Friday, October 29, 2010

Mountains And Ice



I'm very much looking forward to this year’s trip to Chile for a number of reasons. First, I have very short layovers (two hours, average) between flights and a much more direct flight as well. I will fly from Buffalo, NY to Atlanta, GA and then direct to summer, I mean Santiago! Second, the trip to the ice fields in southern Chile. At the invitation of my friend Guillermo, who if you remember, saved me from the Atacama Desert last year, I have accepted an invitation to join him and a group of his friends on a motorcycle trip from Santiago to the southern ice fields of Chile. This is an area of mountains, fjords, lakes and glaciers in some of the most remote reaches of southern Chile. Some of the most impressive scenery in the world can be found there. We estimate the trip will last eleven days.

I will arrive in Santiago, Chile on January 4th, and the trip south will begin January 20th and last until the 31st. The days before we head south will be busy ones, as I will have to renew the registration of my motorcycle as well as have it inspected this year. I also want to put “Crash Bars” on the bike to avoid repeating the damage to the engine that occurred last year in the Atacama Desert. I also have to repair the right side luggage box that was damaged in last year’s incident. I have all the necessary repair parts and will be taking them to Chile with me.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Thank You To All Who Participated In This Rescue!

Luis Urzua, the last miner recued from the mine in Chile stands with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera


Chile, a sliver of land on the western shores of South America between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, has lived a difficult year 2010, beginning with a devastating earthquake in February and then a mine collapse in August that left 33 miners trapped more than 2000 feet below ground for more than two months. Today, under the glare of the world media, Chile has shown the world what it is capable of. Never before, and hopefully never again, has such a feat been successfully planned and executed to find and then rescue so many trapped miners with such success. Today is a good day for Chile! VIVA CHILE!!