Sea life in the flesh comes crashing down

Well maybe the title above gives you a hint of the highs and a low of today. Alas still no way to upload a photo in Peninsula Valdes where I am for a second night.

Ahoyhoy peeps,

After a leisurely morning that was ruined on discovering that all of yesterday´s footage won´t play I set off around the Peninsula. I had hoped to go on a whale watching trip but it turns out the guidebooks lie! Whale trips finish in December and all the whale trip companies appear closed. This really humped my back and left me feeling blue.

Nevertheless onwards and upwards or as it turned out downwards. The roads around the penisula are ´ripio´ or unmade. In places it is soft fine sand mixed with gravel on a hard base so any offroad bikers will confirm for you how squirrelly this can be. Nevertheless I had been partially prepared for this by the amazing Chris Prickett of Ride Any Road - see link on your left. Unfortunately I wasn´t thinking about this at all when things got VERY squirelly and we went down on the left hand side at 50mph.

Apart from a bruised chin I was fine as was my apparel but Sir Humphrey had faired a little less well. The left side crash bar pannier was ripped off and a streak to treacle sponge pudding could be seen glistening off the road. The left side wing mirror was 10 yards behind the bike and cracked; when does the seven years of bad luck start? The left crash bar had bent in about 3 or 4mm but otherwise looked OK and the left ARDcase pannier was 100% functional if a little smaller than it once was. No fluids, apart from treacle were leaking and apart from the aformentioned damage and the screen being at a somewhat jaunty angle all was well. After 15mins of pushing, pulling & gaffer taping we were back off in search of sea life. Fortunately I subsequently got my Ride Any Road hat back on and through out the rest of the day I really got my off road groove back; blasting up rubbish road, standing when necessary at a steady 40-50mph. Thanks soo much Chris for all your help, shame I had to bin Sir Humphrey before I remembered it! Ich bin ein Muppet.

And was it all worth it? YES! I have seen sea lions, maybe seals and definately penguins. I was but 4 feet from a gaggle/mob/pickupa of amazing penguins that had waddled and crawled up the cliff by the shore. I love penguins and this was the highligh of trip so far. I wish my beautiful fiancee Sam was here to see it with me. She has said she would like a winter wedding, I´ll leave a note for the whale watching boat skipper to see if he´s available!

So having had to repack everything to fit the extra two panniers in what remains of Sir Humphrey´s storage I am fit for the off tomorrow to try and reach Rio Gallegos in 3 days. I just hope he doesn´t feel a bit light over the front which was why I installed the crash bar panniers in the first place.

We shall see and regardless it won´t stop us. Tigger´s Travels are on the go and a go that needs more go go than we had planned as it looks like I don´t have enough money for a 5 month trip so I hope to squeeze this into 4 months to stave off bankrupcy.

Sorry if this entry has been a bit long but usually I precis my diary entry but I got to a computer early today and it has just all spilled out over the keyboard. Eergh!

TTFN

Tigger