Beautiful Southern Chile
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
36
41
Trip End
Feb 28, 2009
Osorno,
Patagonia,
Chile
Monday, January 19, 2009
Due to the fact that I had no pillow and Mike decided he needed to snore last night, I awaken this morning tired and irritable.It takes several cups of strong coffee to get myself motivated. Mike and Carlos have already left for the mechanics so Mike can get the valves adjusted. Jacque and I decide to head downtown to explore the city and get some breakfast.Things are so much easier when you speak the language and she had us getting on a bus in no time. I couldn't help but notice the bus drivers right hand, his knuckles black and calloused from constantly fumbling with the change in his narrow change box. We spent a few hours checking out the city catching a couple of photos of interesting buildings. I relaxed for the balance of the afternoon puttering with the bike but really doing nothing. Late in the evening we BBQīd a nice meal with our Columbian friends.
January 17th
We sadly say good bye to our Columbian friends this morning. We hope to catch up with them later in the trip but I suspect we wonīt see them again. They have quickly become good friends and I enjoyed their company immensely. We follow Ruta 68 until it connects to Ruta 5, the trees,vineyards and orchards producing Chileīs finest crops. A huge field of sunflowers on my right makes me smile as we pass several John Deere combines on the highway . The Andes slowly rise to my left and I notice a few snow capped peaks.We stop in the town of Los Angeles for the night and there is a McDonaldīs across the street from our hotel.We have several contacts now as we try to arrange the shipment of our bikes home. Mike has also made contact with a gentlemen in Punta Arenas possibly interested in purchasing the bikes. My thoughts today have focused mainly on the fact that we have almost reached our goal. Itīs bitter sweet knowing that we have almost made it and at the same time knowing the adventure is nearing itīs end.
January 18th
A cool and crisp morning, the sun shining and the scenery has my spirits high. We pass huge managed Pine tree forests the smell crisp and clean. While continuing down Ruta 5 the forests give way to golden wheat fields the stalks gently rolling and waving to me. We pass huge raspberry fields the tart smell makes my nose flare and my saliva glands water. The ditches are now covered in a bouquet of wild flowers similar to home. The clouds are thin and wispy and remind me of an attempt to erase a mistake made with a #2 HB pencil. The cheap eraser end never removing the line entirely, but just producing a soft blotch on the sheet of paper. Late in the afternoon we are pulled over by the Chilean Cabineros (police), who I need to add are very aggressive with their radars and stopping procedure. Literally walking out onto the highway and standing in your lane and forcing you to stop and pull over. We were not speeding when stopped, they were just doing a routine check. They chat us up asking all sorts of questions and trying to explain too us where to catch big troucha when they see the fishing rod we carry.
The gas stations in Southern Chile are excellent providing great locations to pull over and enjoy a cup of coffee.
As we roll into Osorno for the evening the street signs guide us to the downtown core. We find a hostel with parking almost immediately. As I head to bed for the evening a family is sitting around sharing and drinking what appears to be tea from a single small tin cup using a steel straw, the cup full of a green substance that looks like tea. They pass the cup to me and itīs delicious. They call the drink Mate and with my approval of the drink give me their tin cup,steel straw and bag of herbīs. I am very appreciative and will enjoy mate for a long time.
