Adios España
January 14, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
Successfully managed to pack everything into our 4 boxes. Fortunately our host had access to to a car big enough take us and our stuff to the airport. Long wait in line but easily checked everythingRead more
Hola Chile
January 15, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A mere 15 hours and we are in Chile. Fly over the Andes. Gather our boxes and assemble ourselves in the airport. Not a terrible ride to our apartment. Get clean and go for a meander. Dinner of craftRead more
Santiago
January 16, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Day spent in Santiago. Check out the many markets, main square, Cathedral and Museum of History. Quite toasty.
A rocky start
January 17, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Get a nice early start and find ourselves on dedicated bike paths out of Santiago. Mountains on both sides of us and grapes alongside. Two flat tires slow us down resulting in big climb during hottestRead more
It gets smoother
January 18, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
A lovely ride into wine country. Grapes, peaches, corn and many other produce surrounds us. Turn towards the mountain and camp by river.
Fertile valley
January 19, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Quick ride through grapes to get to museum in San Fernando. Turns out that Uruguayan plane crashed due east of this town. Nice museum which includes exhibit on their rescue. Meander along countrysideRead more
River valley
January 20, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Bit of an up coming out of our campground. Make our way through a few towns and then ride along Rio Mataquito. Few north/south roads so have to go west to go south. Turn away from the Andes. Plan toRead more
Heat is a thing
January 21, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
No straight line to get where we are going. Leave lush green valley and head into arid desert. Make it over hill and back to valley by Ruta 5. No other direct route so follow winding road to Talca. SoRead more
Into the Precordillera
January 22, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Nice bike path out of Talca. I continue to be surprised by the cycling infrastructure here. Make good time until get caught up in a town. Continue on to Panamavida and enjoy ice cream in the square.Read more
Rest day
January 23, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Stay in place to relax and do some organizing. Go on a little walkabout and get stopped by a gang of cows. Meager dinner of emergency food though Doug miraculously rustles up a zucchini.
Straightening the route
January 24, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Get an early start as it’s predicted to be hot. Bumpy start but cruise along a dedicated bike path to Linares. Manage to get replacement rack relatively quickly. Stock up on emergency food andRead more
River crossings and camping
January 25, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
With an aspirational goal of 60 miles set off early. Great pace until hit unpaved section. And I paved means tough going. First water crossing was kind of fun. Then hit the dry stream bed and two moreRead more
Rio Diguilan
January 26, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Slower start but make good time to Chillan. But like usual lose lots of time in cities. Eventually get ourselves out and head out on very busy road with no shoulders. Make to Pueblo Seco, get food andRead more
Rio Laja
January 27, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Continued along road with limited shoulder though traffic slightly less. Terrain is more rolling and grain fields give way to pine trees. Nice Mountain views though the haze continues. Lunch stop on aRead more
Rio Renaico
January 28, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
A nice 30 mile decline has us zigging across the country again. Leave the Andes behind and head towards to coast range. Pass through Los Angeles, managing not to lose much time. Lots of constructionRead more
Transition day
January 29, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
A windy start with still more construction. After town of Anglol, we enter rolling hills amongst the forest. Much nicer riding and scenery. Set up by tiny river under a bridge. Still swimmable.
Rio Quillen
January 30, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Leave our little troll hovel under the bridge and amazingly head almost due south. See first glimpses of Villarica volcano. Big down into a gorge but sadly can’t get to the water. Climb back out andRead more
Temuco
January 31, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Though the day starts with a steep uphill, riding is enjoyable as we cruise through the farmland. Arrive in temuco and find Argentinian style ice cream. Quite tasty. Warm showers host Lea welcomes usRead more
Tune up day
February 1, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
As we had scheduled time at a local bike shop for tune ups, opt to just stay another night. Visit local market and get nice fresh fish and veg for dinner.
Villarica
February 2, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Woke to a cloudy and misty day, but warm. Mist ended but clouds remained. With a few exceptions, road along very busy roads as we headed to the very popular lago Villarrica. The clouds briefly openedRead more
Hike: San Sebastian
February 3, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Up early to catch buses to take us into Parque Huerquehue. Set off on a hike up and up! First through forests of monkey puzzle trees and the clam bowing almost straight up the side of the mountain.Read more
Beach day
February 4, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Yesterdays hike really took a toll on our quads. Opted to spend another day in Villarrica and enjoy the lake. Did very little besides sit by the lake under an umbrella. An evening stroll to findRead more
Circuito de siete lagos
February 5, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
With legs still sore from our hike climb away from Lago Villarica and onto the circuit of 7 lakes. First up - lago Calafquen and busy little town of Lincan Ray. Empanadas and strudel lunch in theRead more
When it rains … it pours
February 6, 2024 in Chile ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
With a rain storm forecasted get an early start to try and beat the rain. Which we did mostly. Arrive in Los Lagos just as the rain begins. Ponder our options over cake. Find a nice pension for cheap.
Lago Ranco
February 7, 2024 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
The sun reappears thankfully. Do a quick bit on Ruta 5 to move us along. Move over to quieter road amongst lots of livestock. Wind kicks up - not in our favor. Cross Rio Bueno and then downhill toRead more