Monday 6 March 2023 – 365Km
Today I am riding the 365Km from Bariloche to Futaleufe. This is a long day with a good measure of gravel roads that were relatively straightforward. A fall in the middle of nowhere can have serious implications, the rider and or bike can break and easily end the trip, take you time and keep it “shiny side up” I tell myself.
The isolated house and ranch that belonged to Butch Cassidy is near Cholila, it’s reported that the Sundance Kidd and his girlfriend Etta Place also lived at this house. The sign outside only says Butch Cassidy so who knows.
Last time I passed by here I was surprised that there was no cafe, no souvenir shop extracting money for fridge magnets and stickers. It’s exactly the same today, missed opportunity for someone perhaps.
The border crossing from Argentina to Chile followed a similar process of queues, stamping passports at immigration and passing you to customs to stamp the bike papers. The only real difference is SAG man as you enter Chile, you fill in a form to declare you are not carrying fruit and vegetable hand it to SAG man, he ask’s you to confirm you don’t have any of these things with you. He may search your luggage if he is suspicious, I obviously didn’t look suspicious.
On the gravel road as I approached Futaleufu the gear change on the bike started to get difficult. When I got to the hotel I checked the gear lever and it was loose, I asked the support driver for an allen key, he offered to tighten the bolt for me, unfortunately he was a little too enthusiastic and sheared the bolt. No chance of a repair in Futaleufu, tomorrow could be fun.
Futaleufu is a typical border town with limited hotels and restaurants, the hotel I stayed in was fairly basic although adequate. Ate at the hotel restaurant also basic but adequate
