Thanks for the encouragement. I'll have to get out my MTB this weekend and see if we get along better than I remember. Most of the organized rides here are on dirt roads or trails, so MTBing would certainly open up possibilities. California was impressive for all the options in terms of roads--it's tempting to move back just to have somewhere to ride! Here, if you want to go anywhere, you wind up on the highway (or dirt).

tygab, do you sea kayak or whitewater? I used to whitewater--that's one of the main reasons I stayed in Chile! Beautiful rivers in the south.