Ride2Tale — Santiago and Valparaíso

"You think you travel to see the country. And then you realise you travel mostly to see people."

Seven days between Colina, Santiago and Valparaíso. New tyres on the Himalayan, bikes finally ready for what's next, Thomas's first real walks in five weeks, kendo with a 7th Dan Korean sensei, the Vega Central with Jessy and the cerros of Valpo. A lot of things, few kilometres, plenty of memories.

The road to Colina and Jessy's welcome

We'd never met Jessy in person, but we'd known each other for a few months through social media: Jessy has an AJP, he's from Brittany and we have a few mutual contacts. We chat regularly, but we'd never had a chance to meet. Today is the day.

We cover 290 km of road to get to Colina. No off-road to protect the ankle — a few main roads, even a stretch of motorway. It's not the most interesting ride we've ever done, but the goal is mainly to arrive safe and sound without incident.

Once there, the welcome is incredibly warm, as if we'd known each other forever. We have a coffee, chat away and meet Jessy's partner Priscilla around 7 pm. The evening flies by. These kinds of encounters are the best thing about travelling.

The shopping run

This stop in Santiago is also the chance to prep the bikes for the road ahead, before crossing into Bolivia. So naturally, the next day's to-do list is long: we need to find tyres for the Himalayan, oil filters for both bikes, and a more reinforced brace for Thomas. We head to Big Trail, the moto paradise of Santiago. Good news — they have tyres in the right size, even if we have to go for a 150 instead of a 140. Sorted in thirty minutes. Bad news: the fitting won't happen until tomorrow.

We bounce between shops until 3:30 pm, the time it takes to find everything. By the end it's exhausting: Thomas's feet hurt and we're hungry. But at least we have everything we need to continue the trip. In the evening, to thank Jessy and Priscilla for their hospitality, we decide to cook. Nothing exceptional, but we have a really nice evening — like catching up with old friends.

Tyres fitted, bikes ready and a cheese evening

The next day, we have an appointment at 9:30 for the tyre fitting. They say it'll take an hour, but Priscilla warned us it might be longer. Indeed, we get the bike back around 12:30 — but at least the Himalayan has beautiful new tyres.

In the afternoon, we do the last repairs: replacing the horn, cleaning the air filters, straightening the AJP's handlebars. Both bikes are finally ready for what lies ahead.

We barely have time to catch our breath before heading to an expat evening in Santiago. On the menu: cheese and rillettes — it feels just like home!

We feel a little like outsiders at first, but we end up chatting about travel with a few interesting people. A woman who moved to Costa Rica tempers our enthusiasm for the country: lots of traffic, lots of rain. We'll see what awaits us — but in the meantime, we had a good evening.

Santiago on foot: Thomas's first real walks

After sorting out the bike maintenance, we head into Santiago to play tourist for 48 hours. We decide to go without the bikes, which stay in Colina — much more relaxed. We take the metro and check into Hotel Guanaco in the Bellavista neighbourhood: 26,000 pesos a night for a private room with a terrace — not bad for the capital. The décor and choice of paintings are somewhat questionable, we have to admit. But at that price, we're not complaining.

In the afternoon, we decide to walk. It's the first time in over three weeks that Thomas genuinely feels up to it. We head towards the Casa Neruda but turn back at 11,000 pesos entry per person. We settle for Parque Forestal, the fine arts museum, the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral. In Chile, every city has its Plaza de Armas with a church at the centre. Santiago's is particularly beautiful. We finish at La Moneda, the president's residence — understated and unmissable. After 2.5 hours of walking, Thomas is tired and we head back by metro.

Kendo at the Joon Ang Dojo

After a short nap, we head to the Joon Ang Dojo for 8 pm. The sensei is Korean, 7th Dan. From the start of the class, he takes Adeline aside to assess her level and offer some corrections. Then it's 30 minutes of warm-up and an hour of keiko. At the end, he comes back to Adeline with a few additional adjustments. Friendly and funny in the way he explains things, Adeline benefits from some excellent teaching.

The real Santiago with Jessy: Vega Central and the old station

Jessy offered to show us around Santiago.

Three hours with him give us a solid feel for the city and take us into neighbourhoods we'd never have found on our own. We discover the arts square, the main library, the deputies' house, the New York district, Little Paris, and above all the Vega Central. From the outside it looks intimidating: crowds, poverty, not a tourist in sight. But inside it's a real revelation: it's enormous, with entire aisles of meat, vegetables, cereals at prices we'd never imagined — a whole crate of strawberries for 4 euros!

We buy some coca leaves (on the quiet — it doesn't seem entirely legal here, oops) for the next high-altitude stage, and a few vegetables. We eat inside the market for 8,000 pesos a dish, generous and delicious: prices unlike anything else we've seen in Chile. We wrap up the tour at the old station converted into a cultural venue — the architecture is magnificent, but we walk right into the Santiago marathon and the space has been transformed into a running expo. We always have a knack for stumbling into events wherever we go!

Jessy mentions in passing that there are actually very few old buildings in Santiago: earthquakes regularly destroy them. The cathedral, for example, has been rebuilt three times.

Late in the afternoon we head to the bus terminal to catch a bus to Valparaíso.

Valparaíso: colourful cerros, funicular and guided tour

Valparaíso doesn't have the best reputation for safety. We'd barely set foot in the city when we were warned several times to watch our belongings. And yet, very quickly, we're completely won over by the charm and atmosphere of Valpo, as they call it here.

The day after our arrival we wander through the cerros discovering the murals. We come across a funicular with an impressively steep incline — Adeline gets a touch of vertigo but it passes quickly. We explore the red door, several viewpoints, but skip the urban toboggan (without jeans it's risky on the backside). We get lost — which is exactly how it should be: it's the best way to explore the old town. Around 3 pm, we stop on Calle Cumming for lunch. Thomas tries the pastel de choclo, a Chilean speciality made with corn and meat — he approves.

Late in the afternoon, we take a tram to Viña del Mar. The atmosphere changes completely: chicer, wealthier, calmer, less characterful. We walk along the seafront and reach the main beach just in time for sunset — stunning.

The bus ride back is a small adventure with delays and crowds, but we eventually get there. We end the evening on the hotel terrace, alone with a 360° view over the Valpo hills. It's cold but we're happy.

The next day, Thomas rests while Adeline takes an alternative guided tour. She discovers the working-class neighbourhoods, the Mercado Puerto and its rooftop view, Plaza Bismarck, the old prison and learns a bit more about Chilean political history. Three hours in a small group — informative and convivial. After the tour she meets Thomas for lunch, we run into a French couple we met on the Puerto Yungay ferry who are flying home on Wednesday — happy coincidence — then we take the bus back to Santiago.

Last evening at Jessy and Priscilla's. We thank them as best we can for having us. Tomorrow, we hit the road again — heading for the Paso Agua Negra.