Could this be the end?

---

Christie´s back on the bike. Yay!!!!!

We did an easy 20km back-tracking into Castro where we spent about three hours mooching around the cafes, two hours fixing my bike (again), and then another 20kms to Chonchi where we are staying in a beaut little hostel (though it appears to be under serious reconstruction) right on the beach.

Chonchi is a beautiful little fishing town (ex-pirate stronghold) which reminds me very much of what Strahan would be like without the rain and tourists, but with lots of dogs to keep Christie happy ... In short a paradise.

Big news of the day is that Christie has decided to call it quits on cycling the Carretera Austral and so we´re reeling a bit trying to decide what to do.

Do we split up, she heads home and I carry on? Travel seperately? Do we both just say we´ve had a fantastic time, but it will be nice to be home in Tassie for Christmas? One option we´re considering is ditching the bikes, flying down to Ushuai, visting Terra Del Fuego and Torres del Paine then catching the ferry back to Puerto Montt and flying home early, we´re even looking at the option of doing some sea kayaking for a week just to let us catch our breath, unfortunatley it looks to be very, very pricy.

George´s blog (www.20six.co.uk/georgeidf50) doesn´t paint a happy picture of the road ahead ... snow, rain, sticky mud, road works, high mountain passes and a string of broken bikes seems to be the current story of the Carretera Austral.

Had another bike problem today (yes I know, getting monotonous isn´t it). Last night when cycling to Delcahue the bike felt a bit bouncy and wobbly, but I thought my panniers might just be weighted badly and I couldn´t see anything wrong so dismissed it.

It was the same again this morning though, but I was reassured by Christie telling me her bike felt the same so I ignored it. Then, just as we were leaving our lunch spot I glanced down at the back wheel and noticed a bulge in the tyre near the valve ... I hadn´t seated the tyre correctly and it was rubbing against the brake pads going down hills. The (nearly brand new) tyre was wrecked, but I guess I´m lucky it wasn´t a full blowout.

We had to sit around until the shops reopened at 3pm, search around for a new tyre (one shop tried to sell me the same tyres I bought in Santiago for 4000 pesos for 30000 pesos) before we could hit the road again.

With my tent now ripped, by bike having daily mechanical problems ad Christie´s busted knee, I´m staring to think ´El Mundo´ is sending me a message.

I´ve been hearing rumours that Lance Armstrong is making a comeback to prove he´s not a drug cheat and will be going for his eighth Tour de France this year .. maybe I could come home early and spend a month in France in July instead ....

---

Photos

My dead tyre
Actually you can hardly see it in this photo, but you can see sunlight through the abrasions.

Harbour up close
the tide really goes out in these parts.

Comments

[Darrel S]

Great story
JKD, have just caught up on your last 20 days - you write a great story - I am sure you will decide wisely - take care both of you

[Sean]

Don't do it
Stay there JD, you can't come back now!. All the computer systems are working in your absence and the HelpDesk guys have gone part-time.