A sad day in Chile

Today is a sad day, guys. My moto and everything in it (computer, equipment, tools, tent, money, passport, etc.) was stolen from the patio of where I am staying in Viña del Mar, Chile last night sometime between 5 and 7 am. The patio gate was locked, but the wheel on the bike was not. The crooks opened the gate and pushed the bike away.

I spent the morning at the police station reporting the theft. The police are very helpful but of course have no prediction of a resolution.

I still have some money and ATM/credit cards, cameras, phone, clothes, and my precious backup hard drive. And the people here are very nice and helpful with giving me a place to stay and food to eat.

There are really two options: they find the bike or they don’t. If they do, and all the equipment is gone, I’ll consider replacing the gear and continuing my trip to Ushuaia. If they don’t find it, I’ll return to Santiago for a new passport and then make arrangements to fly home to Houston.

I am four years on the road from Alaska, and I know every day is a possible day for an unfortunate crash… theft… or whatever. These are the risks we as adventurers take. We don’t adventure without accepting that adventure includes good days and bad. And so as I stare at the final 3500km of the road from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, I am very thankful for the previous 90,000km of good.

I could buy a small Honda to continue the ride, but right now I feel utterly defeated and want nothing more than to be in the arms of my love, Eric, in Texas.