Northward into Chile

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April 13th 2008

Published: April 27th 2008

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Nick and Rinske

ferry across the lakes into central pategonia

Northward to Chile.

Nick typing:

For a while there we considered trekking across the boarder takign a couple of ferries to get into chile, but the cost, Rins cough and other factors have meant we have decided to take the easterly route via the pampas and up to Los Antiguos in Argentina and then a quick boarder crossing to Chile Chico and then ferry ride up into central pategonia.

Our last night in El Chalten was memorable with a midnight bus and raging dust storm that hit the village. At one point while walking to the bus station we were forced to take shelter behind a busted shaggin waggon that was for sale. This was a car that we earlier considered we might of purchased to take us northward, but car ownership is a challenge around these parts, expecially if you want to sell it later. So basically you have to find yourself a bomb.

Oh, i wish i could show you the gogo mobile that we found for sale in Los Antiguos but couldnt get the camera out quick enought.

In Chile, we stopped off at a place called Coyhaique which is in the middle

hospedaje meals

staying with family in cohayique with Yolanda our very gracious host and good place to improve our spanish

of the Aysen region and stayed for a homely 3 nights in a hospedaje with Olanda a lovely old chilean lady who would constantly feed us.

Our main aim from Coyhaique was to head up to Chaiten or Futalafu where national parks and rafting are available but buses have been hard to come by on this stretch of road called the Carretera Austral. So we decided to take a bus halfway which was a challenge in itself. About halfway along the road in absolutely the middle of nowhere on a stormy night the accellerator cable snapped on the bus.

Now this seems to explain the reason why there is another chillean often riding in the shotgun seat of the bus, as our driver and codriver manager to jury rig a shoelace to the throttle control and proceeded to drive the bus together to La Junta. One steering and breaking, the other on throttle. Gear changes were a bit of a struggle but we only were late by about a hour and a half.

We stayed a night in La Junta before attempting to hitch up the famous Carreterra Austral on a completely sodden day. Not a great

driving buses chilean style

When your accelerator cable breaks in the minibus at night during a storm on the carreterra austral, a very remote road in pategonia... what do you do? Well you get your wingman to remove a shoe lace, attach it to the throttle cable and help you drive it to the next town... very amusing. steering and breaking by one guy... accellerator by wingman.

success as we kept getting smiles and the swirling finger in the air indicating local travel... or possible that we were loco. Hard to say.

Finally we made it up to el chalten on another bus, after another night of hospedaje stay with another old lady. Its like if you every are missing your grandmother, just start staying in Hospedajes, and you will get all the cookies and jam you need.

El chaiten is a sizable little town at the southern gateway to Pumalin Park, the 700h park established by Mr Tompkins the previous owner of North Face clothing. Its an amazing part of the world here and thankfully through this philanthropy hopefully should stay that way. What you dont know before you come to patagonia is that most of the rivers in Chile have been sold to American and Spanish companies. Ie they own the river, and hence there is a huge amount of pressure to put in hydro electic schemes and send the energy back to Santiago.

Well, a few more scenes from the road and next we are off to the island of Chiloe for some sea air and sunshine?

Nick and Rinske