The last 500km were a lot tougher than expected making it all that much more exciting to arrive in Santiago!
Km470 to Km360: Tyre Problems
We started off a little later than usual as we had forgotten to collect our washing the evening before so had to wait for the laundrette to open in the morning. It was a beautiful morning so we had great views down the coast as we headed out of town. Just south of La Serena there are some really amazing white beaches and resorts so we had plenty to look at as we cruised down the road on the hard shoulder of the now double lane toll road.
The actual road south of La Serena is a world apart from the single lane with crumbling hard shoulder Panamerican highway even just 1km north of La Serena but then again it wasn't tolled up north so does explain the difference. The vegetation is now becoming more and more green but its still arid with cactus like vegetation and with the odd farm dotted here and there.
At this stage I was holding thumbs that my back wheel would get me to Santiago so hearing a rustling packet like sound come from my back wheel as we headed down one of the hills was not very comforting! After closer inspection we discovered that my back tyre had actually worn through to the tube and there was now a hole in the exposed tube. Luckily Mark had bought a spare tyre in La Serena as the tread on his back tyre is looking a little thin so within 15 min we were back on the road.
We pushed on later into the afternoon than usual to make up for the later start which proved quite tough. We were now heading south west which is where the prevailing winds usual come from but we had made the incorrect assumption that as we were heading back towards the coast we'd been going downhill. As we have learned many a times over we should never assume anything! After fighting gale force like winds uphill for 2 hours we were approaching the horizon but we could see a scary looking front coming over the hill so we decided to look for a place to camp. Much of the land is now fenced off so fighting the wind we setup camp in a depression between the highway and a farmers fence hopping that the ominous front didn't come to anything.
Km360 to Km280: 3 Wind farms
The minute we woke up that morning the wind was already pumping. As we packed up our tents and cycled up and over the hill we hoped it would die down a little. The scenery was that of magnificent rolling hills passing a couple of kilometers off the coast then in again.
The vegetation is now very green reminding me a lot of the Eastern Cape of South which is of no surprise really as we are on west coast at a very similar latitude. Unfortunately we found it hard to enjoy the scenery as the wind just blew harder and harder as the day went on. I woke up feeling a little queezy and weak so this was the last thing I needed.
I even momentarily lost my sense of humour to the wind at one stage as I was trying to hide so close behind Mark that a gust of wind caused me to swerve catching his tyre sending me falling to the ground. We were going at snails pace so it was no biggy but I was just so fed up with the stupid wind and did not have an once of energy to catch myself from falling thus throwing the bike down in a fit. Trying to pretend all was good I jumped straight back on my bike but now of course the handle bar was misaligned from the wheel so had to stop and straighten it thus falling way behind Mark loosing my only shelter from the wind.
Just when I was thinking yes we're getting to some hill tops so maybe the wind would die down I saw what no one wants to see when on a 80kg bike, a huge wind farm. They weren't turning at all although the wind was pumping into our faces. I thought goodness what kind of gale do you need to turn those things and thank heavens we're not here to witness it because then I'd be sure to be going backwards. Once we got closer we found that the electricity distribution network was not complete so their blades were actually turned so that the generator would not rotate. We did later that day see another 2 wind farms one of which had plenty of rotating generators and guess which way they were facing, directly south of course, the very opposite direction to what we were going.
I was beginning to wonder if with all this wind there was perhaps additional strain on my already weak back wheel so when we were shooting down a hill and it suddenly felt as if someone had put on the brakes, and could again hearing a rustling packet like sound coming from my back wheel, I grew gravely concerned. Mark soon came flying past me saying he thought something might be leaking in my bag as there was liquid dripping from my bike! Oh no I thought it must be the hydraulic breaks that have gone but at least hopefully its not my spokes because when they start going they all go.
I quickly hopped off my bike and inspected. Boy was I relieved to find that the orange (which turned out to be a grapefruit) in a plastic packet which I had tied to my bike rack had got caught between the wheel and the bike rack. Somehow it had managed to work itself to the back of the rack, fall over the back and then get caught by my tyre thus wedging itself between the bike rack and my wheel! It was actually quite funny because I now had a squashed fruit and juice running all over everything but fortunately I was not really looking forward to eating it as I had discovered it was actually a grapefruit.
We landed up camping at a toll gate that night which was quite pleasant because we had toilet facilities and shelter from the wind. I was shattered and didn't actually feel like eating as I still did not feel great but we had agreed to get going at 4am the next day to try beat the wind so off we hurried to bed.
Km280 to Km179: Day Break Cycle
We got up at 4am actually quite excited at the thought of not having to cycle into the wind. For the first hour or so we cycled in the dark and the slowly it began to grow light. Cycling at day break, especially in such a beautiful place was a totally new experience.
There we're very few cars so everything was dead quite sans the bike and the cashing waves somewhere in the distance. You look around but you see nothing but black except for when you look ahead and all you can see are stars. In addition, my light was running low and Mark was cycling behind me so on the road in front of me all I could see was my shadow ticking consistently from side to side as if a pendulum. Slowly off to the our left we could just see the dark sky lighting up over the Andes. As if cued, the birds started chirping and cockerels started crowing all over the countryside. I then wondered do birds tweet all day just as much or do the noises of the day just drain them out?
As it grew lighter the stars slowly began to fade and the flowers lining the roadside slowly turned from grey to an array of yellows, pinks and purples. Over to our right looking down towards the ocean we could slowly start to define the difference between the ocean and the landscape. By full light the landscape was awash with colours and because it was still early all was tranquil.
In life we often find ourselves in places this magnificent but we rarely take the time to enjoy the gradual metamorphosis that takes place at every day break. One of the things about being on the bike that is so amazing is that we have almost 7hrs of time just to think, listen to music or Spanish tapes, or just sit back and enjoy your surroundings as it slowly passes by. So far we have seen an equatorial region turn to desert and now are slowly seeing it take on the characteristics of the divers tropics, all from the seat of our saddles.
By midday we were bushed so were relieved to find a toll road service stop. This one did have a restaurant but generally they just serve as a place for truckers to stop, rest, have a shower and move on which is a perfect spot for us allowing us to have a hot shower and a rest in the shade.This day while resting at the stop a lady, that had stopped to take a break, came over and gave us an icy could Coke! We always joke that we're going to make a shirt that says 'No more hoots just a cold Coke will do!', but it would need to be a whole lot shorter and in Spanish of course.
That evening just as I had gotten my appetite back Mark began to loose his. We cycled on for a our 2 hour and just as we were about to head inland for the last time we found a nice forest overlooking the ocean to camp in. Technically it was private land so we shouldn't have gone in the gate past the sign that said 'Privado something' but hey it was the perfect little forest to hide ourselves in for the night. The hundreds of stinging nettles however did have the last laugh!
Km179 to Km63: Blair Witch
At about 11pm that night just after I'd dozed off I woke up with a fright and could hear footsteps around my tent. I immediately called to Mark but there was no answer so I convinced myself that because there was no light shining around it must just be an animal. Just as I calmed down to a panic it returned and I could definitely hear that it only had 2 feet so I called out again and thankfully Mark replied saying that nature had called. By then my heart was racing and I was so wide awake that I didn't sleep much after that, not even after a calming mouthful of Sahne-Nuss chocolate which I now make sure I'm never short of.
Happy to headed off early again, since I was wide awake anyway, we made our way out of the forest by 5am. It was again pitch dark and thus needing to cycle for at least an hour with our lights on. It's not the safest thing to do so we shouldn't make a habit of it mainly because in some cases you're flying so fast down a hill, thanks to no head wind, that you can barely see the road. Otherwise, its pretty safe because there's not much traffic and when there is you see and hear it coming from a mile away.
Mark was still not well so we had to take a few bathroom breaks along the way. Fortunately, the road, wind, and scenery conditions were perfect and we still made good ground. At one point we got to a rather long 2km tunnel which we were not permitted to cycle through so tunnel management kindly did not send us over the top road over the 'Cuesta' but rather took us safely through in their maintenance truck.
The other side of the tunnel opened up onto a beautiful valley. We joked saying it was like we'd just come through the door in Alice in Wonderland and had discovered a whole new world - this one free of desert sand and coastal wind! With little farms and vineyards dotted here and there I seriously felt like something fresh and wholesome to eat so we stopped at a quaint little roadside restaurant for lunch. I had a delicious 'farm lunch' with a fresh full salad including green beans for the first time since we had arrived on the continent but Mark just enjoyed some local cheese as he still was not feeling all that well. This area reminded me very much of the area near Hartebeespoort Dam just outside of Jo'burg with all its greenery and roadside stalls.
With Mark not feeling too well, at about the 60km from Santiago, putting us within reach for the next day's cycle, we pulled into the first available town. There were no hostels there so we just went over to a beautiful field of flowers and setup camp. I really enjoyed the afternoon lying in the sun under just the inner net of my tent amongst the flowers admiring the towering mountains in all directions. There's a train line running all through this area but I'm not sure it still works, if it does though it'll make for the most amazing train trip!
Km63 to Km0: We navigate our way into Santiago
We set off just after sunrise excited to get into the city. After a quick coffee and a banana sandwich break half way we started to hit the traffic and highways of the city. At first we tried to head directly to Waldo's house in central Santiago, via the highways, where we would be staying but after passing some rather hair raising interchanges we made our way off the highway strongly encouraged by the traffic officer who spotted us as we pulled off onto the service road.
After getting a little lost trying to navigate the back-roads we eventually found Waldo's apartment. Waldo's a friend of Mark's from South Africa who is now working out of Santiago but was away at the mine so had kindly left us with his apartment. His apartment was awesome to arrive at where we have since spent the first 2 days just relaxing and making good use of the kitchen and laundry!
Santiago is an amazingly modern, friendly and beautiful city sitting below the Andes where the locals go skiing of the weekend and the beach just is over an hour away in the opposite direction which we are soon to visit.
Over the next 2 weeks we will be visiting the coastal cities of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar directly west of the city for a few days, we will be getting another team member and will all be flying down south to do a hike around Torres del Paine for a week before heading off for Argentina, so lots to come in the next update!
If there's one thing this leg has tough me it is that we should always tackle every horizon with humility because there's always something unpredictable on the other side.
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