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The Adventures of El Huevito: to the beach!

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This is the latest and final instalment of El Huevito’s Adventures: a pint-sized, beachside excursion along Chile’s Pacific coast.

Our plan was a simple one. Enjoy a short ride out of town. Find a pleasant beach. Relax and soak up the sun. Camp a couple of nights. Then ride back.

And for the most part, it turned out that way. Except that… the ride out of Valparaíso, a lopsided city famous for its Red Bull Urban Downhill, proved to be the sheerest of urban climbs I’ve yet to encounter: 400m in elevation gain over just a half dozen lung-busting, vein-popping, sweat-enducing kilometres (and being South America, it even involved a quick dart across a sketchy barrio too). After an equally steep plummet down to Laguna Verde (a lovely beach, if you ignore the power station at one end), we were then faced with a second, 400m hurdle to our destination, the campsite at Islote Las Gaviotas. Which (this being South America), proved to be beautiful located but utterly dilapidated, and home to a secluded cove we had all to ourselves.

If you would like to keep up with where I am between blog entries, I try and keep my While Out Riding Facebook page regularly updated – along with posting extra photos and gear ponderings. You can find it here. Occasionally, I pop some pictures up on Instagram too. 

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The beach, at last!

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A chance for my fat tyres to play in the sand.

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Mama is happy. Sage, on the other hand…

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… is a desert baby, and remains unconvinced by the cold waters of the Pacific.

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Better to play on dry land…

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… while Mama does her yoga.

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Bidding farewell to feral friends.

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After the second climb of the day, a quiet dirt road leads us deep into the forest.

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Dusty 1.

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Dusty 2.

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There, we wend our way through mid-shrouded pines…

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… along a dirt road bereft of traffic.

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En route, we stop to refuel on empanadas, a family favourite.

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I certainly need them. This is the Mighty One, pulling…

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… the Mini One.

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It’s sunset before we make it to the campsite, and discover our private beach.

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Time for a snack…

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… and cuddles.

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Then, Sage is ready to snooze. Short Thermarest = room to spare, while Papa gets the new Neo Air. 

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Those curls.

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Bipods inside. Bicycles outside.

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Big wheels. Little wheels.

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Matchbox cars: the classic, portable toy. Shame they don’t do bikes…

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Hours of fun.

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Always a treat: seeing the world through Sage’s eyes.

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Mama…

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… and child.

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Both snappy dressers.

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It’s not long before a campsite friend has been discovered. The two cavort around happily for some time, chasing each other up and down.

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I wish Sage gave me hugs like that!

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Hmm… Not so child-friendly…

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Mind the gap.

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Thankfully our Platypus Gravity Works turns dubious campsite water clean.

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The next morning, we head down to the cove for some beach combing.

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Pick ‘n mix.

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“I’ll take them all, thanks’.

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Every colour and shape merits attention.

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As does every bird…

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Rocks provide the ultimate assault course, and a chance for wobbly legs to hone balance.

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Look, but don’t touch!

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Our second night’s camping lies in the forest. Just a few dollars gets us all this space.

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Again, it comes complete with playpals for Sage.

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A bedtime story on our last night…

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… before it’s time to head home.


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