Back into Chile and the  Carretera Austral

Having had our lunch of bacon sandwiches we left the border and continued to Chile Chico where we stayed for a couple of nights and celebrated Timo's birthday. We then set off to drive the Carretera Austral

The beginning of the Carretera Austral

This is the highway that was originally started but never completed by General Pinochet. Remember him? ( he died in Northwick Park Hospital just down the road from our house where we lived in London). He gave great importance to having a highway that would connect the whole country this was mostly of great strategic importance,  I guess to keep out Argentinians. In fact as you go further South it becomes increasingly difficult to build and maintain such a highway with a very sparse population.

Wild horses  aaaahhh!

 It was never fully completed and is quite difficult to navigate in long stretches up into high mountains and around massive lakes through intensely beautiful, rugged and varied terrain. 

Another impossibly blue lake

I have often mentioned my admiration for the people who choose to do these journeys by bicycle. Lately the number of cyclists has increased to such a number that it becomes hard to admire them all. Until I discover that this is considered among hardcore cyclists to be the ultimate bike ride and that people flock from around the world to ride it. We have driven it in our wonderful truck and still we found it really tough, but what a fantastic drive! 

So respect to the cyclists!

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Bikers await the signal

Wheres my bike?

Kim and Zak, cycling the Carreterra

This was a Glacier we came across as we drove  Pretty amazing eh?

After one of the most stunning, scenic and extremely beautiful drives (we've run out of superlatives), we arrived at Rio Tranquilo, yet another town dominated by hikers and bikers.

im n er

our Skipper

However the town is close to some fabulous marble caves  access is only by boat on the lake we  decided to pay for a two hour boat tour which was such a  good choice, the caves are really quite exceptional. The boat ride was great but it was a bit bumpy, on the way back and Ping was rather sick. Ah well.

See the Marble caves for yourself

The major town of Coyhaique was next on our list. We had a couple more leaking hydraulic hoses. Which I believed were original to the truck which means that they are about 27 years old. I recently changed a fan belt that was original and I discovered that it was changed just in the nick of time. So I wanted to get these hoses changed pronto.

As it happens when we were in the petrified forest in Argentina ,you may recall that we met a group of people who were riding quad bikes around the desert. One of them was rash enough to give us his card. He is the general manager of a large automotive company. As we arrived at the edge of town we passed his office. So we paid him a visit. Remember we hardly know him, but we were greeted like long lost friends. Very soon he asked quite directly if we had a problem he could help with. I intended that he might give us advice about who to go to but instead he arranged for us to take our van to his own workshop where this repair was carried out. Benito was most hospitable he willingly and kindly, instead of leaving us hanging around  took us into town  and arranged to pick us up again to bring us back when the van was ready.

Our new friend  Benito

It is so good that we meet someone for a few minutes  and  several weeks later we descend on him and get such helpful treatment. we are so grateful as well as reassured that this ancient and leaky rubber has been replaced.

Incidentally Benito helped us in another way. We have a spare gas cylinder that needs refilling and we had tried a couple of depots who would not fill it. Benito told us that his friend has a gas business and ‘he will know about this’. A phone call was made  and the answer came. ‘It is not allowed to fill foreign cylinders. What is important here is that we did not waste a day searching high and low for an answer.

Having had our van passed it's medical we carried on the Carretera Austral towards Chaiten where we had a ferry booked towards Puerto Montt. During our journey, we have met several people who have recommended a boat trip for some of the way as it was supposed to be a beautiful ride through the fjords and inlets with the Andes in the background.

One thing to note, about halfway along we ran into our French chums Thomas and Anis hitching so we picked them up again. Very nice! I am sure this is not the last we will see of them.

Dusty roadworks

Pity the poor cyclist!

The road has been rugged and difficult plumes of gritty dust engulf us every time we pass another vehicle there are major roadworks over long stretches and on one occasion the road was completely closed between 1.00 and 5.00

All of this is part of joining up the dots and completing this highway some 30 years after it started. I suppose that in 5 years time it will be good tarmac all the way. This from an overland travel point of view, may render it quite charmless. Good news though for the people of Patagonia.

Speaking of Patagonia I am pleased to report that we are pretty much out of the region, and the wind has dropped , fantastic!!! Back to normal.

Finally, I think it is worth saying that all I have written here is just a sample of our experiences. All the way along our roads we have minor adventures, meetings with people and little  experiences that are impossible to pass on but which remind us daily of our fortunate position.

next    On up the Andes