Southbound 650 at The End of the Road:

Jesse's odyssey ended January 14 at the end of the road.  

Ruta 3 at the Tierra Del Fuego  National Park is the southernmost point one can reach by road.  

It is south of the world's southernmost port - Ushuaia (54º48'S  68º18W) on the island `discovered'  by Magellan in his search for a route to China (the Strait of Magellan), explored and studied by Darwin (the Beagle Channel), a bit north of the island we call Cape Horn (55º59'S  68º13W).

The end of the road is 1,913 miles from Buenos Aires, and 11,090 miles south of Alaska.  

We'll have to wait for Jesse's return home to get the road miles from his odometer of his Kawasaki 650, which hopefully will find a home in a museum.  It is an icon symbolizing the will power it took to start in Delaware County, NY, 4 months ago head north, cross Ontario, cut southwest to San Diego, then reach his destination.

Here are Jesse's closing shots, images of others who have gotten there (google images search:  ruta 3 tierra del fuego, and a link to Ushuaia weather.

Congratulations, Jesse - we'll see you soon!

Southbound 650 - Valparaiso, Chile

Valparaiso - a neutral city and site of a key battle in our War of 1812, is the headquarters of the Chilean navy.   Taisy studied there at the Pontifical University - the only Catholic school I ever got her to.  Marilyn, Gary and I visited her there and heard Inti-Illimani in a pub, reminding me of the Allende years, as did the Esmeralda - the white tall ship in the naval base shot.  Prisoners were tortured aboard and Susan was arrested unfurling an anti-junta banner from its deck during an Op-Sail visit to NY when Reagan was blessing the Statue of Liberty or smtg.

We stayed in a Bohemian neighborhood at a hostel across the street from the Lutheran Church (called the German Church there) - and next door to the place where Jesse stayed, a coincidence.  So here are some of Jesse's typically well composed and selected shots of Valparaiso, plus one of a strange sculpture in the desert on the way south from Antofagasta.

Jesse and Andy parted ways in LaPaz.  Next post will (hopefully) be Tierra DelFuego.

For more pictures of desert, sea and highway go to Southbound 650.

Southbound 650 - Macchu Picchu - Cusco

  

It's irresistible to be light-heartedly cynical "why ride that far on a motorcycle for chrissakes to see a goat and some old ruins".  But mountains do inspire.  I remember babbling in the shadow of Denali as it loomed like a diamond ring in the distance while fishing the Lake Creek River in Alaska.

Pablo Neruda too, a far better babbler, got carried away in Canto XII from The Heights of Macchu Picchu:

Look at me from the depths of the earth,
tiller of fields, weaver, reticent shepherd,
groom of totemic guanacos,
mason high on your treacherous scaffolding,
iceman of Andean tears,
jeweler with crushed fingers,
farmer anxious among his seedlings,
potter wasted among his clays--
bring to the cup of this new life
your ancient buried sorrows.

For more great shots go to Southbound 650

and p.s - Pascale reports the latest ultrasound shows the nascent rider is doing well. 

- gwc

p.p.s. - it has been pointed out to me that the quadriped is a llama.  Well, you know what they say about ducks. - gwc

Southbound 650 reaches Peru

Pascale, Jesse's embarazada girlfriend, met Jesse and Andy in Colombia.  They headed out on the 650 for Quito.  Fortunately after more than 40 miles of bad road she hopped a glorious looking bus.  They did get to Quito without mishap - despite passing through the tail end of a Columbian riot and other hazards.

And Jesse and Andy, after Pascale flew back to N.H., headed south to Peru where this latest post was made.  Still southbound - and maybe splitting up - Andy to Bolivia, Jesse to Patagonia via Chile.  Here's the rest of a spectacular array of shots.