Sunday, January 20, 2013

Getting help reaching Punta Arenas

We left after breakfast from Ushuaia headed back the way we came. we stopped at the same fuel station to fill up and then continued on to the border where we usually meet other travellers travellers, this time Ali met Sherri form Australia. After the border the gravel road started again.



Since there was more than one rout to the ferry we decided to take another gravel road than the one we used last time. Which was more compacted in places and less patches of loose gravel. This also made us go a bit faster since we had gained more confidence in riding off road.

After about 120 km of gravel Hussain decided to come close to Ali to shoot a video with the helmet cam and started to drift into really heavy and loose gravel which made him loose control and wiped out into the grassy ditch.



Ali stopped right away and ran to Hussain while I had to make a U turn and fount Hussain with a nasty cut on the side of his nose. Luckily an Argentinean bike named Raul and his wife in a pickup truck were passing by and they stopped to help. I got the first aid kit and we bandaged the cut but it needed stitching.

Raul agreed to ride Hussain's bike to the ferry station while Hussain rides in the pickup. it was about 60 km until we reached the ferry station where Raul talked to the police man and was given directions to the Ambulance near by. They took a look and agreed that he needed to go to the nears clinic which was 50 km away. Ali stayed with the bikes at the ferry station while I went with Hussain to the clinic.

At the clinic the doctor was thorough with many questions to make sure there wasn't a concussion. and mentioned that the cut is complicated and needed a specialist to do the stitching in Punta Arenas. Hussain wanted to ride but the doctor refused and managed to get him an ambulance ride to Punta Arenas.



Ali found a group of Valenzuela bikes who tried to get transport for Hussain's bike to Punta Arenas but it didn't work out so we left Hussain's bike at the police station near the ferry and went on to Punta Arenas with the plan that tomorrow Ali returns and rides Hussain's bike back while I go and see about shipping to Kuwait.



We reached the hotel around 10:15 pm and while we were unpacking the bikes Hussain walked in with 11 stitches and an appointment for check-up tomorrow. We were grateful for all the people who helped us during this time.