The chook episode

Yesterday I ran over a chook 🐔

In an Earth Cruiser 🚚

And that was that 😲

I nearly wet myself.

Twice.

The other times I just cried 😂😂😂

2017-04-21 Day 5

We don't have early starts here. The sun doesn't either! She pokes her head up around 8.30am so not point in leaving before daylight.

Headed back to the Rut 5 and then exited to the west towards the ocean and Valdivia.

We drove through Valdivia. One of the interesting items in this town is a ship graveyard. There were at least 20 smallish cargo ships all lined up in rows on land, as we rounded a corner we saw the rails from the river up to the grave yard, which solved one mystery. We have no idea whether it was a ship chop shop or ????

Stayed at a ocean lookout over night

2017-04-20 Day 4

As our tentative plan is to get to Puerto Montt then work back up north slowly we traveled on Rut 5, the highway.  The high way has tolls of anything between $600 and $2500 pesos. We were charged as "class 2" a normal car the magic words being "motorhome", when we were asked to pay more we just showed the other receipts and all was well. We are not sure how it was charged. If you exit, it was usually $600 but if you stay on it was $2500.
We exited at Chillan and stayed the night near a river.

2017-04-19 Day 3

We followed the coast south. Houses most of way along. one town had been built as a resort town. Amazing infrastructure and massive hotels and not a person in sight. Admittedly it is the beginning of winter and a public holiday but still.

We perched above an inlet and small town in front of a drive way with for sale sign.  Two little birds came visiting.

2017-04-18 Day 2

A drive into Valparaiso to do a last minute shop. We had noticed a gas station near by and thought it would be a safe place to park. However the gas station, empty over the weekend, was mainly a car park and full. But on chatting to the attendant and boss, who had some English, John was able to park at the bowser and await me.

A quick pack of cold things into the fridge, then a drive out of town. John had chosen the route while I was shopping.  Up ,up, up & up we went on very narrow streets. We headed for a nearby lighthouse which we found unaccessible beyond a locked gate, so found a place in the trees with a small ocean view.

We had the late afternoon and evening to reacquaint ourselves with all we had packed on board the Earth Cruiser early February. We also needed to find space for all the food we had just bought and our packs we had lived out of for the last 6 weeks.

2017-04-17 Monday EC Released from captivity

Monday 17th at 11am I sent Mario a WhatsApp to ask him to contact Eric and see what was happening.

Reply came back that said Eric had just rung and the container would be open at 12 so Mario was coming to pick us up.
A fast 40 min drive up the hill(towards Santiago) to Placilla de Penuelas to meet Eric.
We did not have our safety boots and the office only had two pairs, so Mario and I in boots, hard hat and safety vest, went into the yards to find the container. Upon arrival the container was open and the last of the nailed down pieces of wood were being removed(they were to stop the vehicle moving sideways).
All four guys were a bit concerned how to get into EC There was no room to walk down the side of her. I took the keys and my phone, crawled under EC up over the bull bar and in the drivers window. With flashlight I found my way to the fuse cupboard and switched the batteries back on.
She started straight away and was reversed out to be parked, locked and left. - More waiting ?

Back to the office. Paper work needed to be taken to customs near the port which closed at 2 for siesta time.  A very quick trip back down to the port. John had wisely opted to travel with Eric and a seat belt!

The thought, for the customs, was we would put the paper work in and pick it up at 4 if necessary. But no, they outdid themselves and we walked out with the paper work. Yes! Back up to the container this time via Mario's house so he could get boots, then to Eric’s house so he could grab another hard-hat to enable us all access to the restricted area.

Wasn’t to be, they had no shoes available so I put on Eric's Wife's shoes, which were a little small but they would do, but John had to wait again.

The customs agent had a little English and a daughter in Perth so there was a connection.

Off we went again to EC this time for the inspection he checked the Vin number and looked in the cab. I opened her up and raised the roof and in he went. Looked in a few drawers and asked if we had any wooden things. Yes I replied, outside.  The levelling blocks were of no interest and he left.

EC was locked and left again. More waiting?

Back to the office and payment to make.   $120 paid and she was cleared. Eric and I walked back to EC and drove her out the gate. Yippee our holiday could begin!!

John got into the drivers seat and we went to a shopping centre for lunch.

Eric and Mario left and we did a more relaxed shop together as it was a more relaxed area and EC was in the car park not on the street.

By that time we realized we would not get out of town before dark so decided to stay outside Mario's apartment. After a cautious drive into town we packed up the apartment and drove out to Mario's place. Parked, had a cup of tea with Mario and his mother, then to bed. I was pretty stuffed..

We both had a good sleep even though the “campsite” was not up to our usual standard. But safety was more the issue.

Valparaiso and the wait

On the Tuesday 11th April at around 21.15 as John took a break from his teleconference meeting The good ship NKY Leo came into Valparaiso & berthed. On board lots of Red containers and one in particular with an Earth Cruiser inside.


Wednesday was just a day to wait as unloading was happening and it’d be at least another day, so we decided to lengthen our accommodation booking for another day, hoping that sometime on Thursday we’d have the vehicle.
Our shipping agent PAL who had just merged with Tradewings gave me their agents contact details for helping with the receivable process.



I duly rang Eric and his English was poorer than my Spanish so a WhatsApp to our new friend Mario who had befriended us in the markets. Mario rang Eric and arranged a meeting in our accommodations foyer.
They both arrived and with Mario translating we found out that it would be Monday at the earliest before we saw EC22 as the container was still not cleared, and Friday was Easter and nothing would happen for the whole weekend. Although sad we were ready for that info. More waiting
We went to lunch with Mario and had a meal in a local restaurant.
An email from our agent saying that the bill must be paid before we can pick the vehicle up. We set up a international payment hoping that with Good Friday etc. the payment would still make it by Monday.
Next to lengthen our stay in our apartment till Tuesday. Sadly our lovely SW apartment on the 20th floor over looking the port and town was unavailable. After a little search we found another apartment in the same building, this time on the NE corner on 13th floor so all good. We did have to pack but we did get clean sheets and towels and another lovely view. We could still see the port and the northern parts of Valparaiso. Back to waiting
The waiting was hard.
Good Friday, we had a wonder around town, a lot of palm frond icons and little baskets were being sold for Easter. The local cathedral was packed impressively/depressingly full.
On Saturday after creating a shopping list we went out to several supermacados just to see where we could buy the provisions we required.
We found all of it between two large supermacados. Back home to twiddle our thumbs.
More waiting
Finally organised Maria from Arequipa to post Johns glasses to Puerto Mont. They will take 16-20 days to get there.
Back to the waiting.