Antofogasta

I can feel tuning fork like vibrations in my hands and fingers after running the bike at high speeds for such a long time. Purely pavement today, hot sun and pavement. The motorcycle cants into the wind as if it were programmed to do so by the honda engineers, and I can smell the ocean air as I approach Antofogasta.

Only 8km out of town & sight of the Chilean coast, and I pick up a sixteen penny nail in the shape best described as a loch ness monster or an angry cobra- erect and ready to strike. Strike it did, leaving me in a side to side skid at 75kmph. As the skids grew bigger, the only option was to lay the bike down... Thankfully not in front of any oncoming traffic or other hazards, doy las gracias a Dios that I am OK. After hobbling accrossed the highway back and forth carrying boulders big enough to stand the bike on to remove the tire, I was rescued by a passing veteranarian and his friend. Luckily he had no passengers of the perro species in back, so the three of us lifted the bike into the van, and buzzed off to Antofogasta and the coast.

Ahhhhh, the ocean....................

No chance in fixing the tube, blown into pieces, and I have no spair. The search for a moto tube on a Saturday afternoon in Antofogasta is something someone should give a prize for finding . I like prizes. The owner of the tire repair shop and I ended up cruising the whole town in his old beat up chevy truck looking for one. No luck at the tire stores, all the motorcycle shops were closed, we even checked the local version of a Target in the "supermall" thing. Last stop before I´ll have to stick it out the weekend, we checked a friend of his´s used tire shed/repiar shop, and laying in the back used and dirty, but hole-less, an 18 inch motorcycle tube. Sonrisas y rubber to the road...

On my way out of town on the coastal gravel road, I met another couple of friendly local Antofogastans (Miguel & Patrick-toilet cleaner and chemical engineer :) I decided to stop and sip a beer with them and enjoy the beautiful vista del mar. One beer turned into two, and then three, and I was starting to think riding on wouldn´t be the best idea. Neither did they, and I was invited to stay at Patricks apartment for the night. Seems karma has a way of presenting opportunities to repay kindness; on the way into town, Miguel blew a tire and he had no spare tire, and no tools to change it even if he did. A cousin of thiers was called and with the few tools I had and the only spare tire they had, I managed to jimmy rig the different sized wheel onto the axle (minus a few parts) while they watched in awe of this gringos mechanical ablity (which isn´t much) and we hobbled back into town. Miguel & Pat----------------->

As if a bed in his daughters´room for the night wasn´t enough to repay me for helping them, I was intvited to a BBQ, and out for drinks that night-all gratis (free).

Awoke to HelloKitty wallpaper, with slight reccolection of how and when we arrived back at Patrick´s place and the events of the nightbefore... Laughter... Coronas... Meat... Buenas Ondas... Discotecas... Dancing... Whiskey... Comatose............. Damn whiskey´ll do it . Happy, but huuuuuungover. I remembered from days in Hawaii & Bali alike that the best cure for a hangover of this sort was a nice dip in the ocean...I did just that, and the healing powers of the Pacific came through once again. I was ready for another day in the saddle. My fellow nerds, thanks for everything. ;)