Riding a bike in Santiago, Chile

So as my work situation hit a period of change recently I've had the opportunity to work in new areas, one of them in tourism. Specifically I'm giving bike tours of Santiago with La Bicicleta Verde.

The two tours I'm currently working on focus on La Chimba, the area north of the Mapocho, i.e. La Vega, Patronato, etc. The other one takes you through a bit of providencia, parque Bustamante, Plaza Italia, Lastarria, Santa Lucia, etc. Its a very interesting thing to be doing because it forces you to learn a whole lot more about the terrain you are showing to tourists. As a storyteller this gives me another reason to be perusing the internet for odds and ends about these eclectic barrios.

Riding with the furious

This week was the monthly ride of "Ciclistas Furiosos," in which a couple hundred bike Fanatics get together and ride down the streets during rush hour. It was a nice ride that went into some of the older parts of Santiago where I wouldn't even think of riding at night alone. It brought out all sorts: hippies, kids, office workers, dogs, and even a rat.