The year ends...

I disembarked the MV Polar Star about 8.15 Sunday morning, and was taxied back to the campground.  My  wonderful Antarctic adventure was over.

The biker population at Rio Pipo campground had swollen dramatically during my absence, with some coming then going again, and others still in residence after the Christmas period. It felt good to be coming back to camp here again, especially now that there were some bikers to talk with.  I retrieved the bike from its storage site, my camp was set up quickly in the same place as previously, then I went wandering to check out who was there.  Ken and Carol Duval (Australia) were up and about early, and it was great to finally get to meet up with them again, after all the help they'd given on my way south.  I'd met Chuck (USA) briefly when he'd visited the campground before I went away, and he'd now moved into the campgound.

Others had been merely faceless nicknames seen used on the HUBB (Horizons Unlimited Bulletin Board), the travellers' bible, and it was quite interesting actually putting faces to some of those names.  Funny how they are never how one imagines them to be!

Ken, Chuck and "Ted Magnum" from UK pitched in and solved a couple problems with my bike:- a serious lack of power to the GPS (since hitting the gravel roads at Cerro Sombrero) caused by the ground wire breaking, which Ted kindly fixed.  And also ascertaining that the water pump seal was leaking, causing coolant to drip on the exhaust, and give off a nasty burning smell after the engine had been running for a couple of minutes. This one was a little more difficult, as areplacement seal kit was required.  I just couldn't bring myself to pay the exhorbitant US$130 (for the freight only!!) to have them sent by DHL from San Diego, with no guarantee they'd get here quickly, given the Duvals' experience with DHL - 10 days to get a package straight across the Pacific from Australia to Santiago, Chile.  Not good.  So I ordered from Motobins (UK) and also got some steering head bearings included, as I'll need them soon, and the whole bill was well over A$100 less than using DHL.  First Class mail(A$25) takes between one and three weeks to Ushuaia.

Gerber (a German) had voluntarily taken on the onerous task of "head chef" for the group, and had cooked up a storm of great meals, including a sumptuous Christmas feast on the 24th December. New Year's Eve was another monumental feast, both for the carnivores and the vegetarians, with thick steaks and chorizos done on the assardo (BBQ), corn cobs, quiches, fried queso (cheese) and all the salads, breads and assorted trimmings, all washed down with plenty of bubbly and various other liquids.

The party was quite large - about 30 bikers, 2 busloads of hikers (about 45 in all), and the host family with another dozen or so rellies, and the dining room was chockers. The magic hour approached, and we bikers all moved outside, as it was still daylight.  Gerber then appeared with a New Year's cake with candles!  Cameras were flashing everywhere, and the countdown began. Some of us were a little merry by this stage, and we moved back inside to find our tables taken over by the hikers, some of whom were up dancing on them.  But Aussie sheilas are pretty tough, so we retook our tables and ended up dancing on them ourselves with an Irish hiker, and a Pommy and an Aussie guy from our crew.  GULP!  And photos were taken, too, with my camera, so I later learned.

What use is New Year's Eve without a bonfire on the beach? Branches and logs were scrounged up, and the fire was blazing, so we all (the travellers) trooped off down to the river to continue the festivities.  Sadly, the heavens started leaking, badly, causing most to drift away to bed by about 3.30am