[Above: Standing by to cross the Straits of Magellan]
Journal by Todd Borgie

Puerto Natalas to Rio Grande

Last night was heaven! We slept in a warm bed for the first time in about a week. Outside it was cold and rainy, and inside we were taken care of by a woman that looked like a perfect grandmother: radiate smile, rotund (like meals were her specialty), and slightly motherly, which is perfect when you are needing to be taken care of.

When I awoke, my bed was warm, my blankets were heavy, and I heard the sound of wind and rain outside. Unfortunately, I could not linger in the moment, because we were headed to Tierra del Fuego. After showers and some breakfast, we headed to the gas station. Adam, who had thrown out his back a day earlier, was convalescing in the back seat of D2 and in need of medicine. So, while the vehicles were getting washed, Chanda, Nancy, and I set out to find some Vikadin for our ailing teammate.

Combing the city for meds, we couldn’t find any Vikadin without prescription; therefore, we purchased a couple of strong anti-inflammatories and some muscle relaxers. Hopefully, his back will get better soon.

The cold, rainy weather did not let up as we neared the Land of Fire. It somehow seemed appropriate having dismal weather as we were heading to Land’s End. This land is called the Land of Fire (Tierra del Fuego). The name Tierra del Fuego was given to this place because the land appeared on fire due to large numbers of bonfires the Spanish saw from their ships. This area can get cold, so these bonfires were necessary to warm the native people, the Ona, Aush, and Yahgan, who are all pretty much extinct now. There is plenty of firewood around, as the heavy winds are constantly breaking branches, and driftwood is constantly washing ashore.

We hit the ferry stop at about 3:00 pm and needed to wait for the 4:00 pm ferry. Things seemed to go smoothly until they attempted to unload a bus, the second-to-last vehicle on the ferry. Unfortunately, the departure angle of the vehicle was less than optimal, and it scrapped and caught on the exit ramp of the ferry. It was caught in such a way that the back end of the bus was stuck, elevating the back wheels off the ground. Uffda? A solution needed to found! Soon, a semi was cabled up to the front bumper and it began tugging in order to free the bus, meanwhile the tide was departing, causing further problems, the worst of which could be a beached ferry. While the bus problem was being worked on, cars were loading up, some even bypassing the lines hoping for a quick cut-off. A mess would certainly ensue once the bus was freed.

Unfortunately, the Semi was only able to free the part of the bumper that held the cable, and nothing else. Now the bus sat there with a hole in its bumper, still stuck. Pieces of wood were jammed under the spinning tires, and a couple of other methods were tried, but to avail. The team met briefly to discuss the possibility of using our four Warn winches, but we couldn’t figure out a way in which we could define a common pulling point.

Anyway, with the big ferry stuck, a smaller one was brought in to avoid the large traffic buildup, trying to preserve some sort of schedule. All the waiting traffic pulled in and jockeyed for the best position. It was almost like we were playing a video game. The four vehicles pulled in tight, looking like a train. We got the eye of an attendant; sometimes it is great to have standout vehicles. He gave us a chance, and we wormed our way in and onto the ferry. T o be fair, it is important to realize that we were one of the first in line. We were forced to move as a result of the semi and long cable that was used to pull the bus. If those cables snap, there is no telling what that cable will hit, and they travel at considerable force.

Not long after the free-for-all, we were crossing the Straights of Magellan, named after the famed Portuguese explorer who first sailed through this area in 1520. I remember reading about Magellan and Cape Horn when I was in elementary school. It was pretty exciting to actually be here and see it! Who would have guessed, 25 years ago, when my third grade teacher Mrs. Halter was telling us all about these places, that I would actually be here? It really goes to show you can do anything you want!

The ferry ride took no more than twenty minutes, and we were on our way again. We enjoyed good roads for about 20 km, then they turned to gravel again. It was raining, which keept the dust down, which was nice. After about one hour, D2 came over the radio saying, “We just lost a tire”. It was raining out, and Nancy and I looked at each other. “Another one?” D3 and D1 wheeled around, and we quickly took care of the problem. It was one of my proudest team moments. The team acted as a fine-tuned watch. Nancy breaking out the jack and jacking up the vehicle, Nick and I removing the lug nuts from the spare and the downed tire, Chanda holding the nuts while we were exchanging wheels, and Neil looking pretty for the camera, giving the impression he was at the heart of the job. Seven minutes was the in-and-out time, thank goodness, because it was wet out there.

We continued on until the border, where we met a couple from Belgium who had been traveling for the last four months. We gave them a lift to Rio Grande, asking them about various aspects of Belgium. Rolf even provided a Belgium trivia contest; I don’t think they were impressed. In any case, it was fun to ask them about their country and travel experiences.

We finished the evening off 200 km short of Ushuaia, at about midnight. We are all eager to head to Ushuaia in the morning, and then to the end of the World!

Logbook for February 11th, Day 103
Start: Puerto Natales, Chile
Time: 10:00 a.m.
S: 51*43.597
W: 72*30.423
Finish: Rio Grande, Argentina
Time: 1:00 a.m.
S: 53*47.393
W: 67*42.505
Mileage: 344
Notes: We left Puerto Natales at 11:55 a.m., after getting a fillup and a carwash, and stopping at the drugstore for some painkillers for Adam. His back is still painful. We picked up a couple from Belgium on our way to the Argentine border, and we brought them to the town of Rio Grande. We arrived at midnight, ate dinner, nad found a place to stay. It was a hostel with two bunk rooms, and we were happy to have a warm and comfortable place to sleep. (N.O.)

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four certified pre-owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking here. 100% of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.