It’s a Bit Chile

[Arsey]

This could be the shortest trip report ever
One of my best mates , Fred ( ex Enginerelight on here )has recently converted over to the 787 from the 777.
So we planned a good work trip as soon as we could .
Santiago in Chile was the obvious bet as it’s mid summer and has some great biking roads .

We flew in yesterday after a flight time of 14hrs 10 minutes

Nice day over the Andes on descent

A tad knackered after our arrival

Went out last night .
Started at the W Hotel roof top bar

Then had a fab prime rib washed down with a bottle of Carmanere. ( no pics )

Looking like a nice day

Meeting for brek shortly then off to pick up two Vstrom 650s from a company called Condor Gear .


I rented bikes here in 2017 and we rode north to Combabarla via the old tunnels and dirt roads

Those roads have now all been tarmaced so the plan today is to head down to Pichilemu on the coast via the Embalse Rapel lake and Santa Cruz

Got rooms booked in a nice hotel .
Then back up tomorrow hopefully via Banos Morales in the foothills of the Andes .

No real idea what to expect today but I’ll take a few pics of the scenery it’s worth it .

More pics later but possibly not many


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[G&T]

Great flight map too. Are those ‘Simpson’s clouds?’

 

[Wapping]

Excellent.

 

[Doc]

Looks good Martin.

 

[Pukmeister]

Lovely people the Chileans, I spent 6 months running out of Valparaiso in 2001 and they were most hospitable and Santiago is a nice city. I enjoyed the chance to go for a few days Skiing in El Colorado not far from the city.

Not ridden a bike there, so quite jealous.

 

[hogletsdad]

Nice ... Summer ... I remember that ...

 

[Arsey]

Picked bikes up

Santiago is huge .
Forty km of traffic lights . Grr.

Stopped for coffee at a …er…. local place

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[Northern jock]

Looking good, somewhere I've not been yet so interested in how you get on.

 

[grantmac]

Very jealous.....brings back a lot of memories. Married to a Chilean who likes to venture back home every year to see family. Actually on BA flight end February....I haven't been back for ages but when I lived there a highlight was to drive (not ride - I didn't have a license then) from Santiago to Los Andes and then cross the mountains , heading up Los Caracoles to to border and then off piste to the old border crossing wit Argentina. Down to Mendoza and a good steak dinner and back next day. Must be amazing on a bike.....

 

[John RTW]

Don't forget to head just out of town to Punta de Lobos, that's the surfers capital of Chile and a lovely phot opportunity of a big rock just off the coast. If you have time don't stop at Baños Morales, carry on up towards the border to the end of the road,

 

[EVskij]

Enjoy it chums, but bloody well take care doing so, seeing as you have a fart tube full of folks wanting to go home in a couple of days time.
Hope Fred (formerly on here as @enginerelight) is behaving himself.

 

[GADGET]

Will be in Santiago 25th and flying back to UK on 29th, currently in Lima, Peru.
Looks like a great off the cuff trip Martin, I wish I could get the Mrs to do the same, beats the usual sight seeing, that's for sure!

 

[richardbd]

Rooftop, W Santiago. I was in that very bar Monday last week!

 

[Arsey]

Embalse Rapel

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[Arsey]

Lunch

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[Posh Pete]

NOT - JEALOUS - AT - ALL!

It's absolutely baltic here but I'M - NOT - JEALOUS - AT - ALL!!!!!!!!!

But keep it coming!

 

[Northern jock]

How are the bikes?

 

[Arsey]

How are the bikes?

Very good .
Arrived at hotel in Pichilemu . Bit cloudy

Hotel is great for $60 with brek and bikermatebutterinfridgeparking

View of South Pacific

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[Arsey]

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[GrinningGSer]

OMG wow