A second “Sit here, Twist That!” riding day.
Start & Stop: Chanaral, Chile to Vina del Mar, Chile
Mileage: 596 miles
Hotel: 3 Poniente, 3 Poniente 70, Vina del Mar 2520306, Chile
Fuel: $716 Chilean Peso /l liter ($1.51/1 liter) or $5.72 per gal!
Currency Exchange: $1 USD = $473 Chilean Peso
Chilean Toll Road: $400-1500 Chilean Pesos ($0.85-$3.17 USD)
However, Chile is not the bargain tour like Bolivia or Ecuador or even Peru. Holy Cow but they think very highly of their gasolina. I think my fill up was $65 US. What’s up with that? Food is rather expensive as well though we were able to find a hotel with $79 rooms (it’s high season here so not much is available and nothing is ‘cheap’)
Our goal was to get nearer to Santiago today so that we could get Dean’s bike looked at. He’s been having fuel issues and now the bike cuts out as though it has a rev limiter at 4K. Most everyone is saying it’s a fuel filter issue but i think it’s the Power Commander. We want to at least get somewhere that someone with more knowledge than either one of us and let them take care of it.
Dean: I spent the day keeping the V-Stompasourus at or near 70-75 mph or 4,100 RPM. The instance I tweaked the throttle at 4,200 RPM the engine would go into fuel starvation mode and loss of power. 600 miles under these conditions made for an interesting day.
Lisa: Doing a google search of Suzuki dealers in the general area, we come up with an old Adventure Rider (ADV) post from a guy, Matias Archambaud R, who says he works at a Suzuki MC/auto dealer in Vina Del Mar, about 50 miles outside of Santiago – the next closest dealer. Works for me. The thought of negotiating Santiago Friday rush hour is not sitting well with me at all so Vina Del Mar it is.
And what a nice ride to get there. As the day unfolded, we left the surface of the moon and entered a lush agricultural valley, surrounded by gorgeous green hillsides. Nice. Everything you can imagine – groves of avocados, tree fruit, greenhouses as far as you can see, olive trees for miles, and finally grapes, grapes, grapes. It was a feast of the eyes if you enjoy that sort of thing.
Leaving the toll road (where we had paid the first tolls since leaving Mexico I think) we entered a very nice resort type/upscale residential area and located the dealership with only a few wrong turns.
Dean: With all the one-way streets we went around in circles a half-dozen times before we found the dealer.
Lisa: Matias Archambaud R met us there and was so gracious as to offer us a place to stay at his apartment. We had made arrangements at the hotel the night before but it was such a nice offer. Since it was Friday afternoon, they can’t get to the bikes til Monday morning so we are ”stuck’ in a resort beach town for the weekend. Dang. Sucks to be us, right?
So we went in search of our hotel – yet another adventure.
Dean: She means we went around in circles another full dozen times before we found the Hotel Tres Poniente.
Lisa: Here’s the deal: there are no good Garmin mapsets for South America. So we have been using a free download – OSM Routeable- with mixed results. Let me start by saying that they are a LOT better than nothing. But they have some rather serious drawbacks as well. Once you sort those out, you’re in a much better position but still you need to pay close attention to what’s going on and NOT blindly follow the pink line on the GPS. One of those issues is that it does not recognize one-way streets. Um, yeah, that’s an issue here fo sho. Not only are there one-way streets everywhere, but often there are two or three in a row all going the same way. Which becomes problematic when you want to go the OTHER way. So we find ourselves going round and round, just trying to get to someplace we can SEE but cannot actually ride the bike there. Pretty funny. And don’t tell anyone but more than once we have just ridden the wrong way because we can. After all, we’re stupid touristas, so we can’t help ourselves.
After riding in circles to get there, our little hotel was waiting for us and it was such a treat. One of the staff had been sitting outside, holding a place for us to park, trying to fit our bikes on their side yard (not happening – we are riding V-pigs, not Ducatis) and finally helping us to park them on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.
We then unpacked, checked emails (YAY internet that actually works) and went for a walk to find something to eat. We were so focused on getting to the dealership before close of business to at least set the wheels in motion that we hadn’t eaten anything all day. All the snacks we had brought with us are long gone and we hadn’t seen any fruit vendors where we could safely stop on the side of the road.
Dean: The forced weekend stay actually gives us time to catch up on this BLOG.
Lisa: and even though it was his idea to do the BLOG, it’s annoying him so all of you please tell Dean how much you appreciate his effort. It DOES take a lot of time but it also 1) helps us to remember what happened each day and 2) allows us time where we don’t have to talk to each other or interact in any way. Win Win, right? 
I know from personal experience what a toll posting to a daily blog can take, no matter how often it is done.
Count me among the many who appreciate the opportunity to travel along with you on your amazing adventure!
Enjoy the moments… they’ll be over all too soon!
I know I’m not the only one who appreciates the effort to keep the blog half way current. The weather here (KS) is starting to break for the better (from -10 to -15 for lows), and we may get a night where it stays above freezing this week! And while yes, I have been riding when the streets aren’t covered in ice and snow, your adventures are a welcome reminder that the season will change here in N.A., and I’ll get to ride w/out thinking I might lose one of the bits on the edges of my body to the ice gods. Thank you, Dean for your hard work! Does that help?
No blog? Not even. Us poor fools slogging away to work every morning have GOT to have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Nope. You are not allowed to quit.
OK _ OK _ OK _ quit the nagging will ya –
here is the obligatory
THANKS FOR THE BLOG DEAN !
Now go out and hold down a parking spot for the Old Gal (getting old, isn’t it) because there is yet another border crossing on the horizon.
so I looked up Hotel Tres Poniente in the dictionary it found out it means – Hotel – “Three times around the block, senor” so your dozen circles doesn’t look all that bad in the grander scheme of things.
and one last thing – Just wondering if Lisa mentioned at all the quart of Ouzo that she only PRETENDED to drink – and where it might have been discarded? I’m betting that somebodies strompapotomus showed up the next day a couple of bars higher on the old gas guage the next morning. I would suggest taking a breathalyzer to the tail pipe to see what your bike’s BAC is. Letting it sleep it off over the weekend will probably cure it right up, but maybe you might be nice and pour a couple of asperinos in the gas tank to relieve the hangover effect.
Well, Dean…and Lisa, I’m enjoying the hell out of your trip. I’ve done a good bit of stateside and Canadian touring. I’d love to see the things that you’ve seen south of the USA, but my hat is off to you both for putting up with the border crossing BS necessary to get there
So I’m not going down there, and have to see it thru your eyes. You both have become ‘ALL STARS’ to me.
Thanks again.
WOW! What a day! You’ve been busy keeping us busy. It has made a rainy, windy afternoon enjoyable. Dean, we love these BLOGS. Hopefully, things will get sorted out on your bike.
Let the adventure continue.
Roger
BTW, how close to the earthquake epicenter are you guys?
Dean Remember to check the battery cables. I called at 1:30am your time, so you might forget.
Lisa thanks for taking care of Dean, it’s much appreciated.
Thanks for blogging, Dean and Lisa. We read every word or it!!!
Dean, thanks for doing the blog. I, too, know the time it takes from the daily schedule to do blogs.
Tim
Love catching up with you again. Come on, Dean! Blogging will be worth it for you later when you wanna remember and for us now. Hugs to you, Lisa. xo xo
Love the Blog – having never been in these places it is just fascinating to hear about it. Gotta say, pics a couple days ago made you guys look a bit tired….. a few days off in a ocean side resort town may be a real good thing (of course that is what they told Al Capone too).
Dean – power commander COULD do this but I would not suspect it as much. Easy enough to check, just unplug the power commander and see how the bike runs…
You don’t know how much I’ve enjoyed reading your Blogs, I feel as thought I am traveling with you and Lisa! Happy Birthday Old man…
HD
Come on Dean, I’ve got proof you have been “blogging” since 1999 during your Harley daze – you love it!!!
http://members.cox.net/jimmyv/Sturgis99.htm
Don’t make me break out the cheese..
Greak work on this trip – I’m enjoying the hell out of it.
Thanks for the blogging efforts Dean (and Lisa). It is tremendously enjoyable to read about your adventures, particularly in the northern USA where is isn’t really riding weather — though today we have a rare sunny day with the temp supposed to get up to 48F. I’ll be thinking of you two while I’m riding…
Dean…thanks for the blog, man!!!!!!!
Seriously, I know what a pain it is…I do it for all my rides. Sort of makes one realize what being a reporter on deadline is like. But…it’s worth it; to we who are reading it now, and to you when you get back (and from then on). There’s a lot to be said for recording the feelings as they are occurring. Sometimes it gets pretty dark and depressing out there, and the blog can reflect it…but you’ll look back and, I think, appreciate it.
I know I APPRECIATE yours, DEAN!!!!!
And, Lisa, thanks for keeping it squared up for you both.
Jery
It was 25 degrees yesterday morning at the Streets of Willow as I was preparing for a day at the track, I sit here sore and tired eating my bowl of Special K ravenously reading your last several days of true adventure. You both are an inspiration to us mere mortals!!
We used http://www.proyectomapear.com.ar/eng_tutorial/index.htm for free Garmin maps of Chile and Argentina. Even used them to find hotels on several occasions–especially useful for routing in and out of big cities.
Dean and Lisa,
I have read every word with envy. Thank you for keep up this blog for us to follow along. It gives us all something to think about for the bucket list (or not)!
Please keep up the blog if you can.
Thank you, Dean, for blogging!! And Lisa, too. I have shared your travels with friends and they are enjoying your adventures as much as I am. Safe travels, cuz!!
I LOVE the blog!!!
Thank you so much for the blogging Dean. We’re Lisa’s father-in-law and 3rd wife. I am so anxious after dinner each day to sit down and read your info for the day. It’s a great adventure for us as we’re at the end of our traveling days (age) and are loving keeping up with your great (most of the time) adventure. Kathy and Al.
Your trip has been so inspiring, thank you for the Blog-I know it takes time and yes you will read your words later and it will help you to remember another– “trip of a lifetime”. Thanks for letting us in on your adventure-David and Diane
Dean, The blog is amazing. Thanks for putting all this effort into it. Everyone at my house is following along and enjoying your trip. A trip of a lifetime for you two and one I’ll only be able to read about, so keep writing ya old phart!
Oh yeah, you too, Lisa.
Dean (and Lisa) we really appreciate your blogging the trip. It has been a great adventure for those of us who may never be able to do something like this. I also know, like others have said, what a pain it can get to be but you have a great following here and we are interested in all the little details as you write them. Have fun, don’t get caught up too much in the blog, but please keep blogging.