{"id":415,"date":"2010-12-30T22:07:29","date_gmt":"2010-12-30T21:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=415"},"modified":"2016-12-31T11:18:25","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T16:18:25","slug":"patagonia-cyclin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2010\/12\/patagonia-cyclin\/","title":{"rendered":"On the Beaten Path\u2026and liking it!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t

10,000 kilometers and six months biking South America without seeing a single cyclist.\u00a0\u00a0 Now we\u2019re surrounded by seven of them hanging out in the same campground In Calafate, Argentina.<\/p>\n

\"Camping<\/a>
Camping near Calafate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

\"IMG_8478-eric-emptyroad\"<\/a>
Empty road near Chile-Argentine border post Cerro Castillo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

Patagonia is swarming with cyclists.\u00a0 If there\u2019s a bicycle touring mecca, Patagonia must be the place.\u00a0 We\u2019ve crossed paths with a German businessman on tour, French retirees cycling the Andes for six months, a young Swiss guy taking a year off to bike South America, Argentines cycling the length of their country, New Zealanders on a two-wheeled honeymoon, even a guy from the Czech Republic out pedaling around Patagonia.\u00a0 We\u2019ve yet to run into any Canadians and Americans who\u2019ve pedaled south from North America, but we know they\u2019re out there.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8486-pavel\"<\/a>
Pavel, an adventurous Czech out to cycle Patagonia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

Patagonia\u2019s nice, but...well, I must admit its extreme popularity baffles me.\u00a0 Cold fronts sweep up from Antarctica.\u00a0 The wind blows unrelentlessly from the west. \u00a0Distances are long and water is scarce.\u00a0 But still<\/em> cyclists show up in droves.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A favorite stretch of road and finally some decent cycling weather.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be honest, I don\u2019t mind having a little company on the road.\u00a0 Turning up at some remote ranch, hanging out with the local farmhands and fumbling around for the right words in Spanish gets old after awhile.\u00a0 And while I love counchsurfing--being a part of an Argentine family for a few days and living like a local-- I don\u2019t mind the role of simple tourist from time to time.<\/p>\n

\"Springhill<\/a>
Springhill Estancia, where we spent the night one bitter cold day in December.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s just something completely relaxing about being one of the crowd.\u00a0 Just another tourist on a bike.\u00a0 Nobody special to gawk at or fawn over.\u00a0 Not an object of curiosity to crowd around.\u00a0 Completley inconspicuous.<\/p>\n

Hanging out with other bicycle tourists has another important advantage.\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019re guaranteed instant sympathy once you start moaning about the winds.\u00a0 The story usually goes something like this, \u201cIt was impossible to cycle, I tell you, the winds were blowing 120 kilometers per hours.\u00a0\u00a0 Really!\u00a0 No exaggeration.\u00a0 I had to hop on the truck, there was no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"So<\/a>
So many cyclists trying to sneak their bikes into the waiting room they actually had to prohibit the practice. Gotta love the translation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And, having been buffeted about by similar winds, I believe these tales.<\/p>\n

So far, we\u2019ve not met a single cyclist who\u2019s been able to ride the entire way through Patagonia.\u00a0 Everybody admits to having hopped on the bus here or there.<\/p>\n

\"On<\/a>
On the bikes for the moment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And yes, we are no exception.\u00a0 Our very first bus ever in 4+ years on the road.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the sad tale...<\/p>\n

We were stuck on a long stretch of empty road between Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas.\u00a0 The day before Christmas battling headwinds and we\u2019d had enough.\u00a0 An entire afternoon was spent hunkered down by the side of the road waiting out the gale.\u00a0 Finally a bus approached and in a flash we sprinted to middle of the road and were flagging it down as if it were the last helicopter out of Saigon.<\/p>\n

The stone-faced conductor hopped down and shook his head grimly.\u00a0 Sorry.\u00a0 No room for the bicycles.<\/p>\n

This rejection almost sent me into heart failure.\u00a0 What? Would I end up splitting a can of tuna and some instant mashed potatoes by the side of the road for Christmas dinner?<\/p>\n

Pleasssse.\u00a0 Please sir.\u00a0 Can\u2019t you squeeze them in somehow?\u00a0 Look, look, the bags come off and if we turn the wheel just so\u2026<\/p>\n

Positive karma was with us.\u00a0 The bus spirited us away and in a couple of hours we were settled around the dinner table with the Seguel family in Puerto Natales.\u00a0 The carnivores devoured an entire grilled lamb.\u00a0 I dined on mashed potatoes.\u00a0 But at least they weren\u2019t of the instant variety.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/a>
Christmas with couchsurfers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10,000 kilometers and six months biking South America without seeing a single cyclist.\u00a0\u00a0 Now we\u2019re surrounded by seven of them hanging out in the same campground In Calafate, Argentina. 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