Have Wheels Will Travel

At last we have wheels. Due to the economic slow down the usual shipping time tables have changed around the world so that cargo is now accumulated over time to fill the container ships before travel. That is why our ship travelled to South Korea before sailing onto Chile and the two week delay.
Anyway, my first time driving on the right hand side of the road was to drive the pickup truck out to the container area and return with the bike crate. What a strange feeling doing everything the opposite to NZ.
The crate was opened, bike inspected, chassis number checked, passport checked, money paid and everything was ready to go. What a relief to find everything as it was when crated back in NZ.
Travel back to the Villa with the fuel light on and the crate hanging half over the deck strapped on with two ropes was a heart in the mouth moment. Then try backing into a courtyard on a narrow one way street with a bus waiting to get by, fun times.
Bike out and the big moment to fire her up after three months in a box. Turn the key, hit the button and click, nothing, bugger. Lucky John had his GS 1100 parked beside. Yes Sam, I know what you are going to say next. Jumper leads on and up she fired. What a sweet sound.
So we will take a couple of days to organise things then head away south. John, from the UK, will travel with us for a time as he is nearing the end of his trip from Alaska down and is wanting to get to Ushuaia for Christmas. Some english speaking company will be good for a while.

We have been staying at La Casa de Henao, up in the hills above the port of Valparaiso. The place is run by a lovely family, Karen, Jose, two lovely daughters and their grandma Monica. Josa has just retired from  28 years in the US marines as a special forces commander with two tours to Iraq and two to Afganistan. The house is beautiful and quiet and is just across the road  from Enzo and Martina who help and organise the paperwork for travellers bringing bikes into Chile. A great system and I would recommend to anyone coming here to use both places and their services.