Our giraffes did not come alone. It is also our bikes that are coming. Both of William, who the poor are not baptized, my and my Rokmešín Hektor. Hektor is my city bike, a gift from my friends for my thirty years in Grenoble. Once back from my vacation, I decided that henceforth, we will travel the city in two. Hektor and I mean. To hell with buses, anyway you can not read.
Once you decide to bike to Santiago, you'll find something important. People who can not get around that by using different wheels are die hard. And I do not think the wheels of the car, because those, for cons, it a life of a lion in the jungle. Hektor trying to get out of the cellar, I realized that the architect who made the project house must have had a repressed hatred against mothers with pushchairs and wheelchair users. Because otherwise, why there are six steps at the entrance of the house, ten steps leading to the basement and finally two steps leading to the cellar. The difference only two steps, but does so, it becomes a running track.
But finally I can get my little Hektor fifteen pounds in the light of day. Do not leave the pavement, going to town. On the sidewalk, because I am sure that the Chilean English has no word for "cycle track" and the word "cyclist" must be a neologism that was probably never used in the highway code, s 'there is such a thing in Chile. Anyway, I do not know how to make a bike path on the road changes direction of movement by hours. Speaking of that, I wonder how many deaths were caused on the roads is the day we spent time on a fall weekend of three dates advertised on the internet. As I said before.
Riding on the sidewalk in Chile is not too bad, because the main road law is the law of the jungle. There are no stupid pedestrians who fall into the road just because it is green and every pedestrian who is not suicidal passes of cars that turn, even though he too is green. Yes, Europe, cars that run must first pass pedestrians, but in Santiago ... it's the law of the strongest, that's it. The wise will yield. At least, I will not go with my Hektor among all four of the four city Chileans like that much. I
the sidewalk and the bicycle, you are the kings, finally, if a car pulls do not steal your crown. People jump out of your way like fleas, those waiting for the bus grab their bags placed on the floor, children and dogs and they are against the wall or fence. Well, me, I feel rather guilty when riding on the sidewalk, so I bike down and I thank them. But I bein understood the fear in their eyes after I failed to make me run over by a guy on an old bicycle that has suddenly appeared in a rectangular street. But
govern sidewalk, it does not make you life easier. Because the sidewalks have edges. I understand why two people in wheelchairs that I had the opportunity to see during the three months that we live in Santiago, rolled down the road, which is very dangerous. The curb at least 20 centimeters high, probably to prevent cars going home. Cool, one more thing first thought for cars. And I can not make it to the wheels of Hektor. Sometimes there is an edge down so that strollers can pass more easily, and the board did in this place so that about ten centimeters, just to rock a little baby. I have such an edge with some speed and I was lulled so much that I lost one of my pretty slippers summer. Humiliated, I had to brake and back five yards with a bare foot to get him.
Suddenly, in the heart of Bellavista, I found two pedestrian crossings for disabled fully furnished, with that slow stuff and the whole circus. Say, Bellavista disabled can still cross the road ... to go to a bar in front, because there is no other things as bars in this area. Well, we must also say that the disabled must first leave the house with the stairs at the entrance. And beware of these passages. I found a descending well in the road ... but on the other hand, there was an edge of 20 centimeters. Another explanation why the disabled driving on the road?
Even if you have the patience to get off your bike and go back to the edges, your country has another problem. I'll Bellavista in Recoleta for my volunteering. Leaving the beautiful area of Bellavista, the sidewalk with concrete blocks sunk into the most unlikely angles, becomes a challenge for an ATV. Then the border of Bellavista and Recoleta, it disappears completely. Without doubt a little dispute between the two districts should. But ultimately, it is easier to roll without troittoir with. But this happiness lasted only two hundred meters. Afterwards, he must go down because there is an edge of 20 centimeters.
But there is a good thing that encourages me to take Hektor always with me. Well, yes, sports and more, Santiago is flat and polluted and there were more people who ride their bicycles, the city would moisn, contaminated and Chileans smaller. But this I know. In Prague, the same thing, the Czechs are big and the tracks are missing. Not to mention that if you're stupid enough to ride on troittoir Czechia, I can assure you that in some trips, there will be a little slimy cop you a ticket and cole add another to your far that does not work then you double that BMW at 100km an hour so you can apreciate the strength of personality of its driver. But let's forget the bitterness of the miss who was traveling by bike in Prague for two years, she should be happy that she survived difféerence of January Bouchal , an activist who fought for bicycle paths in Prague before being hit and killed by a driver in the center of our capital.
I wanted to talk about the right thing. So, riding a bike in Santiago is a bit like having a dog in Prague: everyone talks to you. There are many cyclists in Santiago, even if they risk their lives on its roads. The reason is simple: the transport is very expensive. A trip costs 400 pesos, ie 60 euro cents, but there is no monthly or yearly tickets. So when I said in my association that cycling is good, because instead of 45 underground, I'm only 20 minutes by bike, everybody said, and it's free! To return to what I wanted to say, everyone talks to me, because while cycling, I always the area of a gringa, I am a gringa bike and people talk to me more. And each time, when I park, someone with good advice where I should have to park for that I was not deposed of my savings money. A gentleman street cleaning preparations even offered me that he will monitor so I can do my shopping in peace. I told you about the paranoia of Chile, is not it? Still, that could break the U in broad daylight in ten minutes while the same U survived the nights Grenoble? But I must say I like how people become aware.
And so, with my little Hektor, we continue down the edges, cross the road, go back and continue our journey ziguezaguant between pedestrians. The only thing I need to do is trumpet the coler pink and yellow trumpet that I received with my Hektor ...
Click on the picture to see 
Cover of "The alliance, a monthly newsletter Masons Montreal. September 1983 
Article Page 7 of the Alliance, in September 1983 
Advertising Alliance, October 1983 page 8 
Other advertising in the Alliance, September 1983 page 11. Organization that promotes world government ... 