So here I am in Santiago, where the clocks have just been changed today to winter time. I can see why - it is pretty chilly at 29oC. Funny to see snow on the hills in this heat though.I said goodbye to the rest of the cycling group on Friday -yesterday- at Santiago airport. Not quite the knees up departure party we had planned.....I was supposed to be in the same hotel as the rest of the group but LAN Chile, the airline had mucked up their booking. So I left the rest of the group fighting it out with LAN at Santiago airport at midnight last night....I waved a fond farewell before jumping into a taxi -airport registered of course- and speeding off into the Chilean night heading for the capital, entirely dependant on the taxi driver to get me to the right place safely. Thankfully, he did and we had a nice chat in transit. Wish I´d had a mobile phone though, just in case.Overall, not an experience I wish to repeat, especially after a hard day´s cycling on volcanic debris but I hope the others eventually got their hotel sorted. They should be winging their way home now anyway.
Meanwhile I have been snooping around Santiago today. It´s in a fantastic location, unlike the keys on this ridiculous all languages computer keyboard.....it is sanwiched between the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Andes to the East. You can see the Andes from wherever you are in the city. Basements excepted. It seems very European - extremely clean and pretty organised and has an air of economic activity........shiny banks anyway. But I can´t say I have fallen in love with it yet. They do like their Irishmen though, or one in particular.....references to the Irishman Bernardo O´Higgins are absolutely everywhere. O´Higgins commanded the military forces that won independence from Spain in the Chilean War of Independance, and don´t you forget it.
On the cycling holiday front, it finished with some great experiences. I didn´t fall off my bike anymore, thankfully. And I did keep up with the group. One day I even finished 5th, and that´s without sabotaging anyone´s tyres. Not that it´s a race of course. But I did manage a hilarious mishap.....we´d transfered by vehicle to the middle of nowhere to start cycling in the pouring rain. I don´t think I´ve ever seen rain so heavy. Anyway, we hopped out and most of us found we´d hydrated ourselves a little more than was necessary, so took it in turns to pay a call at the local facilities...facilities pictured below. When it was my turn, I managed to slip half way down the embankment rolling right into the brambles beneath. Needless to say, I am covered in bramble
scratches, from my ankles to midway up my back. Thankfully it was only bramble scratches. Could have been worse. Hilarious, And if I could find the exclaimation mark key, then I would use it here.
Anyway, I was grateful I had mum´s track mitts on so at least no thorns were embedded in the palms of my hands. My only shred of dignity from the incident was that at least I managed to pick out the thorns myself using tweezers. We all had a good laugh about it.
Whilst the others were climbing the volcano the other day, of which 3 got to the top in the end, I went to the
not-so-thermal spa at San Luis. It was certainly very nice if a little chile...I am sure I could get used to sitting around the pool all day. Pic is from their website.
Pucon, and Chile in general was pretty pricey. In Pucon, you could spend a month doing a different outdoor activity each day. A 3 hour tour of the area on horseback would set you back 40 pounds, followed by a trip to the thermal spa, another tenner, and if you want a nice dinner at the end of the day, reserve another 25 pounds. Our hotel, which is one of the better ones we stayed in on the trip, but still basic, was expensive. 8 days of that, and you´ll have spend a four figure sum. Who said South America was cheap? Thankfully for me Argentine prices are far more overdraft friendly, though I know my good fortune in this regard is only due to the Argentine´s misfortune as a result of their economic collapse. Still, it would be rude not to take up their all day spa offers at a tenner a time, treatments, gym, pool etc included :-).
On the last day of the cycling holiday, which when I think about it was only yesterday........ we went cycling in Parque Nacional Conguillio which is home to the active Volcano Llaima, which has erupted some 800 times in the last 500 years, or something. The last time was in 2003. We cycled across solidified rivers of lava for miles and miles. In fact it was a total of 70km I think, but I skipped all the uphill sections! It was very strange cycling over volcanic debris, and the landscape was nothing like I had ever seen before. There was very little wildlife other than the ubiquitous wasp and some ants. A few shrubs, pampas grass and some small alpine type plants had begun to colonise, but very little else was there.
Anyway, the trip finished at Temuco on a good note ....that was before most of us flew to Santiago for the above described fiasco. We even won over the little Chilean jobsworth of a Police officer with a big gun who wanted us to stop gambling, at Temuco airport. We pursuaded him that it was just for fun not cash and so left Temuco and our cycling trip, all smiles.
Anyway, I am heading back over the border tomorrow night, ready to start much needed Spanish lessons on Monday.
Chao from Chile.
scratches, from my ankles to midway up my back. Thankfully it was only bramble scratches. Could have been worse. Hilarious, And if I could find the exclaimation mark key, then I would use it here.Anyway, I was grateful I had mum´s track mitts on so at least no thorns were embedded in the palms of my hands. My only shred of dignity from the incident was that at least I managed to pick out the thorns myself using tweezers. We all had a good laugh about it.
Whilst the others were climbing the volcano the other day, of which 3 got to the top in the end, I went to the
not-so-thermal spa at San Luis. It was certainly very nice if a little chile...I am sure I could get used to sitting around the pool all day. Pic is from their website.Pucon, and Chile in general was pretty pricey. In Pucon, you could spend a month doing a different outdoor activity each day. A 3 hour tour of the area on horseback would set you back 40 pounds, followed by a trip to the thermal spa, another tenner, and if you want a nice dinner at the end of the day, reserve another 25 pounds. Our hotel, which is one of the better ones we stayed in on the trip, but still basic, was expensive. 8 days of that, and you´ll have spend a four figure sum. Who said South America was cheap? Thankfully for me Argentine prices are far more overdraft friendly, though I know my good fortune in this regard is only due to the Argentine´s misfortune as a result of their economic collapse. Still, it would be rude not to take up their all day spa offers at a tenner a time, treatments, gym, pool etc included :-).
On the last day of the cycling holiday, which when I think about it was only yesterday........ we went cycling in Parque Nacional Conguillio which is home to the active Volcano Llaima, which has erupted some 800 times in the last 500 years, or something. The last time was in 2003. We cycled across solidified rivers of lava for miles and miles. In fact it was a total of 70km I think, but I skipped all the uphill sections! It was very strange cycling over volcanic debris, and the landscape was nothing like I had ever seen before. There was very little wildlife other than the ubiquitous wasp and some ants. A few shrubs, pampas grass and some small alpine type plants had begun to colonise, but very little else was there.Anyway, the trip finished at Temuco on a good note ....that was before most of us flew to Santiago for the above described fiasco. We even won over the little Chilean jobsworth of a Police officer with a big gun who wanted us to stop gambling, at Temuco airport. We pursuaded him that it was just for fun not cash and so left Temuco and our cycling trip, all smiles.
Anyway, I am heading back over the border tomorrow night, ready to start much needed Spanish lessons on Monday.
Chao from Chile.
p.s. here´s a bus lane and stop pic (right) for those transport planning types, who may, or may not be interested!
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