In this entry we leave the metropolis of Santiago behind us to venture into the mountainous interior of northern Chile. This is the beginning of what we are calling our ‘victory lap,’ that is, the bonus miles we get to ride past our original goal of Santiago. So far, the north of Chile has been absolutely incredible. It’s dry, mountainous, full of miners and people growing oranges, persimmons, walnuts, figs, avocados, and lemons. We have been climbing up and over impressive mountains passes most days.

Day 135: Santiago to Colina (41 km 25 mi)

We were all a bit nervous to leave the giant city, and it didn’t exactly help when we awoke to a flat tire on my bicycle. It appeared to be a slow leak, so instead of patching it in Santiago we just pumped it up and headed out. This might seem like an odd choice, but that wheel is actually particularly hard to manage for my bike. When we had the couplers installed several years ago we also got it repainted the lovely lilac color it is now. The paint went on a little thick around the rear fork, so it takes serious muscle to move the wheel in and out. We avoid it whenever we can.

Once the tire was inflated we rolled the bikes into the street… and immediately Jason’s front brake started making a horrible metal on metal noise. It didn’t take long to discover that the front brake pad was getting low and a little piece of metal was sticking out where it should not be. We took care of that and rolled towards the river that bisects Santiago.

To our utter delight one of the huge boulevards along the river was completely closed to traffic. Thousands of cyclists were enjoying a summer ride, car and worry free. Comically, we had another mechanical issue almost right away. Jason had made some adjustments to his rear wheel and the whole thing was crooked and making a horrible noise… back to the side of the road and after flipping his bike upside down, we fixed it.

Third time is the charm, right? Today it certainly was! We finished the length of the car-free boulevard and turned north to cross the river. We were feeling a bit melancholy about leaving the city (gosh those bagel sandwiches were incredible), but as we crossed the river we spotted a giant protest and what appeared to be a dark cloud of smoke from something burning. The melancholy left us and we pedaled away fast!

We stuck to a main street with a wide cycle lane for the next bit, until the cycle path disappeared and then the road did too! The last ten kilometers or so were under construction, and based on what we saw in Google StreetView, they had been under construction for well over a year. The neighborhood looked pretty rough, so we got on the mostly-dirt track and carried on as quickly as we could. Before long we were crossing under the perimeter highway and officially out of Santiago!

A nice cycle path appeared next to the main highway leading north, but even better was the multi-lane service road right next to us. There was almost no traffic (yay for leaving on a Sunday) and we cruised away from the city. Right when we started to get hungry we saw… a McDonalds. This has never happened before, but we all started dreaming of soft serve ice cream and french fries. H begged for a cheeseburger. Obviously we couldn’t say no, and it ended up being such a celebratory stop.

I was shocked at how quickly we went from mega-metropolis to industrial outskirts to small town feeling. As we reached the edge of the town of Colina we began seeing an unusual amount of people on horseback. Actually, by the time we finished our day we saw easily more than a hundred horses. At one point, the horses were trotting along both sides of the road and we were pedaling through the middle. Apparently it was the town’s festival to ask a saint for rain.

We settled into our room on a hill overlooking the city with a view back towards Santiago. We were tired from the day’s ride but deeply relieved to have escaped the city successfully.

Day 136: Colina to Los Andes (54 km / 31 mi)

Today was the first of many incredible mountain passes. We climbed about 900 m total (3,000′). The climbing began right as we were leaving Colina on a quiet side road. We joined a larger highway as we reached the top of that climb and then we flew downhill in a wide shoulder. Sure, bicycles were technically not allowed on that road, but there was no alternative! It was fine.

The highway goes through a giant tunnel to reach the next valley over, and there was no way we could ride that section. Instead we were able to pedal the old road up and over the ridge with almost no traffic. After a huge and delicious lunch at a roadside restaurant we turned off the highway and started climbing. It was hot. The vegetation was sparse. We switchbacked up the same hillside all afternoon at 5 km/hr but we made it!

At the top we had views in all directions. A and I even hiked up to the (massive) cross located at the summit. Then we bundled up and headed down. At first the descent was steep with wild curves and switchbacks, then we met up with main highway again. The ramp to the overpass was just about the steepest thing we climbed all day – it was so steep the car behind us stalled out and couldn’t get going again! We kept pedaling though.

When we rejoined the road we were dismayed to see that the wide shoulder we had ridden in the morning was gone. We had no choice but to take the slow lane and start the descent. In the end traffic was both very light and exceedingly polite. It helped that we flew down the road at 50 km/hr! By the time we turned off, at the first opportunity, we were all ready to be off the main road.

We rolled into the city of Los Andes a little dazed from the big day. A nice guy stopped his car and welcomed us to the city, telling us that the community of cyclists there was small but always willing to help. He gave us some recommendations before we rode off to find our hostel.

Day 137: Los Andes to Putaendo (34 km / 21 mi)

We didn’t know this when we arrived, but Los Andes is the last big town before the famous high pass between Chile and Argentina: Christ the Redeemer of the Andes. This pass sits at 12,572′ and although I personally would be delighted to ride it… we don’t think the kids would be thrilled with the effort. Reluctantly we pointed the bikes downhill and rode away.

It was a fast morning into the gritty town of San Felipe, where we tried and failed several times to find an open restaurant with decent visibility for the bikes. Eventually we gave up and headed out of town. We stopped at the edge to buy sandwich supplies and eat a picnic.

The afternoon’s ride looked easy on paper: a gentle uphill into the countryside. However the road was narrower and busier than we expected, so the traffic was heavy and stressful. Even when we were far enough away that the number of cars went down, it was still uphill and HOT. We were baking in the sun! This was pretty new for us, after so many weeks and months of clouds, rain and chilly weather conditions.

We were tired and a bit cranky when we rolled into Putaendo, not expecting much. We were very pleasantly surprised when we reached our cabin near the edge of town: it was practically a tropical paradise! The owner had built this area to be a place for parties and tourism, with old arcade games, picnic areas, bright beautiful plants, and even a pool. We were delighted to arrive and occupy a little one-room cabin.

Rest day in Putaendo

I don’t know how we do it, but it seems like we choose the perfect rest day by chance more often that not. We rested in Putaendo on the same day that the town was having a festival. The historical center is full of colorful mud-brick buildings and a leafy plaza. When we took a walk to check it out we found the place packed with a marching band, a farmer’s market, a big group of people on horseback, and local school kids lining up for a parade.

We joined the fun for a bit, buying popcorn and local produce. We even got a pound of fresh goat cheese.

After that it was time to finally fix that flat tire from Santiago (yes, we’d been pumping it up every morning for three days). Jason and I both changed our front brake pads and adjusted our brakes as well. In general, I dislike bicycle maintenance, but on tour it is unavoidable.

Day 139: Putaendo to Cabildo (72 km / 45 mi)

Today was a very long day for us. The morning was a long (but beautiful) climb in the bright sun. Over the top we had lunch enjoying the incredible mountain scenery. This scenery isn’t something we have found in the US – it just feels like these mountains go on forever. They are higher than the Rockies or the Cascades and stretch all the way north to Peru, then Ecuador, then Colombia. It is so incredible to be among these mountains again.

We had planned a long day because of the long descent towards the town of Cabildo. We plunged down along a river as the mountains around us got higher and higher above. What we didn’t account for was the headwind. It was actually very strong and slowed our progress substantially.

When we finally limped into the town of Cabildo we were tired and night wasn’t far away. We were staying in a hostel near the far edge of town, which didn’t help our morale. Luckily it proved to be a lovely house with a third story ‘lookout’ room on top! We got a couple of huge pizzas from a nearby restaurant and were ready for sleep. The next day we would be starting the ‘ruta de los tuneles,’ the tunnel route.