We reach Santiago nice and early where we catch with no problems the motorway N3.
As we leave again the Chilean capital I can only think that this town is a bit of a magnet: we keep coming back here and in fact we have already scheduled 2 flights to come back in 8 days and in 13 days.
Yes, this is a bit strange but somehow necessary.
Last week, while we were walking around the central station area, we spotted a LAN office.
We decided to pop in, mainly to see if there was a cheap ticket for S Pedro de Atacama and instead we left overjoyed as we managed to snatch a spectacular all inclusive package for Easter Island!
The only issue is that the flight to Easter Island is scheduled for the 25th of November and the flight back to Santiago for the 29th.
This is giving us some concerns as we have to catch a boat in Ushuaia to go to Antarctica on the 10th of December and Santiago is a long way from Ushuaia.
For this reason we have decided to drive the bike south at least 1000kms, visit the lake district for few days, park the BMW in Temuco on the 23rd, fly back to Santiago on the 24th, go to Easter Island for 5 days, and finally fly back first to Santiago and immediately after to Temuco on the 30th to pick up the bike and rush down to Ushuaia in 10 days.........
Ok, difficult but not impossible.
We had planned everything: flights, hotels, places to see, etc.
What we had not planned was for the bike to breakdown (again), this time in the middle of the motorway, 400 kms south of Santiago.
As I am overtaking a car I suddenly feel the bike’s engine first clogging and then losing power.
I drive immediately on the right side where the bike switches off completely.
A familiar message appears on the screen: IGN OFF!!!!
It is a strange feeling to find yourself on the side of a motorway, in the middle of fields and vineyards, in a very foreign land.
At first we get off the bike and remove our jackets as the day is fairly hot.
I make a couple of attempts to switch the bike on again but I already know that this is an electric fault, well beyond my already limited mechanic skills.
In the meantime huge trucks are darting through the motorway and we can feel the waves of air they move with their masses.
There is no petrol station and no building in sight and yet for no specific reason I begin to push the bike forward.
Deep inside my hope is that the movement alone might miraculously fix the problem.
I stop after few minutes, put the key in the ignition hole and turn it....the screen lights up I press the start and the bike switches on.....we are safe!!!
We put on the jackets and jump on the bike.
As I put in first gear and accelerate the bike........ dies on me again.
It’s not looking good, however this is the proof that my strategy could work. I keep pushing.
We probably cover another 500 meters when I notice a car parked in front of us, taking all the space in the hard shoulder.
Now, with all the places, did this guy really had to park here? How am I going to overtake him?
Certainly I am not pushing the bike in the middle of the road with trucks and cars coming at 100kms +.
As I am approaching the car, the driver opens the door and comes out.
“guys, do you need some help?” he asks in friendly Spanish.
What Hector Contreras meant with “some help”, as we discovered later, is “would you like me to take the afternoon off, call the free rescue service.....
wait 20 minutes for them to turn up, convince them not to drop you at the first service station.....
but instead to take you to my brother’s hotel.......
where I will be able to call with my mobile the BMW in Santiago, wait on hold for a good 30 minutes and finally speak to someone to organise a pickup truck to take the bike and yourselves back to Santiago?
Ah by the way my brother’s hotel comes with all comforts, from swimming pool to restaurant, a huge garden and even a full size football pitch........
so all you need to do is to relax while I organise all this for you”.
Yes, all the above really happened.
We met Hector as strangers on the motorway next to Villa Allegre and he took care of us just like you take care of a good old friend.
At 7pm Hector had to leave as an urgent work matter required his attention but then he joined us for dinner at 9pm.
As if he had not done enough for us he offered to spend the following day with us and take us to the Beer festival in the area in the event BMW could not organise the Pick up on time.
The following morning I was very surprised, and a bit sad, to receive a phone call from BMW at 9am sharp saying that the pick up would be at the hotel by 10.30.
Although this was really helping with our tour plans we were sad that we could not spend the day with Hector at the beer festival.
We called him to give him the good/bad news and left heading to Santiago, this time sitting on a pickup truck.
Over the years, while travelling on motorcycle, we found ourselves in need of help in fairly remote places and yet we always found people going the extra mile to help us. Like when in Aleppo a complete stranger decided to show us the way to our hotel, stopped an oncoming taxi (with a client on board) and drove us to our destination and finally left by saying "Syrian hospitality".
This time I truly believe we met an exceptional person who reminded us with his behaviour the true meaning of generosity.
Thank you Hector
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