2/27

Stopped where cops were checking papers to ask about next gas station

Told them I’d never seen cops on small BMWs before

Next thing I know they’re letting me take a picture of them and sitting on their bikes.

All the cops here are very nice as well as helpful, in fact, that goes for everyone, people are super nice, friendly, and like to talk and ask questions,  pretty much no problems over all except for two minor disputes over Booking.com reserved prices.  Haven’t felt any safety concerns at all.

BnB family I stayed with 

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Didn’t ask them what the second one was but…….

First multiple animal sign I’ve ever seen

Looks like a mountain lion, some kind of badger, a  “I don’t know what” and a snake sign.

Sign says wildlife crossing

Great restaurant service and another first

When the waiter asked me if I wanted lemon for my fish, I said yes and he brought fresh squeezed lemon juice

 Another instance of the bike is better, because these half a dozen old Volkswagens, including the black one here, which is a 52 and only the third year model, I believe, were causing a major traffic holdup. Nobody wanted to pass the whole line of them, because not very many straightaways allowing passing. However, I just went over the double line and took them all at once. Crossing the double is popular pastime because the speed limits are ridiculously slow and out in the countryside A lot of slow vehicles hold up traffic.

Only strawberries for sale and at a 60 cents a pound s a pretty good deal

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Lots of coastline views like this

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Free range turkeys

So, the further north, I go the warmer it’s getting thank goodness. The nights are not very cool at all anymore just perfect for me although I know a lot of people who will think it is too hot.

There are thousands of little motorcycles around but 90% of them are food deliveries because so many people don’t have cars and if you want something that you don’t want to cook then you call up the delivery bike

Ambulances and cop cars drive with their lights flashing all the time, but not with their sirens on. I guess it just makes them much more visible.

While in the restaurant yesterday I felt the whole floor moving and turns out it was a small earthquake, I hadn’t felt one of those in quite a while

While eating breakfast yesterday I knew that my apricot jam was homemade because when I bit down on it a 1 inch long pit was in the middle of the jam.

Not a lot of American cars here but a fair number of American pick ups although I have seen three mustangs including two Shelby GT‘s which means big money and  a Camaro but most of the cars are Econo boxes from Japan or China or Korea with a few Indian models that we never see because of DOT safety restrictions 

One of the main products in Chile, of course is wood and most people are burning wood for heating and cooking even though a lot of people are selling bags of charcoal beside the road. Most people are using just regular wood and beside almost every house is a big stack of wood for winter I guess but one house which I didn’t get a picture of because I was passing by at the time had the whole front yard 4 feet deep in wood there was absolutely no place to walk, but the guy was completely ready for winter 

Even though Chile is known for having great wine, it’s also known for having good coffee but most of the time when I’m in a hotel I’m getting instant I can’t believe it, only in the big cities in a good hotel do you get real coffee with your Buffet breakfast, other than that it’s instant. 

Except for the insane traffic jam because of the detour due to the giant fire near Concepción, every day is a great riding day. Most days include mountains, beaches, hairpins, sweepers with a few straightaway thrown into to let you pass, well let other people pass but for me. passing is no problem. I’m passing over the double yellow all the time.