Racpat South America 1999-2000 - CycleBlaze

Racpat South America 1999-2000

Into the Wind

By Rachel and Patrick Hugens
6,178 km (3,837 miles) over 202 days between Oct. 23, 1999 and May 11, 2000

Introduction and Practice ride

Introduction: Paper journal to Digital heart 7
Overnight ride to test gear heart 9
How did we get to Chicago? heart 5

Chicago to Santiago, Chile

Day 1 & 2 Flight to Santiago: So it begins... heart 2
Day 3 Santiago: Settling into a new culture heart 1
Day 4 Santiago: Organizing and sightseeing heart 1
Day 5 Graneras, Campo Escuela Callejones: navigating "Mal" street heart 1
Day 6 San Fernando: News from Boise heart 2
Day 7 Camping Puerta del Paraiso: Along the Rio Claro heart 1
Day 8 Linares: Cafe Con Leche heart 1
Day 9 San Carlos: Bus stalls for cyclists heart 1
Day 10 Chillan: colorful market heart 1
Day 11 Salto del Laja: Meeting Trevor Lund heart 1
Day 12 Rest day Salto del Laja heart 2
Day 13 Mulden: Luis Farm heart 1
Day 14 Victoria: Hills and two Valleys heart 1
Day 15 Metrenco: Rain and first flat heart 1
Day 16 Villarica: Ruta 5 then off route heart 1
Day 17 Rest Day in Villarica heart 1
Day 18 Pucon: No volcano climb today heart 1
Day 19 Climbing a volcano heart 1
Day 20 Puesco: view of Volcano Lanin heart 1

Argentina

Day 21 Rd 60 before Junin del los Andes: Changing road surface heart 1
Day 22 San Martin de los Andes: Meeting Diego heart 1
Day 23 Rest Day in San Martin de los Andes heart 1
Day 24 National Park CG at Falkner Lake: Seite Lagos heart 1
Day 25 Villa La Angostura: Gorgeous scenery heart 1
Day 26 Bariloche: More beautiful views heart 3
Day 27 Camping Petunia: pseudo rest day heart 1

Chile

Day 28 Ensenada Chile: Sailing across the Andes heart 1
Day 29 Puerto Montt: asphalt road and views of Volcano Osorno heart 1
Day 30 Rest Day in Puerto Montt heart 1
Day 31 Rest Day in Puerto Montt: Finding a dentist heart 1
Day 32 Rest Day Puerto Montt heart 1
Day 33 Ancud: Ferry to Isla Chiloe heart 1
Day 34 Invited to stay with Chilean family: Very Dutch Family heart 1
Day 35 Chonchi: Palafitos houses heart 1
Day 36 Rest Day in Chonchi: Bus ride back to Ruben's heart 1
Day 37 Rest Day in Chonchi: Colorful Sunday Market heart 1
Day 38 Rest Day in Chonchi heart 1
Day 39 Quellon: Hilly ride to the south heart 1
Day 40 Chaiten by Ferry heart 1
Day 41 Free camping along a river: Continuing on the Carretera Austral heart 1
Day 42 "Ghost town" heart 1
Day 43 Puyuhuapi heart 1
Day 44 Hanging glacier in Parque National Quenlat heart 1
Day 45 Camping las Dunas heart 1
Day 46 Villa Manihuales heart 1
Day 47 Coyhaique heart 1
Day 48 Rest Day in Coyhaique heart 1
Day 49 Farm on road to Puerto Ibanes heart 1

Argentina, again

Day 50 Villa Antiguos: Ferry heart 1
Day 51 Estancia Telken: where the asphalt ends heart 2
Day 52 Estancia Telken: Tour to Cuevas de los Manos heart 1
Day 53 Casa de Piedra: wicked winds heart 1
Day 54 Past Baja Caracoles: Rio Olnie Hotel heart 1
Day 55 Gravel pit 15km from Junction 40 & 37: heart 3
Day 56 Hotel las Horquetas heart 3
Day 58 Estancia La Angostura heart 1
Day 57 Rest Day in Estancia La Angostura heart 1
Day 59 Rest Day in Estancia La Angostura: too windy today heart 1
Day 60 A ride from Estancia La Angostura to Chalten heart 1
Day 61 Chalten: Walk to Laguna Torre heart 1
Day 62 Chalten: Hike to Laguna Capri heart 1
Day 63 El Calafate: ride in Land Rovers heart 2
Day 64 Christmas Day Moreno Glacier Tour heart 1
Day 65 Rest Day in El Calafate heart 1
Day 66 Rio Pelaque: camping at police station heart 1
Day 67 Hotel Fuentes del Coyle heart 1

Chile

Day 68 To Torres del Paine heart 1
Day 69 Torres del Paine: hike to Look out heart 2
Day 70 Rest Day in Torres del Paine: New Years Eve heart 1
Day 71 Pehoe: sandpaper wind heart 2
Day 72 Leaving Torres de Paine: Somewhere on a private road heart 2
Day 73 Puerto Natales heart 3
Day 74 Rest Day in Puerto Natales heart 1
Day 75 Estancia that's not an Estancia: free camping heart 1
Day 76 Punta Arenas: tailwind and rain heart 1
Day 77 Rest Day in Punta Arenas heart 1
Day 78 Rest Day in Punta Arenas: tour to see the Penguins heart 1
Day 79 Ferry to Porvenir heart 1
Day 80 San Sebastian Chile heart 1

Argentina, again and again

Day 81 Rio Grande: into Argentina again heart 2
Day 82 Lago Yelhuin: No wind! We can hear the birds heart 2
Day 83 Tolhuin: beautiful sunset heart 4
Day 84 Lago Escondido: dusty road heart 6
Day 85 Ushuaia: we made it! heart 6

Antarctica

Day 86 Drake Passage: We are on the ship to Antarctica heart 1
Day 87 Drake Passage: through a cyclone heart 1
Day 88 Drake Passage: we see land again heart 1
Day 89 Antarctica: First landing and second landing heart 3
Day 90 Vernadsky and Lemaire Channel heart 2
Day 91 Deception Island and Hanna's point heart 1
Day 92 Drake Passage again heart 1
Day 93 Drake Passage and seeing Cape Horn heart 1
Day 94 Docked in Ushuaia heart 1
Day 95 Ushuaia: museum heart 1
Day 96 Ushuaia: not much to do today heart 1

Argentina, again

Day 97 Flight to Buenos Aires heart 1
Day 98 Buenos Aires: errands and meeting up with friends heart 1
Day 99 Buenos Aires: La Boca heart 1
Day 100 Buenos Aires: tourist sites heart 2
Day 101 Buenos Aires: seeking medical advice heart 1

Uruguay

Day 102 Colonia Uruguay: Ferry crossing heart 1
Day 103 Carmelo: first day cycling again heart 2
Day 104 Mercedes: grape vineyards heart 1
Day 105 Rest Day in Mercedes: at the beach heart 1
Day 106 Puerto Viejo: Rachel has a crash heart 1
Day 107 Paysandu: it's hot heart 1
Day 108 Termas de Guaviyu: touristy hot springs heart 1
Day 109 Thermas de Dayman heart 1

Argentina, again and again

Day 110 Salto-Concordia-Posadas: Argentina again heart 1
Day 111 Posadas: a long night on a bus to get here heart 1
Day 112 San Ignacio: ruins of a monastery heart 1
Day 113 Jardin America: short day heart 1
Day 114 Iguazu Falls: hot, hot, hot and a ride heart 1
Day 115 Iguazu Falls: First view of the falls in a thunderstorm heart 8
Day 116 Iguazu Falls: bus tour and briefly in Brazil heart 3
Day 117 Iguazu Falls: Argentinian side heart 2

Paraguay

Day 118 Ciudad del Este: Briefly in Brazil and into Paraguay heart 1
Day 119 Juan O'Leary: small town Paraguay heart 1
Day 120 CaAguazu: a hotel with a pool heart 1
Day 121 Coronel Oivedo: junction of two major roads heart 2
Day 122 Caacupe: the Basilica most important religious center heart 1
Day 123 Asuncion: hot and muggy again heart 1
Day 124 Rest day in Asuncion heart 1
Day 125 Rest day in Asuncion heart 1

Argentina, one last time

Day 126 Resistencia to Salta: a long bus ride across Chaco heart 1
Day 127 Rest Day in Salta; a local bike store heart 1
Day 128 Rest Day in Salta: Patrick not feeling well heart 1
Day 129 Rest Day in Salta: seeing the market heart 1
Day 130 San Salvador de Jujuy: beautiful ride heart 1
Day 131 San Salvador de Jujuy: process of mailing a package home heart 1
Day 132 Purmamarca: gaining altitude and a local corn festival heart 2
Day 133 Tilcara: cycling up the valley heart 1
Day 134 Humahuaca: climbing gradually and Carnival heart 1
Day 135 Rest Day Humahueca: Cabildo de Humahuaca heart 1
Day 136 Abra Pampa: highest point heart 5

Bolivia

Day 137 Villazon Bolivia: another country other than Argentina heart 1
Day 138 to Villazon Bolivia: a day in town and Chinese Take out for camping heart 1
Day 139 to Tupiza heart 1
Day 140 Rest Day in Tupiza heart 1
Day 141 Atocha: taking a ride heart 1
Day 142 Free Camping on the way to Uyuni: the road is a river, we ride the rails heart 2
Day 143 To Uyuni heart 1
Day 144: Day one Uyuni Tour to San Juan heart 1
Day 145: Day two Uyuni Tour to Laguna Colorado heart 1
Day 146: Day three Uyuni Tour toAlota heart 1
Day 147: Day four Uyuni Tour Back to Uyuni heart 1
Day 148 To Pulacayo heart 1
Day 149 Free camping past Ticatica heart 1
Day 150 San Juan River heart 1
Day 151 To Potosi heart 1
Day 152 Rest Day in Potosi heart 1
Day 153 Rest Day in Potosi: a mine tour heart 1
Day 154 To Tore Mayo Free Camping heart 1
Day 155 To Sucre heart 2
Day 156 Rest Day in Sucre: Market in Tarabuco heart 1
Day 157 Another day in Sucre: Extending our visa heart 1
Day 158 Halfway to Aquile Free Camping: following the river heart 1
Day 159 To Aguile: partly by truck heart 2
Day 160 Halfway to Epizana and Cochabamba: Free Camping heart 1
Day 161 To Cochabamba heart 1
Day 162 Rest Day in Cochabamba heart 1
Day 163 Road to La Paz: Free Camping heart 1
Day 164 Road to La Paz: Free Camping heart 1
Day 165 Road to La Paz: to Lahuachaca heart 1
Day 166 Road to La Paz: A margarita day heart 1
Day 167 Rest Day in La Paz heart 1
Day 168 Rest Day in La Paz: Shopping day heart 1
Day 169 Another day in La Paz heart 1
Day 170 Arrange a flight for tomorrow heart 1
Day 171 Flight from La Paz to Rurrenabaque heart 1
Day 172 Day One: Rurrenabaque and the Jungle heart 1
Day 173 Day Two: In the Jungle and back to Rurrenabaque heart 5
Day 174 Day One: Rurrenabaque to Pampas Tour Yacum River heart 1
Day 175 Day Two: Pampas Tour heart 1
Day 176 Day Three: End Pampas tour and return to Rurrenabaque heart 1
Day 177 Rest day in Rurrenabaque heart 1
Day 178 Rurrenabaque to La Paz heart 1
Day 179 One more day in La Paz heart 1
Day 180 To Puerto Perez: Lake Titicaca heart 1
Day 181 To Copacabana heart 1
Day 182 Copacabana: To Isla del sol heart 2
Day 183 Rest day in Copacabana heart 1

Peru

Day 184 To Juli, Peru heart 1
Day 185 To Puno heart 1
Day 186 Puno and Sillustani heart 1
Day 187 Puno: Amantani Island tour heart 1
Day 188 To Taguile to Puno heart 1
Day 189 To Juliaca: time to ride the bikes again heart 1
Day 190 To Ayaviri heart 1
Day 191 To Sicuani heart 1
Day 192 To Urcos heart 1
Day 193 To Cusco, last day of cycling heart 1
Day 194 Cusco: Arrange flight for home and Inca Trail tour heart 1

Inca Trail

Day 195 Day one: Cusco and Inca Trail heart 1
Day 196 Day two: Inca Trail heart 2
Day 197 Day three: Inca Trail heart 1
Day 198 Day four: Inca Trail heart 1

Cusco to Lima to Chicago

Day 199 Back to Cusco heart 1
Day 200 Cusco: Cancel Day tour to the Sacred Valley heart 1
Day 201 Flight to Lima heart 1
May12 Home in Cowden Illinois heart 1