Journey back from the end of the world...

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7th, 8th & 9th April.

If we thought getting to the end of the world was challenging, nothing could have prepared us for the ordeal of getting back...

On Tuesday, various things conspired against us, causing us to cross national borders a total of eight times! At one point, we crossed from Argentina into Chile, in order to catch the ferry, before realising that we only had 50pesos on us - half the cost of a ferry ticket. The customs officials told us that the nearest ATM was in Rio Grande, which would have meant driving back the way we had come for 200km, along a gravel track. Disheartened, we crossed back into Argentina, but couldn´t face turning back. Instead, we turned the contents of the car upside down, searching every crevice, pocket and corner. Miraculously, in that strange way that things have of working out, we managed to scrabble together 94pesos. Triumphantly, we reentered Chile (much to the amusement of the folk at customs) and the kind man on the ferry let us sail 😊

Wednesday. The car has to be back by Sunday, and Bariloche still seems dauntingly far away. In the afternoon we decided to push onto Bajo Caricoles. But Ruta 40 was its usual unforgiving self - the stones were big, the gravel dusty, and the progress very slow. We suffered two fatalities when a flock of birds flew into us (one went under the wheels and another ended up smeared across the windscreen). Probably the nail in the coffin of my Vegetarianism... Driving on the gravel in the dark was a nightmare. It became nearly impossible to see where the road was turning (since the road itself is almost indistinguishable for the muddy ground on either side). Several times we strayed off the path but somehow, every time we had to reverse, we found our way back to the road. It was stupid and scary. To be lost in Patagonia is to never be seen again - or at least that's how it felt, crawling along in the oppressive darkness. There was joyous relief when we saw the distant flicker of Bajos Caricoles, and we vowed never again to tackle Ruta 40 after sunset.

Thursday dawned, and brought an even weirder day, which included two tire blow outs, driving into a canyon and somehow acquiring a personal guide... but more on this later, I have to go and find out how to gut a fish.

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Photos

Heading back to civilisation
On one of the better roads

Comments

[Dad (Pell)]

Great read!!
Looking forward avidly to the next instalment and to hear how the fish-gutting went! What an adventure it sounds - hadn't realised (but probably should have) just how remote and basic it was going to be - perhaps just as well, as we would have been even less enthusiastic about the car hiring venture! But we can see why you went for it - there was no other way you could have got that type of experience! Both good and bad, it will give you a host of stories and memories for years to come. Found the story about finding the pesos in the car familiar - I regularly supplement my 'spends' with pound coins after Tom's been in the car! (finders keepers!) Continuing good luck to you both. Dad xx

[alex]

well put, dickens
So ya this was pretty entertaining, Amy, you should take pictures of the locals to get a feel of whats up. im sure you have tons of pix anyways. well yes miss you and come back to North America