Our Round-the-World adventure

[Peter_n_Margaret]

I had a short work trip to Taichung City in Taiwan some years ago. I took my wife who befriended some locals. It was a great pleasure.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[tacototheworld]

Chile - Part 1

As soon as we hit the road in Chile everything felt right with the world. We were reminded what we loved most about our overlanding life. Travel felt easy with vast and varied wild landscapes and tasty food. We looked forward to learning about a new culture and people. We realized how challenged we had been in Southeast Asia to travel in our truck. The climate, our lack of knowledge of the local languages, the regulations preventing us from taking the truck into some countries and the general logistical difficulties (there are a lot of islands) had prevented our ability to travel freely. We had struggled with the jungle heat and humidity which we are not made for and the lack of accessible wild space. All this changed in Chile. Plus there was the fact that we had just had a significant break in the US with family and friends which meant we were recharged and ready for adventure.

Our six week, 3900 mile route through Chile

Chile’s geography is diverse and beautiful. A long narrow country spread between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, its terrain encompasses huge deserts, fertile valleys, snowy volcanos, rugged coastline and majestic mountain peaks. Every day brought varied and intriguing landscapes.

Wild camp on the northern coast of Chile

But before our love affair with Chile commenced, we arrived in Santiago nervous and a little on edge. More than anywhere else that we had traveled in the world, reports of tourists and overland vehicles being targeted for robbery and petty theft were numerous and recent, especially in the big cities. Although we were challenged by some factors in Southeast Asia, we did not worry about robbery or theft. We were not sure what we would encounter in Santiago but were prepared for the worst.

So first up, we joined a free walking tour of the old town center. We have done scores of these and it was the first time we had heard a guide say “you may be robbed on this tour, it is not my fault.”

Despite the warning, our guide was incredibly informative, explaining that most of the long term, wealthy residents had actually moved out of the old city center due to a huge influx of immigrants who had been taking over the streets for the last eight years. He estimated that almost a quarter of the population of Chile, totaling 5 million people, had arrived escaping poverty, political persecution or drug cartels in neighboring countries.

Climbed to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia to enjoy the view

Despite multiple earthquakes over the last 100 years, some of the old buildings from the colonial period remained, and some had been more recently built by the first leaders after independence who were obsessed with European architecture.

Central square of Santiago, Plaza de Armas

Metropolitan Cathedral in Santiago, building started in 1748

The Spanish conquest of Chile in the 16th century led to most of the people affiliating with Catholicism, however, more recent surveys suggest that 40% of the people are unaffiliated which makes the country one of the least religious in the region.

Our city guide explained that Chilean people are largely descended from the Machupe people who were warriors who fought off the Incans and Spanish in Southern Chile, which he said explains their practical and serious culture.

Monument to the Indigenous People by Chilean sculptor Enrique E. Villalobos Sandoval. The Machupe people of southern Chile successfully fought off the Incan and Spanish invaders.

Pastel de choclo - traditional Chilean corn pie, delicious

We easily survived our three days without the truck in Santiago. We learned not to pull out our phones unless one of us was on guard, carried minimal money and did not walk after dark, all lessons learned in cities across the world.

But then it was time to get back to our real life. We gathered up our luggage full of spare parts and supplies from the US and made our way to the warehouse where our kind shipping partners (thank you Anouk and Hubert) had brought our truck after unloading it from the container.

Andy’s check through duffle stretched to its limit with supplies for the truck

Warehouse where our truck had been stored for us since shipping. Luckily it was in great shape - no damage or mold growth from its journey from Malaysia.

And finally - water, filling our potable water tank by pumping it through our purification system

Andy’s first day - changing the oil and swapping out the struts. A kind Instagram contact (thank you @BlueberryTaco) let us know one of the struts was installed upside down, Andy had thought it didn’t matter which way they go - he quickly fixed it.

The northern coast of Chile was beautiful, rocky cliffs, open space and clear water.

Bluff top camping spot

View from camp

But then the blissful honeymoon came to an abrupt stop as an check engine light glowed orange on the dashboard. We pulled into a Toyota dealership in La Serena for a diagnosis. The first thought was that rats had chewed some critical wires (shown here rat footprints on the engine, we think from the warehouse in Santiago).

Making the best of a forced layover, wandering the ocean front in Santiago waiting to hear from the Toyota mechanics.

Unfortunately the news was not good. The mechanics determined that we needed a new fuel pump and there were none available for our Tacoma in Chile. They said that we “would probably be fine” driving for a while. Since we were heading into the giant Atacama desert, we were a little nervous but decided the show must go on, so continued on our way. Andy found the parts we needed (we also needed some brake work) and had them shipped to our son Trevor so that he could ship them to a mechanic in Santiago for us.

Hike in Pan de Azucar National Park - the environment is getting more desert like as we near the Atacama region

Posing the truck by the Mano a Desierto, sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal

Walking the coast in Antofogasta - our re-supply stop before we head into the inland Atacama desert

And watching the tuna fisherman offloading their catch (and giving scraps to the begging sea lions)

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

I am super stoked for the South American leg of your journey.

Thanks for taking us along.

 

[tacototheworld]

Chile - part 2

Our first guanacos! At least we think so, we are still working on identifying guanacos vs vicunas. But guanacos are supposed to be the ones with black faces.

Filling up the water tank in a village on the way. The Atacama desert is one of only three places in the world we have paid for water (eastern Romania and Kazakhstan being the other two).

In northern Chile at the time of year we were there, we quickly landed on our favorite wild camping spot - dry river beds. They were not privately owned, no one cared if we were there, they were usually flat and you could drive as far as you needed to get away from roads and be private.

Ancient petroglyph site in the desert at Yerba Buena

Throughout the Atacama region, native people are developing tourism sites on their lands. We found the sites to be well run, clearly signposted with very modern and clean restrooms and with welcoming staff to explain trails and attractions. Charges were minimal, typically $5-8 a person and we usually got a discount for being a “persona mayor” (or old, over 60). Because they were gated, we always felt safe leaving our vehicle which was a bonus. We appreciated that prices were always posted clearly so that we knew what to expect. Some places required us to have a guide for a given trail or hike but most of the time we were left to explore on our own.

Posting the truck in the scenic Valle de Arcoiris

The area is famous for its multi colored hills

We found our own ampitheater

After a few days out in the desert we arrived in the central tourist town of the region - San Pedro de Atacama. It was charming, filled with cafes and tourist shops, but also a bit of a shock to suddenly be surrounded by other foreign tourists, mostly young Europeans seeking desert adventures. (We are very aware that we are also actually tourists but we prefer to be in places where we feel like the only ones.) But it was a convenient town to come in and out of to re-supply food and access wi-fi.

The wide dusty streets of San Pedro de Atacama

Our first vicuña

High altitude (13,000’) mountain flamingos

We had been on our way to a mountain wild camp but when Andy’s watch let us know we were at over 15,000 feet, we turned back to seek a slightly lower sleeping place, we had already had a few restless nights sleeping up high.

Meet up with Jim (Terrapin Overland) and his dog Dax. It was fun to finally meet him after messaging back and forth over the last few years.

Gargantua del Diablo (a common name) canyon hike

Exploring Quebrada Chulacao

Enormous sand dune (Duna Mayor)

Old salt mining area

Salt flats encroaching on the sand

Our first entry into Chile was coming to an end and we set off to climb our second highest mountain pass with the truck (the highest was in Tibet), heading east to Argentina. Our plan was to work our way down to the tip of South America, criss crossing back and forth between Chile and Argentina. This meant more border crossings which was a hassle, but allowed us to see the best parts of both countries with a little less driving. We learned to carefully measure our fresh food buys so that we were empty whenever we crossed a border - neither country wanted any of the other’s fresh meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, eggs or honey. Luckily paperwork and bureaucracy crossing between the two countries was straightforward and generally easy.

Heading east to Argentina - almost 16,000 foot pass between the two countries - we planned to enter Argentina in the Jujuy Province.

And a last side trip to interesting rock formations rising out of the sand

Our first foray into Chile was a huge success. We were feeling relaxed and confident about dealing with travel logistics ahead. People were welcoming and kind and our limited Spanish was appreciated. We were greeted with smiles and given assistance with our broken Spanish and atrocious pronunciation. At least we could understand almost everything people were saying to us, speaking back was our issue. We did remain on high alert for robbery and break ins in crowded tourist areas. Most of the time Dawn did the shopping and errands and Andy remained with the vehicle. If we were both going to do something, we found secure parking and paid the nominal charge for peace of mind (usually a $1 an hour or so). Chile was rising to the top of our “best places to overland” list.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

"15,000 feet, we turned back to seek a slightly lower sleeping place, we had already had a few restless nights sleeping up high."
Thank you, and of course stay hydrated. As it is the largest deterrent next to time to adjusting. And some folks are more susceptible. I am aware yall already know, but after following so long its nice to be able to chime in. Altitude is no joke and can sneak up on you pretty quick.

"Our plan was to work our way down to the tip of South America, criss crossing back and forth between Chile and Argentina. This meant more border crossings which was a hassle, but allowed us to see the best parts of both countries with a little less driving. "

Super solid plan, we found some of the most remote borders were the strictest about what food we had on the Moto's. And it will be nice to have the time to go back and forth.



"People were welcoming and kind and our limited Spanish was appreciated."
The Chilean Spanish is almost like the Australian of Latin America. language wise, probably the hardest time you will have with their specific dialect.

Thanks for posting!

 

[tacototheworld]

Chile - Part 3

Crossing the mountain pass from Mendoza to Santiago

Before we knew it, we were heading back into Chile, making our way from Mendoza to Santiago over another steep mountain pass.

Some serious switchbacks though

We had another setback with the truck repairs we had planned for Santiago. When our son Trevor went to a shipping office in the US with our new fuel pump and brake booster (total weight 4 lbs) he was told that DHL would no longer ship to Chile because of customs complications but FedEx would do it for $1500. Insane. Since Trevor was coming to visit us for Christmas, we agreed that he would bring us the parts then and we would risk another month on the road without doing the repairs.

So we had some more time to explore Santiago. The first time we were in the Santiago area, we did not visit Valparaiso because of the frequency of vehicle break ins there. But we were feeling more confident and also regretful that we had not visited the historic scenic port. So we left the truck in secure parking outside Santiago and signed up for a day tour to visit Valparaiso. We are glad we did. Of all the cities we have visited, it had the most vibrant and varied street art.

Murals everywhere in Valparaiso

Houses are built in the hills above the port

The street art was varied and the most prolific we have ever seen

Interesting blend of historic and futuristic art

Scenic overlook in the hills of Valparaiso

It was hard to stop taking photos of the art

A cacophony of color

Sandy beach at nearby Vista del Mar

We felt like the day tour was the right move for seeing Valparaiso - we definitely could have stayed longer but it allowed us to cover a lot of ground with an expert guide and not worry about theft. It was time for us to get back on the road and out to nature.

We were ready to hike so headed to Altos de Lircay, a nature reserve with scenic mountain hikes. In general, national parks and reserves in Chile required buying passes online, usually before you showed up at remote entrance gates with no cell coverage. (We learned the hard way having to back track 20 km to find coverage so that we could buy our permits for this reserve.) We also learned that many parks were closed on Monday which required some planning.

The next day was our 36th wedding anniversary so we decided to celebrate in style - hiking 14 steep miles (a lot for us these days!). It is hard to imagine that of our 36 years being together, six of those have been full time on the road. We thought we knew all there was to know about each other before, but moving into our tiny home on wheels was next level. (What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.) Amazingly we have learned to adapt, compromise and further understand each other’s strengths and frailties. Andy hates not knowing exactly where he is on a map at any point in time - his entire body and mind cannot stand it. Dawn abhors any conversation before two cups of coffee (Andy knew this before but it is more difficult in a tiny shared space). We are not perfect, it is hardest when we are both grumpy because then one of us cannot poke the other out of the bad mood. But we both know there is no one else on the planet we could be doing this with.

Waterfall break

Selfie in honor of our 36th wedding anniversary

Celebration and hike completed, we were off on our way to see some iconic Chilean volcanos.

Parque Nacional Conguillio

Andy’s favorite - big tree photo

View from a hill top hike

View from camp

We went from Conguillio National Park where we were mostly the only people to the mountain town of Pucón - another culture shock as we drove through droves of tourists, looking for a laundromat. The town was built for tourism, the streets lined with high end mountaineering shops, expensive restaurants and bars. It was a convenient re-supply stop and had its own charm but not a place we felt like we needed to stay longer than it took to get the laundry done and buy groceries. Chile was the first country in years where we were regularly taking advantage of the multitude of inexpensive and professional lavanderias. We could get 10 days of laundry done overnight for about $8. Picking up that immaculately folded bag of clean laundry aways felt like a huge relief.

Main street in Pucón

Overshadowed by volcanos

Beautiful hike in Villarica National Park

Wild camp at the base of the active volcano - we did get a 9am knock from a ranger who advised us it was “peligroso” - dangerous to camp there, so we moved on.

Once again it was time to leave Chile and enter the lake district of Argentina. So we quickly ate all our fruit and headed to the border.

 

[ITTOG]

Happy 36th! Thanks for sharing this travel journey with us.

 

[sburks737]

What a wonderful life you have together!
Congrats.