Chiloè

We have been on the Grand Isla de Chiloe for a couple days now and are seeing yet another part of Chile. The trip to the island was by ferry from Chaiten, along the Careterra Austral, to Quellon. As we left Chaiten (about one hour late) on a 4 hour or so trip, we were just past high tide. This put us into port just before low tide. Turns out this is a problem as the ferry was unable to get to the ramp to off-load vehicles so our arrival at 1530 allowed foot passengers to disembark but vehicles did not leave till 2030. Tides are fascinating and relatively predictable but somehow this turn of events appeared to be a shock to the ferry company.  We could have missed something in translation but they acted surprised.  

This late departure naturally lead to an evening trip through the southern part of the island as we had booked a room at Castro about 60 km north.  So although the sun was setting soon we thought we still had some daylight and as we were about to ride the main north-south road we should make good time. As it turned out there was road construction on the first half where traffic took turns through various stretches of road.  As a result we rode most of the trip in the dark so did very little sight-seeing. We arrived at the hotel by 2300 and settled in for the night. 

Wednesday we wandered around Castro a bit, took some pictures and then saddled up to head to Ancud where we had a hotel booked for three nights. Enroute we diverted to the East coast of the island to visit a small town (Quemchi)  and to see a 500 metre foot-bridge to a park on a small island with a church on it. It started to shower while we were on the island and we returned to shore expecting a wet ride to our hotel.

Fortunately the shower passed and we had a pleasant ride in, and through some remarkable navigation and patience, Alex managed to convince the GPS to guide us to our hotel. We wandered around town a bit and as it started to shower again we were convinced to come sit in a local restaurant for supper.

Food has not been very prominent on this trip in that it is not dramatically different. In this restaurant they had a variety of sandwiches which have a generous serving of meat, usually avocado, perhaps mayonnaise or mustard, and a slice of tomato. The sandwich is usually on a shallow bun that is very white and tasty. There was also a variety of seafood dishes with lots of shellfish and crab in this area as well as farmed salmon and various wild species. Often meals are ordered piece by piece although there are completo options as well. The food is good, affordable and generally familiar to our palates. That said we have not eaten shellfish options which is apparently a local speciality. This evening I ordered and h'orderves  was translated on the menu as "crab cake" but was really a crab and cheese soup. This was followed by a white fish (Hake?) which was delicious and unusually for me bone free.

Chiloè is famous for its potatoes with some large number of varieties in various shades of the rainbow.  We have had mashed (served cold), sautéed, deep fried mashed potato balls and boiled.  All were good but generally looked yellowish so we still have some colours to try.

Chiloè is also one of the spots to see penguins in Chile which is part of our three day stay here in Ancud to find a pleasant day to visit. When we awoke this morning (Thursday 30th) and removed our earplugs there was the sound of heavy rain and splashing vehicles. We assumed today was not a penguin day so went shopping for tours. Our tour of choice was full (Austral Adventure) but the owner provided some excellent and enthusiastic advice on things we should see that would be easy by motorbike. By this time the rain had stopped and blue patches of sky were showing up so we set off to see penguins. 

When we arrived on the designated beach there were 30 minute boat trips out to the small islands where the penguin rookeries were. They loaded us into a cart, wheeled it into the water next to the boats and we boarded with dry feet. 

The drivers were expert at keeping a steady boat in a fair swell and maneuvered around so everyone got a good view of the penguins. Our side of the boat even got a good view of a sea otter with a crab in its mouth swim up to one of the islands. Very cool.

Afterward we rode toward town with a diversion down a small road to a secluded beach where although there were fishing boats and some buildings was largely deserted with the exception of some very large flies (horseflies perhaps but the size of big bumblebees). 

 

Carretera Austral

As I write, it is just past noon Chile time and we are on a ferry enroute from Chaiten to Isla Grande de Chiloe which will take us as far south as we will travel this trip when we land in about 4 hours at Quellon. When we disembark we will go to the southern most point of the Ruta 5 which I believe is also the southern most point on the pan-American highway.

We left Puerto Montt on the 26th with the plan to travel part of the Carretera Austral (Ruta 7) which is a highway south through Patagonia that extends about 1200 km. Much of the early part of this route involves ferry crossings ranging from 45 minutes to 4 hours. Since neither Alex or I are particularly skilled at, nor enjoy, riding gravel we chose to follow about 15% of the route and then head west by ferry.  As it turns out we may have travelled some of the worst gravel sections but by surviving unscathed (physically) we have demonstrated some newly cultivated and/or honed riding skills.  

Ruta 7 is cut through the middle of rainforest in some of the spectacularly rugged  terrain for which Chile is famous. We rode through dense forest where the route was like a tunnel, along the bottom of vertical cliffs with waterfalls cascading downward on one side and lakes or the sea on the other, around mountains and through valleys. Where roads were not feasible or there were channels to cross, Chile has developed a series of ferries to create a "multi-modal" route. This area is geologically active as they say so most spots seem to have a volcano nearby. Our first night on this route was at Hornopiren below the volcano of the same name. We could not find a hotel here on the internet so our guidebook suggested Hostal Austral which sounded quaint and affordable. Quaint may be a euphemism in this case, but the supper and breakfast were superb, the beds were tolerable and we were pleased at the final bill. The supper was simple which was locally farmed salmon baked with tomato and some sausage accompanied by potatoes and salad.

Chile has actively promoted fish farming in this region and although there have been some hiccups, there is a thriving industry of several different species of salmon. The farms are clearly visible from satellite and seem to be providing a fairly good business base to the region. Hornopiren has a fish hatchery for example.

The 27th started from Hornopiren with a 4 hour ferry ride down the channel which is essentially fjord-like with mountains plunging to the sea on both sides, heavily forested with the exception of a narrow strip at water's edge. There are occasional houses perched on the mountain sides, some small pastures or gardens but mostly heavy forest. Stunning. 

After the first ferry there is a 10 km road to the next ferry. On this leg the motorbikes and bicycles (4 on the trip) left the ferry last and headed off to catch the next ferry scheduled for about 30 minutes and 60 minutes later. Fairly easy on a powered vehicle but a concerted effort is required by the cyclists as the road is rough, climbs and falls often and is gravel or dirt. In this case all 4 cyclists made the second ferry (which we were waiting for), with seconds to spare  This 45 minute crossing took us to a 60 km or so stretch of road to our hotel for the night at Chaiten. 

This was very tolerable gravel with the final stretch broadening out into a gravel airstrip with gates on both ends to exclude vehicles when airplanes were landing. After the "aerodrome" we rode pavement the remaining 10 km which was pleasant and relaxing to ride. We found our hotel "mi casa" which was delightful. Chaiten was mostly buried in ash in a 2008 eruption of  a volcano (Volcan Chaiten?) and has been recovering with great determination since.We would loved to spend a couple days there but our ferry only runs once a week.

Breath Deeply.

The human ability to detect scent is remarkable. I recognize, it is nowhere near as keen as many animals such as dogs, but it is still pretty amazing. Today we rode from Puerto Montt to the Osorno Volcano; a ride of about 80 km each way. On the way we moved from a port city through the country side and eventually arrived at the parking lot above the tree line for a ski hill set up on the Volcano. In doing so we passed from sea level to about 700 metres. Along the way we caught whiffs of smoke from barbecues, various industrial smells, flowers, and many times a basil smell as well as some other herbs. Most of these were detected in one or two breaths and then there was something new.  We certainly could not always identify the source but the palate of odours was part of the experience.

do.

Taste is dominated by the sense of smell so it is only a small leap to talk about the food in Chile.  We have been quite pragmatic about food and have eaten what is convenient and have not really encountered totally traditional Chilean food. Breakfasts have been at the hotels which is usually a continental buffet of yeast breads, often sliced ham or other meat, some cheese, yoghurt, some cereal and a variety of sweet pastries. There is often jam and gloriously the Chileans (among others) have claimed dulce de leche as traditional spread for bread so it is usually there for breakfast. 

Based on our small sample so far and the bookings ahead it seems that the service industry has attracted a large number of people with german ancestry. Consequently there is quite a bit of germanic influence; kuchen, schnitzel, etc with restaurants like the family Weiss in Bariloche or Blumenau Hotel in Osorno. We have eaten empanadas a few times,  a chicken and potatoes meal at a hostel and in Argentina I ordered a steak and all that came was a slab of meat (and some pre-dinner buns).  Last night we went to another German run restaurant and I ate Salmon and King Crab in a cream sauce and ordered a side plate of veggies and some rice. The fish was spectacular and the vegetables were very fresh. Interestingly they were subtle differences. The cucumber for example was slightly salty perhaps and the avocado, well it was fresh so that does not count. So to date we have not found any food really unusual but there is certainly not the wide range of world food we are accustom to in Canada.  Onions do figure prominently in the food and there is a spice quite close to cumin but not sure it is the same; a bit of a cinnamon tang.

Coffee is generally a disappointment and I take it primarily for medicinal purposes in the morning. I rarely have more than one cup. There are a few exceptions but instant coffee has been the standard here for many years so there is opportunity for growth. 

There is a wide variety of teas including several herbal teas so Alex is enjoying that.  And of course there is wine.  We have actually drunk more beer than wine and found a variety of regional artesanal beers. 

South Americans tend to eat late in the evening so now at 1930 local people will just be thinking about going out for food. Which is what I am going to do.

Back in Chile

One of the glorious things about riding a motorcycle is the open nature of travel and the agility that comes from only two wheels. One of the tough things about riding a motorcycle is the open nature of travel; and only two wheels. 

Tuesday we were scheduled to leave San Carlos de Bariloche and head back to Osorno. The forecast looked a bit mixed and the rattling window overnight gave a hint the ride would be a bit windy. There was also a thick layer of cloud over the Andes suggesting there might also be precipitation in store. 

My graduate work was focussed mainly on nocturnal light winds but this required some (theoretical) knowledge of turbulence in various flows and over all controls on wind flow in topography. In fact most people realize, at least intuitively, that wind tends to follow valleys. Lakes along the bottom of valleys provide a surface that has limited resistance to wind.  Tuesday provided some good practical experience.

The road from Bariloche back to Chile crosses around the end of Nahuel Haupi lake and then tracks along the shore. The first part is in the wide open areas of the Patogonian plains (not the alto plano as erroneously written previously) and then enters a forested area along the lakeshore.  As we rode around the lake we could see high crested waves, with foam occasionally breaking from the crests, flags were stiff in the wind, and all tree sizes were moving vigorously except in sheltered places. In the picture from the town of Bariloche you will note that the trees have most of their branches on one side. 

With that route in mind you will realize it is roughly a U shaped path and thus will encounter wind from many directions. We estimated on the cross wind leg at the end of the lake we had sustained wind over 70 km/h and gusts over 100 km/h. In one gust that raised a mini cloud of dust that we drove through the sound of material indicated very large grains of sand or small pebbles were being carried into our helmets. Needless to say we rode slowly and cautiously but it was still a very harried 65 kilometers to the next town. I found the long encounter with turbulence rather too personal.

At Villa la Angostura we filled up with Argentine fuel prices (~1.50 CAD/litre) and had a glorious ride to the border with a few minor wind gusts and a few drops of rain but not much more.  After the bore-der, er border crossing ( two stages and lines to leave Argentina; three to enter Chile) we started down the pass. About 20 minutes later it started to rain steadily so we broke out the rain gear and looked like human pylons with our "visibility enhanced" raincoats. All in all the rain gear performed well but we were a bit humid when we finally arrived in Osorno.

So today we wandered around on foot in Osorno visiting the downtown square and the 5th build of the church; now Cathedral de St Mateo. The history includes destruction by indigenous attack, two earthquakes and one fire. 

Tomorrow we head further south to Puerto Montt which although not a tourist hotspot should serve as a jumping off point to local spots

Los Angeles

It is a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in a small valley about 10 km N of Los Angeles (Chile). We stayed overnight at a lovely guesthouse where the focus is on  locally grown (mostly home grown) produce and high quality food.  As I write I am sitting next to an arbour with grapes hanging down and a gentle breeze. The spot was recommended by our Chilean rental company as friends of theirs. We showed up last night with no warning and fortunately they had a room. A delightful couple they have provided a very peaceful and comfortable stop. 

Alex and I are struggling with sleeping which may be related to the time shift of four hours but I suspect we remain a bit nervous about what we have begun. We are riding well as a team and learning to be the cautious Canadians in a country of fast paced driving.  But a lot of unknowns loom.  As a step to reducing the uncertainty we have reserved rooms for tonight and tomorrow.  Sunday we will cross into Argentina and then will plan out the next few days from there.  We have an asphalt route planned through Argentina so we just have to pick the stopping points and get some accommodations in place.  We love the internet.

The bikes we have are in excellent shape and handle well, quite similar to what we expected. The roads are similar to Canada with the exception of toll booths every 100 km or so.  The first toll booth challenged both the operator and us to make it through but we have worked out a suitable system of stopping, stripping off gloves, fishing out the toll (usually 600 chilean pesos), stuffing the certificate in our tank bags, and rolling on.

Several things are remarkable. One is the different landscape that although reminiscent of the Okanogan  in places, it is a narrow strip of land between the Andes and the sea.We also noted the remarkable difference in region over a small area. I expected less change but we passed through a fruit growing area, a managed forest zone and back into agricultural land. We are near the southern end of the vineyards but they tend to be higher up and we are riding the valley so have seen few grapes.

We do notice the large number of small towns, roadside bus stops and people who are beside the highway apparently in the middle of nowhere. Obviously we are seeing a small core in the middle of a thriving valley.

So we will mount up shortly for a short ride (400 km) to Osurno.

First Day day in Chile: Favor Espere

One of the attractions to hiking, biking and motorcycling is the sense of connection with the journey. The open space around you allows, and in many cases demands you pay an extra level of attention; alert to things in the distance as well as the details of your immediate surroundings. You see, smell and hear things you would likely miss in an automobile, bus or airplanes.  So a trip for several weeks on motorcycle that is started with 10 hours in the interior trio of seats on airplane is a strange start indeed. The transition from Toronto where we changed planes to Santiago was somehow all the more striking by sitting in the centre trio of seats  with a lack of any real intermediate feedback beyond the map display on the entertainment unit. The generally low quality of sleep during the flight might also have some bearing.
At any rate we arrived and began standing in lines; first to pay the reciprocity fee (since Canada charges Chileans a visa fee) and then for customs, by which time we thought our luggage would surely have arrived and be aimlessly traveling around and around the belt. Graciously our luggage waited till we were clearly there and waiting before arriving.  So we took our luggage to the agricultural inspector to ensure we were not importing a specter of disease for the farming business, they X-rayed everything and then they turned us loose.  We took a cab to our hotel (with the assistance of some airport official) and arrived about 15 minutes prior to our suggested check-in time of 1500.  Our room was not yet ready so we left our luggage and strolled around the area for about 45 minutes and when we returned they still needed a few more minutes so we sat down in the lobby to wait.  After about 30 minutes our room was ready and we moved our stuff in.
It looks like a really good idea to have a couple nights to adjust to the area and catch up on some sleep before we start riding . We will try to drop by the rental shop tomorrow but will spend most of the day seeing a few local sites and resting up.
We went out for supper around 2000 and the sun was still shining and even when we got home around 2130 there was still good glow in the sky.
Thursday morning we slept in till 1000 and then wandered over the bike rental place to have a preliminary chat.  Things are looking good so this afternoon we buy a phone, re-sort our gear and find another cool place for supper.

So tomorrow we fly; Friday we ride

We have three bags largely packed, they look closable and they seem to be under the Air Canada magic limit of 50 pounds (23 kg ) although they are not under the limit of one piece of checked baggage each. We leave near midday for Toronto and then have four hour or so layover the Air Canada lounge and then overnight to Santiago. We will arrive near noon local time as they are four hours different (earlier or East) than Edmonton.  

We have a couple days to orient ourselves and then pick up our bikes Friday. We will set our route in consultation with the rental agency but in general south and somewhat east.  So now, one more look through the list and compare it with the stuff.