May 27th - Adios, Don Quixote

I took my time driving to Santiago.  It was a warm, sunny day and I only had 100km to do.

Somehow, I managed to navigate the city and find Motoaventura Chile, at 8000 John F. Kennedy, northeast of the city center.

I had made it.

But it almost seemed like a non-event.  I went through my checklist - repack, clean my helmet, check the bike back in, calculate the damages.

The Don had suffered a bit of wear and tear.  The rear brake light had gone out completely, the front brake caliper was clogged with dirt, which meant I did the last 500km without much of a front brake, and the tires were pretty worn.  There was also a broken gas cap, my fault since I had been loopy one morning and kicked it after fueling up in Valparaiso.  I hope they fixed that on the new model GS because it is really, really annoying to kick your gas cap in the morning and realize that you just caused $200 of damage.

My trail backpack felt foreign,  too heavy.  I was making the transition from motorcycle traveler to backpacker again.  There's less anxiety, there's more camaraderie at the local hostels, but there's less adventure.  I felt like I was trading in my flying wings, or getting a desk job, or something.

That afternoon I felt triumphant.  I had driven over 7,000 miles, some of it in pretty extreme conditions, and somehow, miraculously, I didn't get anything more serious than some windburn.  Secretly, I think I was expecting worse, maybe a lot worse.  There were a couple of close calls - getting lost north of Mendoza, the fried battery in Salta... but they all turned out OK.

Letting go of the bike meant letting go of a bit of liberty, but also some of those anxieties that were sitting in the attic of my brain for the last three months.

And I felt ready to head back to family and friends, even if I wasn´t ready to stop traveling.  My biggest fear hitting the road was getting lonely, isolated - whatever you want to call it.  Somehow, that never happened.  Between hostels, Skype, and the kindness of strangers I always felt like there were kindred spirits around me.

I wonder how the feeling will change over time... I´m writing this in early June and I already miss the open road a bit.

Hanging up the helmet for the last time...

12,000km

Heading toward the finish line... total count - 12,200km, or 7,320 miles.

Mutumbo

How about this for a quirky candy bar with politically incorrect sexual overtones.

Roadside snacks

There´s a region just north of Santiago that´s famous for sweets, La Ligua (if memory serves me right...)

It´s kind of quirky, and probably a little dangerous, but all along the highway there are women with little baskets of cookies and pastries that wave down oncoming cars with those little white flags.  Folks stop, stock up, and then keep going.  

Chile - Wine Country

Indomita Vineyards, Casblanca Valley, Chile

A classy end to a long trip.

Chile´s wine country stretches around and down from Santiago towards the west and south  With all the tourists heading for beaches or mountains, most are well-prepared to handle tours.

I swung by two vineyards and had a chance to see a different side of Chile´s export economy.  Demand for both the mines and the vineyards are increasingly being driven by China, but that might be only thing they have in common.  Men in hardhats were replaced by gracious hostesses and refineries were replaced by brand new wine showrooms.

Most of the wine business is relatively new - think 1980 and after - in this region, so the owners are eager to please and to grow their business.  A good way to spend a day (or two... or three)... although I had to go really easy on the wine and be ready to head to Santiago the day after.

Casas del Bosque vineyard, Casablanca Valley, Chile

Tasting paraphernalia, Casas del Bosque Vineyards, Casablanca Valley 

paraphernalia

Casas del Bosque vineyards, Chile

Casas del Bosque vineyards.  I arrived towards the end of the harvest and there was plenty of activity at the production facility.

Casas del Bosque vineyards.  More premium wines spend some time in these French oak casks.  Mid-range wines will do about a year and super-premium wines will do about 2.  Table wines usually go straight from the tank into bottles, or are ´aged´ in the stainless steel tanks for a few months.

Casas del Bosque vineyards.  Fermentation in process.

Barrel markings, Casas del Bosque vineyards.

Casas del Bosque, Chile.  Aging cellar.

Casas del Bosque vineyards, entrance.

Casas del Bosque.  Very thoughtful decor and architecture throughout their facility.

Casas del Bosque.

Casas del Bosque, tasting room.

Casas del Bosque, entrance.

Casas del Bosque.  You can see fall is in full swing in the southern hemisphere...

Casablanca, Chile.  Lunch.  

Indomita Vineyards, main entrance.  Outstanding restaurant, but the wine wasn´t quite as good as Casas d. Bosque.

Indomita vineyards.  Outstanding views from their restaurant and showroom.

Indomita vineyards.  Feels like winter here.