Never the way you planned…

Never the way you planned…

But that is part of the fun.  Jim and I met at the Seattle Taproom in SeaTac.  After enjoying a couple beers with lunch we were greeted by a small boy, 3 or 4 years old, walking by our table pulling his bag.  He said “Hi.” So we both replied then he looked at us and said, “You’re old.”   We laughed, tables around laughed and the father was aghast! He wasn’t far off the mark.  After 4.5 hrs to Dallas and 9 hrs to Santiago, we feel old.

We departed on a typical Seattle winter day.

Santiago!  First I need to say that Carlos Grez, USNA ’89, has gone above and beyond the call in supporting us.  Because of the failed attempt to get the bikes to Chile before us we have become ensnared in red-tape.  He has cut through it like a Ninja!

The ship arrived today.  The deconsole, unloading the ship and de-consolidating the load, can take 24-72 hours.  We may have the bikes tomorrow or the next day.  As it is, we are  both so tired we could sleep that long without a problem. 

Once we have the bikes we are going to shoot for the border of Argentina.  The sooner we get out of Chile the less we pay in temporary import duties.  Because we will be riding the bikes when we come back to Chile we’ll dodge that bullet coming  back.

We were able to spend some time in a Chilean Bank with Carlos.  We had to go to the bank to process a warrant for customs funds as part of the temporary import.  The bank was packed with people.    Apparently, even though internet is reliable, available and affordable and many people have it, they don’t trust making transactions electronically, so they go the bank for many simple financial transactions.   Most gas stations even have free internet.  Pull up, get gas, check email!   If you are reading this in the US, try to recall the last time you went to the bank.  Here it can be a 3 hr ordeal if you don’t have an account at that bank and you are just going in to pay a utility bill.

Carlos is a fountain of knowledge and speaks English better than Jim!  Here is one tidbit, in Argentina you probably won’t find free wifi at gas stations, so just go to a mall and you probably will.

After the rain in Seattle and jetting to another continent, this is where we ended up!

Casa Grez

Jim is snoring while I post this picture taken just a few minutes ago.

We're going to a soccer game tonight.  

14 Days Until Departure, Titles in Hand

We have the titles in hand, now we just need to figure out which hands need them in Chile.  The bikes should be sitting on the dock in Manzanillo, Mexico, waiting to be loaded onto the next ship, the Verrazano Bridge, this vessel will take the bikes the rest of the way to San Antonio, Chile.

The Verrazano Bridge:

15 Days until departure, Internet Magic

The ship the bikes are on is the Izu, registered in Panama.


At this link you can find out information about the vessel.  You can also track it live!

It looks like it will be able to get back on schedule (it was late leaving LA with the bikes).

16 Days until Departure, Bikes are on the ship.

Good news is the bikes are on a ship headed to the port of of San Antonio, Chile.  The bad news is that it is the wrong ship.  They should have already arrived in Chile.  Bob, bob@smellybiker.com, the return shipper has been on top of helping us get possession of the bikes.  Bob clearly understands that a motorcycle adventure without motorcycles is just some guys sitting around grousing.  Bob has been great at trying to find solutions to a problem created by another shipper.  Thanks, Bob!

22 Days until Departure. Blogging tune-up

Continued quiet on the preparation front.  Jim is in town and we'll have dinner tonight and decide how do deal with the shipper's mistake.  The bikes will definitely not get there before us.

The bikes are scheduled to arrive in the Port of San Antonio on the same day we arrive at SCL airport in Santiago.  The port is about 2.5 hrs away from the airport. I'm leaning to going straight from the airport to the port and working to get the bikes as soon as possible.

The only thing to be sorted out in that event is storage of the crates.  Carlos has kindly offered to store the crates at his house, but that is about 3 hours away.  We may do better to find cheap or free storage in San Antonio.  If anyone has a connection in San Antonio, Chile and can help us out, we are all ears.

The bit about "blogging tune-up" is because this is the first blog post I am making using email.  This will simplify drafting posts when we don't have an internet connection.  Judging by the paucity of posts from the Polish rider I've been following, http://www.jantarek.com/, it can be difficult to find internet where we are going.

Change from one of the earlier posts, this is the jacket I'll be wearing (Thank, Renee!)

25 Days...148 Years

148 Years is how long Thanksgiving has been an official holiday for the United States Government.  That is relevant because the fact that US Customs is closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday, and that our shipper didn't anticipate that, is his excuse for not getting the bikes on a ship that will have them in Santiago before us.  The shipper has known that we wanted the bikes in Santiago before 12/28 since March 2011.  Yes, nine months...there is no excuse for that kind of incompetent boobery.

Now, instead of our bikes waiting for our arrival at Carlos' house we will have to go to the port and push to get our bikes as soon as possible.  I was mentally prepared for delays in South America.  I wasn't really prepared for delays caused by screw-ups when planning time was unlimited.

40 Days until Departure... Problem! Problem! Problem!

We got word from the shipper today.  The bikes are now at the dock finishing up the last paperwork.  That is all fine except the the scheduled voyage does not get the bike to Valparaiso until 12/28.  Jim and I arrive on 12/28.  The plan was to have the bikes there and ready to go in the hands of my friend Carlos.

We may yet get the bikes on an earlier ship, but if not Jim and I discussed the delay and worst case is we'll have to hang out in the area around Santiago, Chile, and Mendoza, Argentina, and enjoy the wine county, riding and let the Dakar Rally come to us.

Jim also suggested that after the rally and a taste of Bolivia it might be good to go see Alejandro Braceras in Buenos Aires if we miss the Atlantic Coast on the first pass due to shipping delays.

I enjoy the lack of a fixed plan...