Border crossing Chile - Argentina

---

Well what a journey it has been getting to Argentina. We had read that you can take a ferry across one of the lakes that takes you to nearly the border crossing and it is the route Che Guevera took from Argentina to Chile.

So left lovely Pucon and took 2 buses to a place we were told we could get the bus to Puerto Fuy to get the Ferry. We got to a town called Conaripe where we were told to go and there is no bus to Puerto Fuy. With our limited Spanish a guy told us to jump on this bus and it was the right way. The bus dropped us off on the roadside in the middle of nowhere and pointed at this other road. By this time it was 3pm and the last ferry is at 6pm and we had about 60km to travel. So really 4pm was our deadline to getting some mode of trnasport. We resorted to hitch hiking, something I have never done. 5 to 4 and we just about give up hope when a lovely lady who spoke English said she could give us a lift half of the way. So we took it. Once again left on the roadside with an hour and a quarter to spare. Then a timber wagon picked us up and said he could give us a lift to 5km out of Puerto Fuy so we took his offer and the journey was interesting as he spoke no English and out Spanish is limited. So once agin he drops us off and we start walking the 5km but only have 20 minutes to spare. The walk is a little up hill too and we are in flip flops and look like pack horses. We are now doubting we will make the ferry.... when a car full of young people stopped and gave us a lift to the port with 5 minutes to spare. We breathe a sigh of relief when we get on the ferry with 5 minutes to spare.

The ferry crossing is stunning the most amazing scenery we have seen on our trip totally breath taking for the full hour and half. We get to the otherside at 7.30 hoping to jump on a bus to the border just like the lonely planet tells us. Guess what no bus and the border shuts a 8pm and it is 8km form the ferry. So we ask around and no way of getting to the border.......GREAT luckily there is asmall guest house where we can stay but only food is sandwich simple (ham and cheese). We are the only ones satying in the guesthouse other than the owners.

Early start as we need to start to walk the 8km to the border. The only traffic on this road is from the ferry which doesn´t srrive until 9.30

We start to walk then after a few km´s a cars start to come from the ferry but non willing to pick up 2 pack horses then another timber truck saves our bacon and gives us a lift...his English is slightly better ´David Beckham´!!

So we make it to the Chilean border ro find that it is 4km to the Argentinian border of which we had to walk. We passed a man on a mountain bike who told us no problem when you get to the border there is a bus. YES my pace quickens. We get tot her border and guess what there is only one bus in the morning which we have missed and one bus at night which is at 8pm and it is now 11.30am but I guess we should be pleased as we have finally made it to Argentina!!!

---