Santiago Chile Day 6-Dec 14 13

 

Saturday morning in Santiago like a Sunday at home…..most stores closed for the day except the large 7 story mall down the street. I had dinner there tonight on the 7th floor Cafeteria. Take Georgian Mall and make it 7 stories…….the Christmas tree is that tall.

After a light breakfast, we headed out for a walk to find some bolts to attach the bike plates. Antonio was anxious to try out his bike on some quite back streets……I decided against this as we still require insurance.As it turned out after applying the plate, Antonio’s bike battery was lifeless and the kick start no better. Called the Dealer, but they closed at 2 pm. On Monday Antonio’s bike will need to be picked up by the dealer. My bike started ok…..the batteries are a known problem but maybe as it came straight of the truck his battery was low out the door. So insurance on Monday and bike repairs. Unable to apply for homoglacion papers until Wednesday.

Random picks on our walk about…………………………….. Justin Beiber fan Club Rally. Maybe he is in Town….. Walking towards the older part of the city….. Here I abandoned Antonio as my injured foot and hip from June was not up to all the walking….took the Metro back to the hotel and went out for dinner.

 

Santiago Chile Day 5-Dec13 13

 

Friday THE 13TH, a day to some who prefer to bunker down in the safety of their home. MAYBE  I should of stayed in bed. Antonio and I set out on foot to the Solicitud de Primera Inseripcion at 551 Avenda Miguel Claro about 2 miles away. Here we would register and acquire plates. only needed Passport, Invoice and RUT……just about there and a terrible feeling compelled me to look in the computer bag for my passport….NOT THERE…..it had been in my pocket but I had moved it before leaving the hotel to the bag. Thinking I had left it at the Hotel, I jumped on the Metro and was back at the hotel in 10 minutes……no passport…….now I am perspiring, my heart is racing, now what, I am stuck in Chile, Antonio was expecting me back within 25 minutes. I race down to reception and Jessica who speaks little English puts me through to the Canadian Consulate. Turns out it is only a ten minute walk and is located at THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE guess they can now use that name……is the 13th getting any better. Apparently, I need to come over and get some forms and then a police report all with no hablo espanol . We close at 2pm and its now 11 am….no problem I am close by. They tell me that Monday will be the earliest they can process my request…are you heading home…no is my reply…ok come over. I find my way to the 12th floor and walk through the door, but 1st I go through a security check, my camera is taken from me, pockets emptied then the rest of me put through the x-ray machine…….no alarms go off…..over to the wicket with its bullet proof glass. In Spanish which I can barely hear through the glass as the speaker is not working, she wants to know what I want….NO ESPANOL…I respond…..somewhAT TAKEN back as this is the CANADIAN CONSULATE and I would expect that both languages if not 3 would be spoken,,,nada…ok now sign language and photo copy of my passport….she seems to understand and makes a tele call…..shortly there after hands me papers to fill out…….apparently, I will be interrogated after there completion…..while sitting there I observed others being let out…..no visible signs of trama so this should be ok. Almost finished the forms when the guard and a pretty young senorita approach me….the guard says is this your passport….he repeats it 3 times as my gaze has not left the eyes of this chica, I am lost in thought, YES YES I say now feeling ecstatic. GRACIAS,GRACIAS is all I can say and I shake the young ladies hand.

Back on the Metro, I try to retrace my steps back to where I left Antonio……one wrong turn and I find that I am 3 blocks in the wrong direction. Three hours has lapsed, I was only going to be 25 minutes. I getting near the address when I hear BOB,BOB….look across the street and see Antonio waving. Inside the gated compound he informs me to get a ticket number…..I am given 81…..he is 66…..approximately a half hour passes….he is called and within minutes headed out with plates in hand. He leaves # 81 to fend for himself, I assure him that CHARM will get me through this and he leaves. They close and lock the gates, only way out is by security unlocking and letting you out. Another hour passes and the last person standing is called, moi. I am let out 10 minutes later…….only problem I had was not understanding that she was asking me the colour of the bike, finally she pointed at the invoice where the colour had been written……not knowing the word for blue, I tapped the counter which happened to be blue. After that episode when it came to the finger printing of the papers she simply grabbed my hand arm wrestled it to turn it over and smeared the right thumb with black ink and forced it on to the sheet of paper. Not asking for the money from the stupid gringo, she saw that I was holding it and just motioned for me to let go.

I strolled leisurely back to the hotel taking a few pics THE REGISTERIO SELLING xmas wrap

ALL IN ALL THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DAY-I TRULY BELIEVE IN GOD AND WHY HE HAS PULLED ME OUT OF A BAD SITUATION AGAIN, i CAN ONLY GUESS.I AM INDEDITED BIG TIME.

Tomorrow if they are open we will look into insurance, may have to wait till next week an ELECTION is on Sunday,

              

Santiago Chile Day 4-Dec 12 13

 

Today we set out thinking that the process to purchase the bikes would be smooth. All we had to do was come up with a Million Pesos. Both Antonio and I deal at Scotia Bank and 3 are within a block of our hotel.

Turns out we can only withdraw 200,000 per day…..that will take 5 days. Antonio gets 200,000 which was the test run. My card was rejected as being invalid, so I resort to back up 1, Wells Fargo Arizona USA….no luck. My PIN has 2 characters in it and the machine only takes numbers….so folks looks like Well’s is useless out of country. Next up is my Royal USA debit card at some branch in Georgia……it spits out 200,000. Off to the Dealer via the Metro and a 20 minute walk….I should be getting in great shape…I have put more miles on these shoes in 4 days than I have in 4 years. We reason that the deal will go south, but no, they agree to accepting payment via credit card but we are responsible for the registration. Turns out this had been a misunderstanding. OK, as this was what I had been led to believe through the Horizon  Unlimited and Adventure Rider Community.

Antonio parting with 950,000 pesos. The bikes are up above in the garage getting a go over as both had arrived the day before. Bare in mind, we have a bill of sale, no insurance but told its ok to ride to our Home Address……..ya right just pray for no accident or policia. Within a block Antonio’s bike quits…..he gets it going and we continue with 5 more stalls in traffic no less……he now has had to resort to kick starting and we make it home with the intent of going back to the Dealer in the morning. Antonio checks the clutch lever and notices a wire dislodged. Inserts it and troubles over. Bikes are currently in a Locked Compound…hope they are there tomorrow….  Mine is the working blue one………

This city is vibrant……now bare in mind I am from the sticks, so more than 10 moving items on a street are a big deal to me. Though my pics may not illustrate it, this city is alive with young to middle age folks. Many fashionable beautiful women. Spiked heels are the norm. These pics are taken around 7 pm…..            about to check the shops below ground THESE PICS taken with a quarter mile of our hotel…….

Santiago Chile Day 3 Dec 11 13

 

Early start across the city by Meto sub….2 lines…then a 20 minute walk to the Dealer…..2 hours wasted my contact no longer employed there and they have no Euromots in stock. Another long walk back to the Metro and back to a Dealer on Lira St that we first talked to…well I should say Antonio as Yo no espanol which is making Antonio somewhat annoyed……He bargined a deal for cash with helmets,licence, insurance and all paper work for 1 million 20,000 pesos….bike was 930,000 of that.

It was a long tiring day for me as my back is still not up to scratch……or maybe I am showing my age….SUCKs. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to get these funds from a bank with our debit cards as usually you are limited to so much a day. They don’t want to deal Visa at the Dealer.

Pics for the day……  yellow,gre en,red lines are subway.Down the street the tallest building in Santiago…………………………………………….  Part of our walk to the Dealer with no bike as far as you can see…..35 degrees. That’s Antonio in the distance.   Antonio wanted the blue one…i hate Red but he did the deal so I put up no fuss…….but low and behold a truck pulls up with this in its inventory and I snag this one….. Still wrapped……LOL a park on our walk back where I needed to rest…………………………………………………………………………………… Our Hotel Walk over to the 7 storey mall…. This is the largest mall I have ever seen I think Antonio was hinting at this bottle for Christmas…….this is inside a room within the Grocery Store at the Mall…….the Havana cigars didn’t go unnoticed by Eagle Eye Antonio.

Tomorrow the adventure continues as we try to get the cash for the motos….

Chile Day 1/2 Dec 9/10 13

 

Dec 8/9/10 ……long day and evening at the Toronto Airport. Bus dropped me off at 430 pm Plane left at Midnight. Wasn’t able to check bags until 730….then to put in time I walked about with my carry ons which maxed out for weight and set off all the alarms at the xray counter…..You have tools in there they said….replied si……need for my Moto…..head shaking they open up and pull out a set of allan keys,,,,,lethal weapon, then a stubby screw driver, next up was an oversized ALLAN for removing the Wheel…….then the Electric Beard Clipper. Supervisor called over, the security guy waves the Electric Clipper at him pointing to the plastic prongs on the end and then shows him that blunt Allan Key that bmight knock someone out and in total discuss, the supervisor tells me to get my boots on and GO…….I’m through with all my goods……they didn’t even Question the 3 plastic bags of RAM hardware that could be assembled into a pistol or billy club…..but that Electric Clipper was….I am not quite sure about that.

Slept about an hour, head jerks would quickly awaken me as I fell over , likely would have been in the aisle had it not been for the seat belt. Some of you might be wondering how I made out with the back pain….well I endured as I moved my luggage with a Cart and the 10 hours plus on the plane with occasional short walks seem to help it. Can not say the same for the mileage, Antonio who met me at the airport made me cover on foot the last 2 days. NO, we didn’t walk from the airport as Antonio in his French/ Italian accent , speaking Espanol talked the bus driver into taking us for 11.00 each. Taxi wanted 50.00 US. Dropped of at the address but now we are standing there with no Hotel Piso 1 which we declared on our Visa as our address…….after wondering in short circle we are standing in front of the no displayed name hotel which is called Bosque Tobalaba. Walk inside to the reception which is in the basement……Yes you are at Piso 3…….what about Piso 1…….you sent the confirmation under that name…..yes we have your reservation and that will be 490.00 USA in cash which we pay and get a receipt. Actually sounds suspicious but I am mesmerized by the Latino Manager and further more don’t have a clue what Antonio is saying in Espanol. Long story, we settle in and Antonio decides we are going for a neighbour hood walk,,,,,,turns out to be a walk to the Metro Subway and then what seems to me to be a 5 k walk to Lira Street which is suppose to be a bike and accessory heaven…..after the k’s are walked, he is correct and they are selling everything you could possibly need in the moto World.

Now I had the impression this was 3rd World, was I wrong…..this city of 6 million has malls as big or bigger than TO and every creature comfort you could possibly want.

Today the 10th we again take the subway to Central Rut Office…well within a few k….more walking……..2 wrong offices after waiting in long lines a pretty RUT officer gives us the forms we require and asks us where we are residing. Providencia at Hotel Piso……O sorry she replies you are in the wrond district. She gives Antonio new directions to the other side of the city. ( very pleasant CHICA and easy on my tired eyes…Antonio doesn’t notice ) Another long walk and subway ride back in the direction we started and beyond……..finally find it….in no time the male clerk has us signed out and now we are on our way to the dealer…..long walk turns out to be false location it is the other side of the city….now so far I have followed Antonio but its my turn to ask for directions, so as we are in a mall I go up to the information clerk and in my best spanish…..no hablo espanol, hablo inglais….no problem he replies, I speak English. Where you from…Canada…. and you….Mexico. I tell him of my Moto trip in Mexico last year and he asks for my Impression….Well I told him the truth and he said with almost a tear in his eyes…Thank you for the kind words and proceeded to locate where we should be….sorry is his comment you need to go to the other side of the city. I thank him find Antonio and we go to TGI Fridays for Cervaza as we are very thirsty, one becomes 2 as we prepare for the long, long walk back to the Metro….bikes will wait until tomorrow….did I say this is a beautiful  vibrant city with friendly happy people….. The madness of the Rut office

Euromot 200 GXT-Dec 06 13

 

http://www.motosvision.cl/euromot/modelos/GXT-200/gxt-200.html

Click on the above……….this is the bike we are considering…..which seems to be the most reliable of the Chinese motos we have researched and are available in Chile. Price $ 999,900.00, seems like a lot but that is Chilean pesos or $ 1882.00 US at yesterday’s exchange rate. It also our understanding that this includes the tax. Shipping my moto was estimated with crating to cost $ 2000.00 each way. Hopefully, we will be able to climb the mountains with all our gear…LOL.

Injured my back on Tuesday and having difficulty walking, but I am determined and will fly out as scheduled and recover on route. May be difficult moving my 75 lbs of STUFF ………..any porters out there.

Next post will be from Chile………..

Flying into Santiago, Chile-Dec 9th 2013

 

Soon I will be on my way, bags are packed,passport and reservation confirmation for lodging checked. I have a few loose ends to take care of and will be good to go………mi espanol esta en la necesidad de un vocabulario mayor…..I am only at lesson 9 on Duolingo which is a free on line language course…..highly recommend. Our accomodations are at Hotel Piso 3 in an area downtown known as Providencia. On the map above it is just below the # 13 about 22 k from the airport.

I will be meeting Antonio Virgini who will be flying in from Montreal. He will arrive 3 hours before me, but will wait for my arrival as he is aware of my limited language skills.Habla espanol,frances e ingles.

Hopefully Tuesday, we will be able to get our Tax Certificate…referred to as a R.U.T. This enables us as foreign tourist to purchase a moto in Chile. Next we will need to go to a different office to register the bike and once we have insurance get plates and ownership papers. We will now be able to legally ride through Chile but not out of the country. We will be waiting for  a form which gives us permission to leave the country which takes a week or two.

.wwwuromot.cl/modelos/multiproposito/interna.php