Beating the Boredom: Riding Bikes in Santiago, Chile
Written by Kyle on Sunday, January 25, 2009 in Chile
Feelin' excited
Santiago is not one of the world's most exciting cities. I think it is a nice city, don't get me wrong: there are plenty of decent-sized parks and it is generally cleaner than any other city in South America. But when it comes down to uniqueness, there's not much that we could notice. Combine that with a Sunday and you're in for a big ol' whopper of nothing. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be like being in any suburb in the US on the day of the Super Bowl. Nice and quiet, yet boring.Feelin' excited
In any case, we didn't want to sit around twiddling our thumbs wishing it were another day of the week, so we decided to take advantage of the good weather and see the city on bikes. As it turns out, Santiago is a pretty friendly bike town where cars actually yield to the biker and occasionally there are even designated bike lanes and bike paths. Even better, the bikes we rented were one-speed, bright green cruisers equipped with baskets and bells. So, yes, it was a little bit like dorks on wheels, but whatever.
Some highlights from our trip:
Bessie in one of the many city parks
Me in another park next to some sort of monument thingy
Me trying to scare the pigeons
Bessie in front of the cathedral in Plaza de las Armas
Me in front of a bunch of people concentrating hard on their chess games
Bessie passing by the stock market
Me in front of the President's House
Bessie in front of an Easter Island Maoi. Not sure if this one is real or not...
Bessie on the nearly deserted Avenida de Brasil.
Me and a Beetle!
Me at an unfortunate street name. I hope this is named after a person.
Bessie speeding by in O'Higgins Park
Me rolling by some graffiti.
Bessie on a deserted downtown street
Me at Fantasilandia!
Just goes to show you that fun can be had if there is a will!
Comments on "Beating the Boredom: Riding Bikes in Santiago, Chile"
Not an eXtreme day, pooh...but at least you made the most "un Domingo de Latino Americano" Can't believe you guys have been gone a whole year as of Friday, it has been too long. However, I suspect you will gone a bit longer than the spring. Take care!
If you do something about the weather in Chicago, we'd be there sooner. Seriously, make it less cold.
Palm trees, sunshine, paved streets and mountains in the background; how nice to take a break from cold weather, altitude, volcanoes and SUV's on salt flats!
THIS is a splendid place to ride bikes in shirt sleeves!
Where I live it is currently flannel time... +15F, 10 mph winds, ice on the concrete with a 70% chance of an inch of snow! There is a 3 foot pile of frozen snow in the parkway left from blowing the snow off the driveway to the right and left like driveway bookends.
I may decide to carve them both with a chainsaw to make flamingo sculptures just for fun!
So Santiago looks mighty wonderful indeed.
Great scenery and privacy in an urban setting!
As always, THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
flamingo sculptures from the snowbanks sounds awesome!! People from near and far would gather around to see though - or I would anyway! :)
Hey guys, entering thru the north, did you have to pay the 100$ visa fee they charge in the airport customs?
No, that's just an airport fee, I believe. We did pay the $130 fee for crossing the border into Bolivia, though!
happily, no fees at all entering through San Pedro de Atacama.
Congratulations on the one year anniversary of your trip! Keep it going strong!
I don't know, there is something charming about one speed, green, girlie bikes with baskets! Enjoyed the Santiago tour!
really, they're so much fun, and will always have a special place in my heart.
You have rided on bike only little part of santiago, basically downtown. I`m chilean member of a pro-bike associaton, and living in santiago and here you have a lot of places to go. First, riding on the mapocho´s east parks, upping to the san cristobal hill that´s a hill park with artificial woods near downtown and financial zone, up to the roads going to mountain (farellones or cajon del maipo, north and south extremes respectively), also you can go to the wine zone only in macul on quilin/vespucio ave you have vineyads, on pirque crossing maipo river (by vicuña mackenna ave, more away puente alto, with a 22 km bikeroad) you have the best show of the chilean vineyards and fields.
Also, you can going on bike on 68Road to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar and in 8 heours you are there, downhill valpo or viña.
This is only near santiago, and you can discover other cities.
PD: And the street´s name is for a ninethenth´s french biologist named Claue Gay, who explored the nature and gerographical chile
You'd think we were trying to take pictures without people in them, but actually not.
by bessie the biker babe at January 27, 2009 07:46 AM