Tierra del Fuego - I finally reached my goal – the End of the Road . . . the Bottom of the World. I traveled a distance of 15,408 miles or 24,769 kilometers in three days shy of four months since my departure from my hometown in Texas.
As a young child living one mile from the Pan-American Highway near the Texas – Mexico border I used to wonder where that highway led to going south. My parents would take us on annual vacations north, east, and west to see many of the sights within the USA but when it came to traveling south they always stopped at the Mexican border. I would often ask why we could not go any further south and the answer most of the time was that it was too much trouble. My imagination would always take over and I would start thinking of the many possible sights, people, cultures, and landscapes that were beyond that border. On this trip I have reached the end of the road and have seen the many sights; met many people from many different countries; experienced many rich cultures; tasted many wonderful foods; and seen many beautiful vistas, mountains, deserts, forests, and different types of wildlife.
This was a FANTASTIC ride with many challenges that at times I thought I could not handle. Traveling solo has been great because it forced me to meet, talk and mingle with the local people instead of staying within the security of a group of traveling mates. My trusty GS, with over 429,000 miles on it, has been unbelievable – given the conditions it had to travel through. Friends told me that I was crazy to start a trip of this caliber on a motorcycle that had over 429,000 miles on the odometer.
Over many years I had collected a list of the many places I wanted to visit and experience. Places like the Panama Canal, the Equator, Arbol de Pierda, the Calafate Glaciers, and the Tierra del Fuego. I wanted to experience the cities of Bogota, Quito, Santiago, and Cusco.
Although I had reached the end of the road, my trip was not over. I still had a 3,000 mile ride north to Buenos Aires, Argentina. That is where I plan to officially end my ride.
Thank you to all who traveled along with me via my blog. Thank you for the many emails of support and encouragement. All of this support from friends and family helped me reach my goal of adventure.