Bienvenidos a Chile

The woman rapped out the hotel information at the pace of a firing machine gun.
"What the hell did she say?" asked Grant
"I don't know," replied Jules "I can't understand a single word she said!"We are accustomed to arriving in a new country and the inevitable differences in words and accent. It, generally, takes a day or two to adjust, however we floundered our way around Chile for two weeks asking ourselves "¿Commo?" ("What?)

1 of 12 Volcanos - Ruta 27

BORDER CROSSING

Paso de Jama (Argentina)
This is a very high (4,400 metres) and remote border crossing, currently in make-shift offices whilst the new complex is being constructed.
* Check in with the Gendamarie;
* Go to Migration and fill in Tourist Card and have your passport stamped out;
* Return the bike papers to Customs;
* Ride 160kms into Chile through the high desert of the Andes.

San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
* Fill in Tourist Card and Quarantine declaration;
* Have passports stamped at Migration;
* Complete paperwork at Aduana for the bike;
* Clear Quarantine - you are not allowed to bring any fruit, vegetable, honey, meat or dairy products into Chile.

Salt Lake - Ruta 27

From Paso de Jama we continued to climb high into the Andes and the scenery continued to astound us. Colourful mountain ranges, lakes and stream tinted in all shades of the spectrum, unusual rock formations and sandy plains, past enormous volcanoes and sweeping vistas.

Mountain Range - Ruta 27

From a distance we could see the flamingos feeding on the lake. We were only at an altitude of 4,200 meters and it appeared to be a short walk across a grassy paddock to the waters edge and a close up look a the flaming pink birds. WRONG!!

As we stumbled across the salt encrusted grass lands the ground became a sodden, slippery and muddy mess. It was all we could do to remain upright. The flamingoes fled! Great idea Jules, and no physical evidence of our adventure apart from white salty boots and muddy trousers.

Deceptively Soft Sand

The road dramatically drops 2,000 meters down the mountain side, like a slippery dip, straight to the plains of the Atacama Desert and the tourist mecca of San Pedro de Atacama.

San Pedro de Atacama

We squandered a few days, enjoying the festive atmosphere of this oasis in the desert, until a very drunk local tried to pick a fight with Grant in the street, yelling and swinging punches like a mad man. This left us with a very unsavoury taste, an uncomfortable feeling about the town and a desire to get out quick.

A side visit to the strange salt covered landscape of Valle de Luna (Moon Valley), early on a Sunday morning was engaging, quiet, mysterious and very eerie. (No tourists are in the park during the morning and most organised tours are for sunset.)

Valle de Luna

Our route to the Pacific Coast of Chile continued across the Atacama Desert through a rabbit warren of dis-used mines and ghost towns and past Calama, home to the worlds largest open cut copper mine, before ariving at the port city of Antofagasta.

Camping on the warm sandy beach we met Daniel and Catherine from Belgium, travelling in a Land Rover with their four children. We spent the evening talking, swapping tips and enjoying the company of fellow travellers over a bottle of wine.

Viajero Amigos

The long and tedious road continued endlessly, the most interesting thing about this road is that occasionally it is corregated!

After a particularly cold, miserable mind numbing day we stopped in the small fishing village of Pichandingue, 200kms north of Santiago where we hired a cabaña at Cabañas Margarita for a few days to thaw out and play house.

The small kitchen was utilised extensively to make Tuna Patties, Rissoles, big pots of Spag Bol and soup. After Peru and Bolivia, where we found gastronomic variety limited and providing sustanance not pleasure, it was a treat to have warm nourishing food and we experienced some difficulty getting back on the road.

Chileno Workshop - Pichandingue

Yet another Andean pass and back to Argentina, via the prosperous fruit and wine districts around Santiago.

Ice and Snow - Road to Argentina

Chilenos told us of the terrible condition of the road and how the Argentines do not maintain it. Argentines told us too of the roads poor state and how the Chilenos do not maintain it. Sounded, to us, like political hand washing!

More Ice and Snow

We, however, found the road exciting. This feat of engineering passes through 25 hair pin bends, 18 tunnels carved into the Andes, and many snow covers, which allow the skiiers to pass over the road allowing the traffic to continue freely during the winter months.

Ski Resort during summer

At the midway point in the longest tunnel, 3.5kms, a small flag on the wall of the tunnel alerts the traveller that they are now entering Argentine lands.

Hasta Luego Chile