perfect and awesome too.. Between them and Dave, hey all made this a great birthday to remember. Thank you!!<br />
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The next day I flew up to my other home away from home, the Hubbard residence in Auckland! But unfortunately they are not here. They are riding a motorcycle completely around Australia at the moment! But I'm grateful as always to have wonderful place to stay as I finalize my last bits of New Zealand. Here in the hot seat salivating over one of Diana's local New Zealand cookbooks...<br />
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What a difference in weather from the South Island to Auckland! It was so hot I couldn't even wear socks and shoes whereas yesterday I was wearing 3 layers of socks on the South Island! I love the Birds of Paradise they have on the veranda, and it was more spectacular with the sun shining through.<br />
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I took a little wander around the waterfront downtown. I hadn't done this before and was really impressed by this modern city. Amazingly, it's very overcrowded. New Zealand is accepting huge amounts of immigrants and from their news reports, the people land in Auckland to set up a new life and tend not to venture any further. Housing is nearly impossible to find and the prices for rent or ownership are beyond normal and through the roof. I hope they get a grip on it soon. It is a very good looking city though, with lots of good energy. I like it!<br />
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I was lucky to meet another fantastic motorcycle rider. Shock1 He invited me for a day out to ride his KTM 990 while in Auckland!!!! Would love to!!! But I had sent every bit of my riding gear in the crate along with my bike from Christchurch. I have nothing! Supersize bummer!! But he was kind enough to offer a tour on 4 wheels. I can do that! He came and picked me up for a drive to his part of the world near Hanua Falls.<br />
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These are cool.. what's next? "Do you want to hike up and stand on top of the falls?" Sure! Nice little heart pounding hike, I needed that! Water drops on the camera lens.. sorry!<br />
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I've been to a zillion waterfalls on this world tour, but I can say that I've never stood right on the top edge of one. Awesome!<br />
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Next a drive to the other side of the North Island. It doesn't take long in New Zealand! And we go to check out another beautiful view, the lighthouse at Manukau Heads. It's easy to imagine what it would be like to be the lighthouse master guiding ships into the harbour. <br />
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I can't get over the colors here. Just gorgeous!<br />
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Not a bad spot! Thanks Jock!<br />
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This was so much prettier in person than through the camera.<br />
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Well, that was a wonderful and successful wrap up to New Zealand. I was lucky enough to spend 3 1/2 months in this country, and it quickly felt like home to me. I'm still blown away by the wonderful new friends I have here. Everyone treated me like family and I couldn't be happier. I will greatly miss New Zealand. But! The good news is that it's only a hop over to these islands by airplane from where I live in Australia, so watch out!! ;-)<br />
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One final bit of excitement. I am about to board the famous A380 jet liner. I couldn't get over it. I bought the cheapest ticket available from Auckland to Melbourne and this is what they put me on!? I feel like I won the lottery!<br />
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I've wanted to fly in one of these for years and it met my expectations. It felt like flying in first class even though I was very much in economy. Well done to the designers of this awesome flying machine. My last country of Sherri Jo's Because I Can World Tour is now complete. See you in Australia! <br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-37.2549887 174.11788450000006 -36.4419307 175.40877850000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-2465765434525063472013-07-29T18:13:00.000-07:002013-07-30T02:49:22.775-07:00Devastated Christchurch and Waikuku Beach New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A very long full rain day riding from Omarama in Central Otago, north of Christchurch to Waikuku Beach, where I'll be housesitting for another month! Hey! I spent a fortune shipping my bike from South America to New Zealand. So I'm going to take my time! I met a wonderful couple who are going to Europe to visit family and tour Italy and while they are away... I will be looking after 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 turtle, 6 chickens, 12 white doves, 8 (?) parakeets outside, 1 Gallah and 1 Cockatiel inside.<br />
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I particularly loved the doves. Besides the fact they are so pretty, they are free all day to fly around and they come home at night by choice. Nice!<br />
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And this goofball, the Gallah. He is quite a character and had me dancing and laughing all the time!<br />
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HI Gaffa!</div>
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The two dogs are as cute as they come and full of energy. Lucky for them one of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk!<br />
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Such a lovely place to spend a month of my life... I like it here and love having the animals around. Me ol' mates, now adoptive parents (haha) from the South are coming up to stay with the permission of the homeowners! Yay! They want to show me around Christchurch and even Carole hasn't seen the damage since the big earthquakes 2 years ago.<br />
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More than two years ago in February 2011, a magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit the city, killing 185 people and injuring many more. I can only imagine what it was like to see the damage 2 years ago, but there is complete chaos even now in 2013.<br />
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Our first stop is the Brighton Pier. Interestingly, it stands just fine! I would have thought if anything would go down that thing would! There is a video on youtube that shows it waving, but like the weebles, it won't fall down! They temporarily closed it for a safety check, but quickly reopened. A real credit to the builders of this pier!<br />
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Brighton Pier, Christchurch</div>
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I feel heavy and sad here. I'm not comfortable walking around this city at all. I'm not putting the earthquake photos in here to make light of this place. I remember thinking as I'm walking around that I've been in some really rough countries on this journey. I've been in some really bad cities. But this one is the worst I've personally seen and it's not a fresh disaster. This is 2 years later!<br />
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For any building that might be open, the pipes are on the street for sewer and water. I'll let you pick, blue line or yellow line. Gotta throw in a bit of humor, even the Kiwi's will tell ya! The earthquake ripped up all infrastructure. The city nearly has to start rebuilding from scratch, starting with all new pipes. Which hasn't been done yet and needs to before the future new buildings can start connecting.<br />
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There were several churches we saw today that have steeples on the ground conserved for a future rebuild.<br />
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A LOT of buildings have been completely removed.. That in itself is unnerving to walk around these empty spaces where people made their livelihoods! The shipping containers are being used to save a historic building facade. I imagine if you are in the temporary fencing or shipping container business, you are one of the few doing really well in Christchurch!<br />
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I just saw this green building in the news. Somebody has bought it! Must be sentimental value here.. <br />
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<a href="http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/11/19/185-empty-white-chairs-commemorating-the-christchurch-earthquake/">185 White Chairs</a> "Reflection of Loss of Lives, Livelihoods and Living in Neighbourhood
is an installation by Peter Majendie, standing on a vacant lot in the
heart of Christchurch. Where a church once proudly stood, the 185 white
chairs each represent one of the 185 lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch
earthquake.<br />
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Each chair, just like its owner, has its own distinct personality,
with the installation including armchairs, dining room chairs, a wheel
chair, and even a baby capsule. The 185 square metres of grass that the
chairs sit on represents new growth and regeneration – something which
you can see and feel across the whole city. The artist’s statement
poetically reminds us all that the ‘installation is temporary – as is
life’. " Written by Elise Boyd in the link above.<br />
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On a positive note and a complete change to the sadness, here is what the city is doing that I really liked.. Shipping container shopping!<br />
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Shipping container bank!</div>
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All shipping containers.. impressive!</div>
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I think they've really organized this well and happy to see some hope here. Even the banks are using the shipping containers.. smart!!<br />
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None of us are really sure where this little girl's parents are at the shipping container shopping mall. She is basking for money. A lot of people are being really creative to earn some money. There is no question that is going to take YEARS to get Christchurch back on it's feet.<br />
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Back on the road, we venture out to see more. These shipping containers are doing the job of holding a hill up!<br />
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You can see why in the photo below!<br />
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The stadium. A centerpiece for most cities. Looking very modern and new but very closed.. So sad..<br />
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I've heard that getting windows, darn near everything is on a huge back order. Remember that New Zealand is an island, and not very large. Larger countries would have more resources quicker I would guess.<br />
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Carole keeps wanting me to sit in the front of the car. I keep saying no, that I'm happy to ride in the back of the car. It's kind of like being driven around with parents and I like it! But she demands I will see more from the front seat. The stand off begins. "No!" "Yes!" At the corner stop, Carole gets out of the car and refuses to get up until I go to the front seat. I locked the door and refused. (Poor Ross.. he's got 2 of us!! ;-) The cars are piling up behind us. She is clearly the tougher lady. I give in out of guilt for the waiting cars and go to the front. Score Carole!!<br />
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We contemplated the Whitebait sandwiches. Carole makes the best Whitebait, so we will leave her with the top status and pass these guys up.. haha..<br />
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Even the beach rocks are fenced off.. everything is fenced off!<br />
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The neighborhoods are surreal. So empty. The red zone is where nobody can live. All the pipes and general infrastructure is broken, while the rebuilding in this area has not begun as of yet. Carole and I got out of the car just being nosey. It's like a ghost town and I can only imagine. What if you didn't have earthquake insurance.. where did they go?<br />
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The city provided these temporary toilets for all residents in most areas. I can only imagine what it was like to share these with your neighbors every day. Most residents have moved away. And even during my stay here 2 years later, they had a report on the news that the post is no longer delivering mail to the red zones. I'm surprised it took that long to give it up! I can't imagine anybody is still living there, but there must have been a few that had no choice.<br />
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My visit from Ross and Carole was over far too quick. They are heading back down South, but it was great to have them here! A really eye opening tour of Christchurch and I can only hope that everyone has found a way to either move or recover from the devastation quickly.<br />
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I'm going to be shipping my motorcycle from Christchurch to Melbourne Australia by sea. Australia has really strict import cleanliness rules, so I start the process of cleaning the bike with a toothbrush.. again! I just did this from Buenos Aires to New Zealand! I still feel really grateful for all the border crossings I did that didn't require Tony to be perfect and spotless! I do appreciate their reasons for this, it's just nice I didn't have to do it 49 times to 49 countries... only 2! ;-))<br />
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There is only a small window of warm sun during the winter days down here. And I'm not in a hurry, so I do a little bit each day.<br />
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After my nice walks with the dogs! How pretty is it here....<br />
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Firefighter Dave was up the next weekend visiting his friends in Rangiora and asked if I'd like to go check out the Antarctic Center. Sure! Dave has worked 3 times in Antarctica and has a real passion for it. He's worked for 2 countries even.. New Zealand AND the United States.<br />
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Replica of Scott Base in Antarctica</div>
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It's fun having Dave show me around because he's had personal experience with all these things. What a unique life!<br />
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They really want you to get a feel for Antarctica..and do so by offering an ice slide. ha! Froze my bum!<br />
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We were looking at the center's map and it shows the rest room locations. That's all good, but what's up with the sleeping or dead seal on the map?? ;-) </div>
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That was actually really cool. Unlike a museum, the Antarctic Center is a working center, where the scientists are completing studies or preparing for their next season. Super interesting and thanks Dave!<br />
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Back home and I take the dogs for another nice walk.. Sorry to be boring, but I like it and only a couple left before I start packing and moving on.<br />
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Poor little Spirit dog won't leave the fire.. so cold!<br />
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Down to the shop to pack up Tony. He's going be leaving before me as that ship will be a bit slow. <br />
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Tim, a very cool American KTM rider!!!! Helped me a lot to pack and
crate the bike for which they kindly donated from a previous Kawasaki
shipment. Obviously a bit smaller, but we made it work!<br />
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Then he had me around to share a July 4 celebration with his super cool American girlfriend (not only American, but from Indiana!!!) who has a serious world record herself.. in rowing across the Atlantic Ocean! Hoosiers unite! ;-)<br />
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We just made it a full on American night in New Zealand. Hamburgers with lots of ketchup!! And I donated macaroni and cheese. They brought in the American beer and I was reminded why I never drink beer in America.. ick!! Haha.. It didn't take long for Tim and Sarah to drink the NZ beer I brought along. But it was fun that we could be totally American today.. Independence Day!!<br />
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Happy 4th of July!!!</div>
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American Invasion... New Zealand!! Ok, so it's a very tiny invasion, but we're here!! ;-)))</div>
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com1Christchurch, New Zealand-43.5320544 172.63622540000006-43.9005494 171.99077840000007 -43.1635594 173.28167240000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-55700246243583419852013-07-16T09:19:00.004-07:002013-07-16T09:19:56.054-07:00Brass Monkey Rally, Central Otago New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Finally time to move on and head to the north of the South Island. But not without a proper motorcycle send off by attending the famous Brass Monkey Rally.<br />
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As mentioned before, Bill Veitch from McIver & Veitch KTM, whom also happens to be one of the founding members of the BMR 33 years ago, invited me to what is usually the coldest place on the south island to ride your motorcycle, camp, drink and be merry around the largest bonfire in the world. Anyone who has attended has told me their stories of surviving the snow and cold at the Brass. Now to see if I have what it takes! ;-)<br />
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The road takes me into Central Otago, where there are cute little outback towns and scenery to boot!<br />
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I noticed early on that the road had a very slippery brown "layer" on my side sometimes. It looks like diluted manure. Well I found out that is exactly what it was! I passed an animal hauler that was spraying the lovely mixture of poo and urine and hoped that was the end of it, but there was plenty ahead of him so he wasn't the only problem truck. As you can see the road is nice, smooth with plenty of twists and turns and on one of my turns, I was going up hill in the curve when around the corner came another animal hauler coming down hill. I had seen enough for the last 2 hours and knew to keep as left as I could. Never mind! He totally sprayed me with the disgusting mix. Both me and the bike were covered head to toe in shit!!! <br />
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I was so ticked off. I kept riding and wiped my visor clear with my gloves. Thank goodness the visor was right down! The more I thought about it, and smelled it, the more ticked off I got. At the first fuel station I came to in Ranfurly, one very pathetic looking Sherri Jo went inside and asked if they had a hose I could use. The super nice lady did. You could see in her eyes how sorry she felt for me, and I went to spraying down everything I own. I was so mad, I didn't think to take a picture until now, after everything was clean again. <br />
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I arrived the Brass Monkey camp soaking wet, a bit late, but happy to be here. <br />
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As soon as I got in, there were people waiting for me, expecting me.. ME??? The newspaper wanted to do an interview as it seems I might be the most foreign and farthest traveled bike. Plus they wanted to enter me into the show and contest. Heck! Let's get to work!<br />
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Bill found me and asked, "Where have you been? I found your bike and your tent, but not you!" Sorry Bill, I've been meeting so many people since the moment I arrived. He said, "we need your bike in the contest.. Go back and get it!" I did..<br />
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Where have you been Sherri Jo? </div>
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I'm clearly behind.. I need a drink to try to start catching up!! ;-)<br />
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When I arrived and set up my tent, there was nobody here in this particular patch of grass. Now it seems a little group is forming and by the time I return a second time, you wouldn't be able to see my tent as I got completely and thoroughly surrounded. I had to walk over plenty of tent lines and dirt bikes to just get to my own. There's 500 acres here to camp on do they really need to be so close? This is one very tight community! It was actually quite cool. I mostly got surrounded by heaps of 20 year old guys who had just ridden the Dunstan Track to get here. Really nice kids and super passionate about their motorcycles.<br />
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Whew, got my bike up to the contest area just in time!<br />
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What sort of lights are those, Sherri Jo?<br />
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Chainsaw bike on the run!</div>
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Mmmmmm... me wants... ;-))) KTM 1190 Adventure </div>
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I love being here. Every where I look there is somebody or something interesting to look at and talk to. I needed to go back to my tent to change a camera battery, and I found the young guys had started the campfire, but nobody was in sight. There was only a slight wind, but enough to blow the embers close to my tent and I didn't want either burn holes or to loose my little house for the night completely. So I moved a burning fire.. Yes! It can be done, to relocate a burning fire. (very quickly and with minimal damage to my riding boots! ;-) The boys wandered back with beers in hand and asked what I was doing, and I told them the fire is too close and down wind for me. They were cool and that was that. During the night, the wind picked up, I heard them talking around the fire. They said, "We need to move this fire out even more, I think our tents could catch fire too!" I had a little grin...<br />
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This man was so sweet. Do you remember I have a photo of him in only 2 posts back? We met him riding along the coast in the Catlins and he was traveling by motorhome with his wife. Here he is again? He comes up to me and asks, "Do you remember me?" Of course!<br />
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Some real Kiwi characters at the gate!</div>
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Well, it looks like the bike show is over, the bonfire is definitely started.. let's get this party started! ;-)<br />
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Wowee, I've heard about this bonfire from tales of past years, but it's so much better in person! That is IMPRESSIVE!!<br />
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I wandered down to the front gate and they ask me again, "Sherri Jo where have you been?" What? Walking around meeting and talking to people. "Didn't you hear your name called out on the stage?" No, why did they call my name?! "You've won an award!" Really??? From the bike show they have given me the first ever "Longest Distance Traveled" Award. Awwww, that is very cool! Why didn't they tell me to stay within ears distance!?? I didn't hear it at all! Never mind, the award is very very cool. I got a plaque and and a gift certificate to use at the sales trailer. THANK YOU again Otago Motorcycle Club!!<br />
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Inside the volunteers tent I see Nigel making a little teeny tiny coffee. I'm sorry, not coffee, espresso.<br />
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It's so little and easy to take along on your world adventure! I don't drink coffee, but even so, I'm quite impressed with the little gadget.<br />
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Now this guy is a different story. Dude! You're drinking radiator fluid! He said, "Yeah, it stops the leaks!" OMG... what a character!<br />
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I had to go see that bonfire again.. wow..<br />
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It was nice to stand by the fire and listen to good ol' live music. The party was definitely going with lots of drinking and dancing!!<br />
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The band was really rockin' it at the Brass Monkey!</div>
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Sometime after midnight the wind kicked up.. and then it really kicked up. I parked the bike the best I could without having a tree to lean it against like I did in the strong winds down at Ushuaia. I hardly slept. Not only was it a late night in general, but I kept worrying about the bike. I'm still not convinced that laying it down with fuel and oil is a good solution, but that's exactly how I found it on one of my worried peeks out my tent door. Around 2:30 AM, the Fire brigade came out with the big hoses to put the big bonfire out because the wind was over 100 km/hr. (62 mph). Volunteers were going around to everyone's campfire to make triple sure they were out too. While they were at ours, we managed to prop my bike up with the remaining firewood and it lasted the rest of the night. The winds got stronger and stronger. It was total dejavu with my camping in the Patagonian Argentina winds.</div>
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I decided to pack up in the dark around 6 AM... and I waited in my tent for that time. I wanted to get going earlier! When I came out with my head torch on, I had a look around and nearly everyone's tents were destroyed by the wind. I've got my black bag on the bike, everything tucked away and you can see the mess the others have to deal with in the photo below.</div>
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I rode my bike through the dark and slippery little track to the make-shift office and asked if there is anything I can help with. Turns out there is!<br />
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A lot of the riders come from as far as the top of the north island for this event and they are well known to leave super early to make the ferry and the journey back home on Sunday. I'm up there thinking I'd be one of the first, but some have left already. The police have come in to tell us some bikes have been blown off the road. The first one was a man on a Honda Goldwing. <br />
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The wind is at 120 km/hr (75 mph), and I know we rode through this strength in Argentina. I hated it and it was difficult but knock on wood never got blown off the road while in motion (while stopped, yes!) I wonder what made these guys go down. Could be some freak gusts? Or the size of the bikes? Not sure. Anyway the police asked us to have all bikes stay put until at least 10 AM. The managers made a couple big signs and I walked around to all the campsites making sure the riders understood the weather before they go.<br />
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The sign was upgraded to... Road Closed!<br />
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Radiator man is still smiling!</div>
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It didn't matter much, there were plenty of riders who left anyway.<br />
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I took some photos as I went to warn everybody.. I hadn't seen the chainsaw motorcycle up close yesterday and it sure gave me a chuckle this morning!<br />
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Very distinct remnants of a wild child on alcohol! I hope he didn't burn his toes..!<br />
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As I was talking to this guy about the wind warnings he wasn't fussed at all, so I asked him if I could take a photo. He said, "Sure, whatever turns you on!" I hate to say, but turn-on is not how I would describe why I wanted to take a photo! ;-) <br />
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Regardless of the wind, it's such a beautiful place to be. I am so in love with this event, I'm sure I will come back someday. To be out in the middle of nowhere gorgeous South Island New Zealand with a HUGE group of people that are "my people".. I absolutely loved it.<br />
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Bill Veitch asked me to ride with him as we left the event that he created with his buddies 33 years ago. It's technically the event of the <a href="http://www.otagomotorcycleclub.org.nz/">Otago Motorcycle Club</a>, who have made me a lifetime member.. So you know I'll be back now!!! ;-) <br />
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Bill rode with me to the east coast where he headed home to Dunedin and I turned north. I'm riding up to another historic town in the center to stay with Ross and Carole again in Omarama. I would have continued to use central roads but they were all closed due to the wind. It was a rough ride for a bit, but the closer we got to the ocean, winds died down and were nearly non-existent at the water. Usually it's the other way around!<br />
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Bill suggested I stop in for lunch at this scenic little spot, Moeraki Boulders. They are these perfect round spherical rocks on the beach. I've never seen that before. They say it's natural erosion.<br />
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Once I turned inland, the wind started getting quite strong about 60 km from the shore. Then it got super strong, and then I was cursing at it! I knew it was going to be windy when I rode toward the center, but I knew I could handle it. It was never as bad as the wind this morning, but it's all a mental thing really, isn't it? When it feels like somebody keeps shoving and pushing you over and over? I stopped here for a moment behind this tree line for a moment.<br />
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I made it to Omarama a bit grumpy, where I found a very warm and cheerful Ross and Carole. They were well worth the hassle I can tell you. The fire was going, I had a nice warm shower and lots of laughs. Carole is showing me a photo in a local history book with her Grandfather in it for inventing.. the flat bottom paper grocery bag!!<br />
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They keep telling me how beautiful it is here and that it rarely ever rains.. Well lucky me!!<br />
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It was still pouring a heavy rain the next morning and they need to head back to Mosgiel. I'm due to go up north of Christchurch to my next house sitting assignment for another month.. woo hoo! I don't NEED to be there today but I do need to be tomorrow.<br />
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Ross and Carole's close friend Georgie rang up and asked how I will be able to travel in the rain today and if I didn't need to I was welcome to come and stay at her house. Wow, and yes! Perfect solution!! It was so kind of her to think of it and ring!!<br />
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It rained most of the day but near sunset the clouds lifted a bit.. Have a look at the view!!!<br />
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Georgie and Tim have retired, sold the family dairy farm and built this gorgeous eco-friendly house right here. I was so excited to see the view and the sunset and I found them in the lounge room watching television. I said, "You gotta have a look at this colorful sunset, it's unreal!!" Georgie looked at me and agreed but said, "Sherri Jo, these beautiful sunsets are just normal, nearly every day.." Right, of course!! I'm definitely the tourist here.. ha!<br />
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Thanks again to Ross, Carole, Georgie and Tim, for a super warm and cozy weekend in Omarama!!<br />
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Now I can ride north to Christchurch.. I was hoping the rain last night was stopped for good, but today is not meant to be. So it's a rain day for Sherri Jo.. No worries. I can always count on my Rukka Gear keeping me dry. At least there's no crazy wind!<br />
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See you in Christchurch!</div>
Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Central Otago District, Otago, New Zealand-45.2828265 169.6567993-46.716226999999996 167.0750123 -43.849426 172.23858629999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-28481194354704832042013-07-14T11:52:00.001-07:002013-07-14T11:55:39.040-07:00The Catlins, Mosgiel and Port Chalmers, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After the presentation I did at the Ulysses Club last week, I got a call from Ross, Carole and Terry who wanted to know if I'd like to go for a ride down to the Catlins.. Of course! The Catlins is an area in South New Zealand well-known for it's coastal ride between here and Invercargill. I did not come up that way from Invercargill on my original ride, and with such nice weather today, it will be good to back track and see what I missed.<br />
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Good Morning Ross and Carole!</div>
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No matter where I go in New Zealand, it's beautiful in every direction. How about this coastline?<br />
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At this one little stop we met this man from Te Anau, the place I stayed on the west coast. He's not on a motorcycle today while on holiday with his wife in a campervan. Otherwise he does ride and he offers motorcycle friendly accommodation in Te Anau (I've already been through, but I still wish I wrote down the name he told me.. ;-(. A couple minutes later we met another man who just pulled in with a campervan as well, who is visiting from South Africa! He's right into his motorcycle club in that part of the world. I'm not joking, it's hard to meet anybody in New Zealand who is not passionate about riding! I love it!<br />
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He was telling the truth! Proudly sporting his Ulysses Club sticker, where the motto is "Growing Old Disgracefully" Yes!<br />
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We pulled off for a coffee break at Kaka Point and they tell me that the "famous" Nuggets are something to see out the peninsula but it's a dirt/gravel track. I say, "That's all right, I can do dirt!" They laughed and said, "Yeah, but we can't." <br />
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It's not far, so while they have a coffee, I take off to have a look.<br />
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Easy peasey! I understand their concern on a big touring road bike riding on a gravel, but this one is quite safe. Hard to know unless you're out there though.<br />
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More beautiful views! It turned out to have a look at the actual Nuggets (rock formations along the coastline) required a 900 meter walk. I didn't want my friends to wait that long for me to hike that far and then to return, so I took a couple photos and headed back.<br />
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Tony loves the gravel.. it's so much more fun when I don't have to carry all my gear.<br />
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I made it back to the coffee stop and they're still here! Thank goodness I didn't take that longer hike as it turned out poor Carole had the coffee from hell. She found that they used old sour milk! Sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad. Not a "bad" view! ;-))<br />
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Now we travel south and I'm wondering if Lake Wilkie is a "sign"... ha! I love this place and it really doe seem like home!<br />
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We stopped for a wonderful lunch at the Whistling Frog Cafe. I had Blue Cod for the first time. It's one of the most popular fish dishes on the South Island, but somehow I'm only now trying it.<br />
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After lunch, Ross and Carole needed to get home for other family plans, and Terry wanted to show me a different route home that included some spectacular falls.<br />
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The Purakaunui Falls are just gorgeous. I've seen a lot of waterfalls on this trip and I think this one looks like a wedding cake!<br />
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Purakaunui Falls</div>
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Terry is great fun to travel with. He's been all over the world and has lots of good stories! What a perfect day.. thanks guys!<br />
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Now I need to get home in time to feed the chickens! I've never looked after chickens before. I counted around 50 of them. I always thought of them as being quite harmless, but not when it comes to the roosters! They are down right evil! The roosters would go around raping every hen and little chick as they are trying to get a feed. They were so forceful, it would make me so mad. But I guess that's life and how it works in the chicken industry... I just had no idea they were so mean.<br />
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Here's a good example. The hen and her chicks hiding out by me and the front door. The rooster comes in to sight and you can see the fear in their eyes!! Run Chicks Run!!! There are so many roosters here the poor things don't stand a chance.. <br />
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From that newspaper article the other day, I got an email from Howard Weir. He surprisingly recognized me and the bike from the time I rode through Siberia with Walter Colebatch by following his ADVrider posts! That was way back in 2010, so he's got a heck of a good memory! Anyway, he invited me around the fire station in Dunedin for lunch. That was a no-brainer decision for me, how lucky can I be!??<br />
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They made a darn good meal, including desert!! Great cooks they are. Yummm!<br />
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Howard and Dave showing me the "Jaws of Life".. Wow!!</div>
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I take guys like this for granted, unfortunately. I don't think of it often but I know they are there. Super humans who dedicate their lives to saving people. What an honor it is for me to meet them and to get a real insight to what they do and how they do it. </div>
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I'm also lucky to be the proud new owner of this t-shirt. At the bottom it says Whakaratonga Iwi. Maori words meaning "To serve the people".<br />
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Another day, another presentation in Dunedin! This time it's the official Otago Motorcycle Club (the last one was the Ulysses Club). <br />
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The wonderful people of the South Island are filling up my Ortilebe travel bag! I've got a new long sleeve Ulysses Club shirt, my new Fire & Rescue Shirt and now a new Otago Motorcycle Club shirt made with the thick merino wool so famous for New Zealand.. I am one very lucky girl! And with the winter coming, all 3 shirts will and have been put to very good use! Thank you ALL so much!!!<br />
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Ross and Carole invited me over on a Saturday night dinner party. It turned out to be quite the seafood extravaganza! First up was Whitebait. I've seen it advertised everywhere, but I've never had it. I think it's most commonly on the menu as a fried ball of fishes, but Carole makes them with an egg mixture. <br />
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I have a look at them, and find that they're all looking right back at ME! I quite honestly had a "No way" attitude at first, but as soon as I tried it, the little fishes tasted fantastic!</div>
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A very light fish with a very light taste. I never noticed the little eyeballs after that.. yum!<br />
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Carole even managed to get me to eat Bluff Oysters. I hate oysters! And I warned her to not even try. The last one I tried years ago came right back up as fast as it went down. She convinced me these little oysters in the deep fryer will be different. Yep, they were good too and stayed down! Amazing! Then she served up a crayfish mornay with rice. Gee whiz, I'm getting full. They laughed at me and said, but we haven't eaten yet! What? The main course is still on the way, grilled Blue Cod and salad! Lord Have Mercy. Now that was a dinner party! Even better because I've now tried and like things I never did before. Cheers!<br />
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The family at the other house I was looking after came home early at 3 weeks instead of 4. My next housesitting assignment is up near Christchurch, so I have a free week.. What to do? Ross and Carole said, "Well you coming back to stay at our house, end of story!"<br />
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So I said goodbye to all my new animal friends...<br />
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And found myself back at the Gold Residence, which I've renamed the Mosgiel Spa...<br />
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Ross wants to pick up some meat at his son's butchery shop in Outram, a small town about 10 km from Mosgiel. I walked in the door and wasn't sure I'd get out alive! Just kidding. These guys were great. I've never been behind the scenes at a butchery and they are masters of using a knife!<br />
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I've had a sore back for a few days, so I had a nice soak in their spa.. It's like being with family. Nice warm house, good meals, motorcycles and hot tubs! And not a mad rooster in sight! ;-))<br />
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Firefighter Dave sent a message inviting me to tour around his part of Dunedin, just up the Dunedin coast at Port Chalmers. Somehow.. during lunch at the fire house, I probably carried on a bit about Sir Hubert Wilkins, the greatest polar explorer of all time.. in my humble opinion! ;-) And Dave thought I'd like to see a bit of polar history around here.<br />
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He took me to the Scott Memorial. I won't carry on too much, but a bit about Sir Hubert Wilkins. Wilkins' goal was to be the first to fly an airplane to the South Pole where he would map thousands of kilometers of uncharted territory in Antarctica (amongst a zillion other 'firsts' he accomplished in his super full life). He achieved this goal, and on any detailed Antarctic map you will see "Wilkes Land" as well as the Wilkins Sound, Wilkins Ice Shelf (which has recently broken up due to global warming) and Wilkins Peninsula!<br />
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I'm really bad. I'm carrying on AGAIN about Wilkins, when this is supposed to be about Robert Scott. The prevailing history is of two other great explorers. One being British explorer Robert Scott who was here, using Port Chalmers as the last base before sailing to Antarctica. And the other was a Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen. They were both keen to be the first to make it to the South Pole and were in an unofficial race.<br />
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They would have to be the toughest guys on the planet. There is no lightweight polar fleece, no Gore-Tex. I quite like those straps holding up the big furry gloves. They look really convenient.<br />
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Captain Scott had no way of knowing it at the time, but the first expedition to reach the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_South_Pole" title="Geographic South Pole">geographic South Pole</a> was achieved by Amundsen. He and four others arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911, five weeks ahead of the British party led by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Falcon_Scott" title="Robert Falcon Scott">Robert Falcon Scott</a> as part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Nova_Expedition" title="Terra Nova Expedition">Terra Nova Expedition</a>.
Amundsen and his team returned safely to their base, and later learned
that Scott and his four companions had died on their return journey. Wikipedia. The photo above is a memorial of Capt. Scott's last message, very thoughtful words.</div>
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From reaching the South Pole by foot for the first time in 1911, it was only a few years later in 1929 that Sir Hubert Wilkins flew there by airplane. Check it out, I just found out there is also a Wilkins Aerodrome AND a Wilkins Runway! Well deserved...! <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-images/parliament-house-exhibitions/antarctica-2008-exhibition/wilkins-runway">Amazing photos of Wilkins Antarctica Aerodrome</a></div>
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Hardihood from all!! (We loved that word Capt. Scott used in his last message above.. ) I've always got to stick in a bit of Wilkins history, just because I love his name and still wonder if he is a long lost great Uncle of mine. If not, I claim him anyway! Great history!</div>
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Port Chalmers, New Zealand</div>
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I remember looking at this and wondering which way should we go? To Church or to the South Pole? What a unique option!! Dave's already been to the South Pole. He has worked 3 seasons on the New Zealand and American bases in Antarctica as a carpenter. But I wonder if he's ever gone to Church?? ;-) <br />
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Wandering about the port. Firefighter Dave makes quite a good tour guide! His family and history is here, so he had lots of great stories to tell. <br />
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Thanks so much for showing me around Dave. Another way of getting to know this part of the world is fantastic! Normally I'd have a night or two in a city and move on with my journey. Stopping here for a whole month has made a huge difference to me.<br />
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Back home again to the Mosgiel spa! <br />
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I've so much enjoyed my week here at Ross and Carole's house. Kiwi hospitality is unreal and these two have really raised the bar!<br />
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However, the time has come to leave my Mosgiel temporary home and head to the Brass Monkey Rally in Central Otago. It's a winter rally and it takes a true blue hard core Kiwi to attend this motorcycle event, most often in the snow!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Dunedin, New Zealand-45.8787605 170.5027976-46.05565 170.1800741 -45.701871 170.8255211tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-68947828149104763432013-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:002013-07-11T14:47:54.508-07:00Invercargill, Burt Munro and Dunedin New Zealand!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On a very rainy day I left the Doubtful and Milford town base of Te Anau and rode to Invercargill. The road was as beautiful and scenic as ever, but in a chilly rain I didn't photograph anything. It's all stored upstairs.. !! ;-). My goal was a simple ride to the town of Invercargill where I set up in a very shonky little room in a campground. The tent leaks and it was only $10 more.<br />
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Not only was it raining but gale force winds kicked in shortly after I arrived.. good timing! Even the camp manager said I couldn't have timed that better. Whew!<br />
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I actually had two days hiding from bad weather in my little room. The good thing is that the internet worked really well. Better than a regular hotel, which surprised me. New Zealand has been really difficult internet-wise. I'm still not sure why such a progressive modern country has worse internet access than a super poor country like Bolivia, but I find my ways to do what I can. I was lucky this camp gave me free access for one of the 2 days.<br />
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When the weather cleared, I was out! Off to see Burt Munro! ;-)))) I hope all of you have seen the movie "World's Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins?? One of the greatest true motorcycle stories of ALL time?!? IF you don't know about the legend, here is a great Wikipedia link.. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Munro">Burt Munro Wikipedia</a>. <br />
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<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
Also,
in the nearby Southland Museum there’s a Burt Munro showcase. A
26-minute movie runs showing the actual life and times of Burt as he
ventured to America in the 1960s in pursuit of world speed records (this
film is also often included on the DVD version of The World’s Fastest
Indian). The film is a fantastic homage to a small-town Kiwi who dreamed
big and then had the verve to make his dreams of speed records and
world travel come true. - See more at:
http://motorcamps.com/content/oreti-beach-invercargill#sthash.OGu5gi9e.dpuf </div>
In a nutshell, Burt was a man from a small Kiwi town who dreamed bigger than big. He followed through on his dream of beating the top speed record and world travel way back in the 1960's and amazingly, this speed record on a motorcycle still stands today! Just this one story alone is a reminder that against all odds, anything is possible. Burt was from Invercargill where I am now at the very bottom of the South Island, New Zealand. <br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
film is a fantastic homage to a small-town Kiwi who dreamed big and
then had the verve to make his dreams of speed records and world travel
come true. - See more at:
http://motorcamps.com/content/oreti-beach-invercargill#sthash.OGu5gi9e.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
film is a fantastic homage to a small-town Kiwi who dreamed big and
then had the verve to make his dreams of speed records and world travel
come true. - See more at:
http://motorcamps.com/content/oreti-beach-invercargill#sthash.OGu5gi9e.dpuf</div>
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
film is a fantastic homage to a small-town Kiwi who dreamed big and
then had the verve to make his dreams of speed records and world travel
come true. - See more at:
http://motorcamps.com/content/oreti-beach-invercargill#sthash.OGu5gi9e.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
film is a fantastic homage to a small-town Kiwi who dreamed big and
then had the verve to make his dreams of speed records and world travel
come true. - See more at:
http://motorcamps.com/content/oreti-beach-invercargill#sthash.OGu5gi9e.dpufAlthough Burt has moved on to the big highway in the sky, his bikes are on show here at E. Hayes and Sons Hardware Store.</div>
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The original bike, a 1929 600cc Indian Scout that Burt achieved his still-standing world speed record is on display inside this hardware store, E. Hayes and Sons.<br />
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The Original Burt Munro's "World's Fastest Indian" (without the outer shell)</div>
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The reflection from the case made a tricky photo, but it says he was officially timed at 191.34 mph (308 km/h), and reputed to have exceeded 200 mph (322 km/h) on his 1929 600cc Indiana Scout!<br />
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I climb into the replica to get a feel for what it must have been like! The biggest thing I noticed is that Burt must have had smaller hips than me... ;-/<br />
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Although his world record was achieved at the Bonneville Salt Flats in America, here at Oreti Beach, about 10 km south of Invercargill is where he did a lot of racing, testing and practice. <br />
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This is not Burt, but another photo I picked up at a museum in Dunedin. That beach is very popular with motorcycles to this day!<br />
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I find New Zealanders as a whole to be so passionate about motorcycles. I really feel at home here...<br />
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From Invercargill I ride north to Dunedin. What I decided to do early on to be able to stay in this expensive country is to house sit! I got online, found many options to choose from and I chose one just outside Dunedin. I knew the South Island is a place I'd like to get to know better.<br />
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Dunedin, New Zealand</div>
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Dunedin used to be the most wealthy city in New Zealand mostly settled by the Scottish people. From Wikipedia, "The <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Church_of_Scotland_%281843-1900%29" title="Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)">Free Church of Scotland</a> founded Dunedin at the head of Otago Harbour in 1848 as the principal town of its Scottish settlement. The name comes from <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%B9n_%C3%88ideann" title="Dùn Èideann">Dùn Èideann</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic" title="Scottish Gaelic">Scottish Gaelic</a> name for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh" title="Edinburgh">Edinburgh</a>, the Scottish capital." <br />
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Dunedin is also a huge University town.. and you don't have to doubt that when you see an entire shop window dedicated to Jagermeister! Ha!!<br />
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I was waiting for some service to be done on my bike at McIver & Veitch KTM, where I met Bill Veitch. He suggested I take a wander around the Settlers Museum close by. I love history, so off I went. He didn't tell me he has some of his own motorcycles in the museum!<br />
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The museum is all about Scottish settlers and it just so happens this motorcycle is called Scott.<br />
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Love the helmet, love the jacket, love the glasses..<br />
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Smoking a ciggie helps you go faster.. ?? ;-)</div>
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It wasn't just Burt, they're all about speed down here on the South Island!<br />
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That was cool. And here I am many years later on my own motorcycle. Not setting any speed records whatsoever, but I'm in good company here!<br />
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Next I ride up the hill to the house I will be "sitting" in Mosgiel. The owners are off for a one month holiday to China and I'm here to look after 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 goats and many many many chickens!<br />
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One of the first things I did was run to the grocery to stock up on my Hubbards Muesli, out of respect and love of good food from my friends Dick and Diana Hubbard!<br />
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When I was at the KTM shop in town, I met Ross Gold and Bill Veitch whom both invited me to do a presentation at their Ulysses club meeting. I knew I liked these guys, so I said yes!<br />
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Meeting the locals! I really enjoyed that. And in this this motorcycle-mad community they welcomed me like family! <br />
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We are in the Otago Motorcycle Club meeting rooms, and the walls are covered with even more history! Pointing out photos of Bill Veitch in action!<br />
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Then I got a call that the Otago Daily Times newspaper wanted to meet.. They're keeping me busy down in this part of the world!<br />
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I escaped on the first Saturday to just go exploring. The guys gave me lots of suggestions and I had a beautiful ride down the Otago Peninsula.<br />
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View to Dunedin City from the Otago Peninsula</div>
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It's kind of nice just riding the motorcycle around all day but not
actually having to make a destination. I arrive back home to some very
hungry animals!<br />
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And somebody wants to play. You can't say no to that face! I love this
dog, his name is Luke. But he doesn't look like a Luke at all. My
dog's name was Luke and he was a big strong boy, so that's what I
relate to the name. This dog has great personality and he reminds me
more of the dog in Argentina at the Estancia El Chalet. That dog was
called Monkey and I loved him too, so I accidentally call this one
Monkey. He didn't care, he'd flop around and answer to anything as long
as we play. ;-)<br />
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Below is a photo of Monkey in Argentina. Both of them make a total sucker out of me... ;-)<br />
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Walking the dogs on Pineapple Track. Lots of great walks here the
owners showed me before they left. Every day we'd do a different one.<br />
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So, life is good in Mosgiel, New Zealand. The only other time I stopped to house sit was in Italy in 2010. It's not an option in most countries, but it's been a great help here, especially with as expensive as New Zealand is. It's also great way to stop and get to know where you are, make new friends, and have more time to enjoy everything.. literally!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Invercargill, New Zealand-46.4131866 168.3537731-46.5882906 168.03104960000002 -46.238082600000006 168.6764966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-19874533506673895942013-06-28T16:58:00.000-07:002013-07-02T02:35:55.066-07:00Doubtful Sound AND Milford Sound, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-45.0311111111,168.6625&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-45.0311111111,168.6625%20(Queenstown%2C%20New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Queenstown, New Zealand">Queenstown</a> was AWESOME!! Now I'm on the road again early in the morning to ride to my next "appointment". I've booked a place on the boat in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-45.3,166.983333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-45.3,166.983333333%20(Doubtful%20Sound)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Doubtful Sound">Doubtful Sound</a>! This is the jewel in the crown for anyone who ever travels to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.2833333333,174.45&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-41.2833333333,174.45%20(New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>. It's a bit pricey, but I'm told it can't be missed.<br />
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OH man, it was a chilly ride! I did not plug in my heated jacket because quite honestly I was afraid it wouldn't work. We just connected the main wire to the battery this morning in case I got cold and I was trying to be tough. At the halfway mark, I found a little roadside cafe and went in for a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai" rel="wikipedia" title="Masala chai">Chai Latte</a>, absolutely shivering and shaking. The lady at the counter laughed at me, "A bit cold on the bike today?' Uh huh..!<br />
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Eventually rode into <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-45.5666666667,167.6&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-45.5666666667,167.6%20(Manapouri)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Manapouri">Manapouri</a> where I will lock the bike up and leave it in the local parking lot while I take this boat tour overnight.<br />
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The tour begins by crossing Lake Manapouri on a boat, and then off to a land crossing by bus which gave us some great views!<br />
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Even better was arriving this lovely gorgeous boat inside Doubtful Sound! "Doubtful Sound was named 'Doubtful Harbour' in 1770 by <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Cook" title="Captain Cook">Captain Cook</a>, who did not enter the inlet as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaler" title="Whaler">whalers</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_hunter" title="Seal hunter">sealers</a>, although it is not technically a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography" title="Geography">sound</a> but a fiord." Wikipedia.</div>
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The cruise begins and its not like we need to sail to the pretty part. You start and stay in the most gorgeous scenery you'll see anywhere on earth. You know what I think of as we sail through the sound? Remember that song by Kylie Minogue, "Wow Wow Wow Wow"??<br />
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We have a naturalist guide on board and she comfortably explains everything we are looking at. She has to explain it every single day with a new group of people. This boat is very efficiently run and even though we do an overnight on board, it has a turn around of passengers at the same time every day. So I don't blame her for having a bit of a rest! She was actually quite funny and you can tell that she loves her job. Heck, can you imagine if this was your office every day??<br />
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They don't waste much time. We sail into one of the Doubtful Sound arms where we have 2 activity options. A ride around in the dinghy or kayaking. I'd like a kayak please!!<br />
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The people who chose the dinghy were unloaded and away first.<br />
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Then we get into our kayaks and the big boat sails ahead to pick us up a bit further down the arm. Heck, kayaking twice in one week. I can't say that was my intention for New Zealand, but it's working for me! ;-)<br />
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This is PURE BEAUTY...... It's so beautiful that sometimes I look at it and think I'm living in some fantasty world and it isn't real.<br />
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I paddled about with this American woman and her daughter.. It was fun to talk in a familiar accent! ;-)<br />
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Back on board, we sail towards the outskirts of the sound, the outer land border of New Zealand. We came across some lovely playful dolphins along the way.<br />
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As the sun was setting, the colors were unreal. The Captain even let us stay around longer until it went down. During the summer, the sun is always up when they reach this point, so this time of year is special.<br />
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Sea lions resting on the rocks at the mouth of Doubtful Sound</div>
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Turning back in to Doubtful Sound to anchor for the night</div>
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The next morning I'm up early. So early I was sitting up on the deck in the dark.. and the mist. It was soooo peaceful. The engines were off, a slight lapping of the water against the boat. These puffs of mist would go softly in front of me and they look so much like ghosts passing by. As the passengers woke up they all just went in to the lounge for breakfast and I'm still enjoying the top deck. I can't imagine for anything why this is the ONLY morning they will ever experience IN Doubtful Sound and they'd prefer to eat bacon and eggs and chat in the lounge. I'm not complaining though because it's that much more special to me being the only one up here.. One other man finally came up, an Austrian man who I ate dinner with last night. So he took this photo of me.. with my beloved tea.<br />
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I went and had a chat with the Captain. This man is SOOO nice. He talked to me as if he'd known me for years and explained to me everything he was doing as if I was there to do it with him.<br />
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Eventually, the people had enough coffee and bacon and nearly all of them came up to the top deck.<br />
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The fog is lifting more and more, so the Captain starts the motors. We will be sailing back shortly.<br />
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Ooooo, here comes the sun as well. Again, these two days were predicted to be total rain. It rains more than 200 days per year in Fiordland, so you are only LUCKY to have a sunny day if you book this boat. Yesterday was divine and it looks like today is going to be another lucky one!<br />
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The crew is trying to lift the anchor. I hear the Captain inside the bridge saying that the generator to the anchor is overheating. He tried a bit longer but then he shuts the whole boat down. He put on his overalls and heads down to the engine room to try and find the problem.<br />
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The crew are trying to find the problem with the anchor</div>
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I was still hanging around the bridge when the Captain came back in with this little bucket of crayfish and mussels. He says, "These guys are the problem.. they clogged up my anchor passage!" </div>
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Crayfish and Mussels</div>
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He was actually quite surprised, even though he has been driving this boat for many years. He said it's unusual that so many could come in over just one night. After a good clean, he started the motors again and raised the anchor no problem. Me and another American girl were trying to devise another problem as we enjoyed being "stuck" in Doubtful Sound!<br />
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We completed our sail, back on the bus over the hill, on to the boat over Lake Manapouri and back to my motorcycle. A perfect little adventure. Every tiny bit of that tour was well thought out, organized and fun.. despite all that awful scenery! ;-)))<br />
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I rode the bike up to the town Te Anau for my next night.. a whopping 30 km's! That might go in to my shortest day ride. The longest was 1221 km's in Russia.. I still very much remember!<br />
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In Te Anau it was properly raining this time. They told me the weather in town can be, and usually is, totally different than just a few miles away in the Sound itself. So I tucked myself into the closest hostel and did some research for riding out tomorrow. However, talking to the people there, they all said "You can't be here and miss Milford Sound." My thoughts about seeing Milford were iffy because for one, I had just finished the most amazing tour in Doubtful so I don't see the point of paying to go on another boat in another Sound up the road. And secondly, the rain is so hard, that riding up to Milford and back 235 km's would have been miserable. There is nothing there, other than the boats, so you just turn around and come back. I wasn't keen but I was then convinced by the people here. So, I found a company that included some hikes along the route to Milford. Being a last minute caller and in a slowing tourist season, the owner gave me a heck of a discount and a free lunch!<br />
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I made the plans last night in the pouring rain, it was raining this morning and the forecast said it would the rest of the day.. but! Wrong...!!! We've got a sunny day again already! Now I wish I brought the bike! I will get to do these small hikes in freedom without the restrictive motorcycle gear and boots, so that's a plus side.<br />
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"<b>If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?</b>" is a philosophical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment" title="Thought experiment">thought experiment</a> that raises questions regarding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation" title="Observation">observation</a> and knowledge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">reality</a>. I think this is proof that it clearly has ears and hears! Ancient philosophical question solved!! ;-)<br />
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The down side? Lots and lots and lots of tourists! I wouldn't have avoided them with the bike.. The road is covered in tour buses and the walking tracks are crowded. The negative side of being in the most beautiful part of the world. I've made a plan with myself to come back one day and walk the 4 day Milford Track.. surely less crowded, yes?<br />
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We stopped at this old settlers ground for morning tea and a scone.<br />
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This used to be an old gold mining village, and they use a lot of common sense around here.<br />
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They're not joking either. The sandflies here are freakin' brutal! <br />
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And I don't need to make any phone calls, thank goodness..<br />
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While the others were inside a building having a cup of tea, as much
as I love tea, I'd rather take in more of this beautiful place. Only
rarely in anyone's life can you just "be" in a place like this. I can drink tea and chat with people in any old place. So I sneak off into the forest for a while. I just love to stop and listen to the sound of the birds. Would also love to see a wild Kiwi as there are plenty around here, but they are nocturnal.<br />
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Out of the wild jungle, we come in to this incredible looking valley!<br />
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Yeah, I think this is "Lord of the Rings" stuff, right here... ;-)<br />
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Next, we wait our turn to go through the 1.2 km (3/4 mile) long Homer Tunnel. Easy to remember as it's my Great Uncle's name.<br />
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Now, on to the boat to have a look around Milford Sound. To be clear, I didn't have to take another boat. I could have gone by helicopter or airplane. Not in my budget at the moment, however I feel it's always better to be close and personal than high in the sky.. Well both would be ideal actually.. ;-)<br />
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Bee you tee ful!!!! <br />
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It seemed like getting through Milford Sound was a bit shorter in distance. I'm not sure as we took some side arms in Doubtful. But it's so cool to make it out to the Pacific Ocean once again. I would have expected the waves to be wild and crazy down here at the bottom of the world, but it seems really calm!<br />
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I took this photo looking west to the sun when the boat was out of the sound and in the open ocean. Continuing on would take us right over to Australia! How close am I to home!??<br />
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From the open water, we turn around and head back. I can only imagine being Captain Cook and what it was like to sail here for discovery.<br />
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We can't have such a beautiful area too easy.. Or it would just be too perfect right? Sandflies. They are evil....... you don't feel them land or bite you.. but you sure feel the after effects. They hurt and itch with large red bumps for days and days.<br />
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Saying they are "mischievous" is a very kind way to describe them.<br />
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Back into our little bus and the rain did begin on our way back to Te Anau.<br />
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All good things come to an end. I can't believe I nearly passed up seeing Milford Sound. They are similar yet very different at the same time. I'm so glad I saw both. And now I never have to wonder if I missed anything!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com1Te Anau, New Zealand-45.4144515 167.71805300000005-45.771347 167.07260600000006 -45.057556 168.36350000000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-89458266520884069972013-06-26T13:23:00.000-07:002013-06-26T13:23:05.846-07:00Pancake Rocks, Wanaka and Queenstown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now that I've experienced the Abel Tasman, the highlight of the north of the south island (i just like saying that) can be crossed off my list and now I must continue to the south of the south island! ;-)<br />
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Back toward <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.2708333333,173.283888889&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-41.2708333333,173.283888889%20(Nelson%2C%20New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Nelson, New Zealand">Nelson</a> and over the west coast.. It's another beautiful day to ride a motorcycle in New Zealand!<br />
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I made my way to Punakaiki also known as <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-42.1083333333,171.336111111&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-42.1083333333,171.336111111%20(Punakaiki)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Punakaiki">Pancake Rocks</a>.<br />
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It's easy to see why they call them pancake rocks.. I could take on one of those stacks with a bucket of maple syrup about now!<br />
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They are actually formed from layers of mud and sediment packed between layers of limestone. Earthquakes lifted the limestone out of the ocean bed and erosion has carved them into what they look like today.<br />
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It's late enough, and pretty enough in the afternoon that I decide to stay here and look for a campsite.<br />
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Well a campsite here is $20, and this cute little cabin WITH a heater is $30.. I'll take the cabin! <br />
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Forecast says rain, so I cover Tony up for the night. For now it looks well worth wandering on to the beach for sunset..<br />
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The sun was nice yesterday, but today the forecast might be right. Time to uncover Tony and hit the road!<br />
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New Zealand is just pretty. I haven't seen an ugly spot yet. I could easily keep the photos coming, particularly here on the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-43.9833333333,170.45&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-43.9833333333,170.45%20(South%20Island)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="South Island">South Island</a>.</div>
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Ooooooo! I've crossed a lot of one-lane bridges in NZ, but this is a super long one! How the heck am I supposed to see if somebody is coming up the other side from this distance! I jump on and hope for the best.<br />
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I've got LED lights. One campervan on the other side saw ME and waited.. yay!</div>
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Woo hoo! It was fun to hit some gravel for a bit even if it was only due to construction.<br />
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I'm loving this coast line. It could easily be listed as one of the most beautiful coastal rides in the world. This mix of fern forest, mist, and roley poley easy roads, views views views.<br />
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I stopped for his night in Franz Josef. This town looks beautiful and peaceful, but it's a fooler! The helicopters are flying low, in and out non-stop. When the sun went down, I thought, "Wow, what a difference." But then the backpackers come out, which is right through the whole town, and they party loud and hard all night. So! I didn't stay long, but the one night I did, I found my peace. I went to the spa! I got my first massage in ages and the massuese was happy to tell me my muscles are very tight and might be shortened on my shoulders from riding the bike too long.. Oops! I then got into the hot pools at the spa. Big beautiful pools all at different temperatures. It was nice to sit in the steam (even though they were full of backpackers too) and just soak surrounded by that lovely forest and stars in the sky.<br />
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Another morning and I'm packed and on the road early! It never did rain yesterday and the forecast said lots of rain again today. I'm getting wrong forecasts always throughout the world but these ones are way off! <br />
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At least it looked like it wanted to rain for a while! The clouds thinned out and I made my way to Wanaka. The landscape changed a fair bit since I'm getting closer to the bottom of the South Island. A lot of the "Lord of The Rings" filming sites are around here and I can see perfectly why they chose these locations!<br />
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I found a great place for camping near Wanaka.<br />
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How pretty is this with the fall colors!</div>
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From Wanaka I ride to Queenstown.<br />
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Grape leaves in the vineyard are turning great colors this time of year.</div>
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Awesome road, awesome riding! I can't get over the paved roads here though. When I first started riding on them in Auckland, I remember thinking that I hope this doesn't last long.. but it does. The entire country of New Zealand paves it's roads with these super big rigid rocks. They are eating right through my Heidenau tires and for those of you who know, Heidenau make the hardest rubber tire and usually last far longer than any other tires. Not here. That size of stone is usually found on loose gravel roads, and gets moved around when you ride. Here they are stuck permanent and it's not smooth rock. So that's my tiny gripe, but only because I was stopped for construction I took the photo below and prompted me to go on my little rant. Otherwise, I AM LOVING THIS RIDE!!!!<br />
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The road into Queenstown is well worth the trip.<br />
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I'm happy to see my wonderful friends Dick and Diana again. What an honor it is to stay in their gorgeous second home! I'm feeling very spoiled again by the Hubbards.<br />
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How's that for a view while working on our computers!</div>
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Dick showed me a great hike from the house straight up the big hills behind them. I thought that was nice and I noticed lots of trail heads along the road on the ride in. Pretty well anywhere you are in Queenstown you can walk right out your door to the most beautiful hike in the world.. every dag gone day if you want! I could see myself living here, and being super fit!<br />
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New Zealand mushroom <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria">Amanita_muscaria</a><br />
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I've seen these mushrooms a lot in New Zealand. They remind me of a mushroom I would have maybe seen in "Alice in Wonderland"? Not sure, but I'm really attracted to these POISONOUS mushrooms! And they carry on that we have poisonous snakes in Australia... hmpfh!</div>
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Just some photos from a morning walk... ;-) A local artist made this basket of reflection mounted along the hike. The sign suggests you stop and reflect at the world around you.. and the people. Very nice.<br />
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After my walk the Hubbards want to take me to lunch in Arrowtown. Diana says you can't leave Queenstown without seeing Arrowtown! I politely decline because I feel super guilty for how much this couple has done for me both in Auckland and now here, but it's two against one and I'm not going to win this one either.. ;-)<br />
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That lunch was so good. Arrowtown is a classic old gold mining town just a few km's from Queenstown. As charming as the town is, we were more attracted to the fall colors!<br />
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Happy people after a super yummy lunch in Arrowtown!</div>
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Incredible autumn colors in Arrowtown, New Zealand<br />
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While Diana is driving she says, "Dick, should we throw Sherri Jo on to a jet boat?" I'm looking at her like, what sort of question is that?? ;-) Just then we passed over a bridge and the jet boats are in the river below. Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world being famous for jet boats, bungy jumping, skiing along with countless other activities. I suppose I should do at least one of them.. because I ain't bungy jumpin'!! ;-) </div>
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This was not just sort of fun.. it was SUPER FUN!! Gee whiz, the driver goes top speed, aims the front end of the boat AT THE ROCK WALL, within inches of the wall he throws us into a 360. He did it over and over and how we don't hit the wall I will never understand. I'm surprised I don't see these boats more often in the world. Diana explains to me that this one particular gorge is rated to be the most spectacular. So I'm really glad she and Dick decided to throw me on to a jet boat in Queenstown New Zealand!<br />
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I'd scream really loud every time that driver took us to hit a wall. I felt sorry for the kid next to me..<br />
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Yep, that's me in the 3rd row!</div>
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SOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I got off that thing, as much as I hated paying the money up front, I knew when I got off the boat it was really worth that money. We went up and down the river twice, countless 360's, and rarely stopped screaming!<br />
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Next, Diana takes me out to the Kawarau Bridge... for BUNGY JUMPING! She was so disappointed to learn that they had finished for the day. I was not even sort of disappointed, I was breathing a huge sigh of relief! But it was worth having a look at what the super brave people in the world do.<br />
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No way, Jose!</div>
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I've heard of Queenstown a lot. Many Australians I know come here. And I quite honestly wasn't fussed about it because I knew it was going to be super touristy. HOWEVER, I've since converted. Tourists or not, Queenstown is an amazing unique gorgeous town to visit. Being the adventure capital of the world, you can do so much from this one place. <br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Queenstown, New Zealand-45.0311622 168.66264350000006-45.120947199999996 168.50128200000006 -44.9413772 168.82400500000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-7315045152661860252013-06-23T15:23:00.001-07:002013-06-23T15:23:45.703-07:00New Plymouth to the Able Tasman National Park, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
From Auckland I traveled down the west coast of New Zealand with a goal to reach <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-39.0666666667,174.083333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-39.0666666667,174.083333333%20(New%20Plymouth)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="New Plymouth">New Plymouth</a>. Ever since I've had my Nolan helmet it's been hard to lift the chin up. I'd have to use both hands on the red pulley to release so it could rise, and it was crazy when somebody was trying to talk to me.<br />
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Anyway, I contacted the lady at Nolan in the United States who was more than happy to repair it, but that would mean I would have to carry my helmet on all those flights from Buenos Aires to Indiana and then to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.2833333333,174.45&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-41.2833333333,174.45%20(New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a> (7 flights to be exact).. So, I had an idea and asked her if there might be a repair center in New Zealand. There is one in New Plymouth on the west coast! So I sent my helmet with my motorcycle in the crate to New Zealand which was helpful and then I wore it here to see if they might be able to repair it.<br />
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I rode into New Plymouth a bit late in the afternoon and the guys at Eurobike were so kind to say theyd' need my helmet over night and gave me a loaner.<br />
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I had a wonderful host in New Plymouth who fed and housed me, Kathy. She had more amazing travel stories than I did! After her husband was sadly killed in an accident, she backpacked the world for years as part of her healing. She was really inspirational. Then back to the shop at 9 AM. When I got there my helmet was in pieces on the floor and they said they couldn't fix it.. However! They asked if I would like a new one! What? Seriously, the chin is a pain, but not worth trading out. Especially since I bought the helmet from the United States over a year ago! It didn't matter to them. They said it couldn't be fixed and they wanted to support me.<br />
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Leigh from Eurobike giving me a new Nolan Helmet!</div>
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He gave me a white and black helmet, and the chin works magically. It's a whole new look for Sherri Jo! I love the helmet and I am beyond grateful.. thanks again!! So amazing..<br />
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<a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-39.2963888889,174.064722222&spn=0.01,0.01&q=-39.2963888889,174.064722222%20(Mount%20Taranaki)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Mount Taranaki">Mount Taranaki</a> sticks out like a sore thumb.. in a beautiful way! I've been riding through relatively flat land and I could see Taranaki for a good part of the day. This is one of the most symmetrical volcano cones in the world, however it hasn't produced any lava flow since the 1800's.<br />
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I followed the bottom half circle around the volcano as I tried to make make my south to Wellington but Taranaki kept calling me back. I'm lucky I didn't crash from neck strain, so I turned toward the volcano once again. One last photo of Taranki before it gets engulfed in clouds.<br />
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Further down the coast I saw these whale bones and I wondered what my motorcycle would look like inside a whale... as you do! So I turned around and would have made a nuisance of myself if I tried to put my bike inside with all the landscaping they've got in there. An outside photo will have to do.<br />
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Eventually making it to Wellington where I'm going to stay with Dick and Diana's friends Shirley and Ken! Lovely lovely home, this is my red sky in morning means sailors take warning photo. Today is supposed to be a super rainy day. However, I'm hoping to catch the early morning ferry to the South Island! Gotta go!<br />
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Hmm, I seem to be the only motorcycle that will be traveling farther!<br />
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It really wants to rain but it hasn't yet.. Here we are leaving Wellington.<br />
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And this is all the dreadful rain on the South Island.. not! The weather was so nice I spent most of the ride on the top deck! Bad weather predictions, no matter where you are in the world.<br />
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Welcome to the South Island, New Zealand!<br />
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One thing I learned quickly from a fuel stop is to not eat any shellfish around here!<br />
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I'm not a big fan of shellfish anyway.. Tonight is ramen noodles I'm afraid!<br />
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I decided to head over to Abel Tasman National Park. I've heard about this park for years and years, now I get to see it for myself. I stayed in a funky hostel in Motueka, where I locked my bike up and signed up for some action the next day!<br />
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The first half of the day will be kayaking and the second half saved for hiking.<br />
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You gotta love the Kayak attire!</div>
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It's really beautiful out here but I was getting really annoyed. The last time I went kayaking was in Panama with Kevin about 15 months ago. What a great day that was and I still think of it as one of my favorite days on this entire journey when we kayaked to our own private "One Tree" island. I wouldn't have guessed it would bother me now, but it sure did. Here in Abel Tasman I fought off having those memories and tried to chat with Helen from Switzerland.<br />
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It was a long paddle, but we are super lucky to have an incredible day. No rain, no wind! Our guide says you rarely get both on the same day so we are super lucky.<br />
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We made it to the where baby sea lions play. They are getting old enough that they'll be out in the water soon.<br />
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Watching Abel Tasman sea lions play in their natural nursery.</div>
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Shag on the beach anyone?? Sorry.. couldn't help it.. ;-)))</div>
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That was fun, I really enjoyed that.. now on to the 1/2 day hike.<br />
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I love love love the fern trees in New Zealand... <br />
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This lovely walk follows the coast line up and down the hills, through the forest, and on to the prettiest beaches.<br />
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Look at that water.. and the mountains in the background! </div>
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Now this is the place to stop for a sandwich!! I LOVE MY LIFE!!! ;-)<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Abel Tasman National Park, 7183, New Zealand-40.934784 172.97218299999997-41.3189045 172.32673599999998 -40.5506635 173.61762999999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-79985476997424182632013-06-20T14:27:00.001-07:002013-06-20T14:27:26.352-07:00New Zealand North Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's getting late in the summer and my plan is to ride around the north island quickly. I've been here before (not on a motorcycle) and I know I want to spend more time on the South Island. But after paying heaps of money to ship the bike here, I'm going to ride the whole country if I can!<br />
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After leaving Hotwater Beach on the Coromandel, today's goal is to ride to the very top of the north island with Russell being a recommended stop for the night.<br />
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I found a super cheap place to stay, and set off to have a proper meal. We had fish, chips and beer two nights in a row and now I have a craving for something green!<br />
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I sat outside alone and watched the sunset with a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.2833333333,174.45&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-41.2833333333,174.45%20(New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a> red wine. (Okay I chose purple instead.. ;-)<br />
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And boy, was it ever a sunset!!!<br />
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The next morning was lovely, it's going to be a nice day! I had a bit of trouble starting the bike. I think the biggest downfall with my bike on this journey was buying that fuel with water in it in Argentina. Ever since then, I can't (well the mechanics can't) seem to get it right. Now I think it's a matter of too many mechanics hands in the bike and I feel that in itself is causing these latest issues. I feel uneasy on a bike that I don't trust anymore. Always nervous to turn it off even just to get some fuel. I'd eventually get it started, but I'm having to roll it to the side and wait then try again and again. I called the mechanics in Auckland and told them I'm coming back.. ugh ;-(<br />
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I've checked battery connections, the spark plug is fairly new, not sure what the problem is, however it's Friday. I won't get to Auckland in time for them to do anything, so I'll just travel carefully and slowly and pray that I get it started for the rest of the weekend!<br />
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I rode to the famous 90 Mile Beach. This is one thing I missed on my last trip to New Zealand. You are allowed to ride out there, but I'm not so keen taking a bike that is suffering and spinning it through the sand with my gear alone. So I don't go too far.<br />
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I'm still wishing I could ride on the beach a bit more so I pull into <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-35.1713888889,173.153333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-35.1713888889,173.153333333%20(Ahipara)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ahipara">Ahipara</a> at the southern end of the beach. The sand looked a bit more solid than my last try, but no. I rode out into the sand and stopped for a photo. And wouldn't you know the bike fell over anyway!! I was prepared, I had the sidestand on the plastic square, made sure the angle was good to the left, it wasn't sinking on that side. But then it fell over the opposite way to the right! Bugger! I still don't know how I managed that!<br />
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I ripped my bag off and picked up the bike quickly by myself, no problem.<br />
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Then I noticed two ladies walking toward me. They came over to give me a hand if I needed which was nice, but I didn't need help. One of the ladies rides a motorcycle as well and she really wanted me to come back to her house for a cup of tea. Sure! Before we left she took a photo for me.. thanks!<br />
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Nice cup of tea and Jude shared lots of photos to her friend and me of her motorcycle ride around the south island with her partner a few weeks ago.<br />
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I continued riding the west coast.. such pretty slow curves, easy riding.<br />
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Eventually arriving another ferry. Noooobody is here but me.. Is the ferry not running today?<br />
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Finally a van with 2 retired American couples who are exploring the country for a month pulled up and we had a nice chat to pass the time.<br />
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Not much farther and I stopped into Opononi. I just liked the name and decided to stay.. I've got two days until I can see the mechanics in Auckland and I really like it here!<br />
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Across the bay are these super size sand dunes! I would normally say the biggest sand dunes I've ever seen, but that award still belongs to Iquique Chile for me. However these are impressive.<br />
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Luckily the summer season is over and I found a super place to stay that didn't have a soul there except the owner.. Nice little cheap room and amazing views. The owner was super nice, gave me some great ideas on how to explore those big sand dunes tomorrow. Looks like I'm stayin'!<br />
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She told me about a Maori man who gives tours by quad bike. That actually sounds right up my alley. I can't take my own bike even if it was working well. So I give my Tony a rest. This area is called Hokianga and I need to take a quick water taxi to the other side early in the morning to meet him.<br />
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This is Andrew! His family has lived on this land for generations. The government no longer wants to spend the funds on this area, he tells me. So they are handing the land back to the original owners (Andrew and his family) next year for them to manage as they see fit.<br />
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I can tell by meeting Andrew and hearing his passion for this land and the history on it that the change over will be a positive one.<br />
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He explains, Hokianga is short for Hokianga-Nui-A-Kupe, which means 'the place of
Kupe's great return'. Many iwi (Maori tribes) trace their ancestry back
to the legendary Polynesian explorer Kupe who, with his crew, voyaged
deep into the southern ocean to find New Zealand. They believe that Kupe made his first landfall on the shores of the Hokianga Harbour. He later named New Zealand "Aotearoa" – Land of the Long White Cloud.<br />
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Andrew first wants to show me the totem pole, called Niniwa. So we start off by taking a ride to nearly the top. Parked the quad for a long steep sandy hike to the very top, where sits this large totem pole. In my ignorance, I think of totem poles to be mainly of native north Americans. Andrew kept me busy with many stories and legends of his people. This totem pole is of a female elder who looks over the Hokianga Harbour for protection. Not from the Europeans, but from other Maori tribes. <br />
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There was a lot of rivalry and fighting amongst local Maori tribes and even though we hear more about the challenges of the European invasion, the Maori's have quite a history of warring with each other!<br />
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I spent a good couple of hours riding around with Andrew.. Those sand dunes are so much fun on a four wheeler! He didn't have anyone else booked for the day and I was happy for him to tell me stories as long as he wanted to. It was a really special day.<br />
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What a great place in the world to be.... Andrew was the best. His knowledge of the land and history never stops. I highly recommend you look him up if you ride through Hokianga.<br />
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He dropped me back to where the water taxi point is and where the weekenders are having fun surfing the sand dunes.<br />
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Once I'm back to Opononi I think I could use a sandwich! I walked up to the local, I hear the country music going, and I'm wondering... why are they playing that country music here in New Zealand? For line dancing, of course! It seems so American! Who'da thought! <br />
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I got my sandwich, watched a little boot scootin' boogie and wandered down the road a couple kilometers to my little room by the sea.<br />
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A super peaceful end to a beautiful day.<br />
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Monday morning, the nice lovely north island thoughts go away and I need to get serious again. Let's hope the bike starts! I went outside without my bag, I didn't want to expect too much. It took about 4 tries to get it going, and I just left it running in idle while I finished packing my bag.<br />
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On the bike I ride through the famous Kaori Forest.. really famous! I'm not willing to stop the bike though! Here's the main attractions I will be passing by taken from this New Zealand website <a href="http://www.newzealand.com/int/waipoua-forest/">http://www.newzealand.com/int/waipoua-forest/</a><br />
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"This forest is the home of Tane Mahuta, the country's largest kauri
tree, which is approximately 2,000 years old and still growing. Nearly
18 metres to the first branch and 4.4 metres in diameter, Tane Mahuta is
rightly called 'The Lord of the Forest'. Another significant tree in
Waipoua Forest is Te Matua Ngahere – 'Father of the Forest' – which is
estimated to be between 2,500 and 3,000 years old."<br />
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Whew! Yep you guys are gooooood looking! But I must get to Auckland. Which I did. My only troubles were when I stopped for fuel, because I didn't stop for anything else! I dropped the bike at the KTM shop and let the guys work on it for another 1 1/2 days. In the meantime I went back to stay at lovely Dick and Diana's house and they're not even there! Mark is though! The Hubbards have gone off to Tasmania to ride a motorcycle on a special tour, so they've left the keys to both Mark and I. Mark is still here working on his shipping so I get to see him again! Cheers!<br />
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Gee whiz, we live the rough life in New Zealand, hey? You can mark us both down as S P O I L E D !!!<br />
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The KTM mechanics were so nice to fix the bike and didn't even have me come out to the shop. They delivered poor Tony to my door! I don't know what they did, but it starts like it's brand new again. Seriously, there is no guessing or worrying even now to this day several weeks later. It starts on a tick! Thanks to James and Graham at Cyclespot KTM!!<br />
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Now, Mark makes it clear that he is here first so his bike gets the parking space and I can find room if I can.. okay I think I can manage that, ha! <br />
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No worries Mate.. I'm leaving in the morning! Lets hope that is the final moto worry solved and we can enjoy the rest of this beautiful country!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Opononi, New Zealand-35.5050847 173.3908321-35.6085132 173.2294706 -35.4016562 173.5521936tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-9427519585559272212013-06-18T13:25:00.000-07:002017-03-17T18:31:23.403-07:00Welcome to New Zealand!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After 40+ hours flying from Indiana to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-36.8404166667,174.739869444&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-36.8404166667,174.739869444%20(Auckland)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Auckland">Auckland, New Zealand</a> via Washington DC, San Francisco and Sydney, Australia, I finally got a few hours sleep at a late night airport hotel (yuk). First thing in the morning the lovely girl from TNL Shipping, Deanne, picked me and my luggage up from the hotel on her way to work to take me to my bike.. so nice! They had everything organized, I only had to sign a paper, pay the bill and leave.<br />
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Unfortunately the bike was still not functioning from the breakdown in Uruguay, but not a worry. I had organized well in advance to have the Auckland KTM dealership pick me and the bike up in a truck and to the mechanic to see if he can perform a miracle. I've come to this country only hoping!! Fingers crossed I didn't waste heaps of money in shipping!<br />
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While I was waiting in the office, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Hubbard" rel="wikipedia" title="Dick Hubbard">Dick Hubbard</a> called me.. What? Who knows me here??!! I had just missed meeting Dick and his wife Diana in Ushuaia as they were riding the tough roads on their epic Alaska to Ushuaia journey. They'd met up with Mark Donham along the road in Chile, whom you've seen a few times in this blog. He introduced me to his Kiwi friends online. Even though I had not met the Hubbards in person, there they were on the phone saying, "Sherri Jo, welcome to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.2833333333,174.45&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-41.2833333333,174.45%20(New%20Zealand)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>. Now we're coming to pick you up to spend Easter weekend with us.." Okay!!<br />
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I left my KTM behind at the shop and then we went to the BMW shop to see the Hubbards bike which had also just arrived from Buenos Aires. Dick is proudly showing me his stickers from the Americas.. and we start comparing notes!<br />
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They live in the most beautiful modern home with superb views of Auckland and I can't feel more lucky. Dick and Diana are so incredibly kind and generous and treated me like family the moment I arrived. And thanks goes to Mark for introducing us. In this photo Dick wanted me to sit in the same chair with the same pose as he took of Mark a few weeks ago. He even made sure we had the beer bottles lined up exactly right!<br />
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I can not tell you how wonderful it feels to be in such a civilized clean modern country! I do not discredit my amazing experiences over the last 16 months from Mexico down to Argentina. They have their own character which I love, but New Zealand is feeling very good at the moment!<br />
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Dick takes me on one of his daily super power walks. I'm always up for a great morning walk! <br />
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Then he drove me down to Piha.. a very popular beach for the locals.. We stopped for a cup of tea.. because we can! <br />
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Another day he gave me a tour of One Tree Hill, which is actually at the top of one of the 46 volcanoes in the Auckland area. One Tree Hill is also the site of a long gone Maori fortification. The one tree that used to be on the summit was cut down by a Maori man to bring attention to the injustices he believed had been inflicted upon the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_people" rel="wikipedia" title="Māori people">Maori people</a> by the New Zealand government.. It has now been replaced with a concrete monument.<br />
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Bronze statue of a Maori warrior at the site of their ancient fortification on One Tree Hill.</div>
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Easter time! When I had booked my flights last January to arrive New Zealand, I had not even considered the holiday calendar. It was really bad timing for me to arrive now, but the Hubbards have made this an Easter to remember. Being that they've created and own Hubbards Cereals and Muesli's - the top brand for all of New Zealand, a morning doesn't go by without my favorite brekkie. They've just released 6 new flavors in the supermarkets and I will have to experiment with all of them, just to give proper first-hand feedback, right? I think the only thing they heard come out of my mouth was, "Oh man I love that one! Oh man, that one's good too!" Really fun flavors, soooo yum!<br />
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Easter breakfast!</div>
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They also have a chocolate Easter Bunny on a motorcycle.. how perfect is that?? Love it!!!!!<br />
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Easter services at church. </div>
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After lunch we went out for a wander around the neighborhood with Diana. She is so friendly and outgoing.. she walks right up to this guy who is cooking a meal for his family in the park. She found out his name, where he's from and how long he's been living in New Zealand. Then she thought, "hey, there is a fantastic cooktop we can use!' When we returned home Diana says to Dick, "You know there is a free cooker in the park, we can walk down there anytime and make a meal!" Dick says, "Or we can cook here... in our house!" Right there, clearly the difference between Man and Woman.. ha!</div>
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The lovely churchyard we strolled through is full of settlers history.<br />
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This beautiful sunset view to Auckland CBD photo I took from their house and marks a perfect ending. Tomorrow morning is an early rise to ride the bike out the Coromandel and join Mark on the road for a couple of days before continuing on my own journey around the country.<br />
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Good morning sunshine! Luckily the bike has been fixed up.. all related to that fuel system problems from Argentina.<br />
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I savor my tea in this beautiful place quietly in my Rukka gear.. before anyone else gets up.<br />
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I have to include this photo I took from inside. It's so funny. Dick was the Mayor of Auckland for 3 years (2004-2007) and this is a political cartoon from that time.. his opponent was John Banks.<br />
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Farewell photo.. I always hate to say goodbye to people I really enjoy. I never seem to get used to it. Thanks again for EVERYTHING!!!<br />
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You wouldn't believe. I walked down to my motorcycle in the garage and there is a pool of fuel below it.. Now what??!! I have a guess, but I called the same mechanics and they came to get the bike in a truck straight away.<br />
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I've had this problem before, so I think I know what it is, but I let them tell me. When they put the fuel injector back on, the 0-ring is delicate and it either ripped or broke. All it takes is to put a new O-ring back in and I was good to go.. whew!<br />
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Now I need to go meet Mark Donham. Mark and I both have local sim cards from New Zealand so we are able to keep in contact as I ride out to Coromandel. I let him choose where we meet up and where we'll be staying tonight and he gave perfect riding instructions.<br />
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When I pulled in to the site.. I didn't even get my helmet off yet before he hands me a beer! The last time I saw Mark was in Ushuaia Argentina for Christmas and New Years.. <br />
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We will be staying here at Hot Water Beach, where he's been advised the beach experience is worth checking out. There is an underground hot water river that flows through here to the ocean. At low tide, you can dig out the sand and the water will fill like your own personal natural hot tub. You couldn't dig too deep though as the water is unbearably hot! The trick was to get the right mix of some ocean cold water flowing in to your hot hot-tub.<br />
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Then we went for a ride to the north of Coromandel, a peninsula on the east coast. Lots of curvy roads. The guys at the motorcycle shop in Auckland all tell me that these are the roads they prefer to ride on the weekends.<br />
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It wasn't the most ideal day weather-wise for touring the Coromandel.<br />
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We did stop at a cafe, which was well worth the desert I shouldn't be eating in the middle of the day!<br />
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We decided to keep the same camp site and just leave the gear behind near the base of the peninsula. The following morning is another opportunity to walk on Hot Water Beach at sunrise. Just gorgeous!<br />
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Time to pack up the bikes!<br />
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As we were leaving the little cabin, I did a double take on the beer bottles we've left behind. They were perfect for washing down the local fish and chips.. It's been 3 years since I've had fish and chips!! I can't take half credit though.. Mark had a bit of a collection going before I arrived.. right?? ;-)<br />
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That's the end of our little reunion. Mark wants to go back to Auckland for several days to prepare his bike for shipping. Then he's flying home again to the United States for a while before returning to travel on his bike in Australia. He just had a home visit before coming to New Zealand as well! I've been to USA to visit my family, but my home is in Australia, and I've not been home since I rode my bike out of the garage on June 1, 2010. It's a different way of thinking, but I have done that on purpose. When I set off to achieve this goal, it will feel that much bigger when I ride my motorcycle in to my driveway not having seen it since I left, goal complete (hopefully!).<br />
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I wizzed past Mark, waved goodbye.. and I'm headed to the north of the north island!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-37.2549887 174.11788450000006 -36.4419307 175.40877850000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-29464669468865343412013-06-13T17:15:00.002-07:002013-06-13T17:19:48.667-07:00Back Home Again... In Indiana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Most Hoosiers would know that song.. now I can't get it out of my head.. "Back Home Again.... In Indianaaaaaa...."<br />
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Greeted by my sister at the airport.. she is always the one to pick me up and drop me off... and to think I used to continuously destroy her Barbie Dolls!! ;-)))))<br />
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After 17 hours of flying (20 hours since I checked in to the Buenos Aires Airport), she gave me the car and I was off and running.. Only a few days to accomplish a thousand goals. The plane landed at 2:30 PM and I had a meeting with an insurance agent at 3:30 PM and directly after that was to the bank to sort out months of bank stuff.. Then I drove to my brothers house on the opposite side of town.<br />
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Aunt Sherri Jo! Aunt Sherri Jo! Check this out!! (Geez, Sam, can I at least get a hug first?) <br />
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Definitely a Wilkins!<br />
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Our next favorite thing to do is our yearly visit to the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.3937,-87.0686&spn=0.01,0.01&q=39.3937,-87.0686%20(Exotic%20Feline%20Rescue%20Center)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Exotic Feline Rescue Center">Exotic Feline Rescue Center</a>.. and I can NOT believe how much these kids have grown since I last saw them. Oldest nephew Joey has surpassed me.. and I'm 5'9"!! Sam and Molley will pass me up in probably 2 weeks time. Bugger.. I was hoping they'd stay smaller for a few more years. As everyone says, they grow up so fast. As far as the lions are concerned? Parker, Tucker and Tao are now grumpy old men.. When I first started volunteering here at EFRC in 2000, they were much younger.. and nicer! But I think they are secretly happy to see us. ;-)<br />
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And these kids... lots of kisses and chuffs!<br />
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Big boss, Joe Taft, Director extraordinnaire.. I'm always happy to see them every year. I get all the gossip and updates and miss being there on a regular basis. If you'd like to see more of the work and dedication both Joe and Jean have for giving these animals the best life, go to <a href="http://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/home.html">http://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/home.html</a><br />
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Always happy to see Rebecca who has been a full-time permanent for years now.. We've spent our time feeding out cow legs and heads and scooping up tiger poo together over the years. Today I'm not working but I got quite a chuckle when I saw her in a firefighters suit! "Rebecca, where did you get that!?" She said it was donated when the local firefighters got new gear. Brilliant! Water/blood proof, warm and dry.. just what we need out there on a cold day. Then she says, "Sherri Jo, you always have so many good looking guys on your blog, why don't I ever meet those guys?" I hope she sees this and notices this particular fashion statement might be part of the distraction... just sayin' ???!! Too funny.<br />
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Back to my sister's house where my other kids are growing like weeds.. Jack and Julia! We went to the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.0,-86.0&spn=3.0,3.0&q=40.0,-86.0%20(Indiana)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Indiana">Indiana</a> History Museum, which I absolutely love. I used to annoy the heck out of my Mom when I'd come home from school and carry on and on about Indiana History. Now it's Julia's turn to do it to my sister.. ha! The museum was new, interactive and very well done. A real credit to them!<br />
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Jack and Abraham Lincoln..</div>
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They have the wall of immigration.. I should create a new wall of emigration!<br />
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Superstar niece Julia (in the back row) is dancing at an event to raise money for cancer research in honor of her Grandma (my Mom) who died of cancer in 2001. Beautiful girl, great job, Grandma Janice would be so proud!<br />
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Now!! One of my favorite new discoveries in Indiana this year at my sisters house is this!! Pancakes and sausage on a stick... brilliant!! Only in America would you find such a creation!! Dipped in a bit of maple syrup.. and its a perfect breakfast!<br />
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Back to the cat farm a second time with niece and nephew #2! I used to spend every single day out here so the more I can visit with everyone the happier I am!<br />
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We had lots of fun, and I love my days with nieces and nephews. I might only see them one a year, but this time has been a long 18 months. Stop growing!!<br />
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Now back to the east side of town and to my nephews school play. Number one, I love seeing the good use that a hat I sent to him from Cusco Peru made in the play!! Secondly, it was the funniest school play I've ever seen. <br />
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You can't achieve a goal like that and not go to the Frosty Boy. Parents said No.. but Aunt Sherri Jo says............ YES!!<br />
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I think me and Molley pretty much make the same face when we've got a yummy ice cream flavor!<br />
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Don't get too comfortable, back out to the west side where Julia has invited me to her school for "Special Person's Day" and do a small presentation in her class. Her teacher, Mrs. Hedges let me keep talking as long as the kids had questions, and boy did they have lots of questions! It was so much fun. <br />
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Sherri Jo's Because I Can World tour on a map!! Even I haven't seen this until we drew the route in class!!</div>
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Winding up a whirlwind trip, one of my favorite surprises ever. You all know how much I love duct tape. Julia doesn't follow facebook, so she doesn't know how my windscreen looks and how the people make fun of it. Yet! She made me a document holder using only duct tape! The duct tape in America has so many fun styles and colors and I absolutley love the design, including a velcro seal. Perfect for me and that's right where my motorcycle documents sit to this day.. thanks again Miss Julia!!<br />
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Even though it is spring in Indiana, the buds on the trees, grass turning green, THE DAY I'm due to fly out, a huge snow storm desides to dump it on Indiana. I love the snow, so I'm excited on one hand, and really hoping it doesn't screw up my flights today. I have a prepaid cheapie connection flight from Sydney to Auckland and I won't get my money back if I miss it.<br />
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Goodbye once again Indiana! Will be missing all my family before I even get on the airplane, but it's unfortunately that time.<br />
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You wouldn't believe. We only suffered a 1 hour delay departing Indianapolis in a full on snow storm. I was expecting total shut down! I had to fly to the east coast, Washington DC for my next connection, which was also getting the snow. I ran to my gate as fast as I could, where I was the last person to board the flight to San Francisco!!! WHEW!!!!! San Fran was no problem and I arrived exactly on time in Sydney Australia. A true miracle!<br />
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Over 40 hours from airport to airport this time. But I'm not complaining.. It's all been on frequent flier miles and so far since Buenos Aires, I've only paid around $100 USD in taxes for about $6000 worth of flight.. economy! Now, I'm unofficially in my home country, Australia. Here I have a 6 hour layover for my final connection to Auckland, New Zealand. That was a weird feeling for a few hours! Everything was the same in the airport and it seemed like I was just here..Billabong and Ugg Boots shops.. has it really been nearly 3 years?? Yep, I haven't been to Australia since June 2010. I half way feel I'd like to just carry on to Adelaide, but I have a motorcycle waiting for me in New Zealand...<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Indianapolis, IN, USA39.768403 -86.15806800000001439.377911 -86.803515000000019 40.158895 -85.51262100000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-43866288781041577142013-06-08T20:46:00.001-07:002013-06-08T20:56:57.234-07:00Leaving South America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Final days winding down my life in South America. Gee whiz, since the time I arrived <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=10.4,-75.5&spn=0.1,0.1&q=10.4,-75.5%20(Cartagena%2C%20Colombia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Cartagena, Colombia">Cartagena, Colombia</a> in January 2012, all the way down to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.8,-68.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.8,-68.3%20(Ushuaia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ushuaia">Ushuaia, Argentina</a>.. and everything in between, there have been the highest of highs (5,903 meters to be exact!) and the lowest of lows.<br />
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The time has come to prepare the bike for shipping to Auckland, New Zealand. I've given myself two weeks here in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.6033333333,-58.3816666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-34.6033333333,-58.3816666667%20(Buenos%20Aires)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Buenos Aires">Buenos Aires</a>. Not because I need two weeks to prepare the bike, but it's just for me to settle, to reflect on the last 14 months and to savor the last bits of this amazing continent in style.<br />
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Looking around, it's still all about <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Per%C3%B3n" rel="wikipedia" title="Eva Perón">Eva Peron</a> (Evita) here.. even though she's been gone since 1952! She made quite an impact on the country in her short life, then died at the age of 33. If you want to learn more about her, click on the link of her name highlighted above.<br />
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The view from my little temporary home near <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.6088888889,-58.3786111111&spn=0.01,0.01&q=-34.6088888889,-58.3786111111%20(Avenida%20de%20Mayo)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Avenida de Mayo">Avenida de Mayo</a>. I'm not usually a city girl, but I love being right here in the heart of it all.<br />
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While I'm out here on my balcony taking photos, I can't help but to take one last photo of my favorite jeans. I've been sewing them and sewing them and even this morning, the material has become so thin, they keep tearing for no good reason. Seriously, I'm just sitting at the table on the computer, I look down and watch the leg split again right above my last sewing job. What the heck, I didn't even move!! I did get my money's worth, so I'll be leaving these behind. One last thing to carry on the airplane when I move on. I'll miss these jeans!<br />
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I do have a very important job to take care of before delivering my bike to the airlines for shipping. I didn't have the mechanics here fix the problem from Uruguay, but thankfully they agreed to let me store the bike at their shop. It's much safer than downtown Buenos Aires, and an ideal place to come in each day for the supersize cleaning job I need to do. After crossing 48 borders, the country of New Zealand will be the first one who will not allow that bike through unless it's clean and spotless. They have very serious quarantine rules. So to avoid extra costs on the other end, I take to cleaning my bike with a tootbrush.. seriously!<br />
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For three days in a row, I took the 40 minute train ride out to the suburb where my bike lives. <br />
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Three years of dirt needs to be removed!<br />
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Gee whiz, can you imagine if you have to do this at every border in the world!??<br />
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Every time I think I've got it perfect, I see another speck of dried dust in a corner.. ugh!<br />
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And then the train ride back home, I seem to hit rush hour no matter what time I go..<br />
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If I wasn't working on the bike, I'd wander about Buenos Aires and see tango tango tango.. everywhere tango. Night and day, there is a true passion in the city for this dance.<br />
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This couple wasn't dressed up. If I'm right, they were just out for a Sunday stroll when the music hit them.. They did one dance and then walked on! I thought that was very cool... In my imagination, they've been married since they were 18 years old and the passion still lives..!<br />
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I was sort of wishing I was the girl in the photo above...he looks like the perfect man to tango with!!! <br />
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I put this next tourist attraction off for most of my stay.. I eventually wandered in to the cemetary on one of my last days. I knew it was popular but it didn't appeal to me at first until I thought, why not. Everyone must want to come here for a reason. And I found out why. It truly is quite an impressive cemetary!<br />
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I didn't take a tour. I just wandered about making up my own stories to the gorgeous sculptures here. On this first one, it looked like to me that the man wanted to stay and is holding on to dear Earth. But the Angel says, "No, no! You've got to go that way... UP!" ;-)<br />
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Big money spent on the plots here. This modern marble structure had quite an eery Angel of Death. <br />
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This next one was my favorite. What a beautiful sculpture of the young girl who died along with her beloved dog.<br />
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The dog's name is Sabu. "Faithful friend to Liliana"</div>
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Time ran out??</div>
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If I had to pick, the one above suited me. Just a rock in a natural setting.. perfect! <br />
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Okay! That will conclude your tiny tour of Buenos Aires! It's kind of weird to include so many photos of a cemetary in a blog post.. but I think of all the hard work and money put into the place, I might as well share. And to go even deeper into thought, it sort of represents the end of my time in South America.<br />
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We've packed the bike into to the truck to be delivered to the airline warehouse, where the plan is for the bike to take a lovely flight with Emirates to Auckland! And for me...well? I should probably explain how this all worked out.<br />
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I've been researching the costs for quite some time on how to get myself and my motorcycle across the ocean to New Zealand or Australia. Each time I tried to work it out myself or with helpers, the cost was coming up to about $5000 USD... !!!! It was a real worry for this much money going out on my next transfer as you can imagine.<br />
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I think it was Mark who suggested I check my frequent flier miles as he was using his for the same reason. I checked and thank goodness I have enough! However, I can't just fly Buenos Aires to Auckland on one frequent flier ticket, the connections didn't work that way. Lots and lots of playing around on websites, I figured out that it was cheaper to fly to the United States first, then New Zealand. The next challenge, I couldn't use my FF miles to Auckland, only to Sydney, Australia! Logistics!!!<br />
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But the flight from Sydney to Auckland is cheap.. So final conclusion, I'm going Argentina to USA (and taking a few days to visit my family.. that's going to work out well!) And from Indiana, I will fly to Washington DC (East) then DC to San Francisco.. to Sydney, eventually reaching Auckland for a grand total of $200 USD! Thank the Lord for Frequent Flier Miles!!<br />
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And for the bike? The fees and charges added up to around $1450 USD for the size and weight of my bike. They do NOT allow you to send personal items along with the bike, so I'll have to carry everything myself on my own flight. Anyway, the black market is crazy for United States dollars in bills, so I was able to exchange my emergency money on the black market for such a good price, that it brought the price of my motorcycle shipping down to just under $900 USD. Woo hoo!! So my $5000 trip has been officially reduced to $1100 total for both. I am happy with THAT result! <br />
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Dear ol' Tony get's a shrink wrap job at the airport. I might borrow the idea, maybe to lose some weight myself!<br />
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Ciao, Tony.. Thanks for getting me this far, and see you in New Zealand.......<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Buenos Aires, Argentina-34.6037232 -58.381593100000032-34.8128082 -58.704316600000034 -34.394638199999996 -58.05886960000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-57450467460643390952013-05-31T03:55:00.000-07:002013-05-31T04:01:30.510-07:00Buenos Aires, Argentina to Uruguay and back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fast forward about 1330 kms of hard core riding and I came to the outskirts of Buenos Aires. I've been told a couple of times to be careful riding into the city. It's very dangerous and if you get caught out in the wrong neighborhood, the bad guys won't be afraid to pull you right off your bike at a stop light. That could be anywhere really, some places worse than others, but I'll stay alert.<br />
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At a large round-a-bout off Ruta 3, there are 2 major options for a road into the city. Luckily I didn't choose right there and then. Which way??!! I couldn't make a quick choice, so I continued the circle like a bike going down a drainpipe to look at my choices again. I then noticed a female police officer waiting on one of the corners for a ride. I stopped and asked her which route was the safest and she was very clear that I must take the toll road into the center. She also said, the standard route through the barrios is very dangerous and to avoid it at all costs. She pointed me onto the toll road without stoplights. Decision made.. done and thank you!<br />
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I knew which neighborhood I was headed to in the city, because I have a place to stay! Facebook friend, Martin, who's been messaging me for nearly 2 years just happens to be here visiting his family and friends. Otherwise, he lives in the United States. We will be meeting for the first time and staying at his best friends Mom's house, Ines.. got that straight?? ;-) <br />
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Martin says that each year he comes home to visit, he buys one of these little Hondas' to get around town.. It's cute, I love it!<br />
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I follow him through the busy city streets a bit to help me find the office I am going to use to organize my shipping out of South America. I'm quite keen to get everything organized as soon as possible. There is a lot to do to prepare shipping from South America to New Zealand. Plus, even though I'm in Buenos Aires now, I have one more country to visit before I go.. Uruguay! So it was really helpful for Martin to show me around this town now as I'll spend more time here when I return from Uruguay..<br />
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We got back to Ines' home and I love this woman! She lives in a part of Buenos Aries that is completely taken over by highrise apartments. She's been living in this one house for over 40 years, raised her children here and she doesn't want to sell or move! So she hasn't and I'd say she's not going to anytime soon! One very adventurous inspiring woman who's planning a trip to Africa with her sister AND Martin..ha!<br />
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We came back to drop off luggage, etc. and Martin was feeling a bit cold. I've got a bag full of warm riding gear, and for once I'm not the cold one! So we dressed him up in my winter jacket and neckscarf. Looking good in Sherri Jo's clothes, Martin! <br />
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We sat and visited with Ines for a while. Martin said she was originally concerned to have an Aussie/American stay in the house because she doesn't speak English. But I was able to communicate in Spanish, thank goodness. I still screw up a lot, but I've been in enough countries to know that language barrier can be uncomfortable if you are staying the night.. So we ended up getting along super well and she loved hearing some of the travel stories in my bad Spanish! Such a busy social lady, that phone never stopped ringing!<br />
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She reminds me of what I'll be like at her age.. a cooky crazy Auntie with funny little things to show off from my travels. I could only wish to be as classy as she is though.<br />
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Martin wants to take me around central Buenos Aires on the back of his bike. It's just easier that way, we can talk, not get cut off in traffic, etc.<br />
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The first government house built in colonial times, called Cabildo de Buenos Aires 1609. Far too small, they didn't use it long, and currently a museum.<br />
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Buenos Aires is often called the "Paris" of South America. I found that hard to believe, but now I see why!</div>
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Then there is the North America comparison. Here is the equivalent of the United States White House; the Buenos Aires Pink House! Casa Rosada, office to the President of Argentina. Don't get me started on what I think of HER! <br />
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He's a latin man... he'll dance anywhere.. ;-)<br />
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Martin asks what I would like for dinner. I'd rather that he decide since this is his city! He says, I want to take you to my favorite pizza place and then go to my favorite place for steak and then ice cream!! Gee whiz!!!! As long as each one is small, otherwise, I couldn't imagine eating that much! First stop, pizza in a famous old neighborhood, San Telmo....<br />
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Ummm Martin? I'd be lucky to get through just one of those, let alone a steak afterwards!! Oh man, that was good...but super big and heavy. Now back on the bike! Who ate the onion slice?????<br />
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What's fun for me sitting on the back of Martin's bike is being able to have a good look around, to take photos and not worry about traffic. I loved this old car, but you would have seen many old cars in my other posts. Argentina is known for keeping the oldest cars on the road, and they are always so great to see.. <br />
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Another stop on the Martin tour is this famous bridge called "Puente de la Mujer" (Bridge of the Woman). It's a suspension walking bridge, with a center piece built to rotate to allow water traffic through. It's a fun piece of modern architecture in contrast to the old industrial buildings that connects Puerto Madero to the city. Interesting history, the $6 million bridge was donated by a wealthy family and the city of Buenos Aires takes no responsibility for it. The bridge was closed for repair just 3 years after it was built and the family have been "chosen" to keep it maintained. I personally think they should have had that minor detail sorted before it was built.. but from our point of view, it does look good!!<br />
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Now, Martin finally agrees that steak and pizza is a bit over the top, but we're not giving up on the most important part.. Ice Cream!! And to be more clear, Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.. OMG!!! We should have just come here first! I can not tell you how good that ice cream was.. I will remember it forever.. I sure hope I can find this flavor when I get home, or I'll probably just start hand making it.. Yep, I'm looking up the recipe now... ;-))))<br />
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But wait, there's more!! Now we are riding the bike around this super pretty planetarium which quite proudly displays the Argentine colors.. a lot!<br />
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Next is an important monument, Obelisco de Buenos Aires. It was built to commemorate 400 years since the foundation of the city and has since become an icon. It sits in the middle of 9 de Julio, the widest street in the world. And I can vouch for that ! I crossed it nearly every day and it usually took 2 street light changes to make it across, unless I wanted to run like a ding dong but it wasn't that important.. ;-)<br />
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Martin and I are stopped in the middle, so double that distance to cross the road.<br />
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I enjoyed the next 2 days running around as a little pillion Honda rider with Martin as he made the rounds saying last goodbyes to family and friends. It was a super fun time. I do enjoy riding on the back of a bike and always that much better to spend it with a local. Martin has a flight out to Africa and I want to get to Uruguay, so we eventually said our goodbyes too. Thanks again for the hospitality!!<br />
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The next morning I take the ferry from downtown Buenos Aires to Colonia, Uruguay. I quite honestly don't have much in me to visit this country. I've heard great things about it and I'm not going to walk away without seeing it, but ever since the last few weeks I have felt my South American time is done and I'm quite ready to move on. So this will only be a little 3 day trip, and it's an easy one obviously, ferry to ferry.<br />
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Welcome to Uruguay! As I'm waiting for the aduana guy to give me my papers back, I got a chuckle out of this sign. "Welcome to Uruguay.. now get out! (Salida)" Of course it's not what they're saying.. And then below in English. "Welcome to Uruguay, sorry for the inconveniences caused.." Ha! Now I'm worried, I wonder what's going to happen?<br />
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The road out of Colonia is a pretty one! I'm expecting to see a golf resort any minute now..<br />
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I traveled along a really boring road to my first stop, the capital, Montevideo.<br />
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This building in the center really caught my eye as I was exploring downtown. It's called Palacio Salvo, built by an Italian architect in 1928. Originally built to be a hotel, it was a bit too big to keep full, so they turned the units into luxury apartments.</div>
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Moving on up to the next big city, Punte del Este and a must-see to ride over the wavy bridge at La Barra!!<br />
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I think there should be more wavy bridges in the world.. are they earthquake tolerant??<br />
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If Argentina has old cars, well so does Uruguay.. both countries are like taking a huge step back in time.. it's nice, I like it!<br />
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View from my camp spot, Uruguay</div>
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I rode back to Colonia a day early. The bike was acting a bit funny and I couldn't put my finger on it. Also I wanted to be in town to do some banking business, stay the night and explore before catching the morning ferry back to Buenos Aires.<br />
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Colonia was built by the Portuguese. Clearly evident in the architecture and the stone streets! This historic center is a world heritage site.<br />
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I know I've shown a few old cars on the road. This one is not for travel. They use it outside the restaurant. You can sit inside for a cup of tea if you like! Looks very limiting for business, but a cute idea! ;-)<br />
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This so much reminds me of south Portugal.. memories!!<br />
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I spotted the ferry arriving from Buenos Aires. I can't get my head around this muddy water. I hear about so many people coming here to retire and I imagine that water would get to me. I'm a bit spoiled and prefer the blue/green waters of the world! Anyway, it's a mix of the Atlantic Ocean with river water from Rio de la Plata. Here is an aerial view to give a better perspective <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rio_de_la_Plata_BA_2.JPG">Aerial view muddy water</a> from Colonia, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina.<br />
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The next morning I pack up my bike and I had a gut feeling that I wished didn't come true. The bike wouldn't start. I tried and tried, it's not a dead battery.. just dead! I don't know what it is.. I'm not sure I want to know. But what can I do. I've already booked and paid for the ferry ticket. Luckily, while staying in Colonia, I was close enough and able to roll my motorcycle down hill to the ferry port.. how lucky is that!!?? I checked in at immigration, then rolled my bike through the line to board the ferry. I was not happy.. at all!<br />
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In line I met another ride.. remember in just the last post? I always meet riders on these ferries.. always! Anyway, this lovely man, Mario was traveling with his daughter. He was so kind, with worry on his face when he saw me, "What is wrong?" I told him the bike won't start. He had lots and lots of the right words to say, made me feel better instantly, and they both looked after me on the ferry. We had so much fun. Mario and Candy have been traveling 3 weeks together and they will be home once they get off the ferry and ride another 200 km. so close!<br />
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It was great to see a father and daughter traveling that far together on their motorcycle.. so happy to meet them.<br />
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We docked in Buenos Aires around 11 pm, but Mario and Candy would not continue their own journey until they knew both me and my bike was completely secure for the night. Far too sweet as they have quite a bit to accomplish at this late hour themselves, another 200 km riding! So I feel very guilty, but they wouldn't leave!<br />
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I did get everything sorted and said goodbye to my new friends. Here my dead bike will stay tonight in the underground parking at the ferry office. I took every little thing off the bike, just in case they find a way to break into the panniers at 3 AM in downtown BsAs!<br />
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I'm not sure what I'm going to do or how I'll handle this as of yet.. but I give up for now. Hopefully the bike will be there in the morning and I'll tackle the problem then.<br />
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Buenos Noches!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com1Colonia Del Sacramento, Uruguay-34.4607189 -57.833909899999981-34.5130909 -57.914590899999979 -34.408346900000005 -57.753228899999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-1365053886448893562013-05-28T16:55:00.001-07:002013-05-31T02:53:14.485-07:00Awesome Perito Moreno Glacier y Peninsula Valdes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My extended 3 week stay in a tent Ushuaia style has finally come to an end. Now it's time to say goodbye to another Argentinian family who I just adore. I really loved living here, Camp Rio Pipos for any of you heading to Ushuaia, I highly recommend!!<br />
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I have no idea what could ever replace my mornings of having a helicopter land on my breakfast table!<br />
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Ciao Ruben!!</div>
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There was a young couple from Poland staying at the campground and we chose to ride together today to Punta Arenas Chile, about 430 km north.<br />
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We got to the border and there was this motorbike parked using the fence to prop it up. I thought, this bike has to be a joke, there is no way somebody actually rides it! But I was wrong, the rider was waiting in line for immigration and sipping on his Yerba Mate.<br />
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The headlight is busted out and there is no side stand.. and I don't think it could handle a side stand anyway! And I never want to hear anybody judge me by my black bag again. This is a male rider!!<br />
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There is a cheese grater by the license plate. The computer bag is hanging over the fence side of the bike.. open! I wish I had a Horizons Unlimited business card. The guy needs some guidance from their website! But I may take up his idea to travel with a cheese grater..!<br />
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The road to Porvenir Chile, where we'll catch the afternoon ferry.<br />
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Even with 3 gps's at work, there is always a question which way to turn in town.<br />
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Irrelevant. I remember thinking while watching the Mom do yardwork, that I haven't worked in my own yard for 2 1/2 years.. and thinking about my yard caused me to take this photo. Not logical but that's a bit more insight into how my mind works than you need! ;-)))<br />
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We got to the ferry on time, which is important because there is no ferry again until this time tomorrow!<br />
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I think every ferry I've ever been on is where we meet other riders.. always! Here we met some guys from Brazil.<br />
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We stayed the night in Punta Arenas. James had been living here for 3 weeks, so there wasn't much point in hanging around. I got my new tires (Heidenau's! ;-)) the next day and we headed north to Perito Moreno Glacier.<br />
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First glimpse of the glacier.. wow!<br />
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Perito Moreno Glacier is the most impressive massive glacier I've seen on the planet thus far. I knew it was a highlight for the area. Quite honestly, I've seen plenty of glaciers in northern Canada and Alaska and was just expecting the same. But this crazy glacier blows those other ones away and well worth the journey!<br />
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I usually don't like photos that include tourists, but this one I like because it's a better perspective of just house enormous this thing is!<br />
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Every few minutes there is the large sound of thunder, which is not thunder but the sound of a big piece of ice breaking off and crashing into the water.. spectacular!<br />
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To me, this looks like nature's cathedral.<br />
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I really enjoyed hanging about. The park services did an excellent job putting together viewing platforms from top to bottom and even a boat to get you closer.<br />
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We stayed in El Calafate, and I made a surprise decision, even for myself! The road north of here is supposed to be gorgeous, the Carretera Austral through Chile. What will I see? More beauty.. lovely lakes, mountains, views, the type of world we dream of. But I've been seeing beautiful lakes, glaciers, views, Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands.. the list goes on forever! Feeling very content and ready to complete my South American tour, I decide to bypass more pretty roads, leave James behind and head out. My plan is to get to Buenos Aires where I'll be shipping my bike to New Zealand. Buenos Aires is the last big thing on my list for this part of the world and all I can think about is getting there and preparing myself and my bike for the next phase of the Because I Can World Tour!<br />
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My heated jacket is still not working, so in this chilly weather I've got all my layers on including my winter coat! This is one supersize Sherri Jo, but at least I'll be warm~!<br />
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James is not so pleased that I'm leaving. It's always hard to say goodbye to friends you travel with. But there is no question.. I gotta go! James still has a lot to accomplish of South America, including Bolivia.. big wishes that the remainder of his travels are safe, a nice big hug and I'm gone.<br />
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After all those photos I took yesterday at Perito Moreno Glacier, I forgot to recharge my camera batteries last night. This is the one and only photo I took all day.. What a shame! This road was crazy. 280 kilometers of super deep gravel ALONE. I did not see a single car all day, only a couple on a double bicycle loaded down with gear, which to me is worse! I stopped and asked if they needed anything as they were pushing that push bike up a hill. They didn't. Why the heck would you come to this part of the world and ride this gravel road on a bike!? I guess I'm not one to speak. It was a shortcut for me, is why I'm riding it today..<br />
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You see that little bit of blue sky in the photo above? I chased it the entire ride. It was black, pouring rain in El Calafate, and didn't want it to get me so my goal was to ride faster than the clouds and I won!<br />
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I couldn't believe it. I rode so fast standing on my foot pegs, nearly hitting every Vicuna on the way. I wish I got photos of them, they were great. Near the end of the road, I was wondering how much farther to Ruta 3, so I looked down at my gps. In that split second I put myself into the middle of the road where the gravel was the thickest.. Really deep. My bike starting swaying so hard back and forth in the soft rocks, there was no question I was going down big time. It kept swaying and I kept trying to gently direct the sway out of the gravel.. and I won that battle too! Seriously couldn't believe that one either.. I was going way down and didn't!! I slowly came to a stop.. took a few breaths.. said a few bad words. Saw the gps finally, it said only 5 km's to Ruta 3. If only I had known I shouldn't have bothered to look.<br />
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Once on Ruta 3, I turned north and that wind was blowing a gale. I had it behind me down the gravel road riding east, which was great. But it was evil as I rode north again. I was tired and didn't feel like battling the wind, but I did it anyway and made it back to the same campsite I used on the way down a few weeks ago near Puerto San Julian.<br />
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Now I just need to concentrate on riding north 2,200 km (1367 miles) to Buenos Aires.<br />
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Fairly uneventful.. few photos, just wanting to get the job done.<br />
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I stopped in Puerto Madryn for the night at a backpackers and learned about Peninsula Valdes. Some of the young guys were telling me there are Orcas out the peninsula. Well, I haven't seen an Orca yet!! I decided to ride the gravel roads out there to try my luck. There is no guarantee they'll be there the next day, but it's worth a try!<br />
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You can see how the wind blows the sand and gravel around like snow.. Nonetheless, it's a super easy ride. Well maintained road.<br />
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I arrived the point for the best views of the Orcas supposedly. I was early enough that I was the first one there. The park ranger was really cool. He said I'd have to hang around all day to see the Orcas and if they show up, they are pretty far out there. You need high tide for them to be close, which is around 4pm. My Orca experience is getting dimmer and dimmer.<br />
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The sea lions are cool though! I've seen a fair amount of these guys lately, so I'm not as excited as I should be. Really enjoy watching the pups play, they are so goofy! But I get an unnecessary worry when one of the babies is crying to his Mom out to sea. I can't help but to want to sit with it, keep it calm, give it some fish.. but I can't!<br />
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Back down the dirt road, the same way I came in to head back to the mainland for my ride north. I still have quite a lot to accomplish today.<br />
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One last stop at Puerto Piramides.. It's time for a very late lunch, about 3 pm.. and I'm starving!!<br />
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Mmmmm. Vegetable tart at a cute little oceanside cafe!!<br />
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El viento viene.. El viento se va. (The wind comes, the wind goes... ) That is South Argentinian life,and I can say it comes far more than it goes!!! </div>
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Finished the road.. no Orcas.. but lots of Sea lions and an awesome lunch. Now.. on to Buenos Aires!!!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com4El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina-50.3402138 -72.270507800000019-50.3807533 -72.351188800000017 -50.2996743 -72.18982680000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-69940231311808048142013-05-23T18:38:00.001-07:002013-05-31T02:51:18.937-07:00Beeyooteeful Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For three days riding a couple thousand kilometers in one of the windiest places on earth, I was beyond lucky to arrive without any wind, no struggles, nice and warm air.. unheard of!<br />
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I didn't expect that luck to last even one day more, so when the wind picked up on my 2nd night in the campground, I was like, "there you are!!". It's a good thing Gabby left, because this is what I
woke up to!<br />
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I
shouldn't say woke up, because I was awake most of the night battling the wind. I kept unzipping the tent
and trying to figure out in the dark what I should do with the bike. I moved
it like 3 times, and thought I had it right. I thought about laying it down on the ground and be done with it, but I worried myself that if laying horizontal for too long would cause some other damage or problem to the bike, especially with my recently!.Somewhere between 4 and 5 AM, I must have finally slept through the roaring noise. When I opened my tent one last time with a bit of daylight, the bike was down. I
didn't hear it fall! Either from lack of sleep or it went with the
sound of crashing trees right across from me, I don't know. I did hear the crashing trees, most familiar with that sound. I remember throwing my arms over my head and hoping for the best! I do admit I considered
putting my helmet on to try to sleep. That tree crashed close
enough to me confirming I should have done exactly that! There were some
great suggestions from facebook friends hat I should have just laid my
bike down to begin with (I knew it!) or lean it against a tree. I did even better
after that. There were two trees growing closely together. I could park it between them which will hold up the bike no
matter what direction the wind might blow. The family that own the campground have a large building with kitchen, etc. When I walked in that morning, they say, "You're alive!!" The son, Gaston, calls me Julia (Hoolia) He doesn't know why, he just thinks I look like a Julia. I'm okay with that since it's my most gorgeous nieces name, so Julia (Hoolia) it is! They say, "Julia, next time the weather is like that you come inside the building for the night to be safe." <br />
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Here
is where I'll be camping for a while, Rio Pipos. I need to wait on James who is in Punta Arenas, Chile which is 430 kilometers away to wait for his BMW parts to arrive from England. It's
going to take awhile. He keeps saying 5 days express post, but I've been
down that road. There is no 5 days about it! South American customs, no matter which country, would never allow a package to arrive that easy..NEVER!! So I settle in.</div>
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Finally a nice
weather day, thought I'd go and ride around Ushuaia, just because I can. Also I need a hardware store since most of the bolts to my
panniers are missing from the rugged gravel ride south, so it might be
worth replacing those today too!<br />
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I got a kick out of the trees below. How they grew through the strong winds is interesting, and proof you need to be tough to survive at the bottom of the world!<br />
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I
do like it here. Most riders get their "badge", have their celebratory
drinks, a photo, and leave the next day. I can't help to keep thinking that out
of all the places in the world I get to call home for a while, it's at
the very tippy bottom of the world, Ushuaia.<br />
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Every morning I walked into this building to have my breakfast and work on the internet.. blog of course! Ruben always had something for me. A piece of chocolate, fruit salad, one day even a big slice of cake! And then he takes to flying his little remote control helicopter around the room, with me being his target practice. This truly was completely entertaining and he's quite good at it! He flies it up through the rafters, around big lights to land on my little desk.<br />
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This is Argentina, they make good food. Usually an asado (lots of meat on the supersize indoor grill) is happening, today is empanada day. Quite a big project from one woman, Maria. So she puts her husband to work!<br />
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Focus, Ruben, Focus!! He can't... ;-)))<br />
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They are such a close family. Four sons, wives and grandchildren stop by every single day.<br />
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You couldn't ask for a better Grandpa...<br />
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One day, number 4 son, Gaston came in and asked, "Julia, my brother and I are going on a hike today, would you like to come?" Si!! Yes!!! Anything to get out of here and do something different!<br />
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I had no idea where we are going, doesn't really matter. We just left!<br />
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We drove down the road for bit in the car, parked it and this is the beginning of the trail.. Looks freakin' good to me!!<br />
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We came across several of these very impressive beaver dams. Beavers are introduced species here and actually cause a lot of damage. But you have to admit, that's a pretty cool house!<br />
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The melting glacier above supplies this beautiful lake.<br />
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We hiked to this point, the goal for Gaston, his brother and friend. Here we will stop and eat our lunch. How's this for a little lunch break!!?? I love my life!!<br />
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The color of this glacial water is striking. I remember similar colors in the water around Lake Louise, near Banff, Canada.<br />
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Laguna Esmeralda</div>
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After lunch, you can always count on the wind picking up, especially around the mountains.. And boy did it ever!<br />
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We took a different path to the car and walked through a property that does dog sled tours.. in the winter of course! For now it looks like they remain tied to a pole with a barrel house.<br />
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Thanks Gaston for inviting for this awesome hike. A true highlight of my time in Ushuaia!<br />
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A couple days later I got a surprise visit from none other than James! <br />
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That sucker had returned the day before from Punta Arenas by bus, fixed his motorcycle which was stored in town and then came out to see us. What a surprise! I guess I can now start making plans for my future, I was starting to think I would be living in Ushuaia forever!<br />
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James had asked me long ago to wait making the obligatory ride to the official end of the road until he was here. So today we can finally, finally, finally after my break down and his break down make it to the end of the road.. woo hoo!!<br />
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Some lazy views as we ride through National Park Tierra del Fuego.<br />
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I'll just stay here.. <br />
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Here we are.. no riding south of here unless we continue via icebergs to Antarctica! ;-)<br />
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I finally got my scout badge.. The famous photo at the end of the road. The southern most point on the planet we can ride a motorcycle.<br />
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I'm so happy we have two functioning motorcycles. This means my time at the bottom of the world is perfectly complete. What a ride!!!<br />
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Adios Ushuaia!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com1Ushuaia, Argentina-54.8019121 -68.302951099999973-54.875108100000006 -68.464312599999971 -54.7287161 -68.141589599999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-22469203291884694982013-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:002013-05-23T17:35:00.918-07:00To Ushuaia on a motorcycle!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So this is how my day started leaving the farm, Estancia el Chalet, and James behind on my ride down to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.8,-68.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.8,-68.3%20(Ushuaia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ushuaia">Ushuaia</a>. Remember the one fuel station in town that I mentioned in the previous blog post? It has finally had a fuel delivery and EVERYBODY needs some! So I must wait in line. <br />
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The line goes quick enough though, I have to say. What I like about Argentinian stations is that they fill the tank for you and take your money on the spot. No need to go into a building and walk thorough rows of potato chips, coke, tools, magazines, t-shirts, and fluffy toys just to get to the cashier to pay. They run this a bit like an assembly line! I wonder how long it will take to fill that lovely camper I'm behind..<br />
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The van says, "Argentina.. Busqueme, me encontraron, en el pais de la libertad" Hopefully I have this right, but I interpret it to say, "I look, I find, in the country of freedom"<br />
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I'm freeeee.......!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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Only me and the road.. I am loving it!!<br />
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I can't get over my luck. I am riding in warm weather free of wind. Zero wind, in one of the windiest places in the world! I know I'm lucky today and I'm going to take advantage of this and ride as far as I can. I bet the wind returns tomorrow. I rode 635 km the first day with only a small snack stop. I just didn't want to stop!<br />
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The most perfect riding conditions 29C, hundreds of kilometers later, still no wind..!! All I've ever heard from every soul I've spoken to about this ride is how difficult it is to ride in the cold horizontal wind. I've certainly experienced it in prior days, so I'm expecting it any moment. I'm overdressed, warm and loving my day!<br />
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I met another solo rider on the way. The poor dear ran out of gas. He was funny. He flew over from Spain, purchased his bike in Alaska and is riding it to Ushuaia, with only $500 budget. No wonder he ran out of gas! EVERYTHING is freakin' expensive down here!!<br />
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We are about 50 km to the next fuel stop and I am running on fumes as it is. Nothing to spare, but regardless of the distance, I will go get him some gas and bring it back. He said that would be great but another rider on a BMW had just stopped and offered the same. It's a gamble as you don't know if as stranger will show up for a 100 km round trip, but I still said I would do the same. It's better to have too much than not enough. After all the help I've received, I can't just leave him there!<br />
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I found the BMW rider at the fuel station 50 km later. He had already purchased a big fuel container and had it strapped on to the back seat of his bike. I talked to him just to confirm this fuel is for the guy stranded on the road (por el hombre de Espana) and he said yes. I asked again, just to be sure, it's a red bike that he bought in Alaska (el moto rojo de Alaska).." Si, Si, Senorita!" I feel confident with that, so I filled up my own tanks and went on my way. I just wish I knew triple sure that he gets the fuel, but I'm trying not to be so over the top... ;-)<br />
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I was still belting down the road enjoying the ride and my lucky weather when I wondered what the hurry was. I pulled over for a night in San Julian on the east coast early about 2 pm, set up camp on the ocean and took advantage of this wonderful weather! I decided to make myself a nice meal with the camp burner with a plan to enjoy the sunset. <br />
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San Julian, Argentina</div>
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My tent was set up by about 2:20 and I went to the grocery. Hmm, I'm bored. Now what. I asked the lady in the camp office and she suggested a dirt track to go see a colony of sea lions. OK!</div>
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It was only 26 km, but I rode all the way down there and not a single sea lion in sight. Oh well, it was great to ride in the gravel. A nice break from all the monotonous paved Ruta 3.</div>
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I spent the following night in Rio Gallegos, and got up early the next morning to ride to the Chilean border. Once there I met a really nice man on a Suzuki V-Strom from Israel. His name in Gabby and he suggested we ride together today. Sure!<br />
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Following Gabby</div>
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Here you either turn right and head to Punta Arenas Chile, or continue south to Ushuaia, which requires crossing a river. On the boat we met a couple more riders from Brazil. This road is one big moto-adventure highway. I was thinking it's a bit like being in the Scouts when we were kids (I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout!) Once you complete a special project or task, you get a badge to wear on your uniform. This is the same. If you ride a motorcycle, it's important to go this far to get your sticker from Ushuaia to put on your motorcycle. And it seems the most common journey of any rider I've ever met in the world does exactly this. Alaska to Ushuaia or vice versa. So I will hopefully get my own badge soon!<br />
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Another border crossing and we meet this guy. Ali. He asks where I am from, and I say "Australia, where are you from?" and he says Kuwait. Gabby is just getting his helmet off and says, "Oh, you don't want to know where I'm from then.. Ali asks "Where?" Gabby says, "Don't kill me, but I'm from Israel".. Ali lit up, Gabriel lit up the laughed and hugged like they were long lost best friends from grade school!!! I wish I had my camera going at that point, but I was just big-eyed and watching this great event! <br />
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Israel and Kuwait have been fighting for 40 years. They both apologized for their countries politics and leaders. Ali says, "We are one people." We all agreed, I nearly had a tear...<br />
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One Shared Planet sticker on Kuawati motorcyle</div>
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Anyway, they are headed north, and we are riding south. So nice to meet you!!! You don't get that sort of experience everyday! Me, the Aussie/American is riding with Israel and we meet Kuwait on the border of Argentina and Chile.. there ya go!!!<br />
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Not long after the next border, the highway turns to gravel.<br />
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Gabby is a super nice man riding solo in his sixties. I followed him on the pavement, but once we started the gravel, he slows right down. He's on a heavy bike and not so comfortable with his tires either. I stuck with him for a bit, but it's simply easier for me to ride faster. So I do what has always been done for me, I ride my pace then stop on occasion to see if the person behind me is ok and still moving. When I see his headlight, I carry on.<br />
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On one of these stops I didn't see a headlight for quite a while. I thought, uh oh. So I turned around to check on Gabby. Sure enough he was off his bike.<br />
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Gabby, what's wrong? "Sherri, I don't know.. I really don't know, it just died!!" He was so flustered..!! Bugger, really? He says, " it will start, but when I put it in first gear it immediately dies." He got on his bike to show me. I told him, "I'm no mechanic, but I'd guess that's a sidestand sensor". <br />
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I showed him where I think the sensor might be, only in comparison
to my own bike and knowledge. We found the sensor and saw a huge stone
from the road lodged in there. He took it out, and we hoped it was
fixed. But unfortunately it still didn't work. Gabby tells me he is so thankful I found the problem for him, but he doesn't know how to fix it and for me to go on to Ushuaia. He will set up a tent and camp here. I said, "No you're not, Gabby! It's still early enough in the day. We will find a solution to this, you wait and see."<br />
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Within minutes, like magic, two Argentinian guys traveling on bikes from the opposite direction pull over to see what's wrong. I told them. They got off their bikes, and knew exactly how to fix the sensor problem (remove it, cut and tape the wires). Bike started and went into first gear... done! <br />
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How amazing, and I can not tell you how many times angels from nowhere fly in to save the day on my trip. Absolute magic!<br />
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So Gabby's bike was a nice simple easy fix. I wish it was always this way, I'm jealous! I won't mention to him what I've been through lately... <br />
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After the last border crossing (Argentina into Chile, out of Chile into Argentina)... just to be clear, that's four offices and four immigration officers to stamp our passports and four customs officers to stamp in and out the bikes, meaning four slow lines to stand in one day. That's my tiny little whinge out of the way!<br />
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Anyway, after the last border crossing, the road turns to pavement again, and we arrive the last large-ish town, Rio Grande. Here Gabby wants to stay the night, however, I want to ride on down to Ushuaia another 212 km. There's nothing to see or do in Rio and I know the weather is supposed to change tomorrow, so I'd rather ride. I tell Gabby it was nice riding with him and he says, "Wait, I'm staying with you!" I told him it's not necessary, but I'm not ready to stop for the day. He insists he wants to keep riding. I feel bad, as I knew this was his goal destination for the day, we've already ridden about 430 km. However, his choice, so he followed me.<br />
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My first sighting of an Ushuaia sign.. ooooo getting closer!<br />
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HAD to stop at this sign. INDIANA!! I am born in Indiana, USA and there are no other places in the world called this that I'm aware of, until now! <br />
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The landscape is changing and only 94 km to Ushuaia....<br />
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76 kilometers to Ushuaia.<br />
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48 kilometers to Ushuaia.. Yep, this is taking soooo long because I keep looking at the gps with excitement. If I'd ignore it, the ride would seem shorter.<br />
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I remember coming through here before and I wanted to pull over so Gabby could see the view.<br />
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Always a chuckle when you "borrow" some stranger to take a photo...<br />
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OK..23 kilometers to go!! Am I driving you crazy yet? I'm driving my own self crazy... Almost there!!!!!!<br />
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There she is..... USHUAIA!!<br />
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Wel pull into town and since I've already been here, I give Gabby the accommodation options. I think I know every location and their prices. I already know I'm heading to the campground Rio Pipos for $10/nt. Great wifi and super kitchen. Gabby is not keen to camp even though he owns a tent. So I direct him to a few other places. Minimum shared is about $40 USD, but most hostels and privates are closer to $80 and up per night.<br />
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Gabby still says he wants to stick with me. So he came to the campground. He told me how much he hates camping, but he'll do it. I couldn't convince him otherwise to go and stay in town.<br />
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The next morning when I saw him, he was packing up his bike, really early. He said that's it.. he can't stay here! I'm in love with this campground, I am very happy to stay. He said he called his wife on skype and told here that he met a crazy Aussie/American lady riding her motorcycle solo (she is afraid to ride, is why he is telling her) and that I made him ride 653 km in one day! (He is joking of course). He said he had never ridden that far in one day his entire trip from Florida to here! I didn't feel it was that far. The day went fast due to all the border crossings, his breakdown for 1 hour, and we still arrived with plenty of daylight. I said my goodbyes to Gabby from Israel, he was a pleasure to meet and ride with.<br />
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I
do like it here. Most riders get their "badge", have their celebratory
drinks, a photo, and leave. I can't help to keep thinking that out
of all the places in the world I get to call home for a while, twice!, it's at
the very tippy bottom of the world, Ushuaia. <br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com1Ushuaia, Argentina-54.8019121 -68.302951099999973-54.875108100000006 -68.464312599999971 -54.7287161 -68.141589599999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-87404956235029053802013-05-19T10:39:00.001-07:002014-02-05T16:55:50.381-08:00My favorite Argentine experience at Estanica El Chalet! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Enjoying the last few days around Ushuaia. I'm taking it in because I know there is some serious drama and challenges coming right up!<br />
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A view to Ushuaia and the <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.8755555556,-68.1363888889&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.8755555556,-68.1363888889%20(Beagle%20Channel)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Beagle Channel">Beagle Channel</a> from the mountain.. There's supposedly a glacier up here. We haven't found it but I'm getting some good exercise!</div>
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The time came to leave the local disturbing Santa behind in Ushuaia..<br />
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One thing I have not mentioned in my blog yet is the most interesting crazy process I have to go through to get a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_pump" rel="wikipedia" title="Fuel pump">fuel pump</a> for my motorcycle to a farm in Argentina. It's not as easy as ordering one and expecting it to arrive by mail.. Nope. The world is going to make this as difficult as possible. As if breaking down thousands of kilometers from any city and/or mechanic isn't enough of a challenge!<br />
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Argentina's borders are closed to importation. Unless something is MADE in Argentina, and KTM is not, I can not get the appropriate fuel pump here. After lots and LOTS of consultation with friends, KTM owners, professionals all over the world, here is the plan.<br />
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I can not mail the fuel pump to Argentina, and my next closest country is Chile. I got onto Horizons Unlimited Community <a href="http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/">www.horizonsunlimited.com</a> and found a really nice man in Chile, Tim Druett who agreed to accept my fuel pump from the USA. Previously we thought James might be able to pick it up from Tim as he returned north and ride back into Argentina with the pump concealed. However, James BMW, HAS NOW broke down in Ushuaia (more on that in a minute) and he's not riding anywhere for a long time. <br />
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I ended up stuck for a while. Can I rent a car in Chile or Argentina? Neither that would allow crossing the border with a rented vehicle. Does a bus cross the border up there? No buses.<br />
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Running out of ideas and options, James thought to ask Mark who was already riding north in Chile if he could stop in Coyahique Chile, pick up the pump from Tim, and leave it somewhere in Argentina, as just that border hurdle would make it easier for us to get. He agreed and would be able to drop it at his next Argentine stop, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-42.9,-71.3166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-42.9,-71.3166666667%20(Esquel)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Esquel">Esquel</a>. Perfect! That's only 180 km of the farm!<br />
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Once the orders were placed, the waiting game begins. I've confirmed MY part has arrived Chile. But not Tim's house yet! It is stuck at customs in Santiago. Chile wants more money. Most countries down here have a 40% import tax. 40% !!!! Then I couldn't pay it from Argentina because they won't take credit card, only cash! Ugh! Next I learned my own bank will NOT allow any transfer to Chile, due to lack of agreements and Chile on their "high risk" list. Hmm. Can I pay through Western Union from Argentina? I found one, walked all the way there with info in had and Yes, but that would be an extra $40 to pay a $75 tax. What? I had no idea their fees are that high! My next idea is to email my trusty friend in Santiago, Martyn Howorth. "Martyn, can I get you to pay my customs bill and I will transfer the money to your account once I am in Chile." "Sure, Sherri Jo!" Finally a yes! He is so cool, always helpful. (Remember Martyn helped us tremendously while I was with the Husaberg Adventure Team in his Santiago house for many days!) Within seconds of receiving my email with transfer details it was done and he sent over the confirmation. Good man. NOW, the dag gone part can carry on to Coyahique, Chile.<br />
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So James and I had recently moved to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-53.1666666667,-70.9333333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-53.1666666667,-70.9333333333%20(Punta%20Arenas)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Punta Arenas">Punta Arenas</a> Chile by bus. He
could do nothing to get the special parts removed from his broken BMW in
Ushuaia so we went to get a special tool and mechanic who could help
him. Punta Arenas the largest Chilean town in the south and the base
point where most people come to do some serious <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.81015,-68.90627&spn=1.0,1.0&q=-41.81015,-68.90627%20(Patagonia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Patagonia">Patagonia</a> trekking.
James got the parts separated from the unit and he needs to order his replacement parts from England. He will have to do the same as me, have them
sent to Chile. And I managed to get my pay-back money transferred to Martyn.<br />
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It all seems like a football game with strategies and passes!<br />
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Next, Mark picks up the fuel pump from Tim, crosses the border into Argentina, and made it to a hotel in Esquel. So James is ready to take the bus with me north to try to fix my bike one last time. I feel so guilty for him to travel so far just for my bike, but somehow the universe worked it out that he had nothing else to do for the next 2 weeks but to wait for his own parts to arrive from England. So it worked out quite well. However, my guilt bill is wracking up as he's done far too much for me already. I really struggle with that even though he spends a lot of his time trying to convince me to stop worrying, he is doing it because he wants to.<br />
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From Punta Arenas, we both arrive Esquel by bus, and pick up my tiny little fuel pump that has been such a drama! Then another 2 hour bus ride south to Gobernador Costa where wonderful Ignacio arrived right on time to pick us up and take us back to his farm.. and my bike!<br />
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This whole process has been really difficult. But with persistence, this drama reminds me that truly - ANYTHING is possible.<br />
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The "Surgery"</div>
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Once on the farm, we didn't screw around. James got straight to work on my bike. I am so scared and nervous. What if after all this drama the new fuel pump doesn't fix the bike. James is not a professional mechanic, he's an amazing mechanic self taught! But neither of us are completely sure that this is what will save me. If the new pump doesn't work, we have exhausted every possible option. Then I have to decide to completely ditch the bike or spend thousands of dollars to get it out of here. I do my best not to think about that though. I must stay positive! However, the thought crossed my mind to take off on this lawnmower. ;-)<br />
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James! I can't figure out how to get the darn thing started! Now, that's bad...<br />
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If I can't take the lawnmower, fingers crossed James can perform a miracle today on the bike.<br />
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Ignacio "Nacho" stops by to see how we're doing.</div>
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Progress, it's time for a test. FINGERS CROSSED......................!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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The bike wouldn't start. My nerves were blowing out my head, even though I focused to stay calm and optimistic. Then, the battery died in the process of trying too much to get it started. James asked me to go away for a while. He was nervous too, and it didn't help having me around. He hooked up the cables to Nacho's truck and I heard it start from the kitchen with Milagros (her name means miracle in Spanish.. too perfect!) and it kept running! Woo hoo!!<br />
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Idling is as good thing but I had to take it for a test ride myself. I really didn't want to, I was so scared to find out it would die again on the road as it had been before. We knew that all the fuel with water had been drained from my bike, so I bought a little 5 litre container in Esquel and brought some fuel back to the farm.<br />
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I slowly got on the bike for the test with lots of prayers and.....I rode it all he way to Costa 10 k's and back.. not a single problem!! WOW!!! This is a FULL ON MIRACLE!! James is a SUPERSTAR!!! I owe every bit of it to James. THANK YOU!!!!<br />
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A very proud James. He deserves to be!</div>
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There is no way to thank everybody from all over the planet who gave me advice and assistance on this project. But particularly, Tim Druett, Mark Donham, and Martyn Howorth who were like my teammates in this pass the pump game. As always the motorcycle community blows me away with willingness to help another biker no matter what. There is especially no way to thank Young James who has gone far, WAY FAR, beyond-the-universe far for doing everything in his power just to help me. I've never met anybody as helpful as him.. and I've met a lot of very helpful people! James wouldn't give up on me or my bike no matter how many times I tried to push him out the door to continue his own journey. This is my problem not his, but he has a heart of gold. <br />
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I'm all packed up and ready to gooooo!! But wait. Ignacio wants to call the fuel station to see if they have any fuel. My 5 litres won't get me too far. Since I've been hanging about Ruta 40, it is more common than not for the one fuel station in town to be out of fuel, and for as much as 3 days. Today is Tuesday and they are expecting fuel on Thursday. UGH... COME ON!!!! Can you believe after all this, I'm still dag gone stuck!!?? <br />
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Mom needed to go north to Esquel on business for a few days, but managed to get a photo together before she left. That is one serious wagon and of course the amazingly beautiful house. The house was built by her father in the 1930's-40's who came here and settled all the way from Spain.<br />
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The next morning I am wandering the property early, and I see the station hand is getting ready to leave for the day on the land with his dogs.<br />
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They've just got a call that a cow is loose and out by the road. We jump in the truck to muster it back into the paddock.<br />
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Nacho is a veterinarian and he wanted to know if I would like to join him to another Station (Estancia), because he needs to take some blood samples of their stock. We drive about 50 km's to get there, chatting all the way in Spanish.<br />
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The life of champion sheep. <br />
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Awww. I could think of a few comments, but I'll leave it at that..</div>
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Nacho says, "Sherri, you must go see the sheep in this other shed." Why, Nacho, (Por que)? He says, "Champion Sheep. They come from Australia!" See, I knew there was something good about my country! ;-)<br />
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Back home, I set off to explore the property again since I have 2 more days of waiting to fill in! <br />
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A photo of Nacho with his Grandfather.</div>
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Look what I found!! A Ford Model T?<br />
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It's like going into your grandmother's attic. So many cool amazing finds, I am loving this! <br />
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Out with the old and in with the new. I bet Grandpa would have never guessed that the morning breakfast shows would come through a big screen in the kitchen starring nearly naked people. This presenter was on Argentinian morning television with her tiny bikini every day..and boy did she flaunt it! Here she is interviewing a man from the USA, also enjoying his body on television. And then she'd run into the ocean, do the whole Pamela Anderson thing and run slowly back to the camera. Often! She needed to cool off. It is a whopping 26 degrees Celcius (78F) here don't you know. Too funny!<br />
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Argentinian morning TV - Lord have Mercy!</div>
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Well, the old days are not lost completely. While the family are all busy I'm wandering around the property a bit more. I notice that I'm glad not to have internet here, I am getting so much more out of life than sitting at the computer!<br />
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Came across the latest sheep victims hanging in a wooded area behind an abandoned house on the property. Very recent kill. I'm glad I found this now rather than during...<br />
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Since Mom is up north, young Milagros takes over in the kitchen. We laugh a lot because there is a daily appearance from Empanadas Atun (Tuna Empanadas). I tease the Garcia Diez family about it, because of all places on the planet.. far from any ocean, on a farm that rears it's own meat, lamb and beef, our most common and favorite feed here is ironically Tuna! <br />
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While playing in the yard with Monkey the dog, I heard a couple of big bangs in the shed, but I thought it might be the farm employees. Now I know what I heard.. It was Milagros and Guido chopping up a lamb on the block in the shed for dinner and here they are bringing it to the house. Milagros must be a superstar with a knife. She is only here this month on holiday break from Vet school!<br />
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Milagros is an excellent cook. She made a spectacular meal with the lamb, and I'm not a lamb fan, but this was good. She also made some super vegetarian salads for James. Not an 'empanada atun' in sight! ;-)<br />
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It's hard to get this family to let me help them with anything. We've been living in their house and eating their food for days, let alone using the shed as a mechanic shop. So when the wool truck showed up to pick up the bales, I didn't ask, I just jumped and started helping. They tried to push me away but I kept saying, 'Yo quiero ayudar!!' I want to help!<br />
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These things are freakin' heavy! We had so much fun and I quite honestly love some good hard work and this kind of exercise. <br />
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Guido and Monkey the dog. What a smile!</div>
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Milagros and her kitty cat. "Sherri, would you like some Mate?"</div>
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I hadn't actually experienced Mate in the traditional way here as of yet. Everybody, men and women, carry their mate pouches and thermos over the shoulder. I see this more than purses. Nacho comes in and they are like, "Yeah, we're teaching you proper mate!"</div>
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Loose Yerba Mate comes from a tree leaf found in most of South America. I've seen it in Brazil and Paraguay, but in Argentian it's their national drink. Very popular because it's caffeinated! The leaves are dried, toasted and crushed. Then the crushed mate is poured into a wooden cup or gourd to about 2/3 full. You steep it with hot water (not boiling), and then you leave some space and pour cold water to make it cooler and drinkable through a filtered straw (usually metal, called a bombilla). When the Mate is passed to you, you can keep it as long as want, take a drink, two or four, and when they hear you say "Gracias", they know you are done. With several refills, Nacho is holding and topping up with the hot water jug. But usually you see people carrying along a thermos of water for the day.</div>
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Wait, which direction? Who takes the Mate? Mili is looking at me that way because I'm about to pass it the wrong direction... again. </div>
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My turn again... I love Mate. We get Yerba Mate in tea bags at home, but this is the real deal!<br />
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I wander back into the kitchen. "Hey Sherri, do you want to go fishing?" Sure! I love fishing. I went upstairs to ask James, who has been busy all day watching movies in his room. He likes that, I often feel bad that he's not doing something, but he always makes it clear that he loves his movie watching days. Okay then, being a full vegetarian, he's not keen at all to watch us catch and kill fish.<br />
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Nacho makes his own lures, how cool is that?!<br />
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Guido is passionate about watching tennis on TV..! Of all places, The Australian Open in Melbourne. We are one small world.... <br />
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Ok, lures are done, let's go.<br />
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While walking out to the river, a very long walk, they spot something and go chasing it. What the heck? Get it! Get it!! Nacho picked it up and wanted to show me a native resident, the Armadillo.<br />
On the odd occasion I've seen one scurry about the side of the road, now Nacho wants me to hold it.. Really? Can't say no to that!<br />
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The Argentinian Armadillo</div>
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I felt bad about holding it by the tail, I hope it didn't hurt. He/she was super cute though and we set him free quickly. Thanks little mate!<br />
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Poor little lamb, what happened to you!? I imagine that strong wind picked it up and threw it into a bush it couldn't escape! ;-(<br />
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A super nice treat out here on the land is a little bush called Calafate. I remember it so easy because there is a major tourist destination called El Calafate to the south (haven't visited it yet). Anyway this bush has a dark purple berry, that resembles blueberries, but a bit more tart. The really ripe ones were nice and we swallowed them by the handful as we continued on to the fishing spot. <br />
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Calafate</div>
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We spent far more time eating Calafate than fishing.. no complaints from me! <br />
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Check out this plant, it grows around a rock. There were many of these. I assume it's some form of moss? Not sure. <br />
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Changing locations</div>
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I'm watching and I see the fish jumping, but still not a single one will take the hook. Mi familia Argentina have far less patience than I would have expected. They throw the lure in a couple times, if no bites, we move on.. within minutes! I thought fishing was a sit and wait and patience teaching exercise. I suppose when you have lots of little lambs to eat, fish is a nice idea but there is plenty of meat at home.<br />
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They put in a good long effort, but the time came to cut our losses. No fish today.. <br />
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Life on the farm in Argentina. I feel really content. I couldn't have had a better time and I feel so grateful because you can't buy this kind of experience. To get to know this family and live with them was worth breaking down for. So special. I know that times are tough in this country. But I am in love with this beautiful family and their lifestyle. I really hope to see them again someday.<br />
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Now, to the next challenge..... !<br />
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Riding to Ushuaia has been difficult and challenging enough so far, but I've had my buddy James with me the whole way. Now the fuel should be here and with James' bike still stuck in Ushuaia, I am going to take on these difficult roads for 3000 km south, ALONE. Usually I would stress a bit about it, the crazy wind, the roads, gravel and hazards mixed with the wind and the cold. I know this is ahead and I'd normally worry. However, since going through so much drama just to get the bike fixed, I won't consider wasting time with fear of the ride. It's been a long time now, I just going to trust I will make it and RIDE!! <br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Gobernador Costa, Chubut Province, Argentina-44.0661583 -70.58441160000001-69.5881928 -111.89300560000001 -18.544123799999998 -29.275817600000011tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-78527113224349511442013-05-15T14:58:00.000-07:002013-05-18T14:15:13.490-07:00Christmas in Ushuaia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I made it to the bottom of the world, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.8,-68.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.8,-68.3%20(Ushuaia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ushuaia">Ushuaia</a> <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.6,-58.3833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-34.6,-58.3833333333%20(Argentina)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Argentina">Argentina</a> alone. Ushuaia is a very expensive place to be. Not only for taking advantage of the tourists, but it's a long way to get supplies delivered. When I organized the cabin for us, both friends James and Mark agreed to do it, but to help keep costs down, we had one more bed to anyone else who might be interested.<br />
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The next day James came in on his motorcycle and was very very cold. It was a tough ride for him, but I'm glad he made it without issue. Mark Donham will be arriving tomorrow. He's got the big bucks (;-), so he came down early for a cruise to Antarctica. It's something I've always wanted to do as well, but it's crazy expensive and will have to wait for a future Sherri Jo adventure.<br />
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While James and I were settling in, there was a knock at the door. I open it, and there is a man with a big "HELLO!" in his riding gear. "Who are you??" Well, WHO ARE YOU?? "I'm Slow Phil.. from Canada" G'day Slow Phil, come in... <i>Do we know you?? </i><br />
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Mark, knowing we had an extra bed available put the info out online, ADV Rider and the deal sounded good to Phil, so he responded to Mark. Since Mark was out of reach on the Cruise Ship, we didn't know about it, but that's okay. We got the story, and it all made sense, and we are glad to have a new roommate, <i>OR ARE WE??</i><br />
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Lord have Mercy! It's the Hulk!? It was James who kept thinking that Phil looks like Hulk, looked up a photo online (in the left hand corner) and got Phil to make an imitation of it.. Which he did perfectly. Brilliant!<br />
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Phil is here on his Suzuki V-Strom. Mark came in the next day from his cruise and I have a goal to complete. Many of you know, but for those that don't, Kevin was killed on his Buell Ulysses motorcycle on his way down a few months ago. Our goal at the time was to get to Ushuaia together. He didn't make it in person, but I have a piece of his helmet from the accident site and it has been my goal and mission to get him here in any way I could. Now that all the boys are here, it's time...<br />
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Kevin's brother in Scotland, Ian, suggested we share <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky" rel="wikipedia" title="Scotch whisky">Scottish whiskey</a>. I surprisingly found a small bottle in Ushuaia and we all had a good drink, shared a bit with Kevin with lots of cheers and tears!<br />
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This was like a big closure thing for me. I feel a bit of weight lifted. Kevin's plan was to go back to Canada for 6 months for his job while I explored through the Amazon and down. Then he was coming back to "finish the job" as he said to Ushuaia. I was worried I wouldn't make it either with the recent bike trouble, but we got you here Kev!! I really miss Kevin and wish so much he could have enjoyed this in person.<br />
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While the boys are together we decided to stop by the grocery on the way back to the cabin. We have very limited resources and cooking facilities, so this will be interesting!<br />
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Yep, there we go.. My four MALE roommates over Christmas looking very lost and confused in the grocery store... hahahaha!!!<br />
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Left to right: Claude, Mark, Phil and James</div>
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The fourth person in our little house is Claude (who I keep calling Cloud for unknown reasons!) He's a French-Canadian from Florida that told me he was coming to our Christmas dinner..... while he was still in Florida! This man rode through Mexico, Central and South America so fast on his motorcycle, I'm not sure when he slept or when he managed to see anything he was riding past. But it's good to meet him and have him here. Since my bike is still up the road, he's my driver/rider for today on the back of his BMW 1200gs .. yay! Whew! I now know how he got here so fast, a very quick and whippy rider. I think my back is still suffering from jumping over the road speed bumps! ;-) Very talented and comfortable on his bike that's for sure. <br />
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Look boys, forget the groceries. This is all we need.... !!!<br />
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I'd like to, but I can't take the credit for the line up on the kitchen table. We bought the wine together. They are for Christmas, but I think a few of those bottles didn't make it.. gone the first night! We did manage to save some for tomorrow.. and thank goodness there are more friends coming over with spare stash! And hopefully, without holding my breath, there is a shop that sells wine open tomorrow.<br />
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Christmas Day... We have invited people to come around 1 pm.. so what does a household of men (and me) decide to do with our time? Young James is travelling with a Santa Suit, which we found in a small shop in San Rafael (northern Argentina). Dressed him up and took a cruisy ride around town.. Santa on a BMW!<br />
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We all sort of agree the super size town Santa on the left is a bit disturbing.. but let's see if James can do one better for the town.<br />
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The people are thrilled! Here comes Santa Claus..on a motorcycle!<br />
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Lots of people taking photos. This role is made for James. I think he should do this every year.<br />
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One very important photo we must take is of Santa James in front of the British Pirate sign. James is from England and there is an ongoing heated government 'discussion' of who should own the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina. Known in Argentina as Islas Malvinas, the locals want their islands back. There has been bloody battle (The Falklands War in 1982), and still remains a lot of passion and animosity to the Brits. Luckily the Argentinian people that we have met, and learn that James is from England, have been good to us.<br />
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So this is James little British invasion photo in a Santa Suit down by the pier. I don't think it's enough to scare off the Argentinian troops though! The sign says, "British pirate ships are prohibited from mooring."<br />
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One last little photo with Santa before heading back to get the party started!<br />
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I was flabbergasted at the amount of international riders that showed up at our little cabin. We all invited people, however I think Mark takes the award for inviting the most. We'd be walking down the street in Ushuaia and he'd yell out, "Hey wanna come to our Christmas party?" to random strangers.. as long as they had two wheels, they were invited. <br />
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We referred to them by country.. The Greeks showed up first, Stavros and Thanasis from Athens. <br />
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Young Ollie, also from England, who came along with some other riders. Ollie was so amazing to meet as he just showed up in Ushuaia on his motorcycle.. and he's only 18 years old! He had a lot of great questions as this marks the beginning of his first ride to Alaska. I was enjoying having the experience to answer! Until the other boys came up, piped up and they ALL filled poor Ollie's head with tons of advice. I think everyone in the room has ridden a motorcycle from Alaska down with many opinions to offer. Ollie was gracious and took every bit of it in.. good for him, really cool kid. I still can't get over taking on something this big at his age. Just awesome.<br />
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Young James feeling very content with his wine. He has been through a lot over the last few weeks riding with me. The Santa suit is really perfect for him.<br />
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We originally guessed we might have about 10 other riders come to our Christmas? At last count there were over 40~~!! It was amazing, such a surprise and such a fun great day!!!!! World travellers, UNITE!!<br />
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Sherri Jo and The Hulk (aka Slow Phil..)</div>
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How good is THIS??!! Now that's what you call a "Merry Christmas".</div>
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There's still a few more days to enjoy Ushuaia, and since I couldn't afford the Antarctic trip, I learn that we can go see some penguins about 60 km south of here at Estancia Harberton. It's privately owned, very controlled and we can only go there if we agree to the bus tour.. no motorcycles. ;-( Not ideal, but I've seen nearly everything else around here, so I'd like to go.<br />
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Estancia Harberton homestead</div>
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They have a great marine museum here, and was perfect for the quick education of the penguins and other marine life here.</div>
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Just a few whale bones laying around the front yard. I guess you can do that if the whale dies on your property! <br />
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Now, I'm going to go into penguin photo overload. They were just so funny and easy to photograph and I couldn't decide which ones to keep. So I kept many!<br />
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We take a little aluminium boat from the farm to their penguin island.<br />
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And the photo taking marathon begins!<br />
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Lovers.. they were k i s s i n g.. ha!</div>
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I'm guilty of talking to penguins. "Hi, my name is Sherri Jo, I come from the north." "Huh?"</div>
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There was a little baby bird in the field all alone. Not a penguin, a sea eagle maybe? Little fluff ball..so cute!</div>
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<i>I am the headless penguin............. </i></div>
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<i>Walk this way... talk this waaaay.....</i></div>
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Dancing.. Doing the do ce do!</div>
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Singing!! Laaaaaaaa!!</div>
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These penguins are really fun and entertaining.. Who'da thought!?<br />
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Our guide tells us we are lucky and have a surprise visitor today. The majority of penguins here are called <b>Magellanic Penguins</b><i>. </i> There are two <b>King Penguins</b> visiting from Antarctica. Our guide tells us this is very rare for them to come up this far to Argentina. So we are very lucky to see them!<br />
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Definitely a King Penguin. He instructs his Magellanic followers to "Do as I do, stand as I do..Don't speak unless spoken to!" Si, Your Majesty!</div>
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Kisses!!</div>
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Two little spys....</div>
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Soooo cute!!!</div>
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Penguin prayers..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFTpDDbFOL0VGxpMc-cAzgNNTTAulHxhLN4UpyhUDlYxFnAxzNhyphenhyphentBdMTdsFyHm04MfvW7HxjzMSE3s45gzRkhh5z6-0DHqExKiorVXZx_8F8xL5nGgKf6qvtXPnjuHcXZoieD8YmfGk/s1600/Ushuaia+Penguins+16+1039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFTpDDbFOL0VGxpMc-cAzgNNTTAulHxhLN4UpyhUDlYxFnAxzNhyphenhyphentBdMTdsFyHm04MfvW7HxjzMSE3s45gzRkhh5z6-0DHqExKiorVXZx_8F8xL5nGgKf6qvtXPnjuHcXZoieD8YmfGk/s640/Ushuaia+Penguins+16+1039.jpg" width="640" /></a> Hey, what type of penguin is he?</div>
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Don't look now, we're being followed...</div>
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I took so many penguin photos, it wore me out. I decided to just sit with them for a while.<br />
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As we were headed back to our little boat on the beach, this super size tourist boat pulled in. This was the other optional tour, to come here from down town Ushuaia on a cruise boat rather than bus. Thank God we made the right decision! Look at all those people! On top of that, they are not permitted to walk on the island. The only photos they get is from the deck of the boat, of which the people are all fighting for space.. yuk!!<br />
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A view from my window back in Ushuaia. Not a bad place to be in the world... ;-))<br />
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It's been a pretty tough year. Thank you to everyone who came to make one of the best and unforgettable Christmas's ever..! James, Mark, Phil and Claude (Cloud). You guys rock!!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com2Ushuaia, Argentina-54.8019121 -68.302951099999973-54.875108100000006 -68.464312599999971 -54.7287161 -68.141589599999975tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-65884364262224772942013-05-12T16:41:00.008-07:002013-05-13T14:10:24.601-07:00Give me a break! Ruta 40 Argentina!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is a first for everything on my world motorcycle journey and this is SO bad it's funny, well it wasn't funny at the time, but now it's funny.<br />
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You can see by the tree on the far right in the picture below that
we are still battling strong winds. But when I see that funky cloud up
ahead, I have a gut feeling it's about to get even worse.<br />
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We rode through this wind and it was super tough. I was getting so ticked off when a gust would shove me fast and hard into the other lane, which wasn't a big deal unless somebody was coming! And sometimes... somebody was coming! So scarey.<br />
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I followed behind a slower truck for quite a while, that helped a lot.. UNTIL....<br />
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My helmet visor disconnected on the wind side of my face. Still connected to the left side of the helmet, the clear plastic visor miraculously didn't snap off, but I was still in motion and wanted to save it. If it snaps, I will have to finish my trip without any visor until I leave <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America" rel="wikipedia" title="South America">South America</a>! So I really wanted to save it. The problem was, I can't hold my hand over the visor to keep it from breaking in the wind and hold on to the bars, clutch and brakes to stop the bike at the same time. With my feet and only one hand, I slowed then came to a stop. I can still hardly believe I managed that. It was SO hard to do, at a severe angle mind you, from battling the strong wind gusts.<br />
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Once I was actually stopped, I could not let go of the bike to unsnap the chinstrap to try to fix the visor. I could NOT let go of the visor or the bike nor get off while using my left leg strongly trying not to be pushed over in the wind!!!! I considered just letting myself drop, but I'm on the side of the road, not the shoulder. I could have definitely crashed into the dirt and gravel slope on the right going downhill, totally sure the bike would land on top of me. If I fall to the left, any truck or car can hit me at any time, because they are also tackling control of their vehicles in the wind. It is clear that what I learned before, is that it's harder to stay upright when stopped than it is in motion and I was really losing it.<br />
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James was long gone, he wasn't watching in his mirror due to his own battle with the wind. And I was stuck. After what seemed like forever, he finally turned around and came back, thank goodness! "What's wrong Sherri Jo?'' Just hold the bike James, I need to get off. "but what's happened?" I showed my helmet and please just hold the bike, I have to get off. Once I was off the bike I realized how shaken I was from being stuck. James reminded me that I should have chosen the option to just crash or fall in the gravel down the slope. We would have eventually gotten me out from underneath the bike and back onto the highway, which would be a better choice than being smashed from truck in the road. Fair enough, but I didn't want the possible damage to me, my helmet or the bike at the time, but he is right.<br />
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James is very patient and very good at fixing things, so he took my helmet. It was just the snap in plastic piece. I could have fixed it, but I was glad he managed to do it quickly so I could have a little bit of a stress out. But now I laugh at how comical I must have looked if anybody saw the whole thing.<br />
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Later down the road we found a patch of trees and tucked into them for a wind break. A much needed break both mentally and physically. It was late in the afternoon, and I suggested to James that this is all too dangerous and riding my motorcycle to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-54.8,-68.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-54.8,-68.3%20(Ushuaia)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ushuaia">Ushuaia</a> is not worth dying for.<br />
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He agreed that it was worse so we looked at camping in the trees for protection for the night. The problem with that little patch of trees is that it is a rest area and you know what people do when they don't have facilities available. All the land, everywhere we looked was coated with human poo, toilet paper and broken glass. It was thoroughly disgusting.<br />
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We spent a few minutes trying to decide what is the smartest option at this point. The wind is roaring but there is no way that I can live with camping here on poo land. I saw a house tucked behind a fence and some trees across the road. I want to ask the owner if we can camp in his trees.<br />
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Now the next challenge, how to get the bikes across the road. Literally, by the wind direction if we try to ride directly across the cross wind, we are going down. Even he said so with that big BMW!<br />
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We ended up riding wrong way down the shoulder and then crossing at a diagonal.<br />
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The farmer was a nice man and of course he said yes. Thank goodness! I explained to him I feel these winds must be 70-80 km/hr as a guess. He has a wind meter and said the gusts are at 100+ km/hr. WHAT??!! I just rode my motorcycle in that!? He said I was crazy and shouldn't be the road. "Believe me Senor, I am more than ready to get off this road!"<br />
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There are no natural forests in this part of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.6,-58.3833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-34.6,-58.3833333333%20(Argentina)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Argentina">Argentina</a>. Any group of trees have been planted solely to be used as wind protection.<br />
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We are camping amongst the animals tonight.. and I'm happy with that!<br />
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James wasn't as pleased as I was. There is a fair bit of animal poo around too. He just sat and stared at it for a while until I picked up some branches and swept him a clean space so he could set up his tent. He got into his tent and I didn't see him again until the next day.<br />
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I was interested in having a look around the farm though, it really is a beautiful place to be stuck for the night.<br />
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After a very long night of wind roaring through the trees, my tent pole snapping under pressue, the tent flopping around like crazy and continuously wondering if a tree might fall on my head, the sun came up once again. We're not sure, but it seems the wind might be marginally calmer at the moment.<br />
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We needed to make a decision to ride in this again or hang out in an animal paddock all day. Neither thought appealed to us, but we decided it was worth giving the road another chance.<br />
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We did pack up and ride, and slowly arrived <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.15,-71.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-41.15,-71.3%20(San%20Carlos%20de%20Bariloche)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="San Carlos de Bariloche">Bariloche</a>, a beautiful touristy town in Argentina.<br />
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Huge temperature change, I was freezing! My heated jacket doesn't work, and I'm shaking to the bone. A big bowl of soup for a late lunch and hot tea fixed me up.<br />
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In Bariloche we know that the majority of the roads we will ride south of here are gravel so now we can change our smooth roads tires to the TKC80's we've been carrying. We found there is only one shop in town that has the tire machine. This saves a lot of time when changing out 3 tires. James is changing both tires, me just the front.<br />
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When we left the shop we rode about 2 blocks to get fuel. On leaving the fuel station something happened and I fell down in the road right in front of all the traffic.. Embarrassed!! And it wasn't even that windy in town amongst the buildings! What happened? I felt something jam. But when I picked up the bike I was able to roll it to one side. James says he doesn't see anything, and for me to get back on the bike and try to ride again. But I am adamant that I didn't just fall over for nothing, something jammed and I'm not riding until I find it. While he tried to roll my bike himself, I saw the culprit. The brake caliper is hanging near the front wheel. The big screw is still laying in the middle of the road where I fell over.<br />
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It turned out, between the two boys working on my bike, one of them forgot to reattach the caliper. Thanks guys!! I'm going to guess that the old man is not used to having a helper like James and neither checked to see who was doing which part of the job. I'm the idiot for trusting them and not checking it myself. Anyway, James has his tools handy on the side of the road, he reattached the caliper and we were on our way south.<br />
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I've seen a lot of rainbows on this journey, but this is a super bright one!<br />
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This is still hard core wind. But we're making our way.<br />
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We pulled in for fuel at the next largeish town, Esquel. As luck would have it, my bike died shortly after leaving the fuel stop. AGAIN??? For real???? NOW WHAT!!!! Can I just have a normal day somehow?? I restarted the bike, went about 5 km and it died again. It won't restart while in motion, but if I pull over completely stop and turn off the bike, it seems to start again straight away. This time I got a good 20-30 km and then it happened only every now and then.<br />
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Then it got super worse. This time I stopped and stayed stopped. I told James the bike is dying big time, I don't know why, but I want to try to flag down a truck to see if it can take me back to Esquel. A German couple riding south to Ushuaia also stopped to see if they could help.<br />
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It was hard to get an Argentinian truck driver to stop, but I finally got one! He says he has to stop often for bikers on this road, Ruta 40. I ask why? (porque?) Agua... agua en la gasolina. He asked, "Did you fill up at Petrobras (the name of a fuel station)?" I said "Si", he said, "Nunca.. Never buy fuel at Petrobras, only YPF". I didn't know that they have a reputation for water in the fuel. The Germans knew that, but we didn't. In Paraguay, it was the opposite, the Paraguayans were saying whatever you do, make SURE you buy at Petrobras, the other stations are bad. I assumed that carried over with the same company in Argentina.. Wrong!!!<br />
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The truck driver was funny, he kept dipping his finger in my fuel and tasting it.. and said "Si, hay mucha agua" There is a lot of water in your fuel.. Dammit! THAT is a man who knows his fuel! I always thought you had to use a clear bottle to visually see if it's dirt or water, but this guy has experience!<br />
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But we all couldn't help laughing at this guy as he seems to enjoy tasting my fuel.. over and over! Totally weird!!<br />
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There was nothing we could do on the side of the road in this strong wind. Too big of a problem for taking the bike apart. The trucker couldn't carry me, so I decided to carry on. Again the bike would start and I could ride it a few km's before it would die again. I just dealt with it, the continuous stops and restarts until it died just outside this huge farm (station). I told James I'm going to go up and ask them if we might be able to borrow a shed to take the bike apart and drain the fuel.<br />
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I had to open a couple of gates to get to the house. A bit cautious as I wondered if they have those gates there to keep people coming in from the road. But a man answered the door straight away, in his classic Argentinian wool beret. I see the name of the property is "Estancia El Chalet" (The Chalet Station). I'll tell you more about this property later.. it's fascinating! <br />
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Score! The man at the door, Ignacio, was super kind and gave us the sheep shearing shed to work in.. woo hoo! It is SUCH a relief to be out of the wind.. huge relief!!<br />
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The first thing we did was drain ALL the fuel.. after I found some spare plastic containers around the shed to put it in. Then we added some new gas from James spare emergency fuel that was not purchased at Petrobras. The bike started and ran in idle no problem, but once in gear and riding it died again, the same symptoms. Oh dear.. we were hoping this might be an easier fix, not looking good if it still wants to die. <br />
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It's quite interesting to watch how busy this farm is. By the looks of it, it seems to be quiet, but there is always a horse and a herd of cows or sheep coming through from somewhere "out there" for this or that. Vaccinations, tests, mustering, etc.<br />
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I have the KTM 690 Repair manual in my computer and we loaded it onto James iPad (his batteries last longer). James is a really good mechanic and he has the patience to read through the manual to try to troubleshoot the problem. Give me a cookbook and I'll make a helluva meal, but I go into complete brain fog with mechanics. I'd prefer he remove the black sock off his head to read it a little more clearly?!<br />
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We really need internet though. (I hate that we are so spoiled by it, but in these situations is when modern technology really shines) James wants to get on to some forums and ask some KTM people questions. They don't have internet at the farm, so we agreed to leave the bike here and go to town, Gobernador Costa, just 10 km down the road. Ignacio tells me there is internet there, but it's dial up, very slow. Anything is better than nothing and we give it a go.<br />
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Nope the internet is far too slow for us to make any progress. Waiting for answers is long, especially in different time zones and researching online at dial up speed is super frustrating. We got some information, but we'd like to talk on skype and that will be impossible. We know if we go back to Esquel 200 km north of here, we can use proper fast internet to achieve many goals.<br />
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So the next day we prepare to travel two up to Esquel. And wouldn't you know? There is a problem already! We haven't even left yet.. COME ON!!!! James rear tire is very low. Why?! We just put that new tire on! He thinks there might be a puncture? We can't find one. He gets out his soap and does the valve bubble test. <br />
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Yep, it's a leaky valve. Gee whiz, give us a break?? !! He tightened it up and we're on our way. Thank goodness his fix was an easy one!<br />
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On the road north to Esquel as a pillion rider. I think I've reached a new low. However, it was nice that the wind is kind to us today and I can enjoy the ride, the view, and take some pictures of the beautiful land we rode through yesterday.<br />
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2 hours on the internet gave us heaps of information and ammunition for solving the problem. Back to the farm we go.... Nothing like riding 400 km round trip to get some information, but it was a really nice ride.<br />
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Out of the options we tried so far, draining the fuel, new fuel filter which I've been carrying in my spare parts, and spark plug, each attempt is not fixing the problem. This brings us down to the fuel pump or the fuel injector. We try the fuel injector because it's the easier of the two, first.<br />
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We bought a 9V battery in Esquel and with some spare wire, removed the fuel injector and tested the spray outside of the bike. It sprays fine. <br />
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Ugh ugh ugh.. it's so frustrating for me, but even more so for James who is doing all the hard work.<br />
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Working away inside the sheep shed, do you ever feel like you're being watched???<br />
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James reassembles the bike for the 4th time.. let's hope the fuel injector trick does the job.<br />
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James takes my bike out on the main road to test it while I wait in huge anticipation and some seriously big prayers. I watch the boys bring in some more sheep and take photos to try to keep my mind off why I can't hear the bike motor on the road.<br />
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James came back, the bike is running, so I'm about to do the hallelujah dance.... UNTIL...<br />
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He says no, it died twice, while shaking his head. (My lights look good though, hey? ;-)<br />
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I feel more bad for him than for me, as he's worked so hard for nearly 3 days on it. The only other possibility is the fuel pump of which I do not carry in my spare parts. And during our research escape to Esquel, finding one in Argentina for a KTM 690 Enduro "ain't gonna happen"! What the heck do I do now??? I'm stuck but we need to get James south to Ushuaia. While we were in Brazil, I came up with an idea to have Christmas together with other riders in Ushuaia and I've rented a little cabin there. I'm devastated. I can't go, but it will be great to get James on his way.<br />
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James is so kind, he insists they can't have Christmas without me (they easily can, but it was nice of him to say) I must come 3000 km on the back of his bike (not a great option, he doesn't have a rear seat) or by bus. I spent some time thinking about it, I'm sick to my stomach about all of this and quite happy to stay here. I can get a new fuel pump on order and deal with it being the luck of the draw. The breakdown is not a KTM problem, it was the result of buying fuel with water in it, and how could any of us have known at the time. But I don't want to hold him or anyone else back because of it.<br />
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He wouldn't let up, there is no way a new fuel pump will arrive from the United States before Christmas, and it would be better to be with friends over the holidays. I know he is right, but I will just be embarrassed after all this not to arrive on my own bike. James made a conviction, "We are fixing your bike, you are riding to Ushuaia, just not today." Fair enough, such a good friend, I arrange to stand on the street to flag down a bus going south, while James does his best to cheer me up, and packs up his bike to ride.. God speed, James!<br />
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I got on the bus. It was a super weird experience. I have never traveled on a bus in my life!! I have no idea what to expect, but if I were to guess, I would think it is going to be really cramped and torture. <br />
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I sat "upstairs" in my supersize plush seat and had such a beautiful view! The wind was blowing hard enough that even the big bus was thrown over to the other side of the road a couple of times.. really! So I was worried about James. But I am loving this bus experience so far. No way I would do it full time, but it's not bad!<br />
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I took some photos from my front view 2nd storey window. <br />
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Toilet and snack break.. I met a lot of foreign travelers on the bus. They had pre-purchased their tickets weeks ago, and were as surprised as I was that a bus would just stop and pick me up on the roadside like it did.<br />
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Not a bad ride.. We changed buses in the middle of the night.. Always stopping for drop offs and pick ups.<br />
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New morning, new bus.. great movies!<br />
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When I got this handed to me for lunch, I looked at it and thought, Uh oh. But it was darn tasty! Under that knife and fork is an Argentinian classic, rolled meat with egg and vegetable.. with a really nice bread.<br />
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After several border crossings, out of Argentina, into Chile, out of Chile back into Argentina, it was a real pleasure to be on the bus while the attendants take the passports and stamp them. Usually I am waiting in long lines for immigration and then more long lines for the bike.. but WE get to stay on the nice warm bus with the movies going. Easy peasy!<br />
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Coming into Ushuaia, we are finally out of the flatlands and into the snowy mountains of Tierra del Fuego.<br />
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Oh man, that was 28 hours of bus riding. Directly off the bus in Ushuaia I spot this sign.. other than the ceviche, the rest might describe my sentiments. And quite possibly another "sign" of my theory that Kevin had something to do with this.. ha!<br />
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I can't help but to laugh.<br />
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So, there you go. Going through the emotion of all this was not easy at the time. Like I said at the beginning, it wasn't funny then, but it is now. The universe just won't give me a break the last few weeks. I've been lucky so far. But a tiny bit of me wonders if it isn't Kevin stepping in from above stopping me from riding to Ushuaia at the moment. What seemed like a tragedy might be a blessing, or help from above as if I did push myself through the wind on my bike, maybe I would have been blown across the road in front of a truck, injured or killed. I don't know, but this is my way of putting a protection positive angle on the whole ordeal. There were just too many ways I have been stopped from riding to the bottom that it's downright strange and beyond usual. And knowing that I would never give up so I can reach my goal on time, somehow a different choice was made for me.<br />
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My KTM 690 has performed well the whole world over. The only other big problem I have had with the bike is at the hands of the mechanics, not the bike itself. Which means to me (and I knew this before I left home) that I will make a point of going to mechanics school before I take off on World Tour #2. That won't prevent me from buying fuel with water in it, but I will be darn ready if it happens again!<br />
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For now, I made it to Ushuaia for Christmas. Now my main focus will be... what to make for Christmas dinner!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com8Gobernador Costa, Chubut Province, Argentina-44.0661583 -70.58441160000001-69.5881928 -111.89300560000001 -18.544123799999998 -29.275817600000011tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-83687151952794720202013-05-06T18:34:00.000-07:002013-05-06T18:38:16.928-07:00North Argentina riding South to Bariloche<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fast forward 1650 kilometers.. Riding from northern <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.6,-58.3833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-34.6,-58.3833333333%20(Argentina)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Argentina">Argentina</a> down is simply flat boring farmland, a very long ride and super super hot! No photos, no need to stop, we are making tracks because the sooner we get south, the sooner we will be in some cooler air.<br />
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We came down past Cordoba, Rio Cuarto, and west to San Luis. The next town is <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-32.8833333333,-68.8166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-32.8833333333,-68.8166666667%20(Mendoza%2C%20Argentina)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Mendoza, Argentina">Mendoza</a>, which is a popular town and one I've already been to and blogged about. Didn't have the greatest experience there (strange Tibetan Hostel Owner with Brad Pitt story) and wasn't feeling the need to see it again. From San Luis, the road cuts diagonally over to Route 40 (Ruta Quarenta), our main goal road choice to take us to Ushuaia.. the bottom of the world!<br />
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San Luis turned out to be quite an expensive place to stop for the night. The cheapest place for camping we came up with was 14 km outside of town to a place called "<a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-33.225,-66.2388888889&spn=0.01,0.01&q=-33.225,-66.2388888889%20(Potrero%20de%20los%20Funes%20Circuit)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Potrero de los Funes Circuit">Potrero de los Funes</a>". I was only looking for a campground, and had no idea we'd end up riding on a race track! After a long long long day riding, we only had time enough to set up the tents before the sun goes down. These photos are from the next morning while leaving.<br />
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So strange, but this is the road for all traffic to use. The race course was built in the 80's and was closed for racing due to a couple of spectator deaths. They rebuilt it in 2008 and it's now used for racing again during season. We didn't use a special entry or exit.. no fees. For us, it's just the way to get to the campground, point A to point B! It just happened to be Friday night too, so you can imagine what it was like sleeping next to a race track with young drinkers and drivers partying until the sun comes up on the track. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me. The cops were around enough to keep it somewhat in control, and I still thought it was a really cool road!<br />
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That's James up ahead.. he can go much faster than me.. ;-) But I make up for it on the gravel photos below.<br />
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After some pretend racing fun, we head south. It's still VERY hot, and the road is super flat and boring.<br />
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At one point I resorted to motorcycle ballet. Or dancing to the music in my headphones as safely as possible. (I learned that from Walter, who to this day is still the biggest moto dancer I know. However, the last time I rode with him in Chile, it was not just moto dancing, he was playing a mean air guitar WHILE dancing and riding the bike (with the odd air drum mixed in... Now that is talent!) I'm not as good as him.. nor is air guitar my thing.. but a little boogie goes a long way on a boring road.. ha!<br />
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If I listen the music really loud, it makes me go a bit faster by default. Thank goodness no traffic to worry about, so we're riding free! I finally got the chance to ride in front of James. James is one of those riders who always has to ride in front. Even if we ask him for a chance to not have to stare at his ass all day long, we're only lucky to get 5-10 minutes of front row freedom. It used to drive Kevin crazy. Every time James would go past, Kevin would throw an arm, a finger, and a shake of his head. I used to chuckle all the time. And with two of them fighting for front, I would never have a chance, so I just hang back and let the boys be boys. 98% of the time, I couldn't care who is in front, but it's nice to see the open road every now and then, free of distraction. So it was worth taking a photo, just to remember I got to ride up front for once. Ha! ;-) <br />
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The scenery is finally changing.. I see the snow tipped Andes mountains up ahead.. which I also take as a sign the temps will be cooling down. I looked at the weather report while in San Rafael. Even though it's 38C (100F), the high will be 18C (64F) at our next stop, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-41.15,-71.3&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-41.15,-71.3%20(San%20Carlos%20de%20Bariloche)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="San Carlos de Bariloche">San Carlos de Bariloche</a>.<br />
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Another big change has been very strong winds.. very strong! So much that I was so happy to see this tree line, I bothered to take a photo! Those trees help to break up the wind a lot. I wish they had the whole of Ruta 40 lined with them. But I soon came to learn they seem to have been planted about 5 km outside of an upcoming town, no more but I'll take it!<br />
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A little info at our fuel stop. Offically on <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.ruta40.gov.ar/" rel="homepage" title="National Route 40 (Argentina)">Ruta 40</a> at the 3000 km mark, and 1680m above sea level. 3000 km to the end, seems like a long way from here, but we're ready!<br />
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And it's nice to have some curve in the road again.. <br />
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Sun's going town, time to find a place to camp. Down a little dirt track that doesn't look used too much.<br />
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Nope! A truck pulled up within moments of getting the tent out. How does that ALWAYS happen! There are no buildings, nothing around here! The people were telling me there is a room we can stay in down the road. I just agree and nod my head and tell them "Gracias". (I don't want to stay in a room, I want to camp.. here. Look at the place! ;-) I asked them if they owned the property or who we could ask for permission. They didn't know and kept telling me again about the room we finally said goodbye. I hope there is no trouble camping here.<br />
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Sunrise at camp from my tent.. so quiet here.. so beautiful here.. I love this life.<br />
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James travels faster than me on pavement, but I travel faster than him on gravel. I had plenty of time to stop, and get off the bike to take a few photos before he caught up. woo hoo!!<br />
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Just like many guys have done for me on tougher roads, I pull over to verify that James is coming and not in trouble. When I see his headlight in the mirror, I can continue on.<br />
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How pretty is this!?<br />
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The road went from gravel back to pavement. I understand they are trying to "upgrade" Ruta 40, much against the opinion of most moto-adventurers!<br />
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We came up on a herd of goat in transit. Can we just discuss the size of the little herder!!??? And can he get any cuter?? ;-) I would have never guessed such a young toddler could take on this job already. They put them to work young here!<br />
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This is ...................ARGENTINA!!<br />
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By the way, if I'm not watching the herding commotion, this is the view from the bridge. Nice!<br />
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Now, what is that in the road up ahead?<br />
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Of course, a lone cow with a rope around its' neck...<br />
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Very cool view of the volcano though! James pulled over and took this photo of me passing by. I like it, thanks James!<br />
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Have a look at those trees. It's freakin' windy here. I wish it was a steady wind, even though it's strong. If it were steady you can ride at the angle and stick with it. But the wind whips around and pushes from all directions, pushing me all over the road. I assumed it was just me on a lighter bike, but I see James on his loaded BMW 1200gs swaying over the road as well. He told me he was struggling as much as I was, so I don't feel so bad now.<br />
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I had no idea the Ruta 40 is the Argentinian stock route! I like it though. I tend to stop and turn off my motor, as I'm not in a hurry and I want the animals to pass by me without extra stress from the motors. We can ride through them, I know. But it's not necessary.<br />
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The two horses are the leaders of the pack. Tied together at the head. I'm not sure why, but I wonder if it's because one is misbehaving.<br />
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We arrived the town of Zapala for a much needed meal and fuel stop. I got my fuel and pulled over to the restaurant next to the gas station. While waiting, it took all I had to keep the bike from being blow over in the wind. This guy was making me laugh though. As I watched him, he also had trouble staying upright, he's on his tippy toes, on a push bike, and waiting for fuel? <br />
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We've had a good 24 hours of living amongst the strong wind now. I'd like to say I've adapted to it on the road pretty well. At first, I was struggling a lot, fighting it, getting ticked off at being pushed around. Somehow and somewhere along the way, it must have been like breaking in a horse. I just let go and went with it. The anger was gone and the wind simply became part of the day.<br />
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Ruta 40 is famous for it's strong wind all the way down to Ushuaia. I can't help to think that we've got 3000 km of riding through this wind just to get there.. and another 3000 km to ride out of Patagonia. So imagine, 6000 km minimum of tortuous wind ahead of me. Good thing I am like the broken horse. Acutally, I was born the year of the horse!<br />
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James found a pretty spot to pull off for some photos. I hope I've got my bike firmly planted in the sand so I can walk away from it.. I sort of just ran back, quick snap and ran straight back to the bike.<br />
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Lovely road.. even with the wind..<br />
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And I've learned a new lesson.<br />
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All the struggling of riding a motorcycle in gale force winds was annoying, but I never lost it, felt like I could a million times, but never fell over in transit. The one time I did go down, was when I was stopped. I pulled out of that sandy place and stopped to wait for James. The wind was crazy and even with my side stand down, I couldn't hold the bike. While I was trying to fight my way back through the wind to pick up the bike, James saw the whole thing and he was having a good hearty laugh. Took the photo, then came up to help me pick up the bike.<br />
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My lesson was that I would have thought it would be more difficult to stay upright while riding and easier when stopped. Complete opposite. Good to know!<br />
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Just a few more km's to Bariloche.. thank goodness!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com4San Rafael, Mendoza Province, Argentina-34.6131516 -68.34101099999998-34.7176836 -68.502372499999979 -34.5086196 -68.179649499999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-2585222755456721972013-05-02T18:14:00.000-07:002013-05-02T18:19:14.136-07:00Paraguay and Northern Argentina<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here we are back at the border from <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-15.7833333333,-47.8666666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-15.7833333333,-47.8666666667%20(Brazil)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Brazil">Brazil</a> to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-25.2666666667,-57.6666666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-25.2666666667,-57.6666666667%20(Paraguay)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Paraguay">Paraguay</a>. Yesterday was busy but today is even worse. It's Saturday and we've just now learned that nearly every Brazilian crosses the border today to do their shopping in Paraguay because it's cheaper. And I mean everybody!! We couldn't believe the crowds. I asked the border agent if there was a special event, he said no.. "E Sabado" It's Saturday!<br />
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Most of the traffic was walking traffic and the people are carrying back, on their back, mattresses, full sets of tires, flat screen t.v.s, etc! Big electronics, anything I think you'd find in a Walmart in the United States, they are crossing the border to purchase in Paraguay.<br />
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Then! I find out I need a visa for Paraguay. I thought I did my research and the only country I needed a visa for in South America was Brazil. I'm not sure how I missed this one.. I really thought I was sure. So the immigration agent says I have to wait until Monday to get a visa in a different office (closed for the weekend). I told him I can't, my visa expires today and I have to get out. It will only be worse on Monday. He talks back and forth with another agent and he came back to say if I wait until Monday, the fee will be $75 USD. But if I give him $50 USD cash now, he'll let me through. Sounds a bit dodgey to me, but what can I do? Next problem? I don't have USD on me! I have some $100 bills buried on my bike, but I'm not about to tear it all apart with millions of people on the path between borders. Luckily young James comes to the rescue again. He's got $50 in his wallet, so I borrow it and we're on our way.. Hallelujah!<br />
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Once we got past the madness of Saturday shopping in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-25.5166666667,-54.6166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-25.5166666667,-54.6166666667%20(Ciudad%20del%20Este)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Ciudad del Este">Ciudad del Este</a> (the border town), we drove somewhat away from town before looking for an ATM to get Paraguay Guarani (money). Always a top priority when crossing a border.. new money! I need to buy fuel and something to eat.. starving!! And then straight west toward <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-25.2821972222,-57.6351&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-25.2821972222,-57.6351%20(Asunci%C3%B3n)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Asunción">Asuncion</a>.<br />
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We are not going into Asuncion today though. A couple of weeks before my bike broke down, I knew I was going to be needing a new chain and sprocket. Asuncion has a KTM dealership and he had this on order for me. And extra special treat is I also have new headlights waiting for me. Carlos Otonelli, the owner of <a href="http://www.ktm.com.py/contacto.html">KTM Paraguay</a>, let me use his address to receive new LED lights from Craig at CJ Designs in America <a href="http://www.cjdesignsllc.com/">www.cjdesignsllc.com</a>. Craig showed me these lights when I came through USA last year, but I didn't want to put any more money into the lights. The lighting system I got in Adelaide before I left was the most expensive part of my bike set up. After all that money it turned out they were not the solution. I could still never see well at night. Always having to ride next to somebody or right behind a big truck. James feels he can install the new lights for me, and I've had enough of needing to borrow people to see at night. So I finally gave in and had them sent down. <br />
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In the meantime, it's the weekend, and the shop is closed. So Carlos and his family invited us to stay in their weekend home in San Bernardino, on a lake outside of Asuncion. <br />
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This is actually a very sad story.. The lake is very beautiful, but it is also very dead. It's pollution levels are so high now, that the fish are dead, the birds are gone because there are no fish to eat, and no boats passing by with skiiers which used to be the norm here because the water is so toxic it shouldn't be touched. I have been in polluted water areas before, but I've never known one to be completely dead.. on the virge, yes, but usually somebody or group steps in to try to save it. Carlos tells me the government never agrees on a solution to help the lake and now it seems to be too late. It will cost millions to protect it now so that it can recover and the country doesn't have the money to do that either. Humans!!!<br />
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Old town San Bernardino has a fair bit of German history.<br />
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Views from the Otonelli back yard, Paraguay.</div>
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Since the big bike breakdown in Brazil and not having a KTM mechanic there, I'm having this trained KTM mechanic in Paraguay go over the work hopefully to insure it's all fixed properly and avoid any more problem with the rocker arms, valves, etc. James is working away on his own time, free of charge, to put in my new lights.. which happens to require rewiring. I'm sure glad he's a smart boy.. I'd be lost in that mess of wires!<br />
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Time for a quick test run...<br />
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In the meantime, Carlos has set me up with the local television station for an interview. I go there not knowing what to expect. So they kept me waiting in a chair while I watch the morning talkshow hosts carry on about this and that. It's the 9-10 AM format, so it's past the big morning news and more the fun crew.<br />
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First, a quick trip to the makeup room.. Ha! I've done some t.v. interviews on this journey, but this is the only time they've sent me to makeup. I must be looking extra bad.. Lord have Mercy!<br />
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They decided to have me ride up on my motorcycle with the male host and camera outside. We had a 10-15 minute long interview in Spanish.. I held my own for the most part, as English wasn't an option. Carlos did tell me when I returned that I did well, minus one mistake.. "What was it?" Well, he said I answered a question that was more along the line of me saying, "I had many boyfriends in Mexico".. This is not true and totally not what I meant to say, but now this is what the Paraguayan public thinks. I'm so embarrassed! (Thank goodness I didn't say embarazada, which means pregnant in Spanish) I must get back to taking Spanish classes.<br />
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Our last night in Asuncion, the Otonelli family takes us out to their "club" for a meal. It's a super big club, full outside with people playing sports. The club dining room has quite an impressive buffet meal. We ate so well, it was the best meal... But wait, there's more!<br />
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I have to include a photo of the desert section. I think I managed to try 5 of them.. but look how many there are to choose from. They were not basic boring buffet deserts either, they were the BEST! I should have just taken my plate there from the beginning. Forget about salad, if I go back to Paraguay someday, I'm heading straight for the club desert table.. Mmmmm!!!!!!!<br />
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Check out my nice super bright new LED lights from Rigid Enterprises.. Now I can see from here to China.. thanks James!!<br />
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And thanks Carlos and Aida, for a lovely weekend in your home, and that super meal in Asuncion!<br />
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I think I will always remember about Paraguay is that it is super hot. There's not a lot to draw you there tourism-wise, so most riders give it a miss. I am glad that I did visit Paraguay though. Carlos gave me some nice discounts on the bike work and he's hoping to make more of a KTM presence in Paraguay and South America. The next morning, we crossed the border again into Argentina. <br />
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No visas required..a nice simple crossing.<br />
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And another super hot day.. We are riding in 44 degrees Celcius (111 degrees Fahrenheit). Memories of the Amazon come flooding back. So hard to breathe. No matter how fast I go, the wind isn't much help. It's like somebody has a hot blow-dryer blowing straight into my face. Not nice.<br />
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But I got a wonderful surprise!<br />
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This photo of palm trees below is not just a photo of palm trees. Well it is, but it's the after shot of a great experience I just had. While riding behind James I see a bird coming for me. I watched the bird wondering what the heck it was, and it flew right in front of me, straight across my path.. It's a Toucan!!!! The most colorful beautiful Toucan! And I can't share that image, because I wasn't holding my camera at the time. I usually keep it around my neck, though so this photo is of the trees once I got a hold of my camera, and somewhere around those trees is my Toucan. The only other Toucan I've ever seen was with Kevin in Nicaragua on New Years Day.. so this was special to me.<br />
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If I can't express through my photos how hot it is in northern Argentina, maybe this photo will help.. ;-/<br />
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Bienvenidos a Argentina.. y Hasta luego!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com0Asunción, Paraguay-25.2821972 -57.635099999999966-25.5118992 -57.957823499999968 -25.0524952 -57.312376499999964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-34936285598609260982013-04-28T11:59:00.001-07:002013-04-28T12:38:15.723-07:00On the road to Iguazu Falls - Brazil!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After getting the big bike breakdown fixed up in Itajuba <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-15.7833333333,-47.8666666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=-15.7833333333,-47.8666666667%20(Brazil)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Brazil">Brazil</a>, we ride through the back roads heading south because I'd like to meet Evandro Dalben. He along with Roney Podda in Sao Paolo, were always helping me by phone or computer when I needed Portuguese Translation. A lot! It was such a massive project trying to organize a KTM fix up in a country that doesn't deal with KTM - both mechanic and parts! So when I wanted to make darn sure I was understood (and we knew that google translator only sort of does the job), I talk to them. Evandro invited us to stay at his place and it was an easy stop along our route south in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-22.9008333333,-47.0572222222&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-22.9008333333,-47.0572222222%20(Campinas)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Campinas">Campinas</a>. <br />
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When we met him, he told us about his business and passion for
motorcycle adventures.. <a href="http://www.pisteiros.com.br/">www.pisteiros.com.br</a> (If you are traveling to Brazil, you can rent motorcycles as well as plan your whole adventure through Evandro and his website) Plus he gave me a really
cool new shirt! Really cool, and I mean cool like in keeping me cool!
It is so hot and this is one of those mesh shirts... Thanks Evandro!<br />
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We stayed the night at his house and then he rode us out for a few km's in the morning. We are headed to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.8333333333,-48.4166666667&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-27.8333333333,-48.4166666667%20(Florian%C3%B3polis)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Florianópolis">Florianopolis</a> on the south coast.<br />
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Ciao Evandro!</div>
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Riding into Florianopolis..<br />
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To be quite honest, Florianopolis was just a touristy coastal town. It didn't do much for me or James. It was nice, but we didn't see the point to stay two nights. I've got my bike photo on the beach.. we're done! ;-) <br />
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Down the road a bit, we head inland. As we passed this sign, I had a bit of a chuckle.. but it was worthwhile to James that we turn around to get a photo.. ha!<br />
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We'd learned early on about riding a really pretty section of road, called the "Serra do Rio do Rasto".. or SC-438. So we didn't waste our travel to Florianopolis as this road was a treat in itself! And we can ride straight on from there to the Foz do Iguazu (Iguazu Falls).<br />
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How pretty is this!!??<br />
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At the top of this road is a look out.. with some very furry friends!<br />
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Don't feed the wild animals.. the sign says so little one, can't you read??? ;-) He's pretending he can't by squinting his eyes.. <br />
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NO! You're cute, but don't you need to go eat some ants, or something...<br />
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After leaving the look-out point, the road got a bit misty.. another beautiful day in Brazil!<br />
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Then it turned to full on rain, we stopped for the night in a little no-name town and their only little hotel. This one is worth mentioning, because the old lady who ran it was such a sweetheart. James and I are terrors to the internet and whenever we stay in a place with wi-fi we quite often can't log on. I'm still not sure why it is a constant problem in this country, but we tend to get around it. We go immediately to the ceilings or walls, following the wires to the router and go about resetting it. For me, I pull out ALL the wires, to guarantee a reset. And it almost always works! Not this time. Never mind, we can do without internet. But the lady wouldn't let up, so she called over her grandaughter, who tried, and then the older grandson came along and finally fixed it. I kept telling her don't worry (nao se preocupe) we don't need it! She wouldn't sleep until the foreigners had their internet. <br />
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After the rain last night, it's a bright and early morning!<br />
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Also worth mentioning is a Brazilian breakfast.. No eggs, just cake! Lots and lots of cake.. with icing! That's the plus side. The negative side, is neither of those jugs have tea.. Only coffee in one and hot milk in the other.. This is not a tea drinking country...!<br />
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A quick photo of her after pulling out of the garage.. It was more like we just stayed in Grandmas house! I really liked her..<br />
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The ride started off clear, but it's getting cloudy all ready. Understandable for how hot and humid it is.<br />
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We pulled in for fuel and I found a familiar friend!!<br />
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Hey.. what are you doing here?? No.. what are YOU doing here?? </div>
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Now these guys in the red chairs are at the gas station too. Shall we mention that huge tube of beer on the table... AT the gas station??!! Anyone here consider the drinking and driving concept?</div>
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Now, hopefully those guys stay put and well off my road..on to Iguazu Falls! I've been looking forward to this for a VERY long time!<br />
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We arrived Iguazu town just as it started raining for the afternoon and found a good campground. It was raining hard enough, with few visitors so the lady let us set up our tents under an outdoor seating area that had a roof.. it was great! James went to the grocery straight away. As I was setting up my tent, this massive storm hit so fast and so hard I was scared enough to run into a little brick building and crouch down. Then it was over, just like that! It must have been a small tornado.. When I came out, all the electricity in the area was out and a super large tree went down and hit the house on the property next door...yep, I'd say mini tornado. Hopefully James is safely inside the grocery and not riding! <br />
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The rain never stopped, so we went to the Falls the next day regardless. You gotta do what you gotta do!<br />
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Now these are... proper.... falls!! <br />
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Even on a rainy day, these falls are beyond spectacular. The walkway is close enough that you'd get wet anyway, so what does it matter if it comes from the sky or the river?<br />
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We went back to the same campground that night, the rain finished thank goodness.<br />
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The next day, we planned to leave the country to Paraguay. James visa expires one day earlier than mine, so we have to go. Because it's such a sunny beautiful day, we wished we could see Iguazu Falls on a day like this. The man at the Brazil border gave him a 10 day extension, no problem!<br />
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Check out the curl they put in the motorcycle lane. Easy on the little bikes, but a little harder for us!<br />
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This is what the border from Brazil to Paraguay looks like.. Can't wait until tomorrow! Not.. ;-(<br />
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We went back to the falls.. bought another ticket and did it again! Woo hoo!<br />
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And they do look different.. I'm glad we came back already!<br />
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This is a view to the people on the Argentinian side of the falls, and their flag. They look really crowded at that view platform, but it would be fun to see the falls from above like that. However, I think being close to where they crash down is an even better viewpoint.. Not sure, maybe we should go to Argentina to check them out from there first. Well, first we have to go to Paraguay actually.. ha!</div>
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This being our second visit, we wandered on to the walking trails a bit. Lots more falls to see, but what I really enjoyed more I didn't expect... butterflies! Lazy ones too, they're hitching a ride on me!</div>
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In this photo I have 3 on my hand, at one point I had 5! <br />
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This one is my favorite.. it even has a red heart.. love it!!<br />
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Trying to not forget I'm here to see the falls.. I'm not sure now which I'm loving more!<br />
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Oh yeah, more falls.. we've not seen these ones yet.. ;-)<br />
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There's the odd lizards here and there..<br />
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Even found some PRE- butterflies..<br />
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Lord have Mercy.. check this one out on the bench at the bus stop! I decided to name it Albert Einstein..<br />
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One last butterfly. I've not seen this one before, and it was hard to carch the photo with the wings open.. but just fascinating colors and design.<br />
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We really should go... one last look at Iguazu Falls. This place has become one of my favorite highlights of my entire world tour..<br />
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Cheers!!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com4Foz do Iguaçu - Paraná, Brazil-25.5468978 -54.58817160000001-26.0056878 -55.233618600000007 -25.0881078 -53.942724600000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398139071634497684.post-77646145801676457882013-04-19T20:56:00.002-07:002013-04-19T21:33:32.712-07:00BBB - Big Bike Breakdown - Brazil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well I only got about 100 km out of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-22.9083333333,-43.1963888889&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-22.9083333333,-43.1963888889%20(Rio%20de%20Janeiro)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Rio de Janeiro">Rio de Janeiro</a> when the bike broke down.. this is a big one too. I didn't like how it felt while riding away from Rio but we were only going slow along the coast. Then when we went up to speed, it felt really bad and I just pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. James came back and asked what's wrong and I told him I don't want to ride it anymore, something is VERY wrong.<br />
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We rolled it to the shops across the street, where I stuck into finding a solution. <br />
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What makes this problem worse is KTM no longer exists in Brazil. So finding a mechanic, let alone parts, is going to be a super huge challenge.<br />
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The best I could do from here is get the bike on a truck and down to the closest somewhat large-ish town to the south, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-23.2194444444,-44.7147222222&spn=0.03,0.03&q=-23.2194444444,-44.7147222222%20(Paraty)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Paraty">Paraty</a>.<br />
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While on the side of the road, our Kiwi friend, Simon, whom we met on the boat in the Amazon passes by riding his little Suzuki. He rides on with James while I take the truck.<br />
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The driver and I keep a fairly decent conversation going, even though he doesn't know a word of English and I have the most limited Portuguese. With a mix of Spanish and Portuguese words I've learned, we did well!<br />
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Into a hostel in Paraty, James and Simon get into taking the motor apart to see what happened. Lucky I have these guys here to help me, because I wouldn't know how to take the insides apart! Another good thing is that I've downed a couple of beers, as this looks worse than I've ever seen on my bike before...<br />
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That rocker arm James took out to have a look the other day in Paula's garage in Rio seized up, causing damage to the camshaft as well. <br />
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Being on my own without a KTM mechanic around, I am spending hours and hours on the internet, skype, emails all over the world about how I can go about fixing this. With their help I got the parts on order and with the help of my Brazilian facebook friends, which has also been great, Roney Podda and Evandro Dalben gave me suggestions of a couple possible mechanics for KTM. One thing they all agree on is that I pulled over and didn't force the bike to continue on as they say that my damage is actually quite minimal in comparison to what it could be. Along with James and Simon, I've got a good group of people helping me out so much. <br />
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I think now is a good time to pray... ;-)<br />
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With all of my information lined up on the computer, I chose to use a mechanic in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-22.4258333333,-45.4527777778&spn=0.1,0.1&q=-22.4258333333,-45.4527777778%20(Itajub%C3%A1)&t=h" rel="geolocation" title="Itajubá">Itajuba</a>, in a town about 200 km away... yes, that was the best I could do. There are zero options in Paraty.<br />
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Now the waiting begins. Craig at CJ Designs <a href="http://www.cjdesignsllc.com/">http://www.cjdesignsllc.com</a> in Wisconsin, is always helpful in finding the KTM things I need and has no trouble shipping to me no matter where I am in the world. If you ever need KTM parts, he designs and makes his own and really worth knowing in the USA. It's at least two weeks before I can even hope to see any parts arrive as the customs and importation is a real hassle for Brazil. So I need to find a way to waste some time.<br />
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Not as bad as it sounds! Paraty (pronounced Para-chee) is an awesome place to be stuck for a while, and might as well accept it! It honestly took me a while to accept it, but what can ya do...<br />
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Paraty is renowned for the old historic town... so very Portuguese Colonial. It's almost like I am back in Portugal! Just gorgeous.<br />
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I really like this door..</div>
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This is a really special village. So much like stepping back in time.<br />
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As pretty as this town is, I am getting a bit bored. I tease Simon that I might as well take off and finish my trip on his Suzuki.. ha! He's packed and ready to go, and I can't help but to sneak on the bike ;-) Look how he's set this thing up off the cuff in Guatemala.<br />
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He bought a couple of backpacks at the market in Guatemala and had them sewn together. He travels with only a hammock. No fancy riding gear, only a helmet and gum boots.<br />
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I personally wouldn't cope. Even in warm summer weather, I am only too grateful for my Rukka gear, that always keeps me dry. And I'd be hopeless on a cool night or even in colder climate with only a t-shirt and gum boots. But he did well, and he's not going to ride into cooler climates anyway.<br />
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With the parts on their way from America, I need to make my way to the town of Itajuba, where the mechanic is ready to fix up this seizure problem. The cheapest way I can get my bike to the mechanic is to rent a little ute (low truck) and drive it there myself. James offered to help, so he drove the truck back to Paraty and stayed there for a little while longer.<br />
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My parts are not here yet, and this is a nice but very boring town. It did have good internet which gave me the opportunity to catch up on the blog everyday. James is being far too kind and sticking around. I really want him to move on and continue his own journey. I will get this sorted eventually. But he wants to stick around and help. I can't force him to go and I'm grateful for his help, but I feel really guilty. Every time I knock on his door to see if he's still alive while waiting for my parts to arrive, he's in another world anyway.. Video games...!<br />
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The view from my room in Itajuba, Brazil</div>
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Itajuba is not a touristy town at all. There are no young people scouring the streets with supersize backpacks. Just a normal inner Brazilian town. Luckily we met Ronny, who speaks pretty good English. He is the only one I met. And he was super helpful. He's about the same age as young James and I kept trying to get James to go out with Ronny to meet the young locals, but he'd never go.<br />
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On facebook again, I was introduced to Pino Rossi through Roney Podda. A fellow biker who owns an Italian restaurant. So I suggested to James that we take a Sunday drive out to visit Pino and have a good meal. Plus, I get to ride on the back of his big bike and take in the scenery. <br />
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I sort of showed up unannounced.. but it was fun to meet Pino. He asked what we would like, but one thing I have learned from Italian chef's around the world, it's more interesting to find out what they would suggest. And it's quite easy to find a vegetarian dish for James especially in Italian food.<br />
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Yummo!!</div>
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Pino rides his bike often and he is super involved with local history. We learned so much just by talking to him in the restaurant and then he wanted to take us and show us some things personally.. all right!<br />
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First up, a beautiful waterfall and an old power station they are working to restore.<br />
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It's quite nice riding on the back of a bike. I wouldn't want to do it full time, but it's a nice change and I enjoy it. <br />
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A turn off into this out-of-the-way little country store and pub, were we sample the home made cheese and<span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Cachaça <span style="font-size: small;">(pronounced Kas Sasha). </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto">Cachaça is fermented sugar cane juice. Wow, does it pack a punch! Good thin<span style="font-size: small;">g I'm not driving today!</span></span></span><br />
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Pino bought us a bottle to take with us. Given my motorcycle dramas, this could come in quite handy! ;-)<br />
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I tried to take a photo with my little camera. Didn't work too well.. but the boys look nice.<br />
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Next up we travel to another important part of Brazilian local history. This beautiful old train station <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">Estação Ferroviária</span></span></span></span> is in ruins, but you can tell it was quite the station during it's day. It was a major port of connections for the coffee industry in Brazil. Eventually the high cost of transportation made it impossible for the coffee producers to be competitive in the markets, and the station went into sharp decline, eventually closing.<br />
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Unfortunately, it's now used to house the more active drug vendors. One of them walking out of an opening holding his needles as we walked past. Very sad.<br />
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Pino is actively uniting with people to try to bring the station back to glory, maybe a place for future shops! I hope he is successful, it is truly a beautiful building that deserves to be saved.<br />
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Off we go back to the restaurant, for one last drink before riding an hour or so back to Itajuba. Thanks for the super meal and showing us around, Pino!<br />
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Waiting, waiting.. I am watching the shipping websites daily to keep track of my package. Once it arrived Brazil, I can no longer track it easily on the USPS website, however, I did manage to find a new way to track it in Brazil. It was stuck for quite a while in customs, for them to determine the amount of tax I might pay. I was reading online that the charges can be sporadic. Sometimes you are lucky to not get charged at all, and sometimes up to 60% !<br />
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My tax ended up being about as much as the parts cost, so essentially I paid double, but I'm just happy it's here and I can have it! Now lets get it over to the mechanic and get this thing finished once and for all! I am SO ready to leave Itajuba!<br />
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Herbert worked until late as he knew how bad I wanted my bike back. I really appreciate it. It's exciting to think that tomorrow I can pack up my bags and re-enter the world of motorcycle adventure. ;-))<br />
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Wow, that was a tough one. Nice to learn that anything can be accomplished against all odds, no matter where you are in the world. A very expensive breakdown, but with tons of support from so many friends. From James who is traveling with me, to many friends I haven't ever met in person, but helped anyway. I feel really lucky and grateful. Super big ginormous thanks to everyone!<br />
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Sherri Jo Wilkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613424292849872704noreply@blogger.com2Paraty - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-23.2158995 -44.7116881-23.6831285 -45.3571351 -22.7486705 -44.066241100000006