All the way south

After driving for hours through the unchanging pampa, I finally encountered some new terrain.

This is exactly what I thought the end of the world would be like!

Crazy looking trees, jagged mountains, and rough roads.  Everything was there except for the rough roads.  It was a perfectly smooth asphalt pista the entire way through Argentina.

Theo’s and my bike happy enjoy the vista.

I’m just showing off with my new camera now.

Theo and I were just sitting around taking photos when 3 very familiar bikes showed up!!  In the lead was Thomas…

Then Andrea!!!

Followed by Olliver and Silke!!!

We met for the first time a few days ago on ruta 3 at a campground.  There we shared wine and travel stories.  They are two really great couples of people!  I was very happy to meetup with them again.  Here are the faces behind the helmets (Silke and Andrea)

Thomas

und olliver!

We were just a few minutes away from Ushuaia.

I made it to Ushuaia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is one of the classic “end of the world” tourist photos.  For me.. this isn’t the “real” end of the world photo.  That is forthcoming.   This was as far as I was going to make it before christmas!

More fun with the sign!

Theo made it to Ushuaia too!!!

Look at all that flare!!!

We went to Rio Pipo in Ushuaia, a campground a very expensive but nice campground at the end of the town at the end of the world.

There was a thread on Horizons Unlimited, the overland travel site, about meeting at this specific campground for Christmas.  Over the two days before Christmas, tons of bikes started showing up.  Well, not tons, but about 15.. and it is amazing to see that many moto travelers in one spot.

There are also lots of bicyclists around Ushuaia.  There were two guys (American and British) who were just starting their trip.  It was fun to talk to them and feel their excitement around the start of their two year trip.

Oh yeah, Ushuaia is overran with tourists buses and ships!!  This was a “Rolling hotel”, aka a rolling chicken coup that was a trailer full of partitions with beds.

Here they were eating breakfast… All Germans!!  I’m convinced there is no one left in Germany as they are all traveling south America.

Rotel Tours — Das Rollende Hotel.  The driver was pretty cool, but I didn’t talk to any of the guests.

… More bikes showed up

Cars and trucks too.  This guy made the GPS maps that I was using while traveling.

International dogs…

Californian surfers

Vans….

I didn’t get a picture of Chucks bike, but I’m going to go fishing with him when he returns to Texas.  He’s a great guy who did the same ride.

Ushuaia was one big 4 day party.  While there isn’t much to see in the town itself, it was one of the best times I had on my trip.  It was really fun hanging out with a bunch of people who think that taking time off from a job and sitting on a motorcycle for a few months is a GOOD idea!