The Road to the End of the World

Puerto Natales – Refugio de Arrieros, Chile

I know we’ve been complaining about the lack of wildlife. But now that we’re approaching the end of the world things are maybe a bit different . . .

First off, who knew that this area was home to a ten foot tall 2,000 pound sloth? I mean, I guess the sloth isn’t around anymore. Died off like ten thousand years ago. They say they don’t know what happened, but, come on. Seems pretty obvious to me; people started arriving around here around 15,000 years ago. Hmm. What could have happened to a sloth-like animal with literally a ton of good meat that – if anything like its modern cousins – probably wasn’t afraid of people? 

I know it’s probably not politically correct to blame the indigenous people – because the thing to say is that indigenous peoples respected nature and everything – but they were people just like anyone else. And I doubt they had a big commission looking into the extinction of the mylodon. 

Bummer. But I guess that’s what happens when people are around – other animals go extinct. Nothing new there . . .

Anyway, the mylodon is kind of a big deal in Puerto Natales. I think they found some mylodon bones in the area – so now this big sloth-like teddy bear is kind of a symbol of the town.

But the big sloth is not the only animal highlight of the last few days. In fact, turns out this was probably our best animal day since at least Panama. 

We saw big eagle-like birds.

We saw a flock of parrots. 

We saw a ton of guanaco.

We saw a bunch of Darwin’s Rhea.

We even saw guanaco and Rhea playing together. 

So the ride today was pretty darn fun. Made more so by the wind at our back. That’s right. Pushing us along. Not in our face. 

Turns out that riding with the wind is pretty darn fun. I highly recommend it.

We ended up having a few other interesting encounters today . . .

We’re biking in an area where there’s some construction going on. We’re on a big section of gravel when a big truck comes by. The truck slows down and somehow signals that he wants to talk; don’t ask me how he signaled – somehow I just knew . . . 

Anyway, I pull over, he stops, and then he gestures for me to open his passenger side door (the truck is so big that he can’t reach the handle to open it himself). 

When I finally open the door the guy starts smiling and saying Spanish things that I don’t understand. Something about the road . . .

And then he hands me a packet of stuff. Two pineapple drink boxes. Two cereal bars. 

Love stuff like this. I mean, the pineapple juice and the cereal bars okay – but what’s great is the enthusiasm and generosity from people we don’t even know!

Turns out that I actually did encounter this guy a bit earlier. We had stopped at a river to grab water. Once I made my way down there I saw that there were two trucks on the other side of the river – water trucks, with hoses pumping water into big tanks. The two drivers seemed excited to see a biker, but we couldn’t talk over the roar of the river. 

Anyway, the pineapple juice guy was one of the truck drivers. The water was for the construction project; we saw the driver one more time a few miles later – delivering water for something . . .

Now let’s skip to the end of the day. 

The wind has REALLY picked up by this time. And the trees are gone. So there are zero wind blocks. Except for maybe the guanacos – if they’ll stand still for you . . .

I mean, we can set up a tent, but it would be a rough night . . . Kind of like The Crucible night a few weeks back. (The tent poles are still bent from that night . . .)

Fortunately, there is an option. There’s a little building along the road that has two bunk beds and a little table inside. Even has a bathroom – although there’s no water or anything so it’s not functional. 

I guess there used to be a lock on the door – but it’s broken now – so you can walk right in. Not clear what the purpose of the building is, but word has it that it’s a place for sheep herders to sleep when they’re on some herding route. 

Doesn’t matter. No sheep herders now. 

We make dinner. Another Sausage Soup Surprise with a bunch of vegetables. 

Oh, by the way, the stove is working again now. Took it all apart. Cleaned everything. And, after some serious effort, managed to pull this “cleaning wire” out. Sadly, I kind of wrecked the wire trying to push it back in – but turns out that we can get away without having the wire for at least a few days or weeks . . . 

Anyway, pretty happy with the stove. 

And dinner at a little table inside out of the wind was super nice.

Just as we were finishing, though, we had a little surprise. Another couple rolled up. Cassie and Tim. They’re heading to Ushuaia as well – but they are way more hard core than we are. They don’t like pavement. They seek out gravel roads and backwoods ways. They complain that there are too many people around . . . 

They’re from Montana. I realized later that they are quintessential bike packers where we’re more the bike touring types. The difference? We ride the main roads and like seeing all the people. They ride the backroads and the gravel and dirt and prefer to avoid people . . . 

So now we’re in one bunk and they’re in the other and we’re trading stories about our journey. 

Tomorrow we’re on to Punto Arenas. Supposed to be the windiest city in the world. And, according to Reader Jane H, it’s the city that they launched the rescue mission for the Shackleton Expedition from. The biggest real city – 100,000+ people – this far south in the world. On that score, important to remember that we’re far south of the southernmost part of Australia and New Zealand . . .

A little pressure tomorrow – the ferry that we want to take leaves at 5 p.m. We’ll see what the wind looks like – but it’s another 75 miles to get there so it’s no easy task. My guess is we’ll be on the ferry though – because Diana says that if we miss that ferry we will have to wait 24 hours. And, you know Diana – 24 hours of sitting around is not her speed . . .

No word on where the world ends. We’ll be watching for that . . .