Follow me as i braaaap and cook around the world!!!!

DAY-387-389
11/23-25/2012
Last night I met two really awesome English girls who are just starting a 2 year round the world trip Becca. So we went for a walk around Santiago, checked out a few different neighborhoods. It was so nice just walking around and talking a lot, we ended up at the Santiago Zoo. It was actually kind of impressive and depressing at the same time haha if that makes since at all. The only other one I have been to was the one with Nick in Cali, Colombia; where they did not have many animals and the ones they did have were dying. This one had tons of impressive animals, from monkeys, giraffes, elephants, tigers, and so on; the cages were to say the least ghetto but at least they seemed like they had been fed and weren’t all dying. It was also nice because it was cheap, 6 dollars for two hours of entertainment. We found a cheap place for a dirty cheese burger, we had a good laugh. The waiter was ridiculous and made everything so much more difficult, every time you would order he would second guess you and give you other options and so on, in very fast Spanish haha. We finally got our food and it was really good and was back on our way. We hung out all together drinking bottle after bottle of Chilean wine and eating really good local brie. This has been the best hostel I have stayed at in a very long time very impressed by the hostel and the people who pass through.
Woke up early and worked on some pictures. Headed off for a walk with Jonny from England and Jimmy from Australia, we walked for 5 hours or so all over Santiago. Even after two days of very long walks I still do not think I have seen it all and cannot wait to explore more. I really really like this city so far. We grabbed some food on the way back to the hostel and stopped and grabbed a six pack each. We sat at the pool trading stories and guzzling down some beers and then went out for some more beers and an empanada. I had one more beer and as exhausted from not really sleeping the night before, when I drink heavy I only get 3 or 4 hours sleep a night. So I ended up falling asleep at 6 or so slept till midnight got up for an hour and went back to sleep haha.
Sunday was a nothing day, walked around for a bit, made an awesome lunch for me and Jimmy, and topped off the day with writing, editing pics, and uploading.

DAY-390
11/26/2012
I walked outside to take my bike to the shop and took off my soft bags, and checked my chain…. Shit... It was bad so so loose again, my chain is on the way out, and with the suspension gone it has slammed on my chain. I tightened it up and headed to the Kawi shop. Well when I say this I mean rode up and down the street looking and looking, finally saw a Japanese sign for a car and rode a sidewalk, and finally saw a tiny Kawi sign next a to a nice show room. The mechanic was at lunch so I left the bike and walked back to my hostel for lunch and then walked back with Jimmy. The mechanic was super cool and helpful; it looks to be I have blown my head gasket which I was guessing from everything that was going on with the bike. He has been super cool pointing me where to take my bike to an off road guy for my front and back suspension because that is where they would take it and charge me double. He also pointed me in the direction to get a cheap replacement Windshield, tires, and chain/sprocket set.
I got a last minute message on Couchsurfers to meet up with a local for a beer. I met her and a friend at a bar called California, which was nice and really good local beer. We will be meeting up on Thursday for me to cook up some dinner.

HAHA ONE HELL OF A CRAPPER DOOR

POLAR BEAR







SANTIAGO ZOO

SANTIAGO

STREET PERFORMERS

CHILE FLAG

AWESOME FLOWER SCULPTURE


FUN SHOTS



A LITTLE HAZY BUT STILL COOL SHOTS OF THE CITY WITH A LITTLE ANDES

STREET ARTIST

COOL BUILDING

SAN FRANCISCO CHURCH





SAN FRAN CHURCH


BEST SUSHI PLACE EVER, MOTO AND SUSHI HOW CAN YOU EVER GO WRONG!!

HAHA GET YOUR HAIR CUT AND A ..........

This is very interesting thank you so much for taking the time to write me; I am planning on changing boots when I head to Australia. I am stopping in LA for a few days since it is cheaper to take two one way flights and stay with my brother. Getting rid of a bunch of unwanted gear and picking up a few new stuff including boots and changing up my helmet.

Thanks so much for following along.

Boots are now considered a Nuclear weapon.. hahaha They are Brutal..

Whew finally caught up with you!!
What an excellent read, made for a worthwhile weekend as it gets colder and more miserable in Nova Scotia.
Glad your feet have apparently sorted themselves out.
Your photos are nothing short of stunning.

Try not to get too down on the ol' KLR, look where it's got you! Pretty tough bike I'd say.

I only wish mine could blow up in Chile, with a mortgage and three kids the adventures that you you are living
are something I can only dream of. Your positive attitude shines through at any rate.
Thanks for the effort in your reports.
BTW do you have goggles with a built in camera as well as your GoPro and handheld?

WOW THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING ALL OF MY ADVENTURE OVER YOUR WEEKEND OFF!!
The Ol' KLR and myself have been going to marriage counselling and we are working through our problems... I think we will make it.. hahahahaha
Thanks for such awesome comments means alot.. I am glad I can share my story with you

I use, a Canon S100 for all of my still shots and raw images, a GoPro HD-1, and a Olympis Rough (waterproof) That I hang around my neck while I ride sometimes to snap a few while riding..
No Goggle Camera, I just use the phrase "Goggle View" when I take pics with the (rough) while riding..
Thanks again!!!
Fletcher

OK, I'm in.

DAY-390
11/26/2012
I walked outside to take my bike to the shop and took off my soft bags, and checked my chain…. Shit... It was bad; so so loose again, my chain is on the way out, and with the suspension gone it has slammed on my chain thus stretching it out to the max. I tightened it up and headed to the Kawi shop. Well when I say this I mean rode up and down the street looking and looking, finally saw a Japanese sign for a car and rode a sidewalk, and finally saw a tiny Kawi sign next a to a nice show room. The mechanic was at lunch so I left the bike and walked back to my hostel for lunch and then walked back with Jimmy. The mechanic was super cool and helpful; it looks to be I have blown my head gasket which I was guessing from everything that was going on with the bike. He has been super cool pointing me where to take my bike to an off road guy for my front and back suspension because that is where they would take it and charge me double. He also pointed me in the direction to get a cheap replacement Windshield, tires, and chain/sprocket set.
I got a last minute message on Couchsurfers to meet up with a local for a beer. I met her and a friend at a bar called California, which was nice and really good local beer. We will be meeting up on Thursday for me to cook up some dinner.

DAY-391-394
11/27-30/2012
This week I ran around trying to get a few errands done including a last minute Chest X-ray for my OZ Visa….. I just wondered around the city getting lost and enjoying every minute... I really like Santiago; yes that is crazy for me to say due to the fact I hate big cities. Although on the contrary it does not feel like a big city, it has a very relaxed feeling. This hostel is really great with amazing workers and owners, as well as great travelers passing through. A few of us, a Norwegian, English, Australian, and an American went to a bar… haha I don’t know sounds like a good joke. But I guess the real joke was we were all sitting there drinking 2x1 happy hour Pisco Sour’s, which is the joke if you have ever drunken one or seen one.. It comes out in a cute little flute and extremely sweet, very very girly. My Chilean friends found out we had been drinking them and they started to laugh.
I went over to my CouchSurfers.com friends Nati and Magdalena to cook some dinner and drink some wine. I wanted to make one of my favorite fish dishes, but due to running around all day looking for parts and new tires I missed the fish market. So I arrived empty handed and we all went to the grocery store together. We decided on a chicken curry stir-fry. It came out pretty good, wasn’t my best but it was still good and the wine was really good as well as a few Piscola’s. We went to their friends club and met up with two of the girlfriends for a few more drinks, it was an awesome night with a ton of laughs. Took it easy on Friday as well, messed around with some photos, and got an email about my bike. Supposedly the Cylinder either got scratched up again or was never correctly honed in Argentina… So he said he was sending it out and that I would be ready to shred or at least take it to the suspension specialist on Tuesday haha.

DAY-395-396
12/1-2/2012
Shot my Friend Juan who I met through Guille in Buenos Aires Argentina a few months back a message. He lives in Santiago and is a pro Photography; super chill dude. He invited me to go walk around the city and find some lunch. He scooped me up at the hostel and we headed off in his car, we parked near the fish market and walked around finally ending at the market. We grabbed a table and had a bottle of wine with two Cerviche, and a bowl full of shellfish. We had some Turkish coffee and I headed back to my hostel; on the way back he asked if I could help him out tomorrow with some pictures so he could get some lighting correct.
I got an email from Juan asking if I wanted to go over to his house tomorrow Sunday and have a BBQ.
I grabbed a sixer and headed over to Juan’s house to meet up with everyone for the BBQ. I met his friends they were a couple from the states (I am terrible with names now, I have met so many people) I will call them Chicago. If you’re reading this I am sorry I am an ass…. Hahaha
They have been down in South America Teaching English and traveling. We hung out eating Chorizo and having a lot of beers. Around 6 they left and Juan grabbed his photo gear and set up his camera and lighting. I was given a leather jacket and a scarf, I went to where he said and he just laughed… He pointed at my scarf and told me to fix it. Haha I laughed and told him I did not know how to wear one of these things never have before. So he fixed it and we got our pictures on, with me getting told what facial expressions to do, I kept trying to do funny ones and well that was not going to help him haha. SO finally we got a few good ones, for my help he gave me a nice bottle of Pisco. I headed back to the hostel to meet up with Jonny Sweet (yes that is his last name and it is awesome haha). We had bought tickets for the semi finals in Football (Soccer) for all Chile teams. We met up with his friend Neil who is living in Santiago, they are both from Scotland. As we caught the tram we all notice it was mighty quiet on the tram and once we arrived it was a ghost town. Ugh oh. Jonny was not sure if he had the time right, internet said 7:45pm… So we arrived at the gates and could hear the game, we asked how long the game had been being played; 70 minutes shit 20-30minutes left if we were lucky. We tried to get in and they told us to go around the other side, I explained our screw up and they just let us in to catch the last bit. We got in and the stadium was packed with 38,000 screaming fans. Luckily for us the score was 0-0, so for not a massive soccer fan, I was not bummed we had missed 70 minutes of no scoring soccer in the dying heat haha. The team with maybe 10% of the fans in stands scored two back to back goals and everyone started getting a little pissed. Game over time to go, so we headed out with the massive crowd; as we got close to the tram there was a massive line so we decided to grab a soda and some street food. As we were sitting we heard some bottles smashing and looked behind us just in time to watch a small mob start throwing bottles and rocks at the cop cars. Then cops in full riot gear started running into the crowd toward us and everyone included ourselves started to run away haha… Everything was getting m ore and more hostile, it was time to go. So we got in line for the tram, as we were almost to the front of the line (not a line a massive group all pushing for a small gate opening) they shut the gate to many people in the station. So for about 20 minutes we got smashed around in the front against the gate as everyone was jumping and still singing even though their team had lost 2-0. All of a sudden the riot cops came into the line and pushed everyone back and slowly let us in, as we were waiting one cop pointed at someone I did not know what he had said. After we made it in Neil asked if we saw that!! Saw what? The cop who had pointed at that kid, when the kid passed through the gate he sucker punched the hell out of him and dropped him to the ground and just walked away.. Haha
We waited for the train and finally got on one, where we were stuffed in like sardines. The guy standing next to me maybe 45 or so, all of a sudden smacked a guy no older than 18 and made a hand gesture of give it back. The kid put his hands up signaling he had nothing the guy just laughed and did the gesture again, the Kid sighed and handed him back his phone he just stole!! Haha and that was it the guy just went back to listening to music and the kid got off.
The whole tram ride was like being on a trampoline, all the fans jumping up and down, making the tram just bounce so hard u could not keep your feet on the ground so u were bouncing around as well. I totally thought of a YouTube vid where the Tram just falls off the tracks. Haha We pushed our way off the tram and headed back to the hostel and to my bottle of Pisco and a good night meeting new people. Not knowing how long the bike would actually take I had asked Ivan if he needed in help since one of his workers just moved on, he said we would talk on Monday when he got back.

(I decided not to take my camera to the match, so I still need to get pictures from my friend Neil- so Pictures to come)



FISH MARKET

THIS IS ONE OF THE TANKS THAT GOT SMASHED WITH BOTTLES AND ROCKS AT THE SOCCER RIOT

THIS THING IS BUILT FOR ONE THING..PEACE, LOVE, AND SMASHING DUMBASSES.. HAHAHA

NOT A PLACE YOU WANT TO GET IN A BAR FIGHT.. HAHAHA (BAR- THE MURDERERS) HAHA


HAHAHA I GOT NOTHING TO SAY OTHER THAN "WORK IT WORK IT WORK IT" BAHAHAHAHAHA
PHOTO TAKEN BY: JUAN VELASQUEZ: While helping him wiht his lighting for an up coming shoot


Not many pics this post, will have alot for the next.
Fletch

Epic self-portrait. What settings did you use to get this lighting and contrast?

I cannot take credit, this is one of the pictures I talked about in my post that my friend Juan took, he is a Pro Photographer. He asked if I would help him get his lighting correct for an up coming shoot and needed to take a few shots for his client to see if that was what they were looking for, for their next ad shoot next week. Couldn't tell you setting or lighting, other than my back drop was all blacked out and I had three massive lights pointed at my face.. hahaha He gave me a bottle of Pisco for helping..
Sorry for the confusion, meant to add his name to the picture will do now
Thanks for following
Fletch

Bit too much slider work for me, but still really nice lighting. It's takes skill to gauge lighting and not over or under doing it.

That game sounds like it would have been pretty intense! I like the action, but I would have hated the crowds after! I like my personal space =)

Was starting to get a little nervous about my Australian work visa! I applied for it on the 10th of October, but had to get a chest X-ray from a doctor here in Santiago. Finally just got an email back this morning.....
I AM APPROVED FOR MY WORKING HOLIDAY VISA FOR AUSTRALIA!!! NOW I AM JUMPING AROUND PUMPED OT BE STOKED LIKE A LITTLE KID ON CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!! SO SO STOKED!!!!


OH AND HAPPY 12/12/12

Congrats dude!

Australia look out! Fletch is coming!

Awesome Fletch! Australia is on my bucket list for sure! I lost all my thread subscriptions and just found this again (even though I have been following you elsewhere). Good to get caught up on this thread...keep on keepin' on

Dusty

Hey Fletch! Where do you plan to ship your bike to Australia from and how much will it cost? Thanks for the info in advance.

LMAO dude that portrait is legendary!!!! get it printed at mpix.com and make sure to get the chrome/metallic paper and largest size the format will handle it will come out bad ass! Glad to see you're still on the road and that klr is hanging on. not to mention stoked for your AU visa!!! I'm crossing over sometime after the second week of january. I'm currently in the sequoia national forest working my way through rain and snow up to the red woods. Rain in cali is a joke compared to the east coast! i keep waiting for the sky to come down but it just drizzles all day haha. and as sad as it is i've grown accustomed to the cold, though i can't wait to break out my surf trunks. When do you think you'll be in LA? i'm heading back down the coast after i get to the red woods and am planning on being there from the 5th or 6th on for up to two weeks. Met lots of kick ass advers in the area and got offered a shop to prep the KLR for south america so i'm taking full advantage. Maybe we can meet up? you're brother is in LA? keep it up bro. without you and this RR i wouldn't be where i am!

peace
Hessian

I would rock that if it were a t-shirt. Like the whole front.

SAW SANTA HE SAYS MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! HAHAHAHA


HAHAHAHA

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING ALONG A LOT OF PICS AND UPDATES TO COME,
Quick note hanging out In Santiago working at a hostel waiting on new suspension front and back
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND AN AWESOME CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT TWO DAYS I KNOW i DID
CHEERS FROM SANTIAGO CHILE

It will ship by air Santiago, Chile to Sydney, Australia
Working that out right now but it looks like it will cost around $1500 by air then another $500 or so when I get to Australia
I am getting a true quote today or tomorrow and will let you know more.
The company I was suggested to use and that they were fast and reliable was DYD Cargo
Will tell you more details when I find out..
laters

Merry X-mas and happy New Year!

Good to see things are still going well for you. I'm trying to catch up with David's ride report and have talked to Nick a bit via e-mail. Still need to review his updates.

I'm not lying when I say EVERY single day, I think about my trip and want to do it again.... Doubt I can do next fall, but the fall after will be South America.

BTW, I was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (yes, laugh away), and I saw a guy riding a KLR, no studs, and -22 with windchill near -30 Celsius. Roads were iced to shit. That guy had balls I couldn't even comprehend. Dec 28th.

DAY-397-403
12/3-9/2012

I got an email Friday afternoon from the guy who is helping me out with my bike saying that the bike will be ready on Tuesday afternoon, but my cylinder head needs to be machined. Well I got an email today telling me there is a problem, the Machinist who is 35 years old dropped dead from a heart attack and it will be a few more days until he can find a new machinist… haha I got an email from my friend Juan telling me his client liked the picture we took and also was interested in take more pictures of me for their portfolio haha.
I talked with Ivan about working for him and it was vague, but then on Tuesday night he confirmed it with a handshake and I start Thursday night. He hooked it up with a discount on my bill as well as free living and food while I work for him. They want me to stay through Christmas working for them; I told them I will have to see how the bike goes. If my bike is shred ready by the 14th then I will leave and make it to Ushuaia before Xmas to meet friends, if not then I will stay here and leave on the 26th.
I walked around the city checking it out on my own just taking Santiago in, I really really like it. So now hopefully the bike will be done on Friday. I came down with something that dropped me, it started on the morning of Tuesday with cold symptoms and by the night I was curled up in blankets cold sweating and pooping…. Hahahaha I shook myself to sleep and was in and out all night drenched in sweat and freezing.
Woke up feeling okay, not great but okay; but I had promised my friend I would help him out and go to a photo shoot for him. I showed up and it was a professional Photo shoot, I had to put on a skin tight V-neck, leather jacket, and a scarf. Oh don’t forget I had to sit and get makeup on…. Hahaha I was for sure it was a setup from another one of our friends playing a joke on me... Hahaha
I started work on Thursday night; I work at the hostel “Ventana Sur Hostel” which has awesome motorcycle parking as well an amazing owner. This place makes you feel like you’re in your own home, with a nice kitchen, communal area, pool, and gated driveway. I am working 5 hours a night for trade for a bed, breakfast, wine, and some meals. I work 6:30pm-11:30pm I hang out with the guest have a few beers, deal with late check-ins, any questions they may have, and just make sure everyone is happy. End of the week bike still is not ready. I did run around getting a few new parts like sprockets, chain, front and back tires Pirelli MT60 and some oil. Quick hint if you are looking for parts or tires in Santiago ask them for the price then after you get the written price tell them you will use credit card and ask what the price difference will be if you use cash he knocked 20% off for me....

DAY-404-417
12/10-23/12
SANTIAGO, CHILE IN A NUTSHELL
Well this will be a whirl wind wrap up of the past 2 weeks living and working in Santiago Chile.

I finally got my bike back and it is running like a bat out of hell, the best it has felt in over six months!!! Well that is the Engine at least; I took it to a Race Tech Suspension guy who supposed to be the best in all suspensions in Chile. Sadly he had no parts which are new front springs and at least a rebuild on the stock shock and a new coil. I had hoped to catch a friend coming down from the states but did not work out. On an upside I picked up Race-tech as a small sponsor not full sponsor but helping me out a bit. So they have sent new spring for the back as well as for the front and the gold valve kit. Hopefully I will be back on the road by the first week in January and head north to check out the Dakar Rally before finishing up this continent by finally making it to Ushuaia a six month planned journey which has been stretched to the most amazing 14+ Months. Hahaha
I have walked all over this awesome city and hiked up to the Virgin Mary statue a few times. I have been working on figuring out all of my shipping details, locking down a job, airline tickets, carnets, getting another international drivers license, and working on getting some new gear shipped to my bro’s house in Cali which I will pick up on my way through to Australia. Yup I will fly to from Santiago to LA for a few days; drop a bunch of crap off and to pick up a few new things that will be making my pictures better (dslr, new laptop, and a few other things), new boots, changing up helmet to my old Shoei not a fan of the DS Fly, new windshield and pro tapers, chain, sprocket, (My local shop who sponsors me is helping me get some deals on some new bike gear).
For flights I have found the cheapest way to fly is to go one way Santiago to LA stay with my bro for a few days and then fly one way to Sydney Australia. Doing this will not only save me roughly $400 bucks but also give me a chance to grab a few things on my way.
The past few weeks working at the hostel I have met so many awesome people and grab connections around the world to visit. I might have landed a job working as a Chef on a luxury train line in Australia for six months. We will see if it plays out; if so it will mean $$$$$ and free accommodation and food… Fingers are crossed!!!
I have truly lucked out with where I have been getting stuck and waiting on parts, this place is awesome and the owner and hostel is amazing. Ivan is so generous he is constant throwing BBQ, buying wine and cheese for the guest, and just an awesome guy to sit down and talk with.

PS the hostel is "Ventana Sur Hostel" with safe parking, cheap beds, pool, kitchen, awesome owner, and just a relaxed atmosphere.

GUYS BATHING IN THE PARKING.. I CAN'T LAUGH SURE I WILL BE DOING THAT AT SOME POINT... HAHAHA

A CHAPEL ON MY WAY TO THE VIRGIN MARY STATUE

AWESOME STREET ART ALL OVER THE CITY

SANTIAGO CITYSCAPE ON THE HIKE UP TO THE VIRGIN MARY


GLIMPSE OF A VIRGIN


SANTIAGO WITH A LITTLE ANDES IN THE BACK DROP

THE 'OL MARY

THE BIKE AMBULANCE.... SERIOUS??? HAHAHA

THERE ARE HIPPIES EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD, PROTESTING AGAINST THE ZOO.....

MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT.. HAHAHA



SANTIAGO

Tons of new albums and updates on my facebook page "Wheres Fletch"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wheres-Fletch/245276922187076?ref=ts&fref=ts&__req=g

Spiced up the Website check it out let me know what you think if it is user friendly or not.. I suck at this whole Website thing
www.wheresfletch.com

I am also now on twitter.. not sure about it but we will see.....
www.twitter.com/WheresFletch

More updates coming .. Christmas and New Years