Peddle to the metal at ~4000 RPM = 65 MPH!
Start & Stop: Vina del Mar, Chile to Temuco, Chile
Mileage: 500 miles
Hotel: Don Eduardo Hotel, Temuco, 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)
Agriculture Theme: Lumber, Dairy, Wheat
Dean: Riding a bike with nothing above 4000 RPM is an adventure in itself! Acceleration is accomplished by shifting up a gear and bring the RPMs back up to 4000. Light uphill grades lowers the RPM upper end. Downhill grades means I can get up to 70 MPH. Passing uphill is almost impossible. Mostly ran 65 MPH. I’m happy with this.
Chile’s Ruta 5 running north/south is alot like riding in California. It was a 4-lane split highway with fancy gas/convenience stops at regular basis. AND road signs with distances!!
Most of the morning was overcast and cool. This continued until 2 PM where we were greeted with blue skies and clouds. Northern Chile was sand and desert! Huge sand and miles and miles of desert. Today’s Chile is farm land, forest stands of trees, and rolling hills. And more green than we have seen in a long, long time. Tractors everywhere even driving down Ruta 5.
Lisa: Dean’s right, today made me think more than once that I had clicked my ruby slippers together and was already home. Forget the flying monkey in front of me ( i have a childhood phobia of those horrible creatures in the movie), trying to wring every single HP out of that pig! I was in heaven. I know Dean had to work really hard today to keep that thing in a safe lane position, passing when able, etc, but honestly it was a wonderful day.
The roads were wide open, most of the drivers were considerate, there was gas every half mile, and when you stopped, you could choose a latte or espresso. My biggest beef was that when i ordered a hot dog for breakfast, there wasn’t any mustard for about 1000km. What’s up with that anyway? Who thought that parsley infused mayoneasa was a good substitute for mustard? Any kind would have done, I don’t need some french sounding stuff but yellow mustard is hard to come by in these parts. weird.
Dean: One of us has really changed while on this adventure. The tall one with her nose in the air who only drank wine … now has a beer every night. She only ate healthy to maintain her girlish figure … until her PigDonald’s episode! And this morning I find her stuffing a hot dog like she was in a Coney Island hot dog eating contest! What’s next … pig skins and Twinkies?
Lisa: So once again we got some bogus hotel waypoint but as I was sitting at the curb I glanced up and noticed and estacionero sign. Hmmm….parking….for whom?? So I rounded the corner and BAM Hotel Eduardo was sitting right there, beckoning me to park under cover and come on in. Done.
Dean went out to find dinner because I was too lazy to leave the hotel. But he came back-about 20-minutes later and said there was a great Chilean restaurant just around the corner….sigh…OK. Fine. I put shoes on and we walked, I kid you not, less than 100 feet, to a wonderful little restaurant. TVs are on watching soccer (i LOVE soccer) and they have a great menu and a sweet wine list. Yup, life is good.
I first ordered chicken but the waiter shook his head. Ok, so pick something. He pointed to a moderately priced steak and <shrug> whatever. We were not disappointed – wow – huge $10 steak., so big I cut half of it in slices and added 2 rolls to the box for our early morning breakfast. We gotta get outta here tomorrow and desayuno starts at a ridiculous 7:30 AM. Hello, I’ll be at least 100 miles from here so let me know how that goes.
I also had Chilean wine. Have I mentioned that I love wine? Probably not. but yeah, I am happy tonight. We are a bit unnerved with this final few miles but trying to stay focused and git ‘er done.
Dean: Tomorrow we make our next border crossing — Chile/Argentina! We also get our first experience on the infamous Argentinean Ruta 40!
Lisa: Thanks for hanging with us as we neurotically head south. Your support has been a huge blessing!!! Chao for now!!
Whoo Hoo. Go, Lisa and Dean, GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I officially HAVE NO LIFE! I am sitting here late at night and the first to reply to your fresh new post. Sounds like a great day considering your nursing a sick bike.
Lisa – what the hell!?$*! Unbelievable …. NOW a HOTDOG. Your like a kid who has gone to Didneyland (Mike Tyson pronunciation)and just going nutz ….. Mayonnaise, Have you EVER seen how either of these two items are made? Hey – you would rather eat one of Isaac’s bully sticks (OK, not really, those are REALLY disgusting, but Kudlow loves them) if you ever saw hot dogs or mayonnaise made. You need to leave these things to us professional really big guys (size XXX – Tent size).
Pretty darned good day by all reports. I think the break did do some good and Chile sounds great (for some reason I thought it would be – somebody said it was like CA with better retirement plans).
Hot Dog —- Hot Dog?
so – since you mentioned it yourself – Pork rinds and Twinkies.
Let me help you out here as this is virgin territory for you.
Pig skins – Pork Rinds – Chiccarones – are from the DEEP FRIED food group
Twinkies are NOT
so…. in order not to stress out your nose up in the air stomach and to help out with your girlish figure (even I wouldn’t insert “old gal” here) –
let me suggest DEEP FRIED TWINKIES !!!!!
Yep – my work here is DONE
there are folks with “dark side” car tires on their bikes – and may have successfully turned you to the deep fried side.
“these are not the droid you are looking for” =
hmmmmmmm parsley mayo on dogs.
I just got a mental picture of Dean struggling to pass each slow car encountered, giving each of them an ADV rider salute as he barely squeezes past, while Lisa then pulls up next to to them, flips up her helmet, taps on the window, and asks “Que es de Grey Poupon, por favor?”.
And last but not least on the mental pictures generated by today’s report: I sure hope the checkpoint food for the next rally will be the traditional healthy choices. I would hate to think about riders starting the second leg fueled up on hot dogs, fried SPAM, twinkies, pork rinds. Not even LD Comforts would survive that!
FWIW, my dad worked in a meat packing plant for a short time after he got out of the Air Force. He will not eat any kind of “processed” meat to this day. He just laughs and says hot dogs are from floor sweepings.
Glad y’all are back on the road and enjoying the adventure again!
this is for the two of you from the hot dog expert from philly. the next thing we’ll be hearing is that you are out looking for a pat’s cheese steak or for the tall one with her nose in the air, roast pork w broccoli rab. all these miles and dean ends up riding a sportster
Lisa
Now that you will be in Argentina you need to change from hot dogs and McDonalds to choripan (sausage sandwich eaten at soccer games).
Dean
Have you considered an umbilical cord tied to the tall one’s bike?
Both
Save stomach room for Bariloche chocolate
V Twins
Dean this might seem silly but I had a problem with my wing sucking gas from my extra tank into the main tank. Could your problem be with the gas cap(s)? Mine was, so, since you have tried everything else try loosening the gas cap(s).
I am really enjoying your adventure, and hate the fact that I am stuck in 4 wheels. Ya’ll be safe.