So what's been happening .........well it was time to move on !! The bikes were ready, but first to meet up with a friend for a few beers !

Steve is an Aussie that Drew met up with on several occasions during his trip with Globebusters. Only this social drink turned into a pool playing drinking session, if you know what I mean. It seems the locals are not too familiar with the rules of playing this game and made them up as they went along..........time to make a move.

Friday morning was less than ideal, as you can imagine! Not only did we have massive hangovers but we had to ride to Mar del Plata, over 400km south of Buenos Aires to see the start of the Dakar Rally. But before that could happen the bikes needed to be collected from Dakar Motos Hostel, where we had stored them with Sandra and Javier.

Finally at about 3pm, we were off! Now if anyone has been to Buenos Aires you'll understand about the traffic and the stupid one-way systems that South America seems to love so much. Its also not good if it's hot, you're wearing bike kit, tired and hungover. But still we managed to break free and hit the open road.............after a few tolls, of course!

A couple of good rest stops along route and we finally rolled into town at about 9pm, and just to piss everyone off at home, it had only just got dark!!! Next was the usual shower, food, beer then a good nights rest.

Now you would think that if one of the largest Rally's in the world starts from this city the locals would know about it, but finding information was slightly more elusive than we had planned. "What Rally?" was pretty much the reply we got ...........'THE PORT' about 5 minute ride away !! Happy days !!

So this morning we jumped on the bikes and headed there, through the damned one way systems. Now back home if you want to go a mile, that's it, but here you'd end up travelling 3 bloody miles, stopping every few yards at a set of traffic lights!!

The Port area appears to be much like Portsmouth, we rode down and tried in vain to pass security areas to get closer to the competitors vehicles..........oooops! Not possible ! Well was worth a try !! So we parked the bikes on the side of the road as close to the Dakar Village as possible. I was really looking forward to this area but it was small and very disappointing with hardly any merchandising. All the vehicles were behind wire fences which I can understand why, who knows what the visitors would have done to them if they'd got close enough, plenty of prodding fingers and kids climbing all over them ..........always a photo opportunity !

Next stop back to the bikes and off for a cold drink and some lunch, ready for the parade. Only we got back to them and another biker was parked next to us, Jarek, from Poland (lives and works in Conneticut). So we all started chatting but soon our bikes were the attraction and so they began asking for photos........kids and adults! They all began lining up, one after another after another...........after about an hour of this we decided to break free and head for that forgotten cold drink!

On the way 2 more bikes joined in , from Brazil ! So it was fast becoming a little adventure bikers convoy..........we found a good bar overlooking the seafront and spent the afternoon getting very sunburnt whilst watching the quads and motorbikes go past! Fantastic .....what a way to see out 2011 and see in 2012 !!

So, for tonight, some dinner and a few beers...........

Tomorrow we head down route 88 near Miramar to see the competitors go past........hopefully!! That is depending on how the beer situation goes tonight :@

I must apologise for the slight lack of photos! My iPad2 doesn't seem to want to download them, but I will post a few odd ones on Facebook whilst I figure the bloody thing out

Adios amigos and hope everyone has an awesome 2012 celebration :)