La Carretera Austral (Chile) - Week 22

Coyhaique - 8th & 9th February

We found a good place to stay on the outskirts of town in a place owned by a funny (well he tried) Chilean bloke. He put us in a decent room with three beds, but had told the other person in the room (absent at the time) that he had the room to himself - he was a bit suprised to see us in there.

We met with Katie & Bill for dinner and decided that the first task in the morning was to book all the transport after the fiasco on the ferry and our troubles with booked-up buses in Argentina. That afternoon we walked to the nature reserve behind the town and went on a pleasent 4 hour walk, cannot beleive we like going on little walks. How old age creeps up on you!!

We have also lost all sense of scale in these enormous countries. A 3 hour trek is just like a walk round the corner to the pub and a 5 hour bus ride like nipping to Sainos in the car!

Next day we left Coyhaique on the first half of the section of Carretera Austral we planned to travel to Puyuguapi. A bit of background. The Carretera Austral was started in 1976 under the government of president Augusto Pinochet, one of the postitive parts of his legacy. Before the road this whole section of Chile was cut off as the terrain is so impassible. It runs 1240km from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins in the south through so on the most impressive scenery we have seen on this trip.

Puyuquapi - 10th & 11th February

After 6 hours we arrived in Puyuguapi and the four of us found a little hospedaje run by a very freindly family. We had also arrived on the weekend that they celebrated their village's birthday, with a big party that night - nice timing!! They held it in their gymnasium and was a very high-brow affair. This year it was the turn of the 10 - 13 year olds to be the village king & queen.

The outgoing king & queen in the armchair in the middle!

Afterwards the tables and chairs were cleared and the dancing started led by the local band including accordian of course. The two Katies were hotly in demand by the men of the village, they being fresh talent in the town, so much so that Bill and James HAD to dance just to keep them at bay!!

Next day we arranged a lift with the daughter of the owner to take us to the hanging glaciar south of the village. After a 90min walk to the mirador with reached this view:

Chaiten - 12th & 13th February

Next day we left to travel up the second section of the Carretera Austral to Chaiten. Again more spectacular scenery and little villages.

The drivers of these buses are deffo are on a little side earner a we stopped every half an hour it seemed at another little cafe for a "toilet stop". One place did have fresh-out-of-the-oven cheese, ham and tomato empanadas, little pasty type things that were delicious!!

Bill & Katie were getting the 14 hour overnight ferry to Puerto Montt at midnight so after finding somewhere to stay we met up with them for scrummy hamburgers and a few beers before their ferry. The owner was well gone with his mates drinking by the time we got our food and so as the rolls were quite small he gave us two hamburgers each - result. A couple of others from the bus earlier joined us, Stan from Poland and Mete from Berlin. Later the owner then gave us lots of lamb from the BBQ and free Pisco Sours, so it ended up a bit of a late one. Pisco Sours are a cocktail of liquour with lemon and egg white making a drink very alcohlic but desceptively so - a dangerous combination in the hands of Katie!!

The next morning we booked onto a tour to another glacier and thermal springs. No photos as they were pleasent enough but not as spectacular as the previous one (uh oh, getting complacent!). After a nice fish and chip dinner we headed off to bed early for the ferry to Chiloe in the morning...