Relax: Bahia Inglesa to km958.

May 13, 2016

I decide on an easy relaxed day as the road for the next 90 kilometres hug the coast before turning inland again at the next town, Chanaral, wanting to camp at or near the beach a second night before town.

I have the tent down and all packed on the bike at ten, when the motely pack of municipal/ community dogs that barked at my tent yesterday evening turn up on the beach. One a big Saint Bernard due to size I can tell is chief leads the way and stops where my tent was. The big dog panting as the others run round and inspect the sand, seemingly pleased that even though they objected to me camping in their neighbourhood in the first place, at least I've left it how I've found it.

I cycle about 5 kilometres round the bay on cycle-path alongside the road to Caldera, quite a sizeable shattered place with lots of wall murals depicting the town's place and importance to the Atacama desert economy and the usual anarchist ones too. The most striking building, a town museum but once the Tornini family home, a name I think is Italian, one of the town's pioneers. Its a kind of wooden renaissance house. A contrast to the other woodframe and decaying pastel painted wood panel houses typical of Chile.

This is what happens when you smoke too many peace pipes.

I buy bread and salami and a few other items for lunch in an old fashion grocery shop where one asks for things of a shopkeeper behind a counter. Then head out toward route 5.

I pass about three other settlements further up the coast during the day, nothing more than a shattering of painted wooden huts along the beach which appear to be fishing communities.

So much for having an easy day. I feel sluggish, perhaps accumulated fatigue. It takes me all my time covering 80 kilometres. The day become warm by early afternoon, but later a grey sea mist closes in. And around five I push my bike off the road along car tracks on the inland side of the road toward the hills and find a level place for the tent behind a pile of rocks.

Today's ride: 82 km (51 miles)
Total: 9,554 km (5,933 miles)

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