Riding the Pan American Highway
Wow what a ride today - 180 miles along the coast with majestic views of the Pacific with empty roads, ocean and desert all converging. I was suprised to go through another customs checkpoint at around 100 miles - what was that all about? Showing my papers, queueing at customs offices and getting papers checked and stamped. Apparently one has to go through this procedure at every state line. It's a bloody farce. The border official who spoke perfect English was very apologetic and was most helpful though.
The other crazy thing about today was I went 230 miles without a petrol station - I had to rely on my reserves to get to my final destination. I took loads of wonderful photos today but I can't upload them as the wifi in San Pedro is shockingly slow. They do have a perfectly good excuse - the town is a small oasis, stuck in the driest desert on earth, miles from civilization. Apart from the magnificent scenery, i am more pleased by my passing of the Chuquicamata open cast mine - this is the second largest open cast copper mine in the world being 850 metres deep 4.3km long and 3km wide and copper accounts for a third of Chilean exports. But it is not these dry facts that excited me - it was at this place that Che Guevara was radicalised, as he experienced first hand the plight of its workers. It was also featured in Che Guevara the motorcycle diaries, a Channel 4 film from the 1990's. Ironically it was this film that started me wanting to do this South American trip. His revolutionary politics led to some questionable events, but the human story of a young priviliged middle class man, who was moved to take up the pight of the dispossessed and exploited, is one which strikes a chord with this old fella.
Desert meeting the sea
Riding these roads back in the 1950's with a 1930 year old Norton must have been some challenge. This is true desert and demanding on body and machine. On my new machine I have just about managed to cover the distance with the fuel I had - how he and his buddy did it is remarkable (no tarmac then). On this theme, and on my adventure through Chile I have noticed that the poorer the community, the more Chilean flags or religous icons are evident. I suppose when things are hard you have to beleive in something.
San Pedro, is a very basic town, that exist just for the tourist. Things are over priced and exploitative of the tourist (poetic justice you might think). It is however, in all its simplicity and rudimentary facilities an attractive town. I am staying in a hostal with a communal bathroom, no TV, very poor WIFI and inadequate facilities for the same price as my incredibly luxurious hotel by the coast in Iquique. Breakfast, if I want it is an additional $10.
Poor old Che would either be laughing in his grave or turning in his grave, The mine by the way is now in state hands and is no longer owned by the Americans,
I will not post any photos today as they will take an eternity to upload, but I will add them to this blog when I get to a town with decent wifi. It was worth coming here, even though it is way out of my way, the desert is unique and the town is an example of man surviving in the most extreme of circumstances. I am hoping to ride out to some geysers tomorrow, but it is an hours drive on dirt roads in the desert, so I will have to see how it goes. The mountain biking is definitely out, temperatures of 40 degrees and long distances to see anything of value, makes it nigh on impossible to contemplate. My bike ride is also dependent on me getting fuel. I have enough for a two hour ride, but to leave San Pedro and get back on the main highway I need a full tank.
Brilliant stuff Pete.
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