Hotel Prat and a nasty nail....

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360 km later and its Sunday morning in Casa Chueca, where I´m going to put my feet up for a day and I´ve picked the right place for it. Hammocks, good beer, veggie food and water with magic rocks in it for mystical energy (really). The whole way has been on or beside the motorway, which was horrible coming out of Santiago, but has eased up now, as the further South and more rural its becoming.
Santiago was surprisingly laid back, in the Eco Hostel and a rubbishy film in the local cinema. Don´t see ´Beethoven'unless you´re a fan of soft focus sunsets and Ed Harris in a wig. The original Beethoven with the dog was better. It´s just one road going south, The big difference to Argentina is it´s green and there are people, so stocking up on water, chocolate, ice lollies is a doddle and I can go so much further. Scenery wise, it´s unspectacular though and I´m looking forward to it opening out in a week or so.
Highlights:
chatting away to joe in his bike shop
restaurant el sauce next to the campsite. Truckers and fried eggs. Yummy (to the eggs)
hotel prat - not so great, but the name makes up for it. Turns out he really WAS a prat, trying to sink a Peruvian battleship with his sword.
casa chueca - fantastic.
Lowlight:
dirty great big nail in my tire as I took my eye off the road to chat to a toothless man.
Hot off the press new highlight. One bottle of Chilena red and a pisco sour to the good, I´m moderately pissed and set for a silly last night. Chau chicos y chicas xx

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Comments

[aleix and anna]

hi mark
Hello Mark! where the hell are you now? we're in Constitucion.the way to Concepcion,doing the coast.Just georgeous! we moved a few days ago at Pichilemu.the capital of surfers!we want to be at the beggining of January at Puerto Month to star the Austral Road just after New year's Eve because its the best month for the weather. in any case;our blog is:www.perdutssobreduesrodes.blogspot.com Hope to keep in contact.See you mate!!!

[mightymark]

Hola
Hey chicos, I think your coatal route sounds a good one. I just hammered straight down ruta 5 and got bored! But I´m in the Lake District now and about to head back into Argentina to see if my new tyres have arrived. Then back inbto Chile for the Carretera Austral, so may yet catch up again. I´ve looked at your blog.. You need to do an English version! Chau chau, Mark