Itchy Boots

This is the first episode of my brand new series in which I am riding solo from Patagonia to Alaska. But first, I have to ride Dhanno to London, so she can be crated and ready to go to Argentina!

It's a very early morning in the UK, but Dhanno and I made it. It was a 2,5 hour struggle through traffic to get to Heathrow, but the package was delivered safe and sound! Now it's a matter of waiting anxiously until Dhanno arrives in Buenos Aires, Argentina and for the adventure to really begin!

Crating of my Royal Enfield Himalayan "Dhanno" by James Cargo in London went very quick! So when I got the news that Dhanno was already flying to Argentina, I quickly had to book a flight myself. Buenos Aires has a bad reputation when it comes to custom clearance at the airport. So I hired Javier and Sandra from DakarMotos (www.dakarmotos.com). They are specialized in clearing motorcycles in and out of Buenos Aires and with their help, we managed to get Dhanno cleared the same day she arrived! The adventure can finally begin!

The first real riding day of this new adventure and wow, what a day! This day was so long and full of unexpected events that I had to turn this into two episodes! I was looking forward to riding dirt in Argentina, and dirt I found! But a sudden thunderstorm, slippery mud and a nail on the road turned this day into one that I won't easily forget..

Part 2 of the first day's ride. Can you believe that luck of catching a nail in the tyre on day numero 1?! On the other hand, this was good practice because it took me 2,5 hours to change the tube. I'm sure next time it will be faster! But besides the thunderstorm, mud and flat tyre of this day, it was absolutely fantastic. Great trails, beautiful country side and a lot of wildlife keep me happy at any day! I hope tomorrow will be a slightly easier day though..

It rained today, so I decided to stay on tarmac. I never really enjoy riding in the rain, so I just used today to cover the distance I had to, in order to reach a cool place for my next ride!

In this episode I'm visiting Epecuen, also known as Argentina's Ghost Town. It has a fascinating history and is probably one of the most spooky places I've ever visited!

I'm leaving the flat pampas behind and the scenery is changing to some mountains! I'm riding to Sierra de la Ventana today and am enjoying this scenery, especially because of alll the flat terrain that's still ahead of me!

Soooo.. I noticed that somewhere along the line, I've lost my number plate. Turns out that the plastic holder from the dealer was not as strong as the original holder, and it just broke off. I suspect it happened on the bumpy dirt roads I was riding around Epecuen, but who knows. If I knew where I lost it, I wouldn't have lost it! No choice but to get a new one made in The Netherlands and have it send to Argentina. I'm riding today with an improvised plate to Viedma. This is a bigger town in Argentina and here I'll wait for the new plate to arrive before continuing on my journey! We have problems, we fix them!

I'm still waiting in Viedma for my new number plate, so today I"m exploring the area. First I'm visiting the largest breeding site of the endangered burrowing parakeet. These thousands of beautiful birds make a lot of noise but seeing them flying around the cliffs in big flocks was a sight I won't easily forget! After the visit to the parakeets, I'm also checking out a 6000 animal large sea lion colony, and these animals also produce quite the sound! I ride back to Viedma via a dirt road and the vast and open landscapes of Argentina still don't bore me!

Today I'm exploring peninsula Valdes. It's a long days ride as I'm traveling 350 kilometers, mostly unpaved, from place to place on the peninsula - on the lookout for orca's, elephant seals, penguins and guanaco's! What a fantastic place full of wildlife and almost no tourists! I will never forget my first encounters with wild elephant seals and penguins!

In this episode I'm riding from Puerto Piramides on Peninsula Valdes to El Cabo Raso. On the way I stop at Gaiman, which was a Welsh settlement, to have some welsh cakes and I visit Punta Tombo - to see thousands of penguins! But the ultimate part was reaching El Cabo Raso. 12 years ago, I family started rebuilding the ruins there to a house, guesthouse, camping ground and several cabanas. A remote place without telephone reception, internet and a magnificent road to ride in order to reach it. What a FANTASTIC day!

This day of riding was some proper exploring! I borrowed the keys of a gate which normally remains locked - so I could ride around an area very rarely visited by people. And what a day, I had the opportunity to watch a sea lion colony and elephant seals up close, without the tourist crowds!

In today's ride I'm leaving El Cabo Raso and I'm continuing to Comodoro Rivadavia. Following the Ruta Provincial 1 along the coast and through desert-like landscapes I'm enjoying 200 kilometers of amazing off-road riding without encountering a single vehicle!

Today I'm leaving Comodoro Rivadavia and via an amazing road (Ruta Provincial 93), I arrive at a petrified forest: Bosques Petrificados de Jamarillo. These fossil trees are 150 million years old, and were growing in a time when dinosaurs roamed the planet! But the day is slipping away from me and I can't reach my destination for the day: Puerto Deseado. Plan B has to come in action!

In this episode I'm riding from Tres Cerros, a petrol station along Ruta 3 in Argentina all the way down south to Rio Gallegos. One crazy long day in which I made some nice dirt road detours, but mostly, I was battling the insanely strong side winds Patagonia is famous for...

In this episode, I"m crossing the border into Chile for some brief riding around this part of Tierra del Fuego, before hopping back into Argentina so I can continue towards the most southern point of this continent! Even though I've done almost 30 border crossings by motorcycle now, this one really caught me by surprise!

In this episode I am riding in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Starting from Cerro Sombrero, I enter some real wild terrain and I'm exploring beautiful parts on my motorcycle. On the way, I stop to see the only colony of Emperor Penguins outside of Antarctica. What an amazing sight!! Along the way, I also come across a random old dredger and stay the night at a logging station. This is one of those one-of-a-kind days!

In this episode, I'm crossing the border again to go back into Argentina. A fantastic day of dirt roads and I finally go rewarded with the first views of snow-capped mountains since I started this trip in Buenos Aires. After 4000 kilometres of flat and arid plains, I reached the South of the Andes in Tierra del Fuego, and this will mark the beginning of a lot of mountain riding!

What a day! In this episode, I reach the end of the road. I cannot go any more south than this. That means that I am turning around and the real journey towards Alaska can finally begin! Riding alongside the Beagle Channel and sort of inviting myself for coffee at the Naval Base were all part of a day I will not easily forget! Along the way, I also come across a random old dredger and stay the night at a logging station. This is one of those one-of-a-kind days!

I've been very lucky with a week of great weather, but now there is some bad weather predicted for Tierra del Fuego. I don't want to find myself stuck in Ushuaia for two weeks with snow, so today I'm riding out of here. It's was a long day of riding, a border crossing and to top it off, some nice dirt-road but I reached Porvenir!

In this episode I am not riding my motorcycle very far. I'm waiting for the ferry to get across to Punta Arenas from Porvenir. So I spend most of the day chasing a Chilean simcard, finding some proper breakfast and checking out an ancient cinema. Not everyday can be a full riding day, sometimes you have to do some logistics and get organised!

In this episode I'm picking up Dhanno from La Guarida motorcycle shop where she got a service. With an oil change and a brand new rear tyre she is ready to go again! I'm riding from Punta Arenas in Chile, to Puerto Natales. On the way I am making a stop at Estancia Olga Teresa, to go bird watching. The mountain where the bird are is called Pidgeon Mountain. But are these really pigeons, or something else... ?

In this episode I am riding through Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. This is some of the best scenery Patagonia has to offer - and I was very lucky with the weather. I started the ride from Puerto Natales and ended in Cerro Castillo, right at the border with Argentina. A total of 213 kilometers through stunning landscapes!

In this episode I am riding from Torres del Paine National Park to El Calafate in Argentina to see the impressive Perito Moreno glacier. You can easily spend hours watching big chunks of ice breaking off the face of the glacier, what a place!

In this episode I'm doing some local exploring around El Calafate, Argentina. I am visiting the Glacier Museum, end up by myself in an Ice Bar and go to see 4000 year old rock paintings at the Walichu caves. Fair to say that it was an interesting day!

In this episode I'm riding from El Calafate to El Chalten. I'm not going to do the 8-9 hour walk to Mount Fitz Roy, but I am visiting the Monument to a Careless Trekker. A burned down tree does not seem like the most obvious monument, but the story behind it is powerful and important!

In this episode I am riding from El Chalten in Argentina to Estancia Santa Thelma. I am just in love with this farm! Staying in a tent, surrounded by horses is an amazing experience. I look forward to going horse riding the next day!

In this episode I'm trading Dhanno for one with only 1 horse power! Riding a horse in Patagonia has been a very old dream of mine. A dream that came true today, and it was an experience that I will never forget!

In this episode of the Patagonia to Alaska Expedition, I am exploring an amazing canyon in Argentina. This place contains the oldest found paintings of people in Patagonia: 9,000 years old. To walk next to 250 meter high cliffs, with a lush and green valley below, looking at 9,000 years old paintings of the first people in Patagonia is impressive! I went to see this place because I heard about the paintings, but I had no idea I could ride my motorcycle to the edge of the cliffs, overlooking all that greenery below..

After admiring the Andes several times from the distance, I am crossing them for the first time in this episode! A full day of riding in the mountains, so you can imagine how happy I am! To top it off, a small and smooth border crossing from Argentina into Chile..

In this episode I am riding to Puerto Sanchez in Chile. From here, I catch a boat to explore the impressive Marble Caves that can be accessed from here. A must do when you are in the area!!

This episode shows you some of the Carretera Austral in Chile. They are working hard to make this entire road paved! For now, most parts remain dusty, bumpy and full of washboard gravel roads but road works are on their way!

In this episode I am covering a lot of ground. I am riding my motorcycle from Coyhaique to Futaleufu in Chile. On the way I pass Villa Santa Lucia, and by the looks of it, there has been a huge natural disaster here!

In this episode I am crossing the border at Futaleufu in Chile, back into Argentina. My ride goes through National Park de Alerces, but are there Alerce trees to be found?

In this episode my Royal Enfield Himalayan "Dhanno" gets a service because she clocked 11.000 kilometers. The next day, I'm heading back towards Chile from Villa la Angustura in Argentina. But first I am making a beautiful tour around Lake Traful in Argentina. One of those gems where you don't encounter anyone!

Merry Christmas everyone! In this Christmas Special I am riding through the Villarica National Park towards Temuco in Chile. It turns out to be a challenging track though a beautiful Araucaria forest and over volcanic ashes spewed out by Volcano Villarica! To top is off, my Royal Enfield Himalayan gets a new front tyre for Christmas, and I am back to flying a drone again! So new drone footage in the next video again!

In this episode I am riding my Royal Enfield Himalayan on active volcano Llaima in Conguillío National Park in Chile. Riding a motorcycle over volcanic ash and pumice towards an active volcano with snow on top I never imagined in my wildest dream! After riding on the volcano, I continued through the Araucaria forest which was dotted with the mysterious Monkey Puzzle Trees. A day in my South America trip I will never forget!

Just when I thought the riding couldn't get any better after riding on active Volcano Llaima in National Park Conguillío, Chile - I did this. Crossing mountain pass "Paso Pichachen", right at the border of Argentina and Chile. I don't think the scenery of this amazing motorcycle ride can get any better than this!

In this episode I am riding through a desert in Argentina and temperatures are soaring. The road is not easy and the hostel is closed - it wasn't one of my best days but that's also part of long distance motorcycle riding!

I am riding to Mendoza to spend Christmas 2019 there! As in most countries, in Argentina Christmas is spend with family, so as a solo traveller, it's best to try and meet some other fellow travellers in a bigger city! This time, I'm leaving earlier in the day so I avoid the worst heat and that turns out the be a great decision!

An unfortunate drop of my Royal Enfield Himalayan Dhanno in Mendoza resulted in a broken windshield.. It was one of those days! Luckily, that was the only misfortune of the day and the rest of the ride was great! I am riding my motorcycle through the San Juan province of Argentina on my way to the Paso Agua Negra so I can cross back into Chile!

In this ride I am crossing the border again between Argentina and Chile. The border is right at the high mountain pass called "Paso Agua Negra", which is at 4753 meters altitude. Coming from the hot desert in Argentina, I am riding towards the snow, and then descend again into the hot valley on the other side. It was a spectacular ride through different temperatures and through the stunning, colourful mountains of the Andes. It took me 10 hours to ride my motorcycle from Calingasta in Argentina, to La Serena in Chile but I did it!

In this episode I am riding from La Serena to Copiapo in Chile. There isn't much choice but to follow the Ruta 5, which is a pretty boring highway! The weather is not helping either, so I decide to just blast my way to Copiapo so I have time to get a service for Dhanno. It's been 3,000 kilometers since the last oil change, so I'm having the oil and oil filter changed. Because of the mineral rich grounds I have been riding on, Dhanno also gets much needed thorough wash here!

In this episode I am riding from Copiapo in Chile, to Fiambala in Argentina. I am crossing over the Paso San Francisco, above 4700 meters altitude. Right after the pass, I catch some bad weather! But that doesn't spoil this fantastic motorcycle ride across the Andes!

In this episode I am riding a shorter ride from Fiambala to Belen in Argentina. My intentions are to see some sights along the way such as a 18th century church and pre-Inca ruins but I am not very successful! Luckily, I managed to see a Catholic procession in Belen that evening which was interesting to watch.

In this episode I am riding to Campo de Piedra Pomez in Argentina. From El Penon, it is 36 kilometers through a lot of sand and over a lot of badly corrugated washboard tracks, but I made it on my Royal Enfield Himalayan!

In this episode I am riding from El Penon in Argentina to Tolar Grande on my Royal Enfield Himalayan. This is a very desolate and remote area in Argentina and the roads are tough! All the corrugated roads (also known as washboard) are beating up my motorcycle and me. When I finally arrived in Tolar Grande, I lost one part and broken another...

With too little rest after the previous ride, I try to do another big day riding at altitude, but I'm simply exhausted. I have to cut the ride off and stop in San Antonio. As already announced in the last live chat, I am taking a break! I need time to rest and to sort out a lot of things I didn't have the time to do while on the road all the time. See you in a couple of weeks!

In this episode, I am continuing the ride towards Alaska! After a break of a few weeks, Dhanno and I are both ready to start riding again. In this video, I'm riding from Salta to Tilcara, Argentina. On the way, I'm passing by Purmamarca, the 7 coloured mountain - what an incredible geological feature! In Salta I had to change my rear tyre for the second time during this adventure. I have ridden about 8,000 kilometers with the Metzeler Enduro 3 Sahara, but all the riding over volcanic sediments and sharp gravel took their toll. It was not easy to find a new rear tyre in Salta, but eventually I found a Pirelli MT-60 again, so that's what I bought to continue my journey with!

In this episode, I am riding my motorcycle from Tilcara in Argentina to Salinas Grandes. On the way, I make a stop at Cerro Hornocal (14 coloured mountain), close to Humahuaca, but the weather is not in my favour and a cloud is blocking the mountain! I continue via a tiny backroad towards mining town Al Aguilar. I am riding between 3500 and 4300 meters altitude, which makes this ride challenging. As a bonus, I get bitten by a dog!

In this episode, I am riding my motorcycle from Salinas Grandes to the Paso Sico border between Argentina and Chile. I am staying the night right at the border, at 4,000 meters altitude, in a dorm at the customs/immigration office. Definitely one of the strangest places to stay for the night so far!

After riding my motorcycle around Argentina for more than 3 months, it is finally time to cross the border into Chile one last time. I'm leaving Argentina behind me. It's been an absolute blast, but it's time to move on. I am crossing the border into Chile at Paso Sico - an incredibly beautiful area in the high mountains. But soon I am descending in the ever-dry Atacama Desert, where temperatures rise and water is scarce!

In this episode, I am exploring the area around San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. First I ride through Valle de la Luna and next I continue to Laguna Baltinache. The pools in the Atacama Desert are so salty that you can float!!

In this episode I am riding from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, to the border with Bolivia. I am entering Bolivia very remotely and at high altitude, ready to go and ride the famous 'Ruta de las Lagunas' : the lagoon route. On day one I can enjoy some nice thermal baths on the 'altiplano' but I have to prepare myself for some rough days ahead!

In this episode I am riding to Laguna Colorado on the Ruta de las Lagunas in Bolivia. I'm riding at high altitude on tracks which are not very easy, but it's beautiful around here! I'm visiting geysers at no less than 4800 meters altitude!

I am riding my Royal Enfield Himalayan on the Ruta de las Lagunas in Bolivia. This is day three and things are becoming more difficult. Heavy rainfall made some of the tracks hard to ride, but mostly, it was difficult to navigate. I kept on getting lost on all the tracks and ended up riding some narrow gorge at high altitudes by myself. But what an incredibly beautiful area!!

In this episode I am riding the last part of Ruta de las Lagunas in Bolivia, while on my way to Uyuni. I thought it would be a short 25 kilometer ride until I would reach the paved road but due to heavy rainfall in the days before, the tracks were flooded, washed away and TOUGH!

In this episode I'm leaving Uyuni and I'm riding to Potosi in Bolivia. Luckily, the road is newly paved, because there have been several days of heavy rainfall so I was a bit worried about very muddy trails. But the road to Potosi is beautiful, with fantastic scenery and absolutely no traffic!! How is this possible?!

In this episode I am going deep into the Bolivian Silver mines at Potosi. Mine Caracoles is at 4,400 meters altitude and the working conditions inside the mine are atrocious. It was a crazy experience for me, but unfortunately, the normal work environment for thousands of Bolivian people that work here every single day.

In this episode I am riding my Royal Enfield Himalayan from Potosi to Maragua. A route through stunning mountains, with the goal of reaching the so called 'Crater of Maragua'.. Spoiler alert: this is not a volcanic crater, but what we call in geology a syncline. Nevertheless, descending into this valley was one of the most spectacular views on my trip so far and very much worth it!!

I am riding from Maragua in Bolivia to Tomina, via Sucre. Riding through the valley of Maragua was absolutely fantastic! One of the most impressive places I've visited in a while. Don't miss this place if you are in the area!

In this episode I am riding to tiny village La Higuera in the jungle of Bolivia. This is where more than 50 years ago, Che Guevara got executed. It's a place with a lot of history and some of the inhabitants of this village where there when he was shot. I get to speak with one of them, inside the school where it all happened..

I am stuck in La Higuera in Bolivia. Heavy rainfall made the tracks impossible and too dangerous to attempt. I don't want myself skidding off the mountain and into a ravine! So after 4 nights in La Higuera and lots of patient waiting, the tracks are finally dry and I'm good to go again. On to Santa Cruz de la Sierra!

In this episode I try to reach Trinidad in Bolivia by boat. So I ride my Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle to the town Puerto Villarroel.. only to discover that there is no longer any cargo transport by river there! So I decide to ride on and go to Cochabamba. It's a whopping total of 525 kilometres that day!!

Riding a motorcycle through Bolivia in the rainy season can be tricky! In this episode, I am riding to a small place called Independencia. I was planning to ride to Quime, but the ride took much longer than expected and 25 kilometers before I reached Independencia, it started raining. The roads quickly became muddy and slippery and the water crossings turned into violent mud flows. Not an easy ride this one!!

In this episode I'm riding 370 kilometers from Independencia to the capital of Bolivia: La Paz. More rain is predicted so I'm racing against to clock to get out of the mountains and to some paved road!

The corona virus COVID-19 outbreak has caused many countries to suddenly close their borders. I was having a great time in La Paz, Bolivia (where up to that point only 11 cases of Corona were identified), when it was suddenly on the news that they were closing their borders. So I had to rush to get to Peru, in order not to be stuck in Bolivia.. Times are changing fast now, and it's impossible to predict or anticipate on the measures that countries are taking now to try and get the situation under control..

In this episode I am visiting Island Taquile, situated on Lake Titicaca in Peru. I tried to take Dhanno with me, but the boat was so small that I figured that might not be the best idea ever! So I left Dhanno behind and went alone to see the island. On the way there, the boat also made a stop at one of the floating islands there.. fascinating!

I am catching the last boat off island Taquile, to the mainland because Peru is going on a lockdown! For 15 days it is prohibited to travel in Peru due to the outbreak of corona virus world wide. I need to find a place where I can stay for 15 days to wait this out..

I am keeping a video diary of everything that happens while being stuck in Lampa, Peru for 14 days. It all started quite relaxed, but soon, things took a turn for the worse..

In this episode I am starting the long trip towards Lima, so I can get out of Peru. Leaving from Lampa, it's 1275 kilometers to Lima. So on this day, we are driving to Chala, about a 660 kilometer drive. We have only limited travel hours due to the curfew and many, many checkpoints along the way.. Will we make it in time??

This is day #2 of my crazy journey to reach Lima so I can be repatriated to my own country.

I am in Lima for one week waiting for the repatriation flight back to The Netherlands. I am allowed to go on the supermarket on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, so I grab my opportunity to buy some food!

In this episode, I am taking a repatriation flight back to The Netherlands from the military airport in Lima, Peru