Currently in a gas station in Pozo Almonte, Chile. For some reason it hadn't dawned on me that crossing into Chile from Mendoza would only put me in the middle of the country. That was the day before yesterday. Suffice to say, the callouses on my hindquarters have grown about 300%, but I will be crossing into Peru tomorrow.
14-hour rides are tough. Luckily I ended up with another local escort. Somewhere north of La Serena I noticed a Triumph Thunderbird in my mirrors. The rider tagged along for awhile so I figured he wanted to ride with me. Later at a gas station we introduced ourselves. Turns out Oristarco, the Triumph owner, is a member of the Chilean military's Special Forces. Hard to ask for a safer travel companion.
Ok, so it wasn't an official military escort, but it was the next best thing.