Time is flying.  Got a few emails asking how the trip is going and if we were homesick.  We sure miss the family, but we are not homesick.  We are now using www.Skype.com which allows us to have long frequent calls home.  Our son-in-law sent us a video of the grandkids checking out our web site.  That was pretty cool, to see the kids responding to the pictures on the web.  We have watched the video clip of the grandkids about 15 times (maybe we ARE a little homesick). 

When we were working, we took trips as everybody else does.  For the last 5 days of the trip, the reality that the trip is nearing it's end induces a little depression.  We are planning on taking a break in July and flying home for a while, and I already have that "little depression setting in", and we have another 10 weeks before our return.  The good news is we will be coming back to South America and resume the trip a little later.  It will be really nice to spend time with the family and friends.  Our daughter bought a "Toy Box" and I hope to do a camping trip or 2 with them this summer.  I also miss riding a little more aggressively, and I will get a chance to ride the KTM's with friends.

On the 8th of April we leave Puerto Madryn, and head north through Los Grutas and on to Viedma, Argentina.

When we got to Viedma, Argentina, there were 2 festivals taking place so we had to go to the next beach town (18 miles) and we stayed in a Hotel/Casino, where we were the only guests.
Here is another good reason not to ride at night in South America. Frequently the railroad track go down the center of the road. Not fun on a motorcycle, if you don't see it!

We are now far enough "North" in Argentina that the "Colonial" style is, again, present.

Viedma is the newer city on the other side of the river. 

Sandy is standing in the in older town of Carmen de Patagones.

Does anybody know what "son" means in Spanish?

Viedma, the newer city in the foreground and Carmen de Patagones, with it's church in the background.

Rio Negro, with Carmen de Patagones on the hill.

On the 11th we just putt around Bahia Blanca.  We have a habit of getting on the bike and riding around in 2nd gear and just going up and down streets of the towns we visit.  Sometimes we put 50 to 100 miles on bike, riding at 20 to 30 mph around relatively small towns.  When doing this, it seems that we stumble on interesting things.  If we don't putt around town, we walk the neighborhoods for 5 to 7 miles. 

Surprising, this was a huge storage building at the wharf in Bahia Blanca. Very elaborate for what it was.......
The usual grain silos in the port area. For the last 2 days we have been riding through the pampas, and apparently this is were the bulk of the grain is shipped.

During our putts we usually try and find the nicer neighborhoods and see how the better half live.  They live quite well in Bahia Blanca.

From traditional to Modern.....

This upper scale area was very large.  Too bad they didn't bury the power lines.

When I was a kid, the neighborhood I lived in had a "Helm's Bakery Truck" which drove around and sold donuts and bread.  I can still remember the great smell! 

Well, in Bahia Blanca we found no donut trucks, but we did see a vegetable and fruit truck.

We are now back into older styles of architecture.... Missed it during the last 3,000 miles of our trip.
Some of the typical ornateness found in Bahia Blanca.

One thing Sandy and I have not adjusted to is the daily schedule people down here live by.  This street is bumper to bumper traffic, all day long, EXCEPT from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.  It turns into a ghost town for 3 hours.  Where do they all go?  And at night the restaurants DO NOT open until 8:00 pm, and they are usually completely empty until at least 9:30 pm.

We are back to towns that have plazas.....
And statues....
There was something I really enjoyed about this sculpture. As far as I am concerned, "The larger the shadows, the better".

On the 12 of April, we depart Bahia Blanca and head towards Mar del Plata, one of Argentina's premier beach resorts.

To get to Mar del Plata required driving through 240 miles of Pampas, which is very similar to Kansas and Nebraska!
No tolls for motorcycles! That's a good thing.
The cities look much like the farm towns in Kansas, with their "Farm Implement" sales yards.

The Pampas is huge.  Goes on for hundreds and hundreds of miles.

Like in the United States, many of the old farm houses have seen their "Better Days".
Shameless "ADVRider" plug....

Well, it is the 12th of April, and we made it to the large (over 500,000 people) beach resort of Mar del Plata. 

One of Argentina's premier beach resorts.  This should be fun!  More later.........

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