It was with some trepidation that I hit the Chile/Argentine border, I don't really know why probably because I've not had to present Bumble's paperwork up to now. I chose a quiet mountain pass so was expecting a bit of a shack of a building so was surprised to see a very shiny, impressive, stylish …
Month: Jan 2020
Futaleufu – Puyuhuapi – Coyhaique
Sounds like a trek through Fiji or Tonga, but I think the place names derive from the local first peoples language rather than the usual Spanish names. This stretch involved extended periods on gravel roads which was tough going at times (more of that later). However, by far the most powerful abiding memory will be …
Good news / bad news
t’s been an eventful day. Reminds me of a strip in the Whizzer and Chips comic I used to get as a kid. Called “good news, bad news” the strip recounts the daily ups and downs of a fortunate/unfortunate tragic protagonist e.g bad news: I fell down an open manhole cover... good news: I found …
The bike bit
Here’s a little section for my fellow bikers about my experiences of trying to ride off-road. Those not of a biking mind look away now…! I say “off-road”, it’s not really off-road because these are the roads. They just happen to be made out of gravel, rocks, dirt, mud, sand anything but the nice stuff …
On the road (and sea)
No too many words with this post, just some photos of the amazing scenery I am riding through every day as I travel the "Carretera Austral" in Patagonia, Chile. To say it is breathtaking is an understatement. I'm not sure there can be any better biking location on this planet.
Rave on…
Those of you that know me well know that I'm never one to pass up an opportunity for a dance and a carry on. When these opportunities present themselves, you've just got to take advantage of them right!? Well, having spent a few days in Puerto Montt, I decided I'd check out the Events section …
On the road (properly)
Having had a great time in Santiago, Valparaiso and Rancagua it was good to get some real miles under my belt and feel like I'm actually travelling this vast continent. Over two days I covered almost 1,000 miles south and I'm pleased to report that both Bumble and I held up well. The ever present …
New friends
One great thing about travelling alone is that you have to make the effort to get out there and meet people. I'm particularly keen to meet local people and hear their stories. One way to do this is to use Air B & B and stay in places where other people will be staying there. …
Valparaiso
After a thankfully uneventful two hour ride from the port of San Antonio I arrived at Valparaiso (well, Vina Del Mar actually). I've chosen to use Air B&B when I can rather than hotels, not just to save a bit of money, but to put me into contact with local people. My host for the …
Bumble too
Delighted to report that Bumble made it in one piece! The very helpful Aleksandra from Motobirds was on hand to meet me at the San Antonio bus station. With her multi-lingual skills and hard working local agents she was able to blaze a trail through the local mountain of bureaucracy in just a couple of …
