Badlanders MCC Website

 

Okay folks

 

No doubt you will be wondering what’s been happening for the last few days in Punto Arenas. Let’s put it this way- any weight that I took off in the 570km of cycling to get here, I have put right back on again with the delish food here in Punto Arenas. King crab, scallops and smoked salmon for starters followed by my main meal which included a steak, rolled like a beef olive, but with King crab inside......on a bed of cubed potatoes with a sprinkling of a blackcurrant sauce. Delish and i mean delish. I haven’t found a bad restaurant yet.

 

First night was spent at the B&B where Manuel dropped me off. However, paper thin walls and a guy in the next room who spent the night fighting in his sleep, whilst banging walls and screaming what must have been profanities in Spanish, prompted me to look elsewhere.  I would have taken to my tent onto the central  reservation if I had to. Fortunately I didn’t.  I found the Hostal Calafate just off the main Plaza, which is a great hostel. I spent an extra couple of quid to have my own bathroom! I know...what do I think I am on? ......A luxury holiday!!! Seemed worth it, given that I knew I was going to be here for a few days.

 

The next task was getting my bike, trailer and panniers from B&B to the Hostel. I decided to see if I could get someone to do a welding job on the spindle and after a bit of searching around, I found this Chevrolet garage. ( As in the song....buy me a Chevrolet, buy me a Chevrolet- ...don’t worry, just having a Robyn Ford moment!). After a bit of explaining, the man at the desk took the part through to the workshop. He invited me through and the mechanic was part way through soldering it together. After grinding it down, he gave me one...almost new spindle, albeit slightly squint! He said “debil”, which given the wrist snapping action, I assumed meant, that it was weak. I explained I was hoping to get new parts sent over from UK soon, it just needed to get me a few miles down the road! He clearly didn’t understand, but nevermind, I was nearly sorted and able to transfer my stuff. Unfortunately after getting everything ready, the Quik release spindle would not slot in. It required a bit more grinding. As they didn’t want any money for the soldering job, I didn’t really feel like pushing my luck and going back for a more work! However, after trying with some , “don’t laugh” sandpaper which my landlady insisted would work, I headed back to the garage. I don’t know what my apprehension was about! Within seconds, the spindle was back in the workshop, on the grinding machine. The young fitter looked at the bit that was soldered and said “devil”, however we both agreed it would work a short while. Now even in the UK, you would have had a sharp intake of breath and through gritted teeth and sigh! It’ll take about 10 days...we’ve got about twenty cars waiting!!!!!!!! Unless of course, you went to Tony Thompson at Morpeth!

 

I managed to get as far as the next street before the spindle buckled, but didn’t quite snap. I then pushed the bike and trailer down about four blocks to Hostel Calafate. I ordered two replacement quick release spindles from Craig at Edinburgh cycle Co-op, gave him the address to post it by the quickest possible means ( 5 working days). Silvano paid him and I could do nothing but settle down to a good night’s rest, but not until I enjoyed what the local restaurant had to offer.

 

I wandered the streets down to the sea front and saw the first ultra modern hotel I have seen since I left Buenos Aires. Designed spookily like the hull of a boat...(a bit like the Hammersmith building!), it turned out to be a casino and hotel ,”Dreams” which opened only four months ago! I walked into the reception and popped into the bar and snack lounge. I enjoyed a nice coffee and a huge piece of cheesecake for £3!  In an instant, I could tell that I was in a different price zone. As I was leaving, looking for El Bano and clearly lost, I was approached by the concierge, Claudio, who spoke excellent English and offered me a tour of the place. Turns out Claudio loves scotch eggs and used to eat them all the time when he worked on the Falkland Islands. I could tell! He said, sadly, I cannot get them here. I started to explain that they were quite easy to make. No he said....you cannot get the right sausage meat! Anyhow, he asked me what I was doing and I explained everything including me and the bike being blown off the road. He looked stunned and said ... “you were cycling from San Sebatstian in that wind yesterday”. I said ....”yes, afraid so”. “ Didn’t you know how bad it was?” He said. Oh yes, though it was fine when I left my hostel in San Sebastian. He then explained that they even cleared people of the top floors!!!!!! “ Of this building?”, I said. “Yes”, he replied. I pondered that for a moment.... A brand new building, not coping with 120km/hr winds! He then showed me all the damaged roofs along the docks. I’m not convinced by the assertion in the guide books...that there are less severe winds during the winter!

 

I’ve eaten, and eaten and eaten. .....no porridge, I am pleased to say!

 

I’ve tried to improve my Spanish. I’ve walked around and taken pictures of buildings. I’ve even spectated a Civic parade honouring the fire service, which included the unveiling a new fire appliance, adorned with a ribbon by some civic dignitary! It then went off into the crowds, sirens blaring, bells ringing and lights flashing. The event lasted three hours in a freezing cold temperatures. It had marching bands....(but nowhere near the standard of Morpeth Pipe Band, of course!). There was a military presence, with army, navy (I assumed) and RAF all with full colours, swords, rifles and bayonets! Unlike the male soldiers with their trousers, and no doubt some long johns underneath, the female soldiers were wearing skirts and were visibly shaking and turning blue!!

 

 I assumed that I had experienced an annual,  perhaps a one off event of some sort. When I got back to the Hostel, I asked the Manager at reception what this was in aid of. He explained that they have a parade every Sunday. Every Sunday!  Never again will I complain about an occasional civic event taking up a valuable weekend of cycling, football or more likely drinking and eating!. And Maureen........ I suspect that every Sunday might well have been a challenge beyond even you!!!!!

 

Anyway, better go; there’s some important eating to be done. I’m off to Puerto Natales tomorrow and, the following day, Torres del Paine for a couple of days. I return on Friday to, I hope, my bicycle parts. It will then be back on the road. Its been reasonably good weather up until today, which brought lots of snow and much colder temperatures. Typical, just to make the next stage of the journey all the more comfortable!!!!!!!!!