#41 Run in's with Customs, Christian's, and the Common Man's Petrol

Our experience of Brasil had its genesis in the town of Rivera/Santana do Livramento. One town, two countries - with no clear line. You might cross the road and its Brasil, and then a few houses down you're back in Uruguay. As a lawyer my first thought was if I commit a crime in Uruguay and then go to Brasil, do I fall under International Law?

#40 How to cook in a hotel shower - Atlantic Coast to Rivera

Our final night in Uruguay and I'm woken in the middle of the night by the heat and the need to scratch the numerous itchy bites covering my legs. I turn on light to see a large insect crawling up the wall, which I suspect of being a cockroach, probably attracted by the smell of food we cooked up the previous evening on a gas cooker while crouching in the shower. We have been carrying around a mosquito net purchased before we left and it is only now, for the first time this trip, that I ask Reece to erect it over the bed. It's hard to imagine that we are staying in a hotel unit, one of the priciest rooms we have paid for. The previous four nights we slept in the wildnerness, one night bush camping near a still stream, during which came across spiders, reptiles, snakes (kind of), native mammals, men with guns, and this is the most freaked out I have been. Let me provide some background....

#39 A little bit of Uruguayan history - Mercedes to Montevideo

Thirsty for new stamps in our passport we headed out of Buenos Aires straight for the Uruguayan border, a trip that would have been much faster had we caught the boat that crosses from B.A. to Colonia del Sacramento (we must have missed the last discount tickets by a mere few hours). My preconception of Uruguay was of a country with many similarities to New Zealand: both have populations of around 4 million inhabitants with 1/3 choosing the capital city as their home; the economies of both are largely reliant on the agricultural sector, and the populations of both flock to the ocean during their summer holidays.

#38 Baking in Buenos Aires

Sunflowers in Buenos Aires province! A welcome change
from the thousands of kilometres of nothingness of R3.

No, we didn't spend our week in one of the world's cosmopolitain cities in the kitchen, we spent it in the sweltering heat. While New Zealand was experiencing one of its worst summers in a while, temperatures in B.A. reached a 50 year high, on one day surpassing 38ºC. It seemed  the perfect opportunity to spend some time in an air conditioned apartment watching t.v. After 3 months it was important to catch up on the essentials we had missed - `Keeping up with the Kardaishians, Chloe and Kim take Miami, Chloe and Lamar, etc etc.

#37 10,000 kilometres - Reece

#36 10,000 Kilometres - Charlotte

In homage to riding over 10,000 kilometres on the trip thus far Reece suggested we each draft a separate post. It could be about whatever we want, provided we didn't read each other's first. So apologies if they're repetitive. Here's mine....

#35 South American safari - Peninsula Valdes and the Atlantic Coast

Wildlife time was not yet over as we left Puerto Madryn for Peninsula Valdes to its east. Here if you are really lucky you can witness an orca feeding on a sea lion, a phenomenen which is uncommon at this time of year, but can happen on rare occassions during high tide. Though I sat staring at the waters for some time while Reece did a nature walk waiting for the attack to occur sadly it wasn't to be. We were also a few weeks late for the humpback whales so sea lions and elephant seals would have to do. I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed....

#34 Riding North - Ushuaia to Puerto Madryn

After pouring over the map we worked out we could reach Peurto Madryn for Christms if we pushed it, but meant riding around 400-600kms per day. But in our minds it was worth it to spend Christmas in the warmth, by the sea, and hopefully in a friendly hostel. For the first time since Santiago we booked a place to stay in advance, choosing one which promised Patagonian lamb and seafood for Christmas dinner (on Christmas Eve, when Christmas is traditionally celebrated here in South America).

#33 The End of the World - Ushuaia

With its claim to fame as the southern most city in the world, Ushuaia is the place that motorcyclists and cyclists traditionally end theizr South American odyssey. For us, it was just the end of the first leg, but I guess you would say reaching Ushuaia was proof to ourselves that we had established ourselves as bikers. It was prettty exciting riding in, and later we went down to the water to take silly pictures of us with the bike. But to be honest, we hadn't really thought much about what we would get up to while there, or even if there was anything to do in Ushuaia.

#32 Tyres, Tea, and Politics: Part 2 - Rio Grande

Our original worn tyre

It turns our that both Rio Grande and Ushuaia, our eventual destination, are located on an island obstructed not only by water but also Chilean territory. That meant crossing two borders and taking a boat ferry to reach another city described aptly by Lonely Planet as 'just a bleak pit stop for most travelers'. I have griped to numerous people now abut why the border can't simply be moved slightly to the west to allow an easier crossing.

#31 Tyres, Tea, and Politics: Part 1 - Rio Gallegos

After our epic walk and week of touristic activity it was time to give some love to the bike. We were aware that the front tyre in particular had done around 10,000 kms so the plan was to cross back into Argentina and across the pampas to Rio Gallegos. Not somewhere I was looking all that forward to as its a city described by Lonely Planet as a place most travelers stop in just long enough to catch the next bus to El Calafate, Puerto Natales, or Ushuaia.