The day after arriving in Valparaiso i was offered a steel crate that had actually come from Australia so i had a trial fitting in the garden of Villa Kunterbunt. It seemed to fit so i accepted i dont really like steel crates as they are hard to modify if the need arises. I then rode Herbert to the port and logged him in leaving him in the storage shed for the next day of crating at the port.
The next morning was spent at Customs getting all the exit paperwork finalised, this all went smoothly and the afternoon was going to be for crating my bike and recieving someones bike who was just starting his journey. Herbert didnt quite fit it was too tight with panners and other luggage so i started stripping the bike down until i had enough room to squeeze everything in. The crate was then clad in cardboard and plastic wrap the whole process taking about 5 hours. I then had the next four days kicking about in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Over the next few days i watched a procession of bikes come and go, all in groups, travelling for the winter vacation time in Europe. The last morning in Chile i awoke at around 4am to what i thought was a strange dream of a shaking house, an earthquake i thought or just imagining it. Then two hours later it was confirmed with a big and longer shake, the walls and ceiling swaying and the bed moving across the floor. The shock waves continued all day then at the airport a big goodbye with the whole biulding swaying for around 20 seconds. It stopped people in their tracks, lots of scared and worried faces. It was then time to board the plane and say goodbye taking a last look at the Andes the mountains i had crisscrossed for the last months, the mountains that had amazed me, thrilled me, frightened me but always left me in awe. What next!
