Short Circuiting South America

[madaru moto]

Episode 25 - 40 minutes long Installed in the historic Villa Kunterbunt biker hostel, guest of the very amiable Senor Enzo and Señora Martina, I face a dilemma due my father's imminent surgery, unable to reschedule a flight home, and having no credit card to fall back on in any case. Yet, the charms of Valparaiso made me feel at ease, especially when coupled with the camaraderie of my fellow bikers, who came from Austria, Switzerland, USA, Ireland and several from Germany, mostly on BMWs. One rider was on his life's mission, which involved the death of his father, a motorcyclist. Another came from Mexico on a tiny 150cc budget bike. Not to mention the family’s mischievous but lovable Afghan dog. Experienced an earthquake and I explain the orogeny of the central Andes and San Fernández Tectonic Microplate. Visiting many attractions, including Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana mansion, their vintage trolley busses, 130 year old cable railway funicular "asensores", and amazing street art, I also pay visit to a master moto mechanic in the capital Santiago, where I saw a vigil in response to a hate crime.

[bikerdoc]

Episode 25 - 40 minutes long Installed in the historic Villa Kunterbunt biker hostel, guest of the very amiable Senor Enzo and Señora Martina, I face a dilemma due my father's imminent surgery, unable to reschedule a flight home, and having no credit card to fall back on in any case. Yet, the charms of Valparaiso made me feel at ease, especially when coupled with the camaraderie of my fellow bikers, who came from Austria, Switzerland, USA, Ireland and several from Germany, mostly on BMWs. One rider was on his life's mission, which involved the death of his father, a motorcyclist. Another came from Mexico on a tiny 150cc budget bike. Not to mention the family’s mischievous but lovable Afghan dog. Experienced an earthquake and I explain the orogeny of the central Andes and San Fernández Tectonic Microplate. Visiting many attractions, including Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana mansion, their vintage trolley busses, 130 year old cable railway funicular "asensores", and amazing street art, I also pay visit to a master moto mechanic in the capital Santiago, where I saw a vigil in response to a hate crime.

Excellent... snacks and drinks at the ready

[madaru moto]

Episode 26 - 18 minutes long. Leaving the Villa Kunterbunt after almost 3 weeks, I wanted to take a route called Gunpowder Road, but ended up taking a different route. While leaving central Valparaíso I pass a sign saying "Welcome to Cyber Independence" which reminds one of how Chile was one of the first countries in the world to build a working internet - rudimentary and short-lived though it was. Covering 510 kms in just under 11 hours, Atwakey and I see very little traffic in central Valparaiso early on Easter Sunday, though later in the day there was a lot of traffic heading north along the Panamericana. I stop at the Rio Maule, a watershed river in more ways than one, before finding a camping ground at San Manuel, on the banks of the Rio Perquilauquen, a short distance from a place that will always hold a sinister if tragic place in Chilean history.

[madaru moto]

New episode - 16 minutes long. Leaving the camp ground of San Manuel by the Perquelauquen River, I ride northeast to rejoin the Pan American before turning south again. Along the way I see a Chernobyl-like structure, clock up 5000kms and bury a geocache to commemorate, see a perfectly formed volcanic cone, pass an extremely long bridge, give up trying to find a certain fire station in the town of Lautaro, so named after a Mapuche warrior whose incredible story deserves a quick retelling. I had a near accident at the village of Quepe that saw me lock up my brakes for the first time in 5000kms. Then southwards to the town of Freire, where a local hotelier takes me under his wing and shows me some local attractions, including a leaning cupola, a German enclave, and a shooting location for the classic film "The Motorcycle Diaries".

[madaru moto]

Epsiode 28, 12 minutes long: Leaving the town of Friere I am frustrated by thick fog which forced me to ride with my visor open. Because of that I made the decision to ride east towards the Argentine border, on the other side of the Andes it should be drier. Today I rode 291kms, and saw some interesting things, including a house surrounded by unrestored classic cars and a mystery wooden machine, a separate motor museum brimming with Studebakers, some high voltage electrical workers, an unusual factory yard, and I briefly recount the tragic history of Galvarino and Janequeo, Mapuche warriors whose tribes held the Spanish off for over 300 years.

[bikerdoc]

Epsiode 28, 12 minutes long: Leaving the town of Friere I am frustrated by thick fog which forced me to ride with my visor open. Because of that I made the decision to ride east towards the Argentine border, on the other side of the Andes it should be drier. Today I rode 291kms, and saw some interesting things, including a house surrounded by unrestored classic cars and a mystery wooden machine, a separate motor museum brimming with Studebakers, some high voltage electrical workers, an unusual factory yard, and I briefly recount the tragic history of Galvarino and Janequeo, Mapuche warriors whose tribes held the Spanish off for over 300 years.

Interesting collection of vehicles at both sites... pity tho that the first location hasn't been able to protect the vehicles and bikes with a large canopy carport as has happened with some of the stock...
What was that a Studebaker pram?
Hahaha
The lakeside room with your bike parked outside... nice & tranquil... Just that tranquility devoid of the crowds, reminds me of some of the lakes I spent time near in various parts of PRC...
Quite the opposite of NW QLD hahahaha

[bikerdoc]

New episode - 16 minutes long. Leaving the camp ground of San Manuel by the Perquelauquen River, I ride northeast to rejoin the Pan American before turning south again. Along the way I see a Chernobyl-like structure, clock up 5000kms and bury a geocache to commemorate, see a perfectly formed volcanic cone, pass an extremely long bridge, give up trying to find a certain fire station in the town of Lautaro, so named after a Mapuche warrior whose incredible story deserves a quick retelling. I had a near accident at the village of Quepe that saw me lock up my brakes for the first time in 5000kms. Then southwards to the town of Freire, where a local hotelier takes me under his wing and shows me some local attractions, including a leaning cupola, a German enclave, and a shooting location for the classic film "The Motorcycle Diaries"

The horsemen were possibly astounded/shocked at how much gear you had mounted... and multicoloured... Martian alert! Hehe
Mismatched mirrors... Haha
What!... limited edition 20c Aussie coin... OMG... Haha
Burnt casserole... hmm...
Amazing coincidence that you stayed on lodgings where the owner had connections to people who had been involved in "The Motorcycle Diaries" especially after the service station attendants directed you to the next town for lodgings... funny how life works out (everything happens for a reason)
The piano and the firetruck used in the movie... wow... after all these years
That 'haunted' house you got to see... reminds me of similarly 'haunted' house in the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland, NZ... somewhat similar story... said to be haunted with a 'ghost of a child' which was abandoned by the family and remained uninhabited for decades...

[madaru moto]

Burnt casserole... hmm...

"Cazuela de Ave" translates as "bird casserole"!

[madaru moto]

That 'haunted' house you got to see... reminds me of similarly 'haunted' house in the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland, NZ... somewhat similar story... said to be haunted with a 'ghost of a child' which was abandoned by the family and remained uninhabited for decades...

This sounds like a bit of a tall tale, but I forgot to mention that Pedro said the German family were rumoured to keep pet snakes inside the house, to deter intruders!

[madaru moto]

episode 29, 12 minutes long.
Leaving the lakeside town of Entre Lagos, I ride up over the Chile-Argentina border that looks like a disaster zone - because it is! Volcanic ash covered lakes and killed the forest. Some unusual mountains seen along the way, a strange bullet-riddled "Bridge of the Gringo", plus some history about the strawberry, native to this region, including how the humble strawberry patch was used as an ambush weapon, and then before I knew it Atwakey and I were in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.