2023 south amEriCa part 1

of burnt rat fur and homeless man sock, now it tastes like it should.

Day 2 commenced with what will become a well-honed routine – up about 2 hours before departure, ablution, down to breakfast, back to room, toilette, cruise around picking up random items that can be packed before realising you’ll need those again in 3 minutes, inefficiently check rooms about 30 times to make sure everything is in, and lug the whole lot down to the lobby. Just as you stagger up to a growing Bag Mountain, a bellboy will slip in and take the whole lot from you to carry the final 2 metres. Where were you mate when I was trying to Tetris the entire shambles out of the lift just now? Then our briefing from JC (Juan 1) while Juan 2 stacked the support truck, and we were away. Being a Saturday, and it being Santiago before 9am meant traffic was very light as we cruised out of the city via the efficient network of major roads and tunnels. Route 5 Sur, please sir. Traffic was a bit messy as everyone was in summer mode and were heading to wherever it was they were heading, unfortunately the same direction as us. Not much riding memory from the day, but some learnings about getting fuel, and what fuel grades were available were gained. 93 was the go-to minimum for Chile petrol. About A$2.40 per litre. Even more pricey than at home which was a bit of a nasty surprise. However, a very pleasant surprise has been the advance in servo coffee quality since our last trip in 2015; back then it tasted like an infusion

Confronting a servo as a group for the first time

Day 2 actual riding was not memorable – cruisin’ down the freeway in the hot hot sun. The destination of Los Angeles gave hope to some that they may reconnect with luggage last seen there in 1988, but it was a different LAX and we didn’t make it to the centre. The Salto del Laja was a more than adequate substitute – salto means leap and that’s what the Rio Laja was doing right outside our room. A stroll along the river, an accidental encounter with a craft beer establishment, collection of local empanada delicacies, and Day 2 was done. Day 3 was a little better; more highway until lunchtime and then the scenery began around Volcan Villarrica and the lake and town of the same name. A stop for a fine lunch of pollo (chicken) soup and chips, a wander about, and we pushed onto Pucon, with our first deep pebbly gravel challenge in the carpark of the Hotel Casa Solaria. Pucon is part of the Banff Canada and Queenstown NZ trifecta – designed for tourists and populated almost entirely by tourists. There are plenty of places to buy grossly overpriced outdoor clothing, artisanal crafts and souvenirs, but try finding electrical tape and normal items and you’re in trouble.