Compromises And Fantasies

Looks like the bus to Bariloche leaves around 7:45 or 8am.  The bus folk are doubtful about fitting the tandem in the luggage compartment.

A few days ago I was musing about how great it would be to have a Westfalia Syncro (a 4-wheel drive version of the famous Westy camper van) for this trip.  Amy heard this and questioned by interest in riding.  I think the root of this not so much my interest in riding, but how much I miss sharing this trip with Joanna and Eva.  Traveling with a kid would be difficult enough, but having the ability to camp wherever you can find a flat parking spot has some advantages.  Besides, it would let me stay at amazing locations until late light to shoot photos and still be able to make it back to town or simply camp there a be right where you want to be at first light.

However there are certain differences in bike touring that you don't get by car: friendly honks and waves from passing cars and trucks, the amazed looks from fellow travelers when you tell them where you came from that day, the bike shop folks like Maxi here in San Martín who goes out of his way help you fix a busted front rack.  These are things you don't get with a car.  The woman that offered us cherries and invited us into her backyard to pull water from her well would not have been nearly as responsive had I pulled up in a VW van.  So, there's a compromise to be made: photo opportunities vs. cultural experiences, solo introspection vs. spending many hours with your significant other.

It'll be interesting to see how Chip and Amy survive this.  My guess is either it kills their relationship or they are engaged by the end of the trip.  I guess that is half the adventure; not only is there unknown physical locations, but there's unknown emotional places we are going as well.

(I'm happy to report that now, 10 years later, Amy and Chip are happily married, have a little boy named Cory and just returned from a year-long 'round-the-world adventure.  Cory now has more stamps in his passport than most people get in their lifetime.)

I've been considering traveling solo after I get back from visiting with Joanna in Peru.  I think some of the things I want to do will be in conflict with Chip and Amy's plans as they seem pretty set on riding the Carretera Austrual while I am more interested in seeing whatever sites come up.  I've been toying with the idea of getting a plane to drop me off by the San Rafael glacier for a couple of days.  A very expensive proposition, but there is two million cubic meters of ice dropping off a three km glacier everyday.  I can't even imagine camping next to that!  I've also considered going to visit Doug Tompkin's park, Pumalin, which is slightly north of Chaitén -- the crossing point to Chiloé.  I don't know if they would be interested in that.  Basically, I think I'm less likely to be date driven.

At first I was almost happy to be missing the 150 km of gravel between San Martín de los Andes and Bariloche, however the more I think about it, the more I realize that Torres del Paine and Mt. FitzRoy were not the only reasons to travel down here.  A trip through those lakes would be spectacular.

Bottom line is that we have three more months here and there is no reason to push injuries now when it's possible to return to the area on our way back north.

Speaking of which, I've been thinking of flying home a week early and surprising Joanna.  I have this vision of her getting home after work to a candle-lit house with a fire in the fireplace.  We'd put Eva to bed and then have the evening to ourselves...