MG Pan American Highway 2015

A long tiring and frustrating day especially for the MG Drivers.

8.00 Departed Santiago to San Antonio Port in anticipation of meeting up with our lovely MGs after loading them in Melbourne on 27 October 2014 into two containers

.San Antonio is a major Chilean Port , handling a lot of freight and is he busiest port on the west coast of South America

After one and a half hours drive, in ‘our’  Pro Tours Bus to this  very busy container port , and a long wait, eager anticipation turned into frustration as the paper work is apparently incorrect due to the Port Authorities requiring the official  ‘Bills of Loading’ It is now midday.  One of the San Antonio Port Official , armed with all the 8 MGs Documents etc drove to Santiago for the Documents to be checked by more Senior Authority .  The Slow Wheels of Bureaucracy turning…..

As this was going to be   a three hour plus wait for a decision re release of the Mgs  we went to our hotel h at Vina del Mar , in Greater Valparaiso and another one and a half hours drive  from San Antonio in Pro Tours Chile Bus. The driver Christian and guide Morris were very understanding of our predicament.

Valparaiso, 69.5 kms north west of Santiago ,is a major city, one of the South Pacific’s most important seaports and has been the headquarters for the Chilean National Congress since 1990

We stayed  at Hotel  Del Mar ,in Vina Del Mar  meaning ‘Vineyard of the Sea’ . .It is known for its placid resorts, malls, extensive coastal high buildings ,hotels and attracts an influx of local and international visitors through out the year.

 

The days frustration continued as our rooms were not ready but no spin as a few of us  went walkabout  along the esplanade to to the nearest Cafe. to get a decent cu of coffee is a challenge …for  our spoilt Australian palette anyway.  Am sure this will improve by the time we get to Colombia! At the coast English is less spoken so we are trying our best at VERY Bad Spanish. Hopefully this will improve as we travel .

At 3.oo pm Team MG learnt that the papers have been accepted, but to late to drive back to the port so will do so tomorrow  08 Jan .

As our room had the largest deck/balcony and in the absence of a lobby lounge it was chosen as the ‘Happy Hour’ meeting place. Dinner was at a Mexican restaurant with shared fajitas etc and thank goodness the plates were not loaded with food.

A long day….with no MGs at the end it as planned.