All around South America

[madarumoto]

New 15 minute episode- first half about interesting things seen in La Serena local museum, second half about my near-catastrophic wheel failure (BTW all my fault)

[madarumoto]

Epsiode 23, 17 minutes long.
Having had my bike's spokes replaced, I decided to take her for a test run before making the trip to Valparaiso. I heard from the Hotel Socos staff that Valle del Encanto, about 25 kms distant, was worth a visit. Once there, I found ancient rock inscriptions, "piedras tacitas" - (which literally translates as "little cup stones" ) that have been assigned all sorts of functions including sacrificial bloodletting and celestial mapping, trees and plants that provide medicines and hallucinogenic concoctions, plenty of cactus, plus I discuss the mysterious whistling pots and the area's alleged connection with UFO phenomena.

[madarumoto]

Episode #24, only 13 minutes long. Unfortunately it doesnt contain any road footage as my action cam wasnt working that day, but I tried to make up for it by adding computer graphics and lots of local history.

[madarumoto]

Episode 25 - in Valparaiso, Chile Installed in the historic Villa Kunterbunt biker hostel, guest of the very amiable Senor Enzo and Señora Martina, I face a dilemma due my father's imminent surgery, unable to reschedule a flight home, and having no credit card to fall back on in any case. Yet, the charms of Valparaiso made me feel at ease, especially when coupled with the camaraderie of my fellow bikers, who came from Austria, Switzerland, USA, Ireland and several from Germany, mostly on BMWs. One rider was on his life's mission, which involved the death of his father, a motorcyclist. Another came from Mexico on a tiny 150cc budget bike. Not to mention the family’s mischievous but lovable Afghan dog. Experienced an earthquake and I explain the orogeny of the central Andes and San Fernández Tectonic Microplate. Visiting many attractions, including Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana mansion, their vintage trolley busses, 130 year old cable railway funicular "asensores", and amazing street art, I also pay visit to a master moto mechanic in the capital Santiago, where I saw a vigil in response to a hate crime.

[madarumoto]

Episode 26 just posted - 18 minutes long. Leaving the Villa Kunterbunt after almost 3 weeks, I wanted to take a route called Gunpowder Road, but ended up taking a different route. While leaving central Valparaíso I pass a sign saying "Welcome to Cyber Independence" which reminds one of how Chile was one of the first countries in the world to build a working internet - rudimentary and short-lived though it was. Covering 510 kms in just under 11 hours, Atwakey and I see very little traffic in central Valparaiso early on Easter Sunday, though later in the day there was a lot of traffic heading north along the Panamericana. I stop at the Rio Maule, a watershed river in more ways than one, before finding a camping ground at San Manuel, on the banks of the Rio Perquilauquen, a short distance from a place that will always hold a sinister if tragic place in Chilean history.

[madarumoto]

17 minutes long
Leaving the camp ground of San Manuel by the Perquelauquen River, I ride northeast to rejoin the Pan American before turning south again. Along the way I see a Chernobyl-like structure, clock up 5000kms and bury a geocache to commemorate, see a perfectly formed volcanic cone, pass an extremely long bridge, give up trying to find a certain fire station in the town of Lautaro, so named after a Mapuche warrior whose incredible story deserves a quick retelling. I had a near accident at the village of Quepe that saw me lock up my brakes for the first time in 5000kms. Then southwards to the town of Freire, where a local hotelier takes me under his wing and shows me some local attractions, including a leaning cupola, a German enclave, and a shooting location for the classic film "The Motorcycle Diaries".

[madarumoto]

ep 28: 12 minutes long. Leaving the town of Friere I am frustrated by thick fog which forced me to ride with my visor open. Because of that I made the decision to ride east towards the Argentine border, on the other side of the Andes it should be drier. Today I rode 291kms, and saw some interesting things, including a house surrounded by unrestored classic cars and a mystery wooden machine, a separate motor museum brimming with Studebakers, some high voltage electrical workers, an unusual factory yard, and I briefly recount the tragic history of Galvarino and Janequeo, Mapuche warriors whose tribes held the Spanish off for over 300 years.

[madarumoto]

episode 29, 12 minutes long.
Leaving the lakeside town of Entre Lagos, I ride up over the Chile-Argentina border that looks like a disaster zone - because it is! Volcanic ash covered lakes and killed the forest. Some unusual mountains seen along the way, a strange bullet-riddled "Bridge of the Gringo", plus some history about the strawberry, native to this region, including how the humble strawberry patch was used as an ambush weapon, and then before I knew it Atwakey and I were in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

[madarumoto]

Episode 30, 31 minutes long. A few days spent exploring San Carlos de Bariloche, a mountain resort renown for its chocolate, trout fishing and skiing, also its curious past regarding a mad scientist's experiments with nuclear reactions, and the devastating fallout from the 2011 Puyehue volcanic eruption. A few tenuous links to Australia, also a ride up a funicular to see some amazing views, plus a bit about music censorship during Argentina's military dictatorship.

[madarumoto]

New episode, 18 minutes long. Leaving Bariloche I see graffiti sprayed on the road surface that is a reminder of Argentina's tragic past. Scooting around Lake Gutierrez, where wind has whipped up some small waves, I pass the 6000 km mark on my bike's odometer, riding through lovely Patagonian countryside and Ruta 40, after 303 kms arriving in the town of Esquel where I have difficulty finding a room for me and Atwakey, dental problems manifest (again!), and find my expensive cameras and GPS units are all broken. But a surprise is waiting for me in the form of an historic steam engine, the Old Patagonian Express.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by madarumoto

g in the town of Esquel where I have difficulty finding a room for me and Atwakey, dental problems manifest (again!)

I hate those turist traps, because that's what they are. In fact by law they are required to show you or inform you the price beforehand.
Sadly if they see they are not from the country they will try to pull it anyway, i knew this girl from Brazil that was screw over an asado (barbecue), because they hide from her a few details about the pricing...

Then they complain that they don't get as many tourist as they wish... Well stop with the tourist traps..

[madarumoto]

Originally Posted by Wild Dog

I hate those turist traps, because that's what they are. In fact by law they are required to show you or inform you the price beforehand.
Sadly if they see they are not from the country they will try to pull it anyway, i knew this girl from Brazil that was screw over an asado (barbecue), because they hide from her a few details about the pricing...

Then they complain that they don't get as many tourist as they wish... Well stop with the tourist traps..

Yeah that one I smelt a rat right from the beginning because the young duty manager refused to tell me the price until I had seen the room, even though I asked him two or three times. He was probably told to act that way however, by his boss, thinking once I saw the room I would be so tired I would just take it. But not me, not at the price he was quoting me.
There is another Australian motorbike YouTuber called Peter Ricci ("Solo World Traveller") who recounted on one of his Argentina hotels they tried to get US$100 out of him for a broken electric lamp. He said as soon as he touched it, it fell to pieces, he didnt knock it over or anything like that. They already had his credit card, and he was riding a KTM. He sensed a scam, refused to pay, and after a lot of arguing eventually they relented.
What I found is sometimes they play upon your memory not being 100% and charge you an extra day if you stayed over a week or so. They tried that on me in India a few times as well. You only get bitten once before you get alert to these scams, and overall the vast majority of hosts are pretty helpful and welcoming.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by madarumoto

There is another Australian motorbike YouTuber called Peter Ricci ("Solo World Traveller") who recounted on one of his Argentina hotels they tried to get US$100 out of him for a broken electric lamp. He said as soon as he touched it, it fell to pieces, he didnt knock it over or anything like that. They already had his credit card, and he was riding a KTM. He sensed a scam, refused to pay, and after a lot of arguing eventually they relented.

That's like the abc of scams, because 100 usd for an electric lamp is insane, even taken into account all the inflation.
I really hate those "hostel" and "hotel" because they screw everyone for a quick buck.

The north and the south of the country are underexploited and the ministry of tourism keeps their focus always at the same spots.

[madarumoto]

new episode, #32, ten minutes long: In my final afternoon in Esquel I visit a local art exhibition, see something relating to the Falklands War posing as art, see an item recovered from a local time capsule, and see parked in the street an Argentine Ford Falcon, a car which has both a fascinating and sinister role in Argentina's tragic history, notwithstanding its connection with Australia via one of its former CEOs. Farewelled by my hospitable hosts Armando and Anuska, I hit the road, the legendary Ruta 40, continuing south. The land becomes flat, almost featureless, except for a few wild horses and car wrecks. Passing an abandoned gas station and rusted car wreck, I try to refuel from my plastic jerry can in high winds, with limited success, before finally having to drop my bike when caught in extremely strong winds at the town of Rio Mayo, said to be Argentina's National Capital of Shearing.

[madarumoto]

Episode 33, 12 minutes long:
Leaving the cosy Hotel Aka-Ta in Rio Mayo, I don't even leave the town limits before getting lost, and bogged, near the colourful local cemetery. On an unsealed section of Ruta 40, I found my bike so unstable in the wind that I dared not go faster than 40 kmph. In the town of Perito Moreno, a pretty policewoman convinces me not to continue on Ruta 40, as she deemed it dangerous to ride alone. Heading east along RP43, I take shelter from the strong winds in a purpose built windbreak - but measure the wind to be still almost 50 miles per hour. A quick visit to the oil town of Las Heras, then onto the Bridasaurio, a full sized metal dinosaur sculpture. Arriving at the small village of Fitz Roy, I find no rooms are available and end up having to pitch my tent in howling winds.