To the Coast of Chile

We were happy to have arrived in Calama and to have found nice accommodations, but both of us at that stage of the trip were eager to get to see the Pacific Ocean again and to get to Santiago. Thus, after our usual continental breakfast of rolls and coffee, starting my bike with the use of my new miniature jumper cables, and gassing up, we were speeding along Ruta 25 and heading for the Pan American Highway along the coast. We were also happy to be riding at lower altitudes with higher octane gas, as the bikes had been decidedly pokey with low octane Bolivian gas and altitudes of 12,000 to 15,000 feet. We were now at about 8,000 feet and headed for sea level. The landscape was again a barren desert with mountains in the distance. From time to time something interesting would show up on the side of the road.

But a lot of it was listening to the Ipod or goofing off with the camera...to pass the time.

We had decided to stop at the small fishing port of Taltal on the Pacific after weighing the options presented in the Lonely Planet. It turned out to be a great decision. In the early afternoon, we branch off the PanAm and headed for the town of Paposo on the coast, which is north of Taltal. The ride from Paposo to Taltal proved to be one of the most memorable rides of our journey. The windy road hugged the coastline with spectacular ocean views on the right and volcanic mountains on the left plunging into the sea.

Taltal itself is a very pleasant small fishing town with a pretty square and an interesting downtown area.

We stayed at the Hotel Mi Tampi, which also exceeded our expectations in terms of hospitality and elegance. On the recommendation of the hotel owners, we walked up the coastal road to a local family-style restaurant that specialized in the fresh catch of the day. Once again, our “late lunch” was also dinner in view of the hour of the day and the size of the portions.

On the following morning, we made our way back to the PamAm in a heavy fog. However, once we were a few miles inland, the fog cleared and we were again speeding south in the arid landscape that is northern Chile.

Our destination was La Serena, the location of which would put us on a schedule of arriving in Santiago at a decent hour on the following day, in time to get situated at a hotel and to visit the BMW dealership to make arrangements for service. While the landscape was becoming monotonous, the light traffic and smooth road enabled us to make “good time,” fortunately without interference by the authorities. We arrived in La Serena in the late afternoon and, after prowling the streets of the city for a time, selected a modest hotel for our evening stay. Once again, we found a great little restaurant that served the catch of the day.