I have arrived in Ushuaia. It has been 467 days since my first pedal stroke away from Fairbanks, Alaska. I can't think of a single bad one between here and there. Ushuaia is a place worth arriving. Surrounded by snow covered mountains, situated on the bank of the Beagle Channel, quaint, lovely. I am here in a hostel enjoying the company of new friends, letting the accomplishment of getting here settle in.
This stretch from Buenos Aires has been a meditation. The land reached out before me uninterrupted by hills or trees. As I moved further south the world became dry, and windswept. The plants shortened, sharpened and grew tough against the harsh environment. The animals did not seem to mind. One particularly strange rodent I saw was the Patagonian Mara. I first thought it was a sort of small deer and then I thought it was a huge rabbit. It is its own thing though and I always liked watching them run through the brush. There were also Guanaco, a relative to the lama. They roamed in herds and always ran when they saw me. I have so many pictures of their back sides.
As I approached the southern tip of the Americas I crossed onto Tierra Del Fuego. A large island swarming with sheep and birds, partly in Chile and partly in Argentina. From a distance I could see the tail end of the Andes, the southern Patagonia mountains. Before any snow was around me the white peaks rose over the horizon. It wasn't long after that I was waking up to snow on my tent and biking through cold white valleys.
It feels good to be here. The elation one might expect after a long journey has not washed over me yet. It wasn't the anticipation of arrival that propelled me here. Just an appreciation for wherever I was. I have been going one day at a time for so long that it is difficult to feel the weight of the journey behind me just as I didn't feel it ahead of me when I started. If it were any other way I suspect I might not have made it.
Now that I am here though I must look ahead. The road has ended which puts a kink in my simple plan of following it. Fortunately for me there are continents left to bicycle across. I've gone south long enough. I am turning my gaze west. Look for my next update from New Zealand.
Another beautiful morning from my tent.
Yes, that is a palm tree being blown away on the sign.
I've arrived!
