I am packing my suit cases … ups - wheel packs

Enthused by the impressions of the last weeks and hungry for more cycling adventures we decided to continue our honeymoon. The jump over the big pond required some preparations: So wheel spare parts had to be procured - finally there are in Patagonia wheel shops only in very large distances; a few new acquisitions had to be transacted like a water filter around also in sparsely populated areas the supply with the survival-essential wet to ensure, and broken parts like dead stepped wheel shoes to be replaced. Furthermore, we wanted to say goodbye to our family and friends, who were not very enthusiastic about our project and not very happy about our longer absence.

After several weeks in the autumnally colorful Mühlviertel - many thanks to Katharina’s sister and her family for accommodation, food & drink - and to some nice celebrations, we sterten in the direction of South America with the last stop near Vienna at Matthias Schester - also thank you very much for the nice days!

Austria says goodbye to us with the first snow of the season. So we flew from temperatures around freezing to warm 30 degrees in Buenos Auresnach Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego - here fresh temperatures come again.

Even for people like us who are experienced in bicycle transport, a flight with a tandem in their luggage is always an adventure, because at every airport and with every airline the task is handled differently. This is how we came to new discoveries again this time:

• If there is officially no bike category for booking, but you have registered your bike and received confirmation of the transport, then Düsi flies with Norwegian as golf baggage.

• If the bike carton is released and coded without weighing at the normal check-in counter, the objection of the scales at the chip counter regarding overweight is null and void.

• If the staff wishes, Düsi will fit in his box in a normal bus that travels between the international and national airport in Buenos Aires.

• If you fly to Ushuaia at four o’clock in the morning, the ticket office is not necessarily open. Düsi flew in any case free of charge to the south, because the announced payment at the return flight is cancelled because of the further itinerary ;-)

After stopovers in Oslo and London we spent almost a whole day at the airports in Buenos Aires until we landed in Ushuaia with the five o’clock plane. Other cyclists told us that we were lucky, because two days later a strike started and many of us were stuck in Buenos Aires for several days. Some had to change their route and could not fly to their desired destination, but started in Rio Grande in their adventure.