Blogs from Aisén, Chile, South America - page 17

2009 began in fine style for us. After seeing in the new year with the family who run the hospedaje, some entertaining yanks and a couple of dutch cyclists in Tortel, we dragged ourselves out of bed after not enough sleep to take a boat through the fiords to join the Carretera Astral further south. We joined Carson, a cyclist from Germany, and together we rode three abreast on roads in much better condition than we were led to believe, safe in the knowledge that the road was ours alone until the next ferry 5 hours later. The temperature was perfect for cycling as the tailwind helped us on our way through a spectacular valley almost untouched by man save for the road flashing by beneath our wheels. Cycle thouring heaven! Just when we were thinking ... read more

Just a few photos, we might sort out a few words shortly. We are in the wee town of Cochrane, after some wonderful diverse days of riding and are keen to have our rest day at a interesting sounding isolated refugio down the road. So next town Totel - the town with no roads, well up until they went and built a road for us to cycle in on. On second thought only two photos, its painfully slow! We´ll do better next time promise. Christmas was great and all is good. Better hit the road.... read more

Well we obviously jinxed our vegetarian luck, with proclaiming our vegetarian sucess. That very night we had "lenteje and tocino" soup according to the picture filled with lots of veges, we found out afterwards tocino is pork fat! And it´s continued on that way as we blindly select foods from stalls and restaurants. Oh well! Waking up in a saturated tent and putting on yesterday´s soggy clothes, in order to ride another 60km´s of muddy roads in relentless rain isn´t a particularly enthusiasm enhancing experience. Things aren´t too bad once moving, but this sort of weather isn´t conducive to the long leisurely lunch breaks we have become accustomed to. Riding up a steep and rough hill, for 10km´s in the driving rain and glacial winds might not be the high point of our trip, but the ... read more

Nach einer Zeit in absoluter Wildnis sind wir mittlerweile wieder halbwegs in die Zivilisation zurueckgekehrt. Wir haben das Abenteuer Carretera Austral gluecklich bei allerschoenstem, fuer diese Region untypischen Wetter ueberstanden. Dabei fing alles etwas holprig an. Ungeplant sind wir 5 Tage in Coyhaique geblieben, da bin mein kurz vor der Reise operierter Zahn ploetzlich wieder geaergert hat und ich zum Zahnarzt musst. Ein Glueck konnten mir Chus und Santi vom Hostal Las Salamandras mit einem guten Zahnarzt weiterhelfen (muchas gracias chicos!). Aber auch dieser Zahnarzt stand vor einem Raetsel und schickte mich zu einem sensationellen Spazialisten. Der loeste fuer ganze 30 Euro ein Problem, dass seit Jahren kein Arzt in der Schweiz oder in Deutschland gefunden hatte. Die Zaehne stehen falsch aufeinander und er musste sie abschleifen (ein Ergebnis meiner frueheren Zahnspange). Du... read more

(April 06) I guess the definition of paradise is a rather subjective thing. To me paradise could be a million different things but that place that I had the pleasure to discover down in the very last corner of Cajon del Maipo, a Canyon close to Santiago, definately belongs to that bunch. And knowing that I only detected it by pure chance (or some heavenly guidance:-)) makes it even more special. (Couldn't believe that hardly anyone in Santiago seems to know it - Anthony, bl....GO THERE SOON before someone sends you back to OZ:-)!!!). I had 4 days to go before meeting Pierre in Santiago and I really didn't feel too much like hanging out in the city for the whole time, so I packed up my gear once again the very next morning after my ... read more