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Now here is something that I read about often, yet did not really expect so soon; the kindness of strangers along the way. I do believe that cyclists are among the most kindly people you can meet, especially during a hard journey.

My departure from Ushuaia was a hard one, a real trial by fire-- I had chosen the perfect day to leave. It was raining, cold and windy right off the bat as I left the dreary town. But I could not wait to start my journey any longer, I would not wait another day for the sky to clear. So off I went, climbing 50kms through a mountain range, slowly, slowly uphill... until I finally reached the tipping point and raced down the mountain.

The worst was yet to come though, as I had another 50kms until I reached my destination, and was met with a deluge of rain that left me soaked to the bone. The worst sensation so far was cycling kilometer after kilometer with feet numb and squelching with water, the cold wind whipping past your protective layers and embedding itself into your chest, legs and arms. Several times I thought I would just give up and hitchhike, but what sort of beginning would that be?

At the outskirts of Tolhuin, as I changed gears, my chain got stuck between sprockets and I could not think straight enough to fix it-- on I went walking, dragging my bike for another 3km until I reached a bakery that made it all worth it.

Panaderia "La Union" at Tolhuin showed me warmth that was more than just the heat from their ovens. Before I could protest, they escorted me into an apartment next to the bakery where I was told I could stay as long as I wanted. After taking a much needed hot shower, 3 other cyclists from Belgium arrived: Gil, Matt and Lucas who not only helped me fix my bike but gave me excellent advice for my upcoming journey. (They're going 30,000km around the world from Belgium, follow them here http://neswbybike.be)

It turns out that this bakery is a cyclist haven, and the whole town itself opens its arms to the hundreds of bicycle enthusiasts who come from North to South and vice-versa to Ushuaia and beyond.

Right now I'm typing from the house of a local family that is preparing to make dinner for 5 cyclists myself included. I have committed myself to helping out with the supper, so I must leave you just now... but expect more news to come from my next town: Rio Grande, 110kms away.