Kilometers to Date: 104 km (62.4 miles) It's official: we're off!!!! We're so excited, but also nervous. The long road ahead will be filled with adventures and unknowns. So it's on! Please help us spread the word to raise awareness about the abilities of the visually disabled. We're passing out our 2B2R business cards and talking about our journey as we meet people along the way. You can help by sharing our journey with your network of people. The adventure has only just begun... One of our ways to track how many people we've "spread the word to" is through Facebook. Our goal is to reach 1000 "likes" by the time we reach Santiago, Chile around the end of March. Please share and follow along.
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Day One (Jan 18 Update) was 100 meters. We wake up the following day after a good night's rest. Tauru puts on his 5.10 shoes.
Take Two. We say "good-bye" again to the guys at La Pista (Leo, Christi, Fernando, and Tauru).
Is this really true? We're heading out of Ushuaia? Whoa!!! Tolhuin 100 km's away is our first goal.
Christi points this sign out to Tauru, "No, DO NOT follow it!! Go straight!!"
The road out of Ushuaia was harder than we thought. We have no shame. We're out of shape, but we're hoping the first month will get us primed for the remaining 17 months.
Here it is... the edge of Ushuaia. We're standing "outside" of Ushuaia! We've made it!!! That is... out of Ushuaia.
Goofy shots for no particular reason except for the fact that we were SOOOOOOO excited!
And it's on. On! ON!!!
Yes, our backs are turned to Ushuaia. Alaska, here we come.
34 km (20.4 miles) out of Ushuaia, we find camp for the night. Wow, our first night on the road.
The following day, we cross over a pass. Yes, it's true, we're out of shape.
Step by step.
10 minutes later...
Tauru takes over, but he's focused on something...
Ushuaia... Ushuaia no more.
After the pass, the weather lets up and it's beautiful. Tauru takes a break and breathes in the view.
Lake Escondido and Tolhuin beyond some 60 km (36 miles) away.
No need to rush. Soaking in life is part of the journey. Flags of optimism flutter in the wind.
We manage to get 50 km (30 miles) and find this spot next to Lake Escondido 20 km (12 miles) from Tolhuin. (PS: You'll understand why Tolhuin is sooooo important!)
The following morning...
In the distance is the pass from the previous day, and ahead...
...is Tolhuin. Tolhuin... Tolhuin... Tolhuin...
Yves (France) and Katherina (Switzerland), whom we met at La Pista del Andino in Ushuaia, catch up to us. They ride with us.
But it's an uphill. Christi pushes the bike while Yves and Katherina ride.
They're also on their way to Tolhuin.
"Hey! Don't leave without us!!!"
We'll get there... Tolhuin, we'll get there.
Tauru takes a pull.
And we make it to Tolhuin! Woohoo! Tolhuin! Tolhuin! Tauru follows Katherina.
We follow Yves. But... Aha! Tolhuin = Panaderia La Union!!! There's a Casa de Ciclista at the panaderia. What is it and why is it important? Casa de Ciclista is a refuge for cyclists (a bed and a shower for the night) and a panaderia is a bakery. Yes, you got that right!
Yves and Katherina take our bike for a stroll.
Our bed for the night is next to these 50 kg bags of flour. The fragrance of butter waft through the room all day and night.
The four of us (Tauru, Christi, Yves, and Katherina) get invited to dinner. We get to share our story and our journey with Tolhuinians. Christi shares a drink of mate.
Tauru takes a swig at the mate, an Argentinian tea where everyone shares the cup and metal straw. It's very communal and very social, part of the culture.
And dinner is served!
We take a photo with our host, Natalia. (back: Yves, Katherina, and Natalia)
The following morning, we wake up to a tray of facturas and cafe!
We're served in the kitchen where empanadas are made. These women make thousands of empanadas a day.
Pots of chicken to stuff the empanadas.
We check out the panaderia. Dough, lots of dough!
Yves checks out the "media luna" (half moon crescent-like) machine.
But these slabs of dough... to be stuffed with ham and cheese!
Stuffing them.
Christi checks out these "media lunas."
And gets to work.
The folds are critical since these are the pastries that panaderias are judged by. So they have to be perfecto!
Ta-da.
While Christi was busy at work, Tauru finds a new friend.