The furthest point South
Cycling began from Punta Arenas at 54 degrees South, at the foot of the Chilean mainland. It was excellent to be back on our bikes in beautiful surroundings. Our first stop was at a Penguineria, where from close up we could see the penguins waddling around. In our first 3 days we saw a tremendous amount of wildlife including rheas, condors, flamingos, foxes, skunks and llamas. We also had to cope with the famous Patagonian winds that gusted at up to 70 km/hr. Some gusts would send us careering onto the hard shoulder and we would have to walk the bike back onto the road and see if we could do another 100 metres before being blown off the bike again. Lunches were taken in ditches as they provided some respite from the incessant noise. The wind was unimaginably strong, more ferocious than the Gales of 1986 (For those non-Brits among you this is the most talked about historical event in the UK since England won the world cup in 1966).

Torres Del Paine
We arrived in the beautiful Torres del Paine National Park via a road no longer suitable for cars. This meant fording a couple of streams and pushing the bike over the two remaining planks of the collapsing bridge. The rewards were definitely worthwhile. As we were stopped to mend a puncture in the rain, a local ranch owner offered us overnight accommodation on his cattle estancia (ranch). We got a glimpse into the harsh life of the ranch workers who interestingly always eat lamb because it is cheaper than beef! As we left the ranch and the rain cleared, our first views of the snow-capped Andes were amazing.

We decided to take 3 days out to hike some of the famous walks in the Torres del Paine National Park. The first 2 days started from the far side of a lake. A boat runs twice daily and we were told we could leave our bikes at the Ranger's Hut. We patiently waited outside his Hut but no sign of the Ranger! Eventually 5 minutes before the boat was due to leave we pedalled quickly to the dock. The captain wouldn't allow our bikes on board but kindly let us store them in his shed. We hastily off-loaded our camping gear and ran aboard the ship. It was only as we were settling back to enjoy the ride that we realised that we had forgotten the camera (annoying but bearable) and the stove (pretty disastrous as all our food was dehydrated). So we hiked for 2 days surviving on a diet of cheese, cookies and cold porridge oats. The hikes were much like those of Scotland; rain, wind and occasional beautiful views through a break in the clouds, except that at the end of the day you had to settle for a carton of cheap but excellent Chilean wine instead of a pint.

Our Christmas Day was spent under the granite spires of the Torres themselves (See any South American brochure for their picture). Dan paddled across the river to take a picture of our perfect campsite - no film in the camera. He paddled back to pick up a new film and back to the perfect picture site - no battery power! So the perfect Christmas campsite has been saved in our memories only.

South American Border Crossing
As we crossed the border into Argentina the guards were unlike their South American corrupt image and actually were very friendly. It seemed that perhaps they didn't have enough to do in their lonely border crossing, as they came out to wave us off.

The Route Much Cycled
We were not the only people mad enough to be cycling. Along the route through South America we met several cyclists on route from various continents. In fact one night we arrived at a "town" (a gas station and a police station) and were told we could camp in some trees by the river. As we were setting up camp a German cyclist arrived, and by the end of the night 5 cyclists and a truck driver were sleeping in the same small group of trees.
Perito Moreno Glacier

The Moreno Glacier was a very spectacular sight. It is one of the few advancing glaciers in the world and we were lucky enough to see sections fall off and go crashing into the surrounding lake creating mini tidal waves.

Windswept Patagonia
Our guide to cycling South America describes Patagonia as post-apocalyptic, and as we set off from El Calafate for what we thought would be a 10 day journey north, we were inclined to agree. Arid countryside is covered in scrubby bushes and grasses with estancias every 50-100km. We added a few Armadillos to our wildlife sightings. On New Year's Eve we thought that we would be in the middle of nowhere (A sharp contrast to the 3 million people in London the year before) but at 7 o'clock we cycled past an estancia which advertised a bar. It would have been inappropriate not to, so we saw in the New Year drinking cans of the local beer in a deserted bar with a llama looking through the window.

The wind on this section was the fiercest yet. At some points the headwind was so strong that we had to push the bikes. On the 3rd day from El Calafate we cycled 30 km in 8 hours. It was on this day that I (Juliet) fell off my bike doing a respectable 40 km/hr downhill with the wind behind me. I skidded in the gravel and went over the handlebars landing on my shoulder and breaking my collarbone. Only 3 cars had passed us that day but luckily a pick-up truck went past ten minutes after the accident and Dan bundled the bikes, bags and us in the back. We then huddled under a sleeping bag in the back of the pick-up truck for 3.5 hours as we bounced along a gravel road for 300 kilometres. When we arrived at the closest medical clinic (it was Jan 2nd ) there was a notice on the door saying "Closed to Jan 9th" The local policeman, after we had found him at home, radioed (there were no cell phones there!) for an ambulance which bounced me the remaining 120 kilometres of the journey to hospital. The hospital staff were extremely friendly and being as only about 30% of the beds in the hospital were occupied they let Dan and me stay in one of the rooms with en suite bathroom, TV and 3 veggie meals a day (more luxurious than our usual standards of accommodation).

Waiting and Wildlife and Wales
Whilst we waited for Jules' shoulder to heal we travelled by bus to the East Coast of Argentina and saw more wildlife, elephant seals, sea lions and penguins and visited the Welsh communities and stuffed ourselves on their traditional teas with home-made cakes. After 4 weeks recuperation, the Argentinean doctor declared Juliet fit to ride and we spent 3 days travelling through the glorious Andes scenery that is found up the Camino Austral back in Chile. The shoulder was still painful and the second opinion we sought was that it had hardly healed at all and that it should still be immobilised. We were confused with the very differing medical opinions so Juliet decided to fly back to England and see a specialist while Dan carried on up the Andes.

Life without Juliet
As Juliet prepared to fly halfway around the world in a matter of hours, I began at a slower pace North through the Andes towards Santiago. The Camino Austral continued to be a cycle tourist's paradise: rain forests, fjords, stunning views, and very little traffic. This route is highly recommended to adventurous types with good waterproofs! It is also very popular: in one day I met 16 cyclists riding south. Throughout the journey north, locals proved to be extremely friendly, and on several occasions people stopped to offer me a lift; and twice I was passed food from a moving car (and nearly crashed as I took it!).

Despite being alone, life was never dull on the Camino Austral, due to the remarkable variety of cyclists and other travellers. These included Uli and Jan, Germans who told me that they like to drink lots of tea before going to bed in their tent, as "you get to see what the weather's doing all night."

The Lake District
The Chile-Argentine Lake District spans the Andes and includes some remarkable mountains, lakes and volcanoes. Sad as I was to leave the lush Camino Austral for dry Argentina, this proved to be a good decision. The high point of this area was camping beside a river in a monkey-puzzle tree forest, with a view of the magnificent Volcan Lanin, in Lanin National Park. Once again, the price for scenery was an awful road, which at times degraded to fist-sized rocks or deep sand. At times I could ride no faster than walking pace downhill.

Descending the Tromen Pass back into Chile was like time-travel: in 50 km, the road changed from narrow dirt to a wide highway; the traffic from horses and carts to SUVs. It felt sad to leave behind the forgotten world of the mountains for the fast-paced tourist zone in Chile.

Panamerica Highway to Santiago
In Temuco, Chile, I stopped and confirmed arrangements for meeting Juliet in Madrid. This left me an ambitious distance to cover each day before my flight from Buenos Aires. The Panamerica Highway became a marathon exercise, and I covered the 800km to Santiago in just 4 days. Along this busy highway were traders clustered together according to what they sold: 100 metres of furniture shops; 100 metres of stone-masons. Curiously, one shop sold nothing other than brooms and onions.

In Santiago, I emerged from a grocery store to find a local bike-shop owner watching over my bike. He reprimanded me for leaving it unlocked, and said that he was standing guard in case anyone tried to steal it! I had obviously been away from the big cities for too long.

Mountains to the Pampas
Towards another Andean crossing, I passed a sign reading "steep hills next section included 30 hairpin bends, and I felt like a celebrity as a minibus 55km". One passed with all the occupants taking photos of me. Back into Argentina, I passed an impressive view of Cerro Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, then descended to the beautiful wine-producing town of Mendoza.

I dreaded what lay ahead: 1,000 km of completely flat road across the Pampas, Argentina's agricultural plains. The remarkable warmth of Argentineans made it all worthwhile: each day I stopped for lunch in a town plaza, and inevitably would have plenty of locals to practice my Spanish with. This area is very little visited by tourists, and hence local people are very curious. In one town I reached genuine celebrity status by being interviewed by the local news channel! Much to my surprise, this part of the journey became a real highlight, and I left with wonderful memories of the people I met.

Uruguay to Buenos Aires
Uruguay resembled Argentina in many ways - big distances, friendly people, quiet roads. As a result of an economic downturn since the 1950s, many Uruguayans still own the car they bought in those prosperous days. Hence, I was commonly overtaken by a vehicle that I would later pass as it was being repaired on the roadside. Once fixed, it would pass me again. And so the days wore on... A highlight of Uruguay was the city of Colonia, made famous by smuggling in the 18th century. The city is now something of a museum for tourists.
Stepping off the ferry into Buenos Aires, I felt like I was in a different world. Riding through the narrow city streets reminded me of London's rush hour: cars, bikes, pedestrians everywhere. I fell in love with the European charm of the city, as well as its interesting history. In Recoleta Cemetery are the tombs of the rich and famous of the city - plus that of Eva Peron. The residents of Buenos Aires know how to party, and I went to the liveliest St. Patrick's day celebration ever!