We reached the entrance to Ushuaia 2 days ago and found it blocked by government protestors. I was cold and wet, an English girl took pity on me and told me of a secret route off road and around barriers. I made it but my mate decided it was too hard and turned around. The next day I needed to leave and found the road block still in place. I, along with 4 other riders from around the globe were being held hostage. The route I took the day before was blocked even tighter. A local citizen told us of another way around. That turned into a 4 hour ordeal and caused us some bike damage. We met some BMW riders from Germany on the way to the ferry and told them and of course they were highly disappointed.

Yesterday, March 24th, was the national day of remembrance here in Argentina and Obama was visiting Patagonia as well so there is a lot of tension. I'm sure things will settle down after the weekend.

I'm in Rio Gallegos right now. I'm with a young couple on ktm's that wanted to make the trip until I told them what happened to me. We're hoping for an update on the situation. The protest has crippled this town. No traffic in or out. The locals don't like what's going on and have been a great asset to adv riders.

Thing is that if it wasn't a protest, it could have beeb a flood or landslide or a bridge down, and all of those reasons, including protests, are quite common in parts of Mexico, Bolivia and Peru as well, so if you are going to travel you must have the resources and patience to sit them out.
Ushuaia might be closed today and tomorrow and even the next day but I doubt whether people should just give up because of temporary setbacks.

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Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

And parts of the US, or Belgium, or France, or Syria, or wherever...

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Fernando Costa
Ilhabela, SP BRAZIL

England also; twenty bridges were washed out a few months ago in one county and most of them are still out of use.
A major road between two towns in the same county was also closed and remains closed - it might be up and open again soon just in time for the tourist summer season. The detour route adds about 60 miles to that journey.
Another road in a different county has been closed by subsidence for about 3 years and was opened again a couple of days ago - it's all adventure travel in the wilds of the UK!

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Dave

Not one comment explains what the protest was about. This whole conversation seems at odd with my idea of travel and discovery. I travel to gather experiences, some are mundane, some funny, lots are seemingly traumatic. Seems like there was a missed opportunity here to learn more about the culture, politics or economy of the region. Instead these people where in the way. They were selfishly blocking the ticking off another bucket list goal. Hmm, what if their goal was more important than yours? What if they where protesting for human rights, against corruption or any number of the rotten things in the modern world? I understand that the townspeople you spoke to didn't support the protest, but clearly some did or it would not have happened. Speaking to the protestors might have lead to an understanding of what they where all about. If as adventure riders we don't try to understand the cultures we travel through what's the point. Maybe we should just stay home and watch "Long Way Around."

Finally, "we were being held hostage." Really. Being held hostage goes something like this. A group of 12 year olds, part of a boys army, armed with AK47s stops you at a road block, they take all your papers, and tosh you in a mud hut. You sweat out the night wondering if you'll be raped and murdered while your capturers get drunk outside. In the morning a blurry eyed kid throws your papers at you and tells you to go while the rest are laying about passed out. Happened to my sister in law in Africa. She also lost 12 of her teachers. Machine gunned to death in a school bus.

Do I have sympathy for your inconvenience? What do you think.


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I'm having a ball across various bits of France, Switzerland and Germany and can confirm that the French have been on their best behaviour, so far (I don't have a return sea crossing booked as yet though, so give it time!).

Very well said throughout young man.
You express my thoughts also but I couldn't be bothered to go beyond my own sardonic typing.
You also express why I gave up reading ride reports some years ago.

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Dave

Good comments above!

I also was waiting for someone to bring up the whole reason for the protest and explain what it was about. The inconvenience to travelers is unfortunate ... but you all shouldn't take it personally, rather consider the HISTORY of this and why it's so significant.

Obviously the crew here were not in Argentina in 1976 when the coup happened. I WAS. I saw (in person) hundreds rounded up in Buenos Aires over the month I was there. Day after day, all over the City. Huge crowds formed where ever the military trucks showed up. Thousands screamed at the soldiers as people were dragged from their apartments, crammed into waiting APC's at gunpoint. I expected the troops to open fire on the crowd at any moment. They didn't, but I took cover nonetheless ... but the Argentines got right in their face, guns to bellies. Brave mothers.

I saw the little Rat faced men with Machine guns and plain clothes in their 1960 Ford Falcons rush into apartments and haul people out. Time after time.

No one knew the fate of those taken at that moment ... but the wise ones knew their fate.

Most here on HUBB may know some of the facts of what happened ... roughly 30 thousand people were tortured and murdered, never seen again. For decades the mothers of the disappeared did an on going sit in Buenos Aires.
They adopted the name Desaparecidos.

I talked to dozens of Argentines before, during and after this period. Very dark time in Argentine history. At long last, at least some of the perpetrators have been brought to justice, but only a fraction of the guilty. Almost every Argentine I've met (Portenos mostly) either have a friend or relative or know someone who lost someone after the Coup.

The Desaparecidos need to be remembered. For many Argentines this event was a holocaust moment. It runs deep with many. It's not some minor political squabble or a simple regional protest for higher wages as riders usually see on the road in Latin America ... but a life altering event etched in Argentine history.

I'm amazed NO ONE here on HUBB realized how big a deal anything to do with this is for many Argentines.

Independent Lens . OUR DISAPPEARED/NUESTROS DESAPARECIDOS . The Film | PBS