Los Angeles - Chillan – 113 km
After making a few sandwiches, the time was eleven o’clock - nothing unusual in
Chile. People went to bed late and only got going at around 10 a.m. Ernest spotted
a welding shop and had his bike’s front rack repaired - it broke on the gravel roads
along the infamous Route 40 when he was blown off his bicycle.
Our route ran north past densely wooded areas, waterfalls, and viewpoints. Chillan
was another town in a rich agricultural region, on a vast plain, between the Andes
mountains and the coast. The town sported an old city with cobblestone lanes and
is said to be Bernardo O’Higgins’s birthplace. O’Higgins, regarded as Chile’s
liberator, was the driving force behind Chile’s independence from Spain.
Chillan had a relaxing vibe with numerous squares and parks; in fact, it was so
tranquil, we stayed for two days. The town had a beautiful town centre with a
mall, charming street-side cafes, and a sizeable open-air street market.
With Chillan situated in a seismic activity region, it has suffered devastating
earthquakes throughout its history. Earthquakes partially destroyed the town in
1742 as well as in 1928. Chillan further sat near the epicentre of the 2010
earthquake (magnitude 8.8), which again caused severe damage. During our visit
in 2011, the destruction was clearly visible, and our abode was slanting to such a
degree that one could easily roll out the door.
Chillan - Linares – 109 km
Signboards indicated 400 kilometres to Santiago and that we found ourselves in
Central Chile. It indeed looked like such while biking past large farming areas on
central Chile’s fertile plains.
After turning off to Linares, a cycle path lead into town. I was surprised by the
number of historical buildings; unfortunately, the majority were still off-limits due
to the 2010 earthquake.