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  Monte Leone, Argentina
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

I hope all of you had the chance to read Kia's blog entry from Saturday. In case you missed it, she referred to her transportation as a 'luxurious vehicle'. When I read this, I had to stop and think about whether she has been riding with me the whole time. Had she hitched a lift in a Cadillac Escalade? A Lincoln Navigator? No, she had been right there with me, inhaling dust, absorbing bumps with her spine and feeling every temperature change through the open top. This is likely the first time in human history that someone has referred to a Jeep as a 'luxurious vehicle.' My gal is a first class trooper and an eternal optimist.

I will take a small amount of credit for this attitude. We frequently pass fellow travelers on motorcycles or bicycles. I will usually ask a casual question "I wonder how much luggage they can fit on the back of that motorcycle?" or "Does that bike look like it has a suspension." By comparison, the Jeep might appear somewhat luxurious

01 - Welcome to Argentina

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We crossed into Argentina two days ago and the landscape changed dramatically. The Andes cast a significant rainshadow across Argentine Patagonia. The result is a giant, open flat desert. One can drive 200 miles without finding gas, food or lodging. Every 25 miles, or so, there might be an estancia (ranch) that likely farms a parcel of land that is larger than Delaware.

The night before last, we stayed at a tiny hostel at a crossroads in the desert. One of our fellow guests was a somewhat bewildered Italian on a bicycle. I offered him a beer from my cooler and listened to his story. He seemed a bit addled from too much wind (a constant 20+ mph), sun and bumpy roads. One of our guidebooks (we cross reference 3 books on the area) told us that the upcoming stretch would not have any services for 180 miles. He seemed unaware, mumbled something about catching a bus and retired to his tent. I didn't have the heart to tell him we had seen no buses in the 200 miles since we crossed the border.

Last night we stayed at a luxurious estancia that was owned by who else, Doug Thompkins. Mr. Thompkins purchased one of these giant estancias on the Atlantic coast, donated the land as another park and allowed the family to continue to run a hosteria (guest house) on the property

02 - A Drier Climate

. As you may recall, Argentine agriculture was one of the economic success stories of the early 20th century. The house was imported from England in 1905 and reassembled as the main farmhouse. As the economy turned south, it was preserved as a time capsule filled with beautiful antiques. The electricity is supplied by a small generator that is turned off each evening at midnight.

The wildlife in Argentina has been outstanding. There have been herds of guanacos (look like llamas) and numerous rheas (small ostriches). In Thompkins' park there were also sea lions and (my favorite) a penguin colony. It felt like March of the Penguins without the ice. There must have been 40,000 magellenic penguins within a 1/2 mile radius. A penguin is the rare creature that can be completely ungainly and still look dignified. Few humans can pull this off.

We have settled into a routine on the road. Most places we stay one night. We get in a hike or mountain bike ride and spend three to six hours on the road. Before we left, I had envisioned frequently camping and barbecuing fish or a slab of meat over a grill. We brought a large cooler and numerous cooking utensils. Just like most Yuppie couples, however, we usually end up at a restaurant or with takeout. The cooler looks like any bachelor's fridge, a few beers, some diet coke and lots of bottled water. Oh well, we survive.

This afternoon we head south again. Two days to the end of the road.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

03 - Dusty Crossroads	04 - Sunset in the Desert	05 - An Overwhelmed Biker	06 - Guanacos
07 - More Guanacos	08 - The Atlantic	09 - A Penguin Family	10 - Lots of Penguins
11 - Blocking the Road	12 - Estancia Monte Leone	13 - The Main House	14 - Antiques
14 - Front Porch	16 - The Proprietors	17 - Mountain Biking at the Beach

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