Coyhaique / Chile

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Now I am a person that likes the heat. The heat and humidity of Asia is just what I crave right now. It is so bloody cold here that I even had to get some gloves and more thermal stuff just to keep warm. And it is just getting worse the further south I go. Ah well, the things one does to see the world. And that is my last whinge for this report. Promised…..

So here I am in Coyhaique, the capital of the Aysen region. And I set myself a new travel record; never ever have I been any more south on this planet as I am just right now. That deserves a celebration beer later on.

After I wrote my last report in Chaiten I had two more nights and one full day in that lovely town. As I mentioned it was only small but the people were fantastic. So friendly and helpful and it reminded me that people with less money and material things are most of the time happier and more accommodating than people that are rich and comfortable.

The day after the guided tour I got up really early and hiked back to the volcano. It was just such an amazing place that I wanted to explore it on my own and in the time I wanted to. So I walked the short distance out of town and got a ride to the site. It was about 20 km out of Chaiten and hitchhiking is not a problem in Chile.

Once at the site I just walked around and tried to climb up as much as I could. I followed the river and it was pretty hard going walking over all the stones, gravel, trees and volcanic debris. I had good hiking shoes on but they took a beating on the way up. After about a two hour hike I was at the end of the road; the river started as a small waterfall and there was no way to climb out of the valley. But what an area it was. There was all these different volcano stones and debris that was fascinating. From basalt, andesite, pumice to rhyolites. Everything was around you. Nature at it's best.

I was pretty tired from my walk up so I spend some time just playing around like when I was a little boy in Germany playing with the creeks. I build little dams, redirecting the water from the waterfall into different directions and I had a ball. I know I am an old man, but sometimes doing simple things like that are very smoothing for the soul. I loved it and after a couple of hours I returned to the base. What a place………

Once I was back at the road I waited for some cars to drive by so I can catch a lift back into town. Well, no such luck; there was no traffic at all. So after a while started walking as I thought it would not be a good idea to be stuck out here. And I walked and walked for about 3 hours straight. That is the problem to be in the middle of nowhere………..

Finally A car came by and stopped so I arrived around 5 pm in Chaiten, enough time to visit the houses that were still covered by the ash and are abandoned. Now that eruption was in 2008 but one can clearly see the damaged it did. And thinking about that the ash, when it comes down, are like snowflakes it is pretty amazing to see what damage they can do…

On my way back to the hostel, my friends from the restaurant invited me to have dinner with them. Of course I accepted and we cooked a traditional Chilean dinner full of meat, spices, noodles and other stuff. It was delicious.

The next day was great until you felt a little rumble around you. I went outside the hostel and had a look at the volcano; well he was smoking like a chain smoker after a 24 hour flight. Very impressive to see but scary at the same time......

The bus left at 12 pm. Well bus is maybe the wrong description, it was a rattler. Small and hold together by strings and wires. Good fun. The trip was amazing. Traveling through the Andes in Patagonia is something that one will never forget. Up steep gravel roads, surrounded by snow caped mountains, waterfalls everywhere. Then down the road in breath taking speed, sliding around like crazy. At the beginning it was rather scary but when you see the locals sleeping around you I relaxed after a while; if they trust the driver so should I. Unfortunately there were hardly any stops to make photos. Shame. When it got dark, and cold, the insight of the bus got all fogged up because of the heat the people radiated and it was an awesome feeling to be in the bus. But the pictures will be forever branded into my brain. Unforgettable!!!!!!

On the bus I met an American that decided that life in the USA id crap and he is searching for a more meaningful life. He will settle here in Coyhaique, look for a job and make a life here. He got balls and I wish him all the best. Lot’s of people talk about it but only a few have the guts to actually do it

The trip took 12 hours and I can tell you my arse was saw when we arrived in Coyhaique at 12 am. I have not booked a hotel so I went to search for one. The only one that was open cost $60 and it was rather expensive but who am I to argue at this time of the morning.

The next day I went to search for a cheaper place and soon found one. And then I just spend the last two days walking around and take it all in. The whole town is surrounded by mountains and it is awesome. When you are in the sun it is warm but once the sun disappears behind the clouds it is just freezing cold. So cold that I went to search for some gloves. Bugger my pride; warmth is something that I grave.



So that was it. My plan was to go down to O’Higgins and take a ferry over to Argentina, crossing a 27 km area with horses. But I was informed that the ferry starts operating in November and I don’t have the time to wait too long. So tomorrow I take a bus to Puerto Ibanez and then a 2 hour ferry trip to Chile Chico. There I will stay a while and then cross over to Argentina. Have to as this is the only rout into the deep south of Chile. So Here I come Argentina – country #73………..

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