We left Valparaiso and cycled north around the bay to the tip of Vina del Mar, where we stayed with another Couchsurfing host. Gaby is a German immigrant who has lived in Chile since she was a teenager. We stayed with her for just one night as we were heading north. She lives in a beautiful area which is popular for local tourism during the summer months. This part of the bay used to have a large colony of sealions along the coast. But as hotels and restaurants spread along the bay, the sealions have become fewer and fewer. They now have one small rocky island where they breed.
Chile’s Troubled Past
From Vina Del Mar we cycled north, unfortunately we hadn’t planned ahead properly and we ran out of water. We assumed that there would be plenty of small shops along the road. But when we left Vina del Mar, the road was quite remote. This meant that we couldn’t camp at some of the beautiful spots we saw on the way. We headed into a town called Ventanas to buy some water, eat some food and possibly camp on the beach there. In the restaurant we were told it isn’t safe to camp in that town, so I looked for an official campsite close by. I just finished a call with the owner of the campsite, when a woman came over to our table and asked if I spoke English. Of course, I said yes. She then offered to help us with any translation. I thanked her but explained that I was just speaking to the campsite owner to find a place to stay. She looked at her husband and asked if she could invite us. He agreed and then they invited us to stay in their place.
That evening we talked with this couple and found out the interesting history of their lives and of Chile’s politics. They met when they were teenagers, through an organised church group. They would have meetings to raise money and help the less fortunate members of their community. Unfortunately, it was during the dictatorship of General Pinochet. At that time the government was very suspicious of any public gatherings and would arrest people. Some people would disappear and have never been found to this day. So this couple were arrested and it took a while for them to be released. After they were released they managed to go to Australia as refugees. They have lived in Australia ever since.
Chile is going through an interesting time politically. The country will soon vote on a new constitution. This is a big moment in their history as the current constitution was made during the dictatorship. It has been really interesting talking to the different people we have met and asking their opinions about it. Most people seem to support the ideas of the new constitution, however, some people are concerned about how it will be implemented. There are some groups who are saying that the new constitution is communist and that it will ruin Chile. However, as with other countries, communism is often used as a scary thing to scare people away from voting for real change. The couple we stayed with had only returned to Chile because of the new constitution. They see it as a new era in Chile’s history and they want to be here to see it. They plan to open a small farmstay and help homeless people to get back on their feet.
Disaster Strikes
We left Las Ventanas and continued cycling north. The weather was pretty bad, wind and rain. But not for too long. Then we were cycling towards a small town called Cachagua when disaster struck. I was cycling behind Huong, heading down a long hill, when I saw her front wheel swerving from side to side as she started to lose control. She went down and slid a little before coming to a stop. I cycled to her and jumped off my bike to see how she was. I moved her stuff out of the road and got out my first aid kit. She had a cut on her chin, her hand and a pretty bad cut on her left knee. But luckily nothing was broken. A few cars stopped and asked if we were ok. But then a guy in a truck stopped and asked if we needed help. He offered to take us to a hospital, but we just asked if there were any cheap hotels where we could rest. We got the bikes into the truck and drove into Cachagua. He pulled up next to the hospital and his daughter, Cote, just happened to be walking in the street there. She spoke English and we explained that we were looking for a cheap place to rest. She thought for a moment and then offered to let us stay in her house with her.
The Kindness of Strangers
We were blown away with the kindness of this family. We went to their house and rested. The next day we took Huong to a local clinic where they cleaned and dressed the wounds but they told her she would need to rest for a few weeks until she could start cycling again. Cote said we could stay with her as long as we needed. Huong spent some time resting around the house and working online. I would also stay in the house, but also explore Cachagua a little. The town is a really beautiful little coastal town with two beaches and a penguin colony.
We were so lucky that Huong wasn’t hurt more seriously and that we met such a generous and welcoming family. These kinds of things never seem to happen when I’m living my normal life living in one place. But out on the road I am always surprised by how wonderful people can be.
