Showing posts with label Chile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chile. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Today in 2014: February 3rd (and 2nd)
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
This Day in 2014 - January 20th
Just after the border into Argentina
Monday, January 19, 2015
Sunday, February 9, 2014
A Tale of Two Drivers
The drivers in Chile are superb. Santiago, like all large cities, can be a little harried, but by and large, the drivers are excellent.
1. They know where their cars are
2. Respect for others on the road
3. Courteous, we moved over on the highway to allow a truck to merge, when he got past us, he blinked his hazards as thanks
4. Good passing etiquitte, when they pass, it is generally in safe zones, and they leave plenty of room between you and the car
5. They drive quickly, but with respect to the conditions
There are exceptions to this, but I have not seen many.
When we went towards and into Argentina, the story is a little different.
1. They are all impatient
2. Car control is limited
3. They pass in downright stupid locations (and come very close to you. I had to slow down and weave to avoid getting clipped by a tour bus)
4. They tailgate
Therefore, it is oddly appropriate that thir license plates have a horizontal black bar running through them. Again, there are exceptions to the rule, but it seems like someone sent a bunch of Albertan drivers down to teach the Argentinians how to drive.
Days 23 - 25 - Bringing it Home
A quick hop from Los Angeles to Talca to another Apart Hotel (Basically a condo rental). Boring city, a mall 500m away where we could buy food, and that's about it.
The next morning we headed to Los Quenes via Curico, where the square has 60 Canary Palms planted. Nifty place to sit and eat for a little bit. Then we continued on to Los Quenes which was gravel for about 20 km, then the last bit was rough gravel, but offered spectacular views of the mountains.
After some astronomy opportunities, we slept and arose early to make it to the Montes Winery in time for the early tour, so we could miss the rush hour in Santiago. There is a second road that leads to Los Quenes, which fortunately is used by the mining industry, so it is in much better shape than the road we took in. We arrived well in time despite some backups on the secondary roads. The tour was good, we got to see the cellar where the premium wines are stored in barrels (and they play music to them 24 hours a day. Seriously).
Heading back to Santiago, we had 180 km to ride, and gorgeous weather to do so. We took the back highway into the city in hopes of avoiding traffic and getting a better view. Frankly, from the little bit of big city driving we did, I'm glad we avoided at least some of it. The Chileans, while excellent drivers, arn't quite sure what to do with a motorcycle that is almost as wide as a car. That and the KLRs heat up to the point where I was concerned my pants were going to light on fire from the heat billowing from the engine.
Thankfully, the GPS made no errors and shepherded us in.
For The Game Of Thrones Watchers
Central Square In Curico
River Near Los Quenes
Sunrise In Los Quenes
Montes Winery
As the music gently weeps over the barrels
Bikes returned
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