Link #2
21-25 January, 2000
Rancagua to Chillan, CHILE (342 km)
Have been on bikes for 4 days and now taking a day of rest in the town
of Chillan. Odometer reads 210 mi, our bodies read 2010. Not really. We're
doing pretty well all things considered.
Cole's knee is doing super. Spending about 4 hours a day actually pedaling,
another 3-4 hours resting at roadside fruitstands, under shady trees,
or in city parks. Still managing a siesta most days - the addiction develops
nicely. Pretty nice how every city has a Plaza de Armas in its
center where we're sure to find shaded benches and cold beers and/or ice
cream nearby. We're sure to be the center of the center's attention in
our sleek shorts, funny hair, and sunglasses. Have exchanged info with
lots of folks, even get kisses now and then.
Hearing that the 55 mile section between Santiago and Rancagua is a bit
narrow, fast, and dirty, we decided to catch a bus to Rancagua and hopefully
enjoy our first day of riding. The bus dropped us off on the morning of
January 21. After a bit of breakfast, we mounted up and cycled east through
the center of town towards the Pan-American highway. We've been riding
the Panamericana al Sur since.
It's pretty much a freeway. For most parts, has a wide shoulder, or berma.
Southern headwinds blow most of the way unfortunately. Lots of honks,
mostly from enthusiasm. Lots of local bikers riding jalopies of one kind
or another to and from small towns. Usually see a few horse drawn carts
a day. Have seen quite a few hawks. The dogs bark, but can't catch us
(ha ha).
The countryside looks much like what we figure central valley California
looked like 50 or so years ago. Incredibly fertile valley - grapevines,
peaches, melons, tomatoes, plums, pears, corn, hay, etc. The roadside
views are spectacular, the Andes always in sight, but often far off in
the distant east. Some snow still in them thar hills.
Fruitstands seem to procreate on the side of the road. They're our favorite
places to stop. Usually managed by little old ladies who speak nice and
slow (the only chilenos we understand at fist pass). They've got this
thing here called a durazno platano or "banana-peach" that
looks like a nectarine but tastes like a combination between a ripe peach
and a banana. Ooh la la.
The bikes are doing their thing and behaving superbly. Nicole did manage
a blowout from ramming a brick on the first day. Thought her wheel was
cracked, but now think it will be OK. The men at the vulcanizacion
stations (Chile's version of Discount Tire) have been great. Very helpful
and a bit curious. You can't ride this first stretch of the Panamericana
with seeing one of these every 5 mi or so. Must be a need...
Bob is doing well - never complains even though he's carrying quite a
load. Despite the planning for lightness, it still feels pretty heavy
- about 70-80 lbs. If you haven't met Bob, he's the trailer that Matt
pulls. Solar panel mounts up fine on the back and there's no shortage
of UVs. It's plenty hot. Trying to store these memories of blazing sun
and sweaty brows for those rainy days we're sure to see further south.
Will give the bikes their first tune-up this evening when it cools off
- about 7 pm as the sun doesn't set until about 9:30.
The Chilenos seem to have taken to us. Many offers to pass the night
or an hour of conversation. Spent one night in a still under construction
roadside warehouse (kinda like a rest area in the states) with the sheet
metal workers. Andrian was the jefe, or foreman, on the job and
made sure that we were taken care of. He had his workers fill our Thermarest
air mats with a compressor - I've never slept on a Thermarest as supple.
At that same rest stop we met a team of firemen & paramedics that
were posted there. Sergio, Ivan, Claudia, and Eduardo work out of Linares,
Chile. It's their job to respond to calls and get on the scene when an
accident occurs on the Panamericana. All very fine people - incredibly
hospitable not to mention very patient with our broken Spanish. Shared
many laughs into the wee hours of the morning.
Earlier that same day we met an entire family in the village of Putagan.
They farm the land and work the cattle. Maize, hay, and higueras
(a type of plum I think) are some of the crops they harvest. The son and
grandson had just returned via horseback from a fair in town when we arrived.
Eating very well. Lots of meat. All kinds of meat. We eat meat. Cole
likes meat. Matt is getting to like meat. Okay, okay. Bread can always
be had fresh, ice cream vendors at every corner, wine comes in a liter
box, is cheap, is good.
The gastronimical highlight so far was probably the desserts we had for
lunch the other day in the town of Talca. One hugh raspberry tart pie.
One gigantic layered stack of loveliness (cream, cheese, caramel, wafer
bread, and about 12 other layers that have yet to be identified).
We'll continue our ride tomorrow. South of here, the towns get sparser
and road, we hear, gets a bit thinner. Should be an adventure!
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