| Crossing
the border from Argentina to Chile in Villa La Angostura was fastidious.
The whole procedure took more than 2 hours. We had to take down our bags
and open the luggage boxes which were thoroughly searched. The unique
island of Chiloe with its capital Castro, was our first stop. Castro,
situated on a hill with a steep drop to the port, is a town with colourful
wooden houses, elevated on poles near the fjord. The island is famous
for its traditional woolen handicrafts. Salmon farming and seaweed harvesting
are the major sources of income for the islanders. From Chiloe, we headed
to one of Chiles most beautiful regions – The Lake District. Fruttilar,
a town influenced by German settlers on Lago Llanquihue, has beautiful
views of the volcano Osorno. It was our first stopover. Another great
place, was the small town of Villarica on the lake of the same name, with
an active snow-capped volcano, letting off gentle smoke all day long.
We were fascinated by all these beautiful lakes, set in lush farmland
and overlooked by volcanoes. Santiago, the political and financial capital
of Chile, with magnificent views of the Andes, was our next destination.
While we were waiting for our motorbike to be serviced, we had plenty
of time to explore the centre, the parks, museums, markets and the vineyards
of the Maipo Valley. Valparaiso, a bohemian town spread out over 42 hills
(cerros), was also fun. Its famous districts Alegre and Concepcion, with
multicoloured houses, mansions and shacks built on the hills, (UNESCO
world heritage), offered superb views over the harbor and bay. Steep winding
roads, steps, lifts and funicular railways, (dating from the 19th century)
were the only way to reach this area. The historic trolley buses were
the perfect means of transport to explore the lower city. Some of them,
originate from Switzerland. The long and winding road across the Andes
to Mendoza/Argentina, zigzags steeply through a series of hairpin bends,
before reaching the top at 3’100 m. Riding on our newly serviced
BMW was wonderful and literally breathtaking, also because of the altitude.
Mendoza at the foot of the Andes, with first class vineyards and its many
superb restaurants, had our taste buds tingling! Many fine bottles of
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were, of course, drunk with our tasty meals.
From the small town of Valle San Augustin further north, we visited the
Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, also known as “Valle de la Luna”,
famous for its bizarre moon like landscape and the Parque Nacional Talampaya
with its dramatic pale red mountains. Salta, a very atmospheric city with
many nice colonial buildings, elegant plazas and beautiful churches, had
a Swiss cable car up to the hills of San Bernardo. Here, we ate fantastic
Argentinean steaks barbecued on an open wood fire. A rough, unpaved road,
lead us from Humahuaca over the 4’000 m Abra del Condor to Iruya,
a small mountain village wedged on a hillside, from where we crossed the
border to Bolivia.
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| Itinary
Villa La Angostura (Chile), Osorno, Castro (Isla Grande de Chiloe), Fruttilar,
Villarica, Temuco, Talca, Santiago, Valparaiso, Los Andes, Upsallata,
Mendoza (Argentina), Maipu Valley, Valle San Augustin, Parque Ischigualasto,
Parque Talampaya, La Roija, Tucuman, Cafayate, Salta, Humahuaca, Iruya,
La Quijaca
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Highlights
Castro (Isla de Chiloe), Fruttilar, Villarica, Santiago, Valparaiso, Mendoza,
Parque Ischigualasto, Parque Talampaya, Cafayate, Salta, Humahuaca, Iruya
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