Summer time

Dear future me,

After the rollercoaster of adventure, things returned to normal. Me, myself and I were cruising down the North coast of Chile to enjoy empty lands and fiercy waves that roll onto the coast. I found another national park (Llanos de Challe) with a gorgeous and well-maintained campsite, hugging giant stones to take cover for the wind. The wind masters here really love to throw their mighty forces at you while you try to set up camp. And they are really into this game of trying to catapult innocent bikers of their two-wheelers too. The more south you get, the more points they score as they join forces. Even behind these hunnebed stones (Dutch for huge rocks) I had to use all means to keep my tent in the shape it’s supposed to have. For all the effort I enjoyed a wonderful sunset on the empty beach in the white sands of Playa Blanca. The next morning I found that my routine of pitching and clearing the tent still needs a lot of work. Especially in the heat I’m very slow in comprehending what to do next. The high temperatures also effect my ability to understand the Chilean system of gas stations: why have a lot of stations if you could only have one per 300+ kilometers. Although I have a big tank, I did have to hang on to all my lucky charms to get me to the next station near La Serena. At other side of the road (also Chilean logic) so I had to ride back for a while and take a “Retorno” before I could finally enter this provincial city. Provincial, because it is laidback, and city because of the many people who are trying to make money somehow. Plenty of refugees entertain you at every single traffic light (200 meters apart), using the advantage of the frequencies of your stops plus the timer next to the lights that tells you (and them) for how long.

La Serena is also the start for many tours. One of them is to see the Humboldt pinguins. These very tiny pinguins use the Humboldt ocean stream to get here and enjoy the safety of a sanctuary on Choros island and Damas Island. We could walk on Damas Island, so I envisioned similar circumstances as on Philip Island in Australia (with signs telling you not to step on the pinguins). But no, I only got up close pictures of boobies. The pinguins kept their distance and mostly grouped together on Choros Island, to be seen from far away. Next time I’ll take a tour to an island with giant pinguins, so my tiny camera can actually see them. It was beautiful though and very, content I got myself to the next place. Only one hour further up the road from La Serena, because the city opens the door to the Pisco Valley. The nice village of Vicuña offers a great opportunity to visit the local famous beverages, found in a Pisquera and a Cerveceria. Don’t ask me how they make Pisco out of Pisco grapes or how they brew the Guayacán beers, as all tours were in Chilean. I know it should resemble the Spanish language, but apart from Hola! I don’t recognize one word. At the Cerveceria I had a personal tour, which contained 6 good glasses of different beers (after I already drained one full glass of Golden Ale, because I was thirsty upon arrival). That might also be one of the reasons I couldn’t really understand what the over enthusiastic guy was telling me.  

I was very happy that I decided to explore this part of the valley on a mountain bike. To celebrate that I survived the whole 20km in the heat, I finished with a Pisco Sour at the next Pisquera. Did I already mentioned that I feel I’m on vacation here in Chile? Everything goes really slow as I am adopting to the 30 degrees and sunshine every single day. Walking around on my flip flops and staying at hostels to try to keep my expenses out of the red zone. Yes, summertime has definitely got a hold on me and the living is very easy.

On my motorcycle I crossed over to the next valley with Pisco fields, but stayed on track and via Ovalle started to move down the coast to Valparaiso. I was really excited to go there, because I’ve read ‘A long Petal of the Sea’ of Isabel Allende. The city and also the poet Pablo Neruda play a big role in this book about the Spanish Civil war and the exiles to Chile. Valparaiso is a very colorful and semi-rough harbor city and I enjoy walking on the streets here. It also trained my climbing muscles, because the whole town is situated on hills. They use Ascensores, a sort of train system, to get you on and off the hills. Handy if you are walking forever to see all the murals in this city. They also have colorful stairs to get you there and after two days I’m top fit! The house of Pablo Neruda, build to his wishes, is a tribute to the ocean and stands on a hill. This house is called Sebastian and treasures a grand view on the harbor. While the sun is still occupying the sky and keeps all clouds a bay, this life here in Valparaiso resembles a part of paradise for me.

From Ascensors to Teleferico’s, I arrived in Santiago the capital of Chile. To my great relief, this city is as flat as it can be, surrounded by snow-topped mountains and some parks on hills that you can reach by cable cars. My travel buddy from Alaska (Peter) told me to get to Hostal Casa Matte, owned by someone who loves to travel on motorcycles himself. This is a beacon for long time travelers and I must say…. I don’t know if I will ever leave again. Sitting on the rooftop terrace next to my room, chatting with other fellow bikers all day long….I don’t have time to do anything else! My bike is being pampered at a garage, receiving a lot of TLC from a mechanic and some new tyres. And I’m being pampered by having this great place and ditto company to my exposal, while the sun is simmering in the sky, the temperatures make me lazy and the beers are nice and cool. I even enjoyed the opportunity to see a movie in the cinema, because they have Avatar in English. So apparently, I moved up from paradise to heaven, with the Virgen on the hill of San Cristobal watching over me.

See ya later,

Annemieke