84 420 km since the beginning of the journey.
While in Antarctica I had left my car at the campsite, it was said to be a good solid place. And now again back to household issues. To unpack the belongings, wash the clothes from salty water. Then came the most important action - the copying of images: pictures and videos from various memory cards first to the computer and then two backups to different external hard drives. As the computer hard drive usually chooses the very wrong moment to get broken, for example, when you are copying pictures from the memory card to the computer and the card is empty. And the backup was not being made yet - like this had happened once in Brazil. Don`t want this kind of restoring mess any more, one lesson should be enough.
But sorting out of the images was quite a job and to have a decent overview of the recorded material perhaps a month should be spent in Ushuaia. Which is not a bad idea as such as the climate is like spring or fall of Estonia, +3 to +15 degrees outside and sometimes it does not rain. Interesting things to get involved with can be found everywhere, starting with shorter and long hiking trails and the city`s architecture is also unique. And most important - no mosquitoes and no one asks when you're going to leave. Also no problem with the visa as officially the visa is valid for 90 days during a half - year.
March 6 at noon. A look back at Ushuaia. The weather was sunny and nice snowy mountain tops in the distance.
The eastern shore of Lake Fagnano.
Typical nature of Tierra del Fuego.
There had been a road over the mountains from Lake Fagnano up to Estancia Harberton and the beginning was said to be quite drivable but soon the road came to an end with a locked gate.
Already on the Atlantic coast. The wreck of Desdemona in the evening sun.
Climbing on the ship was forbidden .
Here again the road ended. I was familiar with the fact that there is no road to Cabo San Diego, the eastern top of Isla Grande and that farthest place reached by car is Estancia Maria Luisa, but still it was interesting to have a look at this abandoned area. Here too the gate was locked. Having heard the sound of the engine the owner of this place came and confirmed that there was no further road, not to mention a couple of hundred meters up to his home yard.
In several places by the road there were signs "No Camping" but having asked I was answered that actually I might spend the night there as in the dark there is not much sense to move anywhere.
A convenient overnight place. Unnoticed from the big road.
From the front window – a million - view. From the rear window – harsh southern wind blowing in.
Back upwards.
Local roads are not marked with numbers here, like big Highways way (Ruta 3 and Ruta 40), but with letters. And R.C. - "A" 66 is not Route 66.
In the morning I made one more stop by the ship.
Typical gravel road of Tierra del Fuego and in good condition. Not a bad word.
A bridge before the Rio Grande.
A wall painting which probably is understood without any longer explanation.
The road from Rio Grande northwards up to the San Sebastiao border station was decent in every respect.
I didn`t turn in the direction of Chile immediately but drove straight northward so far as possible.
Oil-mining is in progress here. And as usual in such areas not everywhere is allowed to drive.
Morning. At night it began to rain again.
The sun is rising,
and then the weather turned just beautiful.
Further on the road ends.
The wire fence is the border here. Further on is Chile. Crossing the border is not allowed here, but tea was offered and just some time spent talking about this region and the road built here.
The road continues on the other side of the Straits of Magellan, and there is a plan of a barge connection to avoid 300 kilometre journey through Chile while going to Tierra del Fuego. Anyway from that side the road is almost completed although without surfaces yet.
And probably those abandoned buildings at the roadside will have a new life whenever the traffic is busy again.
The muddy road has done the job.
Before reaching Chile I was suggested to refuel, because here in Argentina the price of diesel was said to be cheaper (4.15 Arg pesos, or $ 0.80 by the official exchange rate). No point to wash the bus as in a few kilometres it would look like the same.
Crossing the border. A few hundred meters after the Argentine border the asphalt comes to an end and moderately muddy gravel road begins..
Between the two border stations there is empty land and then a greeting - Bienvenidos a la Republica de Chile. Having crossed the border I drove downwards but about this topic in the next post...
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