Chile

'Hey Clever' It's coming from all angles now. I look up and it's the larger than life figure of Bjorn in front of me, accompanied by a new member of the 'Search crew', but old friend Vidar Jensen. It's good to see the guys

again; it's been a while. We waste no time, as apparently we have a long road trip ahead of us to reach our first destination, perhaps the most well known surf town in Chile, Pichilemu. We'll have time to catch up along the way. Unfortunately we have to leave without my sails which failed to arrive on my flight in the hope that United keep to their promise of delivering them to me as soon as they do, all the way down south ….

On the way out, we only touch the outskirts of the country's capital Santiago, but the mixture of old and new strikes me immediately. It reminds me of a clean version of a typical Spanish town, but as it was 20 years ago.

There are some aspects that are extremely modern, buildings that are almost from the future, like the LanChile offices at the airport. However, the small streets and old-fashioned shops give away the fact that Chile has not quite caught up the likes of the States and Europe.

The cleanliness really is a great surprise, making me embarrassed to think of London and the Canaries boys of Las Palmas in comparison. Also immediately apparent are the smiles on the people's faces everywhere you look and their tolerance of ignorant tourists such as us, not having a clue where we are going!

Once out of town, the sheer beauty and diversity of the countryside soon dawns on me, as I look round at the snow-capped mountain range behind us leading down to row after row of vineyards ahead, followed by drier more open plains and smaller mountain ranges with eagles soaring overhead.

This country really does have a bit of everything, and the closer we get to the sea, the more apparent this becomes, driving down roads lined with tall, pine trees of the kind that you would find in Southern France or Spain, followed by a drier, dustier terrain boasting little vegetation.

Indeed it is easy to see how the original Spanish settlers felt quite at home here in Chile, with familiar surroundings that would ease any bout of homesickness.

The endless vineyards that we pass wet our appetites for some of the great wines that we know are awaiting us during our stay in Chile, whilst we try to imagine the taste of the great seafood that will no doubt pass our lips as well. Chile is the world's second largest exporter of salmon, so I think we can expect good things!

We finally get our first glimpse of the sea on our final descent to Pichilemu - deep blue in colour, it must be cold, especially given the freshness in the air as we get closer. It is a thoroughly welcoming site, as the small swell lines wrap perfectly into the bay.