Tag: Marble Caves Chile | Patagonia’s Unreal Blue Caves (Pole to Pole Ep.19)

Hello, Namaskar, Salaam, Sat Sri Akal and Ram-Ram to everyone. Welcome once again to the capital city of Chile. Right now we are in Santiago. I am standing right in the centre of Santiago. Santiago is the capital city and it is about 450–500 years old. When the Spanish ruled here, they built many buildings and developed the city a lot. If you look around the city, most of the buildings you see are designed in a European style. It does not even feel like you are in Chile. It feels more like you are somewhere in Europe. Now let me come to my own story. I have been in Santiago for about 8–10 days. Tomorrow I will be leaving from here. Deepanshu bhai had also come here but he has gone back, and Setiya bhai has also left. At the moment I am staying with Vinod bhai. So today we came to the city centre to explore a bit. We celebrated Republic Day (India) on 26 January here, and we also celebrated Hindi Day. Now the time has come to move on from here. Before leaving, I thought it would be good to explore the city for a day or two. So I came to the city centre. I will show you the metro system, the local life, the local food, and then we will continue the journey. Right now I am in the city centre and with me is Sunil bhai. “How are you, brother?” “I am good.” “Where are you from?” “From Uttarakhand, India.” Sunil bhai works here as a chef and it has been about a year since he came here. Look at this huge flag here. And this building here belongs to the defence department. Nearby there is also their parliament or museum building. You can see statues placed on both sides. The place looks very beautiful. Honestly, it is hard to believe that I am still in Chile – the same Chile where earlier we saw mountains, waterfalls and glaciers. This is a completely different side of the country. Anyway, we still have one or two days in Chile. After two days we will cross Chile, and that will also be a beautiful experience. People are enjoying their time here. But I have been told many times to stay careful because this area is considered one of the most dangerous areas in the city. I need to keep my camera and phone safe. “Isn’t it true, Sunil bhai?” “Yes, brother.” There are many thefts here. Even though the police are standing nearby and there is also a horse squad of the police, still incidents of theft happen. The transport system here is excellent. There is a metro system running underground and a good bus system running above ground. The metro ticket costs about 700 pesos. With that single ticket you can travel anywhere in the city. Look at that building in front. It is about 200–250 years old, yet it looks like it was built only yesterday. Just like the book stalls in Connaught Place, there are many book stalls here selling books and calendars. And look at this building. It was built in 1864, which means it is around 150 years old. It still stands beautifully without any visible damage. Most buildings here are more than 150–200 years old. Of course, during colonial times the Spanish did not do the labour themselves. The work was done by local labourers. They simply designed and built their grand buildings. Now we are entering a crowded area, so I need to hold the camera carefully because people sometimes snatch cameras and run away. Look there — a man selling flowers. On one side there is a big Italian restaurant, and on the other side street vendors are selling their goods. You can see both worlds together here — rich and poor, both in the same place. Now we are turning towards the centre. And here we are — we have reached Plaza de Armas, the heart of the city. This place is considered the zero point of Santiago. Look at this street performer doing a balancing act in the strong sunlight. Sweat is dripping from him, but people do many things to earn money. This square was the first major area built when Santiago was founded. The church you see in front is the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral. The statues around the square are beautifully designed. There are many artists here. Some people draw portraits and sketches for visitors. Food trucks are also parked here. You can see the contrast — old buildings and modern buildings standing together. That building in front is Correos de Chile Central Post Office. It is around 200–250 years old and still looks very neat and clean. Chile’s total population is around 20 million, and about 7 million people live in Santiago alone. That means almost one-third of the country’s population lives in this city. For comparison, the population of Delhi is about 30 million. So you can imagine the difference in population density. Chile is about 4,200 km long as a country, yet its population is quite small. The local currency here is the Chilean peso. When I entered the country, 1 US dollar was around 920–940 pesos. Today it is around 860 pesos, which means the peso is getting stronger against the dollar. There are not many currencies in the world that are becoming stronger against the dollar these days. I also heard that the Zambian kwacha has also become stronger recently. Look at this statue here. From this spot you can take a photo with the “Santiago” sign behind you. It gives a perfect combination in the background — historical buildings along with modern skyscrapers. Security here is quite strict, but despite that crime is still high. In the early days, when the Spanish first arrived and founded the city, this area used to be their administrative headquarters. From here they controlled the surrounding region. If you go […]

I am doing a PhD in Germany.Tan tana tan tan tan tara… the police are going by. They pushed me off the highway, brother. “The motherland be ever honoured. Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.” Anyway, we’ll handle all this. I’m used to it now. I’ve already travelled through 130 countries… actually 132 now! Namaskar, Salaam, Sat Sri Akal, Ram Ram ji to everyone. Right now, I am on Route 5 in Chile. There is a town called Talca. In the last video, you saw that in the previous five days I rode very fast and covered 750 km. Now Santiago, the capital city of Chile, is about 250 km away. We reached here the night before last. Yesterday I didn’t even have the strength to get up. I slept the whole day. My body was completely exhausted. I had crossed my limits, which I shouldn’t have done. But I wanted to test myself – to see how much I could push, especially in 40°C heat with forest fires all around. Around 20–25 people have already died in these fires. Today we’re leaving from here. Dhanno (my cycle) is ready. This was my hotel – I was paying around ₹3000 per day. Let me show you the room. There’s a swimming pool at the back. It was just a simple room with one fan. I rested properly. Now my body feels set again. From here, about 120 km ahead, there’s a place called San Fernando. A friend named Karan – he’s from Gujarat and currently in India – told me about a friend of his called Happy bhai who has a shop there. So I’ll go there and stay tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll head towards Santiago. After that, I might take a bus. I’m not sure yet because in the next 100 km, about 60–70 km is on an expressway where bicycles are not allowed. I don’t want to take complicated detours. Entering any capital city needs planning. Like entering Delhi – you must be careful. There’s heavy traffic and often more crime in the outer industrial areas. Anyway, we’ll manage. After 132 countries, you get used to handling things. There’s a water cooler here, so I’ll refill my bottles and leave. There’s a railway station nearby, but I haven’t seen a single train running. Let’s pull hard for 120 km. As soon as I came out of the city and onto the highway, the traffic increased massively. I won’t be able to talk much today. Should I focus on the road or keep chatting? It’s better to stay silent and focus. The road is never empty even for a minute. I’ve already covered about 60 km. It’s 1 pm now. I should reach by 5 or 6 pm. I started at 8 am, so that’s helping. By 5 pm, I should complete 120 km. But there’s a problem – my phone got blocked. Here, if you stay more than a month, you must register your device with your number. I didn’t do that. So they blocked my phone. I’ll try to fix it in San Fernando by contacting the company. I’ve reached a place called Curicó. Halfway done – around 60–70 km completed. I think I’ll reach by 5 or 6 pm. Let’s see. There’s a huge craze for buses here. People say the railway system declined because bus operators created a monopoly. Now they are rebuilding the railway. Before 1980, trains were very popular here. On the roads, you see more buses than trucks – the opposite of most countries. I think something is wrong with my camera. It keeps shutting off automatically. Maybe I’ll need to reinstall the software once I reach Santiago. A lot of footage is getting ruined. I’m avoiding entering the town centre. I’ll stay on the outer roads. San Fernando shows 51 km from here, though my map shows 57 km. If it’s really 51, that’s good news. Three to four hours more. They say the first step is the hardest. I took that step six or seven days ago, and now I’m here. I got tired of the highway traffic and shifted to the service road. It’s not smooth – sometimes up, sometimes down – but better than the main highway. However, the service road ends again, and you must rejoin the highway. Ahead, bicycles are not allowed on the highway. There’s a sign. Now I don’t know how to proceed. I’ll somehow reach San Fernando and then decide. This whole region is famous for wine and dry fruits, especially walnuts. There are many wineries here. I stopped at a petrol pump. The noise from the road is so irritating that I can’t even tell how many kilometres are left. Police passed by and told me to get off the highway. So now I’ll have to find a local route. I bought a muffin and coffee and rested. I’ve been pushing hard since morning. If the police hadn’t stopped me, I probably wouldn’t have taken a break. I asked some people if there’s a way to reach San Fernando without the highway. They told me to go back 15 km and take a bus. But I won’t go back 15 km. Better to ride 30 km forward than go backwards. Let’s see what happens. It’s getting difficult. There’s no proper shoulder on the bridge. If a truck comes from behind, it’s risky. Bridges without shoulders are dangerous. 40 km left now.Tan tana tan tan tan tara… You have to stay alert for safety. I even put my helmet back on. The traffic is extremely heavy – like between Delhi and Gurgaon. I can’t go inside the city either because traffic is too much there as well. So I’m just continuing forward. If the police stop me again, maybe they’ll guide me to a safer side road. I’ve crossed two rivers now. San Fernando – 35 km left. I’m just going steadily ahead. Let’s see how it goes. Now even on the service road, […]

Look at this – people are saying I have covered 600 km in 4 days. I have broken my own record. It honestly feels like the temperature is 42 degrees. The wind is in my favour, so the cycle is almost flying. Namaskar, Salaam, Sat Sri Akal, Ram Ram ji once again to everyone. Right now, I am in Los Angeles. You must be thinking, “Has he reached Hollywood?” But no – I am in Chile. There is a city in Chile called Los Ángeles. The Los Angeles you usually hear about is in the USA. That one is newer; this one in Chile is quite old. In the last video, you saw that I covered 500 km in three days and reached here. It is now 10:00 in the morning. Yesterday, I told you about a cyclist from Punjab, Kuldeep, whom I met here. He lives in this town. He came early in the morning, and we had breakfast together. We talked for quite some time, so I got a bit late starting today. Today’s target is only 108 km. The wind is in my favour. However, something challenging is going to happen – the temperature is expected to touch 40 degrees. You might wonder how it suddenly became so hot. For the next two days, the temperature is going to be very high. In some areas along the route, there are forest fires burning. Santiago is about 500 km from here. Dhanno and I are ready. Let’s get going. I tried taking the cycle out through the gate without opening it fully – and yes, it passed through! This was the hostel. It cost me $30; I got a $5 discount. I noticed something interesting here. The gas pipelines are properly tagged and marked. I used to think South America might not maintain high quality standards, but they do. Everything is checked properly before construction, especially because earthquakes are common here. Also, volcanic eruptions can happen anytime. So they must protect against both ground movement and volcanic ash. Quality control is very important here. We were supposed to leave at 8:00 am, but it’s already 10:00 am. Still, since he invited me warmly for breakfast, it was worth it. We are now on the inner highway. Once we merge onto the main highway, there will be heavy traffic. Come on, Dhanno – it’s just 100 km. After riding 160–180 km in a day, 100 km feels easy. But honestly, my body is tired. How much can it work? Speed is around 24–25 km/h. Santiago is now 503 km away. There are big company showrooms here. On the side, far away, there are forest fires burning. On my right, there is a town called Concepción, about 100 km away, where forests are burning heavily. Depending on the wind direction, the fire could spread this way. That might be why the temperature is crossing 40 degrees here. Normally, it doesn’t get this hot. We have now said goodbye to the city. Around 15–20 km were within city limits, so there wasn’t much noise. Now that we are entering the highway, the noise will increase. We have come down from the 500 series to 495 km remaining. From 1,000 earlier, now we are in the 400 series. Today I will try to push it into the 300 series. Roadside eateries have started appearing every 5–10 km. Earlier, there were none. Many local cyclists are riding too. Today is Sunday, so you see a lot of cyclists. These roadside restaurants are called “Hosteria” here. Agriculture is very strong in this region – I forgot to mention that earlier. With the wind in my favour, I am riding at 25–28 km/h. It feels amazing today. I also saw some Mahindra XUV 500 vehicles here. But most of the cars I see are older models. New Mahindra vehicles are not visible. Chinese companies seem to have captured the market. Most new vehicles coming here are from China. China is growing rapidly. I stopped for a small coffee – about ₹300. After coffee, those first five or six pedal strokes feel very heavy, but then the rhythm returns. I accidentally left the highway and entered a bypass into a city. As soon as I entered, it felt like travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi. Even inside the town, there are small roadside eateries. There are many biker groups here. I even saw a Royal Enfield Himalayan. Only 70–80 km remain now. I am thinking of pushing further because the wind is so supportive. It feels like I might stretch even more today. In four days, I have covered 600 km – a new personal record. Here, some people stand outside hotels holding menu boards to attract customers. One man is standing with a menu, saying he will serve a burger for ₹6,500. There is even a circus set up nearby, with equipment lying in the open. Christmas has just passed, and people have decorated beautifully. They have made creative Christmas tree designs using cloth. It looks wonderful. Fashion plus festival decoration – and a real tree was saved from being cut. It seems there is some event happening ahead; many cars are parked. Even in this small town, they have built a proper cycling route. I am really enjoying today’s ride. And look – while riding, suddenly a beautiful waterfall appears by the roadside. It looks absolutely stunning. People are going down there. Look at this – it’s like a gorge, and everything is built inside it. It feels like a small Niagara Falls. That’s the kind of feeling it gives. But here, between the mountains, the land is sharply cut. Normally, you don’t see something like this. I parked Dhanno on the road and came here. I just took a turn from inside, and when I looked, it felt like a completely different world. There were tourists everywhere. Mostly local tourists. And honestly, when local tourists come, it feels more lively and enjoyable. Then […]

Good morning, salaam, namaste, sat sri akal, ram-ram ji. Right now, we are in Chile and have reached the last part of the Carretera Austral. From here, we only need to ride about 60 km. After that, we will take a ferry and reach Puerto Montt, where the Carretera Austral officially ends. We have two options. One is to take three small ferries and reach in stages. The other is to take one big ferry directly. The bigger one is a bit expensive, but it takes us straight there. With the smaller ferries, the timing is fixed, and you also need to take a lift between two points. There’s only a 15-minute window for vehicles to move 10 km, and I won’t be able to cycle that in 15 minutes. Then I would have to wait a whole day. So we’ll decide after reaching Chaitén, a small town ahead. Last night we camped here. This is our tent, and Dhanu is standing there. Now I’ll pack everything up. After a long time, I had a very good sleep. Let me show you the view from here – it’s absolutely beautiful. Today there are some clouds. We may struggle a bit in these 50–60 km because strong winds are expected, and it may rain in the evening. Look at this view – there’s a lake here, and all around are snow-covered mountains. The mountains in front also have snow, but they are hidden behind clouds right now. It’s stunning. I was sitting here until almost 2:00 am last night, just enjoying the silence and the view. These are the real joys of travelling on a cycle. If I were in a car, I would have simply passed by and never known what I was missing. I’ll try to fly the drone, but the wind is strong. I won’t take a risk because earlier I already lost one drone in a lake. I woke up at 8:30 am today – didn’t even realise it was so late because of the tree shade and clouds. No direct sunlight, so I slept deeply. Packing is done. I’m ready. I didn’t wash my clothes last night – that was a mistake. With all the sweating, they’re getting dirty. Since I’m riding only 50 km today, I’ll wash them later. On the way, I met a cyclist I had seen earlier in Cochrane. Last time he wasn’t cycling; I met him in a hostel. Today he was on a bicycle. I asked him how he reached ahead of me. He said he came to Chaitén and hired a bicycle from there. Now he is heading south. He saw many people travelling by cycle and felt inspired to try it himself. He started yesterday from Chaitén and already looks tired today! I’ve never seen so many cyclists anywhere else. Groups keep coming – four or five together. Many of them are girls. It’s impressive. There’s a lake on one side and a river flowing out of it, so naturally there has to be a bridge. Look at this iron bridge – single lane. Only one side can cross at a time. They could have made it wider, but traffic here is only heavy for two or three months during tourist season. After that, it’s almost empty. Still, the bridge is beautifully built. These flies here are very irritating. You can’t even stand still. Once they sit on you, they bite and it hurts. I’m also seeing the last glacier of this region. After this, I may not see glaciers again until I go much further north, maybe after a year or more. For the past five to six months, I’ve mostly been around ice and glaciers, so I’ve developed an emotional connection with them. This feels like saying goodbye. I even saw a farmer riding a horse with four dogs. He must have gathered his sheep and cattle with their help. He was wearing a traditional local cap. People here feel happy seeing travellers. The glacier ahead looks as if it’s coming directly onto the road. It’s so majestic. Our turn has come – we’ll take a left towards Chaitén. Only 27 km left. We haven’t booked the ferry ticket yet; we’ll do it there. I had been looking at a glacier from about 10 km away and thought I would fly my drone when I got closer. But just before it, there’s an airstrip. Drones can’t be flown near airports. Also, a national park starts from here. There’s an entry ticket if you want to visit the glacier – a 20 km loop trail. It’s called Glacier El Amarillo. The last 25 km will be tough because the wind will be head-on and strong. As you move closer to the sea, winds become stronger. No problem – even if it takes four hours instead of two, we’ll reach. We found a nice spot to stop and cook. We still had rajma curry from yesterday; I just needed to make fresh rotis. I had to roast them directly on the gas because I threw away the frying pan earlier. Lunch is done, and everything is packed. Since New Year, starting from Cochrane, I’ve covered 400 km. There’s an aeroplane placed here as an attraction. It crashed near the airport years ago, and they brought its body here. Now people stop for photos. It has become a tourist attraction. Mountains are slowly ending now. After 510 km, the mountain region will finish, and the sea area will begin. Winds will grow stronger there. Only 15 km left to today’s target. Four… three… two… one… done. The mountains are gently sloping down towards the sea. The fourth one still has snow. The third has none. The second has almost flattened. And the last one seems to be standing there like a safety guard for us. What a beautiful farewell from the mountains. They have started welcoming us into Chaitén – so, welcome to Chaitén! We reached at around […]

Within three days, I have ridden 500 km. It’s 7:00 pm and we have reached Los Angeles. I asked them if I could just sleep like this here. They said yes, no problem at all. Nature truly has no comparison. The sound of tyres is different. The sound of a car is different. Maybe there’s a hostel somewhere inside the lanes and houses. These are the real scenes of cycling. Namaskar, Salaam, Sat Sri Akal, Ram Ram ji. Once again, welcome to a new day of my Pole to Pole and World Cycling Journey. We are in Chile. In the last video, you saw that I camped here. Right now, I am at a petrol station – here they call it a gas station. It’s 8:00 am. Everything is completely wet. There was heavy fog here. Now I will pack everything. Since it’s wet, I will first dry it and then pack it. It will take another half an hour. The tent is still wet, so I’ve spread it out to dry. The groundsheet is here, the sleeping mat is here, and the top cover is here. I just need to wear my shoes and jacket, and then I’ll leave. If you pack a tent while it’s wet, it starts smelling and gets damaged quickly. So always dry your tent before packing it. Today the sun is shining nicely, which is helpful. Today’s target is between 180 and 190 km. There is a city called Temuco where I want to reach. In the next four or five days – maybe five or six – we will try to reach Santiago, the capital city of Chile. This is going to be the fastest route of my journey. On this route, there isn’t much to show apart from the road. If you don’t feel like watching, you can skip the video – no problem at all. I’ve taken a coffee and a muffin for breakfast. It’s already 9:00 am. Being late has almost become my habit. I never reach on time. Coffee is done. Now we head towards the highway. I will first walk for 50–100 metres before sitting on the cycle. It helps release muscle stiffness. Today’s target is long – 180–190 km is a lot. But I’m moody. Maybe I’ll ride only 50 km, or maybe I’ll complete the full target. We are back on the road. I can’t pronounce the local names properly. They write something and pronounce it differently. If you listen carefully, it sounds completely different. The count is at 866 km. I need to bring it below 700. Once it goes below 500, it will feel lighter mentally. Farming is quite strong in this area. Look, I mentioned tractors and one just appeared! They have put up instructions saying no fire ahead because it’s all forest and the weather is hot. Someone told me there’s a forest fire somewhere ahead. Fires start easily in this region. As we go further, it will get drier. Come on, Dhanu! Valdivia is mentioned ahead – it’s a tourist place. I’m removing my jacket. It’s getting hot already. There is quite a lot of traffic on this road, and it will increase as we move towards Santiago. This is called the Pan-American Highway. I was sweating inside. Now we’ve entered a hilly area. I don’t know how long this stretch is – maybe 30–40 km. In hilly areas, the average speed drops because it’s up and down constantly. Let’s see if we can reach the target today. I had just thought that my water was finished – I had already drunk 2 litres – and suddenly I found water. Nature is amazing. We’ve stopped for a short break. I’ve taken out my stove to make brunch. Here it is. I’ll add some dry fruits to it. That’s our brunch ready. I thought today would be plain riding, but since morning it has been up and down. Still, it’s enjoyable. The weather is fine – not too hot. But there’s heavy traffic on this route. I’m sitting alone on the roadside, eating food in a different continent. This is not my country, not even my continent. There’s another continent in between. But these borders are drawn by humans, not by nature. With the current geopolitics of the world, nobody knows what might happen tomorrow. A war could start anywhere at any time. Brunch is done. Look at this – there’s a lot of litter here. I thought there wouldn’t be roadside garbage, but since it’s a busy highway, you see trash here just like in India. And look at the plantation – dense forests everywhere. Dhanu is ready. I’ve put my trash back in my bag; I’ll throw it in a bin later. I only stopped to eat; otherwise, I won’t be able to complete 190 km. I’ve already covered around 60 km. It’s almost 12:00 pm. Usually, I push harder from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm. That’s when the speed increases. These are the real joys of cycling. Look at these apple trees – they’re wild. Anyone can pluck and eat; there’s no issue. Some are still raw, some are ripe. And there are berries everywhere too. It’s amazing. After almost every kilometre, you see a few apple trees. Earlier I was showing you flowers; now I’m showing you fruits. I have around 120 km left for today’s target. Suddenly it feels hot. I’ve already ridden 70 km. It’s 1:55 pm. I’m looking for a petrol pump to take some rest and have coffee. It shows one 4 km ahead – maybe a Copec petrol station. I took a turn, and now the wind seems to be from the front. I’ve entered the 700 km series – 790 km left to Santiago. The climb isn’t much now, so maybe it will be faster. Truck drivers often stop anywhere and block part of the road. I bought some fresh juice for ₹300. I’m currently stopped at a petrol pump. Look […]