Los Dos y un Quarto

March 4, 2023

By bicycle the three of us, Rosibell, Lukas and I made our way south. Rosi frequently refers to us as Dos y un Quarto (Two and one Quarter). I assume that our miniature poodle, Lukas is the one quarter part. The stated goal was to make it to Tierra del Fuego, the southern most tip of South America.

We accomplished a lot, considering that the group was newly formed and some of us still needed some training.

So from our starting point in Santiago, we cycled substantially all of the 1000km south to Valdivia. So the total trip is only about a third of the way to Tierra del Fuego, our stated goal. In the process we got calibrated on traveling in Chile by bicycle. This was the more important goal.

Along the way we learned:

Navigation

• Following the west coast offers cooler weather and spectacular vistas. There is more climbing along the coastal range than further east in the plains. While I prefer this, Rosi would opt for the flats.
• Our range is 50 – 70km/day depending on the terrain
• We plan out the trip each day before starting. Rural Chile is like West Texas. You can easily find yourself stranded without good options for a place to sleep at the end of a long day. Having minivan support would change all this.
• It’s good to have a campground or hotel picked out within range.
• Booking.com is a good tool, but does not list all hotels.
• iOverlander app can show you where wild camping is available
• Komoot is a great tool for planning a bike route, once you learn its quirks. It can be a real pain until you understand it fully.

Team

• Lukas is able to ride in Rosi’s basket or clipped onto my chest strap.
• Lukas prefers running alongside the bikes and can do 5-10km without a problem. He whimpers a lot if he doesn’t get to do this.
• Rosi was dealing with getting into shape and saddle soreness early on. She has shown much progress. She now frequently rides minutes ahead of the group. Earlier on she was minutes behind
• Though she does not complain about a tough ride, Rosi is in a much better mood at the end of the day if we have not been pushing the limits
• Tim is at home on the bike. Though, he gets frustrated when there are big departures from the plan without carefully refiguring the new plan.

Equipment

• We bought a new bike for Rosi in Concepcion. It’s a 27.5 inch mountain bike with front suspension, and disc brakes. Her old one was a real chore to maintain.
• The new bike runs well, but the components are off brands. I’m not sure where I could find replacement brake pads, for instance.
• Tim broke a fender support and had to modify his front fender.
• Tim broke his kickstand foot and jerry rigged a fix which seems to be working.

Argentina

Feb 15, 2023

I needed to do a visa run before the end of February. The tourist visa I was using in Chile allows me to stay 90 days in Chile. I got this in December 2022. So the procedure is leave Chile and return. This effectively gives me a new tourist visa with 90 more days.

Rosi and I were in Valdivia where she told me about a boat tour that crosses the Andes Mountains into Argentina. I was jazzed by the idea of taking boats across pristine Alpine lakes. We parked our bikes at a friend’s house in Valdivia and traveled to Bariloche, Argentina.

Lucas was not permitted in the National Parks. So Rosi opted to take Lucas by bus and meet me in Bariloche.

The trip comprises three boat crossings on three lakes averaging about an hour or so each. There are buses that interconnect the boat crossings. The busses are full size tour busses traveling on single lane fire roads. On one bus we stopped for the border crossing complete with random luggage search and passport stamp. This took place in a log cabin.

Also there at the border crossing was a replica of Che Quevera’s motorcycle and a plaque commemorating his journeys in South America. Apparently he used this same border crossing to go from Argentina to Chile some seventy years ago.

End of the Road.

In every adventure, there are challenges and difficulties. I tend to remember the good parts and forget the bad. Rosi and I certainly had good moments together. In March we returned to Santiago. Rosi did successfully pass her exams and received her Chilean drivers licence.

In spite of it all, we broke up, agreeing to remain friends.