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| One of the most upmarket malls we have seen, VERY UPMARKET. |
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| Dawid, Sonia and our transportation for the next nine days. |
Monday, December 13, 2010
FOR THOSE WHO REQUESTED MORE PHOTO'S
MINI DRAMAS OF THE DAY (BEFORE WE GET ON OUR BIKES)
Yesterday was quite uneventful. We visited the most upmarket mall in Santiago and experienced the absolute wealth that exists in the upmarket part of the city. Really first world. Brand shops are plentiful and brand names (they are ALL there) seem to be quite big.
We had some pizza and a glass of wine in the vicinty of our hotel when a pigeon landed on our table to knibble on the bread and toast. In the process of moving the plate away to discourage him, disaster struck. I knocked over Dawid's glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, soaked his pants with red wine and splashed red wine on at least two other tables. I don't think the waiter has ever experienced anything like it. I doubled the tip but am not sure if it made that much difference.
In the afternoon we visited a wine estate on the outskirts of Santiago. Nothing spectacular but the journey turned out to be very interesting with our very talkative tour guide George (he spent a lot of time in Mpumalanga and Mozambique) giving us a lot of information on the social structure of the city, the areas where our tour will take us and a lot in between.
13 December 2010.
We left our hotel early to the airport. We travelled without any hold-ups, reinforcing our opinion of the Santiago transportation - and road systems.
The first mini-drama of the day happened when Dawid forgot his credit card in the ATM in the airport terminal. He had to have it cancelled and we will have to make alternative plans to get cash from his account on the rest of tour.
Mini drama no. 2 happened when we checked into our hotel in Osorno and I could not find my immigration documents. We visualised a few days delay in getting it sorted out (we cross the Argentinian border tomorrow!) and I saw Dawid getting VERY concerned. Luckily my documents surfaced during re-packing and both of us were very relieved.
Mini drama no. 3 was Dawid's spectacles disappearing. We alerted the Bike rental company to look at their premises but with no success. Fortunately this also turned out to be a false alarm.
In any event, we sorted out all the business, admin and paperwork with regard to the bike rental and we are ready to go!!!. Sonia, who picked us up at the airport was very helpful and efficient and gave us a lot of information and tips, which we are sure will come in very handy. We took a ride through Osorno late afternoon, to get accustomed to the bikes and are ready to go early tomorrow. Late afternoon temperature was low (I guess below 10 C) and we decided to dress accordingly from the outset as we will travel through snow tomorrow. Approaching Osorno, we noted the Andes mountains are covered with snow throughout and it will obviouly only get cooler as we go south.
We had some pizza and a glass of wine in the vicinty of our hotel when a pigeon landed on our table to knibble on the bread and toast. In the process of moving the plate away to discourage him, disaster struck. I knocked over Dawid's glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, soaked his pants with red wine and splashed red wine on at least two other tables. I don't think the waiter has ever experienced anything like it. I doubled the tip but am not sure if it made that much difference.
In the afternoon we visited a wine estate on the outskirts of Santiago. Nothing spectacular but the journey turned out to be very interesting with our very talkative tour guide George (he spent a lot of time in Mpumalanga and Mozambique) giving us a lot of information on the social structure of the city, the areas where our tour will take us and a lot in between.
13 December 2010.
We left our hotel early to the airport. We travelled without any hold-ups, reinforcing our opinion of the Santiago transportation - and road systems.
The first mini-drama of the day happened when Dawid forgot his credit card in the ATM in the airport terminal. He had to have it cancelled and we will have to make alternative plans to get cash from his account on the rest of tour.
Mini drama no. 2 happened when we checked into our hotel in Osorno and I could not find my immigration documents. We visualised a few days delay in getting it sorted out (we cross the Argentinian border tomorrow!) and I saw Dawid getting VERY concerned. Luckily my documents surfaced during re-packing and both of us were very relieved.
Mini drama no. 3 was Dawid's spectacles disappearing. We alerted the Bike rental company to look at their premises but with no success. Fortunately this also turned out to be a false alarm.
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| On our way to Osorno. No optical illusion; The floors are that clean!! |
Sunday, December 12, 2010
So far so good
Sunday morning in Santiago. Things are going faaar to smooth. The weather is great, food is good and wine is plentiful and really, really good. Chris (Vosloo)recommended that we try the Chilean Malbek, and I must say Cab Sav may just lose its position as my default liquid of preference.
Last night we enjoyed great jazz at a jazz club close by.
Santiago is a great city. We are very impressed with the efficiency of the public transport which is the best that we have experienced in any city. The newer parts of Santiago, appropriately dubbed Sanhattan, is very impressive in terms of architecture and general feel. Business and apartment blocks are blend well to create a nice feel.
Isabel Allende's Inez of my Soul is a must-read for any visitor to Santiago. We visited Santa Lucia where Pedro de Valdivia and Inez Suarez founded the city somewhere between 1500 and 1600. Isabel Allendes descriptive language just took on a new meaning in terms of explaining the events that took place.
The heart of the tour is getting closer by the minute. Le Roux just informed me that Sonia managed to get me a low seat for the motorbike. This is great news for a height-challenged soul in a foregn country close to the Antactic. You don't need an uncomfortable or unfamiliar saddle when you are sitting on 100 BMW horses!
As I said, things are going faaar to smooth.....
Last night we enjoyed great jazz at a jazz club close by.
Santiago is a great city. We are very impressed with the efficiency of the public transport which is the best that we have experienced in any city. The newer parts of Santiago, appropriately dubbed Sanhattan, is very impressive in terms of architecture and general feel. Business and apartment blocks are blend well to create a nice feel.
Isabel Allende's Inez of my Soul is a must-read for any visitor to Santiago. We visited Santa Lucia where Pedro de Valdivia and Inez Suarez founded the city somewhere between 1500 and 1600. Isabel Allendes descriptive language just took on a new meaning in terms of explaining the events that took place.
The heart of the tour is getting closer by the minute. Le Roux just informed me that Sonia managed to get me a low seat for the motorbike. This is great news for a height-challenged soul in a foregn country close to the Antactic. You don't need an uncomfortable or unfamiliar saddle when you are sitting on 100 BMW horses!
As I said, things are going faaar to smooth.....
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Buenos Aires Stopover
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| Dawid enjoying a glass of Malbec wine (excellent). It is clear what the speciality is but we settled for modest pasta dishes after the parilla! |
We stopped in Buenos Aires for a brief visit of just over a day en route to Santiago.
We stayed in the Hotel Carsson where we found the Desk Manager, whom we dubbed Mr. Gorbachev in 2005 (remarkable likeliness then), still in control of matters.
Spent most of the time in the "Downtown" Centro part of the city and took some time to have a beer on Dorrego Square in Santelmo (on our tracks when we visited the city in 2005). Buenos has not changed a lot.
Less taxis and more organised (not as notoriously reckless as we found them to be in 2005). Santelmo is not the same in the week as over weekends without the street "artists" and other locals who create the fabric of the area.
We visited our favourite Parilla. The meat (portions) are only slightly less obsene that previously but the meat still excellent.
Thursday we finished off with excellent carbo-loading at a restaurant on the revamped dock area and arrived back at our hotel just in time to make for the airport.
A city full of character, less presence of tango dancers on every corner of Avenida Florida and the signs of hardship still very prominent.
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| Ready for serious protein at the Parilla |
Sunday, December 5, 2010
READY TO GO
2 Days to go before we are off to Chile. Preparations have gone well and we think/believe/hope that we are geared up for the trip. Dawid reported today that min temp in Puerto Natales was 1 deg C. Little cooler than what we are used to and definitely warranting a re-think on the thermal clothing! With a chill factor the morning trips will probably the coldest that we have experienced.
Thanks to Ian Trotter, who has very kindly sent us a map (from his most recent trip), we have completed our route planing; a total of approx 2 800 km over eight riding days. Only time will tell if we will miss out on some of the most exquisite scenery in the world if the programme turns out to be tight but one thing is certain: we will make the most of it!
Another invidual who has made invaluable inputs by way of practical hints and advice is Eric Lange. Thanks Eric, we will give you feedback once we are back. I hope that you will be succesful with your venture in South America.
At this stage our route (diligently documented by Dawid) is as follows:
We start riding in Osorno on Tuesday, 14 December. The average distance per day is approx 350km.
We have made a couple of reservations (Santiago, Osorno and Punta Arenas) and will do the rest when we are in Chile.
Thanks to Ian Trotter, who has very kindly sent us a map (from his most recent trip), we have completed our route planing; a total of approx 2 800 km over eight riding days. Only time will tell if we will miss out on some of the most exquisite scenery in the world if the programme turns out to be tight but one thing is certain: we will make the most of it!
Another invidual who has made invaluable inputs by way of practical hints and advice is Eric Lange. Thanks Eric, we will give you feedback once we are back. I hope that you will be succesful with your venture in South America.
At this stage our route (diligently documented by Dawid) is as follows:
| Osorno |
| Entre Lagos |
| Termas de Puyehue |
| Argentina Border |
| Correntoso |
| Nahuel Huapi |
| San Carlo? |
| Villa Mascardi |
| Los Repolio? |
| El Boson |
| Epuen |
| Colon Cholila TO |
| Aldea Escola TO |
| Argentina Border |
| Futa Leufu |
| Puerto Ramirez |
| Villa Santa Lucia |
| Puerto Cardenas |
| El Amarillo |
| Chaiten |
| El Amarillo |
| Puerto Gardenas |
| Villa Santa Lucia |
| La Junta |
| Puerto Cisnes TO |
| Villa Amengual |
| Puerto Aisen |
| Villa Cero Casillo |
| Puerto Bertrand |
| Estancia Vayye TO |
| Argentina Border |
| Baja Caracolus |
| Rio Chico TO to Gobernder Gregores |
| TO to La Primera Argentina |
| La Primera Argentina |
| Tres Lagos |
| La Leona |
| Charles Fuhr |
| Puerta Natales |
| Moro Chico |
| Villa Tehuelches |
| Rio Verde |
| Gobernator Philipi |
| Punta Arenas |
We start riding in Osorno on Tuesday, 14 December. The average distance per day is approx 350km.
We have made a couple of reservations (Santiago, Osorno and Punta Arenas) and will do the rest when we are in Chile.
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