Our last leg of the tour appeared to be the proverbial “walk in the park” with the road surfaced and overcast weather predicted for Punta Arenas; no rain. However, the 3-hour ride at 80 km/h was again a test to stay on the road with a 100 km/h crosswind; no respite until we hit Punta Arenas. But all went well and we arrived safely.
The landscape between the two towns varied from a karoo type vegetation with intensive sheep farming to a section of land similar to the section between Tres Lagos and El Calafate in Argentina, where the vegetation is clearly influenced by the steady icy cold winds. Nearer Punta Arenas it again became more karoo-like with trees and bush in protected areas against hills. The colour of the water in the last two lakes was, unlike the lakes at El Calafate, a very murky brown.
Punta Arenas is clearly the biggest town on our tour and has, besides a strong tourism industry, the airport which is in size probably similar to Port Elizabeth (the airport also accommodates the Chilean Air Force base) as well as a few ship building / maintenance facilities.
Our hotel (the Isla Rey Jorge hotel) over-compensated for the cold we have endured on the bikes the last few days with a heating system second to none, which made the rooms very cozy. The hotel manager and his staff were probably the most helpful on the tour and it was a great relief to be able to communicate in English again without lots of “si’s” and appropriate hand movements.
Our drop-off of the bikes went smoothly with the workshop owner, a friendly chap by the name of Allejandro responsible for servicing the Moto Aventura motorcycles in Punta Areas, sealing the deal with payment for the minor mishaps to the bikes (about which we do not want to talk).
We made our way back to the hotel with a taxi, which incidentally is as plentiful and efficient as the New York yellow cabs. Dinner at a nearby restaurant was seafood paella (only available in a dish for two but turned out to be enough for four people) with everything from crab, mussels, calamari, octopus, prawns etc. A brilliant end (gastronomically speaking) to the bike tour.
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| Punta Arenas water front |
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| Dawid, ready for the last stretch |
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| Our vehicles, not as clean as at the start |
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| Evidence of an emergency repair |
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| Puerto Natales, grey, windy and cold |
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| Dawid on the Plaza Armada (City Square) |
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