Don’t worry, I won’t speak about work!
The sky yesterday evening was really great. I’m looking forward for the observatorium, hoping it duable to cycle to. After the night in the tent using the sleeping back over me, I woke up after a strange dream about people "knocking" on the door. My conscience was saying hello of having intruded on that closed land.
Finally I stood up, ate some biscuit and cooked my first coffea, while the sleeping bag was breathing in the cold wind (round 16C). After packing everything, I finally left at round midday. But less than three kilometer further, I had to stop: Alex from London came down, while I was gentlypushed up by the wind: yes, it seems to be my day, as from begining a nice wind was blowing. Alex started roughly 7 months ago in Cusco and plan to go down to Ushaia… Thumbs up! We chatted a little about bike stuff, as he had bought a Bob Ibex (the same trailer I’ve got at home). No problem with "wobbling" at higher speed, while my extrawheel start touching what ever is possible above 20km/h. That make no fun, especially a day like today when you could speed up over 60 thanks to the wind. And even while braking downhill (something that drives me nuts!!!) the extawheel falls. What will it be in the Andes on rough ground??
Therefor I decided today to get another solution. Ideally, I can find a Bob in La Serena and have a trade in. If not, I will need to stay there until I get one shipped. It is not a viable situation. Worse: even at low speed, when wind comes from the side (especially when in wave), the extrawheel is dangerous as either it brings you to fall or itselfs. So every truck is a little threat, depending how near it pass by.
The region has a lot of windmill and therefore quite windy. Fortunately, the ventilators were blowing in the correct direction. The landscape is mostly covered by little bushes and stones. Where the wind brings sea sand, some strange picture of dunes surrounded by rocks are created.
As the other days, the truck drivers are mostly friendly and try to get away from the sideway where ever possible and use their horn. Thinking positively, I guess they mean "go on" and not "stu pid" ;-)). Whenever you meet some locals, the questions are: where to and where from…
So, after 84km and 1100 pos meters I decided to go Socos therms to allow me a nice bath after last nice and wash some clothes, which was necessary. They wanted 28000 Chilean $ (around 56 CHF). After todays day, I wanted a bed… After some discussion I’ve got the bath and souper included.
I guess that with a correct working bike and with the same wind, at least 50% more distance where possible, just thinking about how much I was breaking down and it was not possible to cycle with the wind. On the other hand, I was thinking at Alex, who needed to do the way back against the wind…
So by tomorrow, I hope to be in La Serena and find a solution…
Cheers, Georges
For the number junkies: In total, I am at 420km and 21043 kcal for Chile (including the Santiago bicycle tours).