In the months leading up to this trip I had a very difficult time telling people that I was planning to ride my motorcycle to Argentina. Every time I did, it just sounded so preposterous. Even though it had been done by many motorcyclists before me, it seemed to be an impossibly long way to go.

It was a beautifully clear day this morning as I departed Santiago. The traffic was "big city" heavy but compared to other countries is was easy to navigate. The highway towards the border began as a divided super slab but soon narrowed to familiar two-lane mountain road. There were several areas of road repair where crews limited traffic to one lane. With each of these, I had to wait up to 20 minutes to be allowed through.

While stopped at one such obstacle. Two shiny chromed Harleys with Chile plates pulled up along side me. Both riders looked to be in their sixties and we had the usual roadside exchange. When I told them that I had ridden from the US and that it had taken me nearly four mouths. One of the riders pulled off his sunglasses to get a better look at me. He rolled his eyes and said in English "Congratulations, that's quite an accomplishment". We fist bumped and I said "thanks, I appreciate that". I did appreciate it.

The ride back into the Andes was just what I needed today. Here the mountains were jagged slabs that framed the road. Barren of any trees it was obvious that rockfalls and landslides were a common hazard. The switchbacked roads offered thrilling views of waterfalls and valleys. They also put a big smile on my face.

Crossing from Chile to Argentina here meant that I had to pass through the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores tunnel. It is over three kilometers long and features hills, curves and in places it has a cobble stone road surface. Popping out on the Argentinean side there was a check point in which I received a slip of paper that was time-stamped. The officer told that I would need that paper when I stopped at the joint Chile/Argentina customs facility that was another 13 kilometers down the mountain.

This customs facility was the best that I have seen. When I arrived an officer immediately directed me into a line of cars that entered into a large building. A few minutes later when entering the building the line split into eight lanes. A different officer directed me into lane three which eventually led my to a kiosk. The Chilean agent stamped both my passport and bike import permit. Done! I rolled forward about 10 feet to a second kiosk where I was met by an Argentine agent who inspected the bike, plate and VIN. She took my passport, registration and title and told me to wait. Ten minutes later she reappeared to explain the paperwork and return my documents. "Listo" (Finished) she said. I was back on the road in a record 40 minutes!

On the ride down the Argentina side of the Andres I saw the remnants of an old railway. I could imagine steaming over this pass aboard a Baldwin Mikado locomotive long before this highway existed. In this raw and rugged terrain, if you can't entertain a wild-west fantasy, your imagination just isn't working.

As I dropped out of the mountains and on to the plains the temperature shot up to over 100º. I knew I would not last too much longer riding in that kind of heat. I stopped to drink some water and look for a place to stay. I found a hostel/camp run by a motorcyclist named Diego who greeted me at the gate wearing a KTM tee shirt. After showing me where I could set up my tent, he spent an hour looking at maps with me. He traced out several routes, told me about the roads and showed me where I could camp. He assured me that I was in for some spectacular riding. I could feel Diego's love for Patagonia and even though my Spanish was not quite keeping up with him, he patiently would explain things a second or even third time.

Even though it is 10:30PM and I'm sweating just laying here in my tent, I'm really excited about the days ahead.