This is a quick note out of order with the blog. Many of you have learned about the huge earthquake that hit Chile this morning. We are a long ways from where it hit and were unaware of it until we rode into Puerto Rio Tranquilo. The internet access is very, very, very limited because the lines near Santiago are damaged. Things here don´t work if things there don´t work. So, we are fine. And, we are in no danger of proximity to a tsunami unless it is over a few thousand feet high. While the last two days have included a lot of "suckiness", it sounds like we are lucky. This was the 7th largest earthquake ever. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted. We had lunch in a tiny place and they had the television running. Everyone was coming in to see the video of the damage. It sounds like 35 people were killed in one town. Just an FYI --- we registered with the Embassy. We have already received emails offering help. I am glad we don´t need it. I am impress by how quickly they put out an email and the number of options they gave us for contacting someone. They even asked that we contact our families and friends.
I´ll post again soon when we have WiFi.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Puerto Chacabuco to Coyhaique (Wed2/24)
Stats:
- 49 miles (all paved)
- 2500 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 3 birds and 1 rabbit (I think one of the vultures was creamed while trying to eat a dead rabbit...different than this dead rabbit)
Arn and I enjoyed the best breakfast of the whole trip this morning! We feasted on scrambled eggs, toast, fresh fruit, soft cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche, an apple-banana-cinnamon crumble torte, apricot juice, and real brewed coffee. It was totally awesome.
We got off to a relatively early start --- 8:45am. The skies were completely blue and the temps were crisp, but definitely not cold. Today's ride was a bit of a backtrack to the Carretera Austral and then a turn to the south. We pedaled 10 miles back to Puerto Asyen and stopped at the grocery store for fresh bread. We have decided that being near or at the port means we are at the start of the "Carretera Austral Food Chain". This explains our breakfast, two jars of peanut butter, and relatively better fruit. This morning, it also explains a strange item that Arn claims jumped into his arms near the checkout stand --- a 6-pack of Snicker Bars. Really, it is the small things in life than can mean so much!
So, with 10 miles down, roughly 40 to go, fresh bread for more PBJ sandwiches, and 6 Snicker Bars, we were off again. The next 15 miles continued to come off quickly. Over the first roughly 25 miles, we only gained a couple hunderd feet in elevation. Around mile 20 we reached the Carretera and we turned southbound toward Coyhaique. Our road followed the river...upstream. We were in for a long gradual climb. The valley was stunning.
Dark, rock walls lined the valley on either side. The aqua green Rio Simpson ran down the center. Rolling green meadows surrounded the river. Given our early start, we did not have direct overhead light. We were often riding in the shadows of the walls. In the sun, our backs were warm. In the shadows, it was cool and refreshing. It felt like we were down in a gorge.
Traffic was heavier than most of the rest of the Carretera. Coyhaique is the big town, so there was more activity --- buses, gas trucks, supply trucks from the port, people on the go. For the most part, everyone was respectful. The city buses continue to be the worst. It is best to just get off the road for them.
At one point, Arn said, "You know that your scenery has been good when you see what we see and you don´t even want to stop to take a photo!" This was true. After the 27 fastest miles since we joined the Carretera, we pulled off for a snack --- Snicker Bars! As the girl who trained to race walk a marathon powered by Snickers, this is my kind of power source. Arn has said many times, "If I have a choice between Cliff Bars and Snicker Bars, I am taking Snicker Bars".
While our weather has felt like summer for a while, today smelled like summer. I can´t exactly figure it out, but there was just something in the air that smelled of summer. The lupine is fading...something that happens by August at home (February is the equivalent here). The daisies and clover are continuing to bloom. The grasses are drying out. I don´t know, but if I closed my eyes and breathed deep, there was no mistaking the season.
We knew that eventually, we would need to climb up out of the gorge and there was no confusion about the exit. In the distance, the road was carved into the walls up and out of the gorge. There was also a short tunnel. At first we thought it was a "day light" tunnel with cut outs to allow the sunlight to permeate. This was true --- right before the section where it was totally dark. We turned on our lights (thanks to Susan for our flashing red and white lights). Luckily, the total darkness was short and daylight returned before a vehicle caught us. As we grinded (okay, I grinded and Arn hummed) up the climb, we could see the peaks beyond us. Our valley was surrounded by what looked like the Canadian Rockies. In the distance, it looked like the American Southwest. At times, I thought I was seeing the walls of the Grand Canyon, only in shades of black and brown, not red. Once out of the river valley, we continued to climb. We passed our only cyclist of the day. He was enjoying a screaming downhill and never stopped. Go figure.
Eventually, we topped the climb and caught our first glimps of Coyhaique in the distance. About 60,000 people live in Coyhaique. It is the largest town we have seen since we left Bariloche over three weeks ago. Our arrival was a long downhill along the river. However, you are going to love this --- the river was flowing downstream (counter to us) and yet, we were descending. You know what this means. Yes, we headed back uphill into town.
Our first choice place (that Arn emailed two days ago and they never replied) was full. So, we are staying at the place where Dominiq & Michelle (women from UK) stayed. After checking in and taking showers, we both noticed what Dominiq had warned us about and we had forgotten. There is NO window in the room. So, it is a double room (two twin beds) with a private bath, but no window. It is not a place to hang out and it is place with 10,000 low hanging objects on which Arn can earn himself a concussion --- television, door jams, light fixures, etc.
Given that Coyhaique has more services than any place we have been in a while, we arrived with a list of "must do´s". Since arriving, we have had our laundry done (it was getting really disgusting). We have, in Arn´s words, "porked the ATM twice". We´ve been to the pharmacy for sunscreen, toothpaste, and sports tape (I am taping the insteps of my feet for additional support). We have been to the gas station to consider maps for sorting out options after the Carretera, to the tourist office to find any interesting ideas, and to the grocery store for apples (me) and potato chips (Arn). And now, we are chilling...waiting for the appropriate dinner hour.
Tomorrow, I have been told will be a "suffer-fest" followed by a "fiesta of suffering". Today´s ride burned 2300 calories. We will see about tomorrow´s ride. A few days ago, I hit a new low on the "pre-ride standing heart rate". It was 43 bpm. Arn explained, "You are getting more fit and not burning as many calories". This is true. My limiting factor is leg strength on a fully loaded bike --- the heart rate has not been tapped out. Tomorrow, will be a leg burner for sure. Our forecast continues to look good --- the low tomorrow is 50 with a high of 80! Tonight will be the warmest walk to dinner since we left Pucon in late January!
- 49 miles (all paved)
- 2500 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 3 birds and 1 rabbit (I think one of the vultures was creamed while trying to eat a dead rabbit...different than this dead rabbit)
Arn and I enjoyed the best breakfast of the whole trip this morning! We feasted on scrambled eggs, toast, fresh fruit, soft cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche, an apple-banana-cinnamon crumble torte, apricot juice, and real brewed coffee. It was totally awesome.
We got off to a relatively early start --- 8:45am. The skies were completely blue and the temps were crisp, but definitely not cold. Today's ride was a bit of a backtrack to the Carretera Austral and then a turn to the south. We pedaled 10 miles back to Puerto Asyen and stopped at the grocery store for fresh bread. We have decided that being near or at the port means we are at the start of the "Carretera Austral Food Chain". This explains our breakfast, two jars of peanut butter, and relatively better fruit. This morning, it also explains a strange item that Arn claims jumped into his arms near the checkout stand --- a 6-pack of Snicker Bars. Really, it is the small things in life than can mean so much!
So, with 10 miles down, roughly 40 to go, fresh bread for more PBJ sandwiches, and 6 Snicker Bars, we were off again. The next 15 miles continued to come off quickly. Over the first roughly 25 miles, we only gained a couple hunderd feet in elevation. Around mile 20 we reached the Carretera and we turned southbound toward Coyhaique. Our road followed the river...upstream. We were in for a long gradual climb. The valley was stunning.
Dark, rock walls lined the valley on either side. The aqua green Rio Simpson ran down the center. Rolling green meadows surrounded the river. Given our early start, we did not have direct overhead light. We were often riding in the shadows of the walls. In the sun, our backs were warm. In the shadows, it was cool and refreshing. It felt like we were down in a gorge.
Traffic was heavier than most of the rest of the Carretera. Coyhaique is the big town, so there was more activity --- buses, gas trucks, supply trucks from the port, people on the go. For the most part, everyone was respectful. The city buses continue to be the worst. It is best to just get off the road for them.
At one point, Arn said, "You know that your scenery has been good when you see what we see and you don´t even want to stop to take a photo!" This was true. After the 27 fastest miles since we joined the Carretera, we pulled off for a snack --- Snicker Bars! As the girl who trained to race walk a marathon powered by Snickers, this is my kind of power source. Arn has said many times, "If I have a choice between Cliff Bars and Snicker Bars, I am taking Snicker Bars".
While our weather has felt like summer for a while, today smelled like summer. I can´t exactly figure it out, but there was just something in the air that smelled of summer. The lupine is fading...something that happens by August at home (February is the equivalent here). The daisies and clover are continuing to bloom. The grasses are drying out. I don´t know, but if I closed my eyes and breathed deep, there was no mistaking the season.
We knew that eventually, we would need to climb up out of the gorge and there was no confusion about the exit. In the distance, the road was carved into the walls up and out of the gorge. There was also a short tunnel. At first we thought it was a "day light" tunnel with cut outs to allow the sunlight to permeate. This was true --- right before the section where it was totally dark. We turned on our lights (thanks to Susan for our flashing red and white lights). Luckily, the total darkness was short and daylight returned before a vehicle caught us. As we grinded (okay, I grinded and Arn hummed) up the climb, we could see the peaks beyond us. Our valley was surrounded by what looked like the Canadian Rockies. In the distance, it looked like the American Southwest. At times, I thought I was seeing the walls of the Grand Canyon, only in shades of black and brown, not red. Once out of the river valley, we continued to climb. We passed our only cyclist of the day. He was enjoying a screaming downhill and never stopped. Go figure.
Eventually, we topped the climb and caught our first glimps of Coyhaique in the distance. About 60,000 people live in Coyhaique. It is the largest town we have seen since we left Bariloche over three weeks ago. Our arrival was a long downhill along the river. However, you are going to love this --- the river was flowing downstream (counter to us) and yet, we were descending. You know what this means. Yes, we headed back uphill into town.
Our first choice place (that Arn emailed two days ago and they never replied) was full. So, we are staying at the place where Dominiq & Michelle (women from UK) stayed. After checking in and taking showers, we both noticed what Dominiq had warned us about and we had forgotten. There is NO window in the room. So, it is a double room (two twin beds) with a private bath, but no window. It is not a place to hang out and it is place with 10,000 low hanging objects on which Arn can earn himself a concussion --- television, door jams, light fixures, etc.
Given that Coyhaique has more services than any place we have been in a while, we arrived with a list of "must do´s". Since arriving, we have had our laundry done (it was getting really disgusting). We have, in Arn´s words, "porked the ATM twice". We´ve been to the pharmacy for sunscreen, toothpaste, and sports tape (I am taping the insteps of my feet for additional support). We have been to the gas station to consider maps for sorting out options after the Carretera, to the tourist office to find any interesting ideas, and to the grocery store for apples (me) and potato chips (Arn). And now, we are chilling...waiting for the appropriate dinner hour.
Tomorrow, I have been told will be a "suffer-fest" followed by a "fiesta of suffering". Today´s ride burned 2300 calories. We will see about tomorrow´s ride. A few days ago, I hit a new low on the "pre-ride standing heart rate". It was 43 bpm. Arn explained, "You are getting more fit and not burning as many calories". This is true. My limiting factor is leg strength on a fully loaded bike --- the heart rate has not been tapped out. Tomorrow, will be a leg burner for sure. Our forecast continues to look good --- the low tomorrow is 50 with a high of 80! Tonight will be the warmest walk to dinner since we left Pucon in late January!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Laguna San Rafael (Tues 2/23)
Stats:
- Zipo....a day off the bikes and on the water!!!
About a week ago, we made the decision to take a slight detour to Puerto Chacabuco for a high speed catamaran trip to see the national park called, "Laguna San Rafael". For many, it is considered the highlight of a trip along the Carretera Austral.
We woke to mostly sunny skies. After a quick cup of coffee in the hotel lobby, we boarded a bus with our fellow travelers for the day. It was an all day trip --- breakfast, lunch, and dinner and everything in between.
The boat headed south, navigating through the fiord and various water passes. Compared to our pace on a bike, this thing cooked --- 25 knots! To us, it appeared that 1/2 the passengers were traveling together and French speaking. The other 1/2 appeared to be speaking Spanish.
The views were specatular --- water, mountains, glaciers. We were treated to views of the highest peak in Southern Chile. At 4058 meters, it is almost as high as Mt. Rainier. The climax of the scenery was our arrival into Laguna San Rafael. The water was filled with ice bits and icebergs from the tide water glacier. The catamaran creeped closer and closer to the face of the glacier and then the show began. While we have seen more impressive sights of ice (Antarctica for sure), we have never seen a better show of melting ice. The glacier made sounds like my feet creaking in the morning. However, the sounds frequently resulted in exploding towers of ice plummeting into the sea. Whole sections, the full height of the glacier erupted into waterfalls of ice. I can only guess the sizes. At times, it looked like balls of ice the size of a house rolling off the glacier. Sometimes, the ice would rise up from the water before everything came tumbling down. Most of the time, it appeared to be in slow motion.
The passengers were loaded into small zodiac boats and zipped around through the sea of icebergs and brought closer to the face of the glacier. While in the zodiac, we saw several massive calves of the glacier and at least two were the full height. The average deepth of the glacier is 300 feet, so it was an impressive wall of ice. The waves created by falling ice looked huge. We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride, the scenery and the ice show.
"1000 year old ice" was plucked from the sea and brought back to the catamaran. As we left Laguna San Rafael, the party started ---- whiskey and glacier ice! Being in Chile, we opted for Pisco Sours and ice. For a while, we sat in the lower level of the boat, enjoyed the views, and read. Then, we ventured upstairs to the lounge. The party was in full swing and we noticed an important split in the crowd. Downstairs, the French were sleeping or reading. Upstairs, the Chileans and Argentinians were singing karaoke and dancing. Now, you may not know this, but Arn is a secret lover of karaoke. I can now say he has sung karaoke in Spanish! We danced a bit and luckily both of us were tall enough to touch the ceiling for stability when the boat started rocking.
Dinner was accompanied by fantastic views of Volcan Baca as we returned to the fiord leading to Puerto Chacabuco. Nice finish to a great day. The five day forecast looks good, so tomorrow we ride!!!
- Zipo....a day off the bikes and on the water!!!
About a week ago, we made the decision to take a slight detour to Puerto Chacabuco for a high speed catamaran trip to see the national park called, "Laguna San Rafael". For many, it is considered the highlight of a trip along the Carretera Austral.
We woke to mostly sunny skies. After a quick cup of coffee in the hotel lobby, we boarded a bus with our fellow travelers for the day. It was an all day trip --- breakfast, lunch, and dinner and everything in between.
The boat headed south, navigating through the fiord and various water passes. Compared to our pace on a bike, this thing cooked --- 25 knots! To us, it appeared that 1/2 the passengers were traveling together and French speaking. The other 1/2 appeared to be speaking Spanish.
The views were specatular --- water, mountains, glaciers. We were treated to views of the highest peak in Southern Chile. At 4058 meters, it is almost as high as Mt. Rainier. The climax of the scenery was our arrival into Laguna San Rafael. The water was filled with ice bits and icebergs from the tide water glacier. The catamaran creeped closer and closer to the face of the glacier and then the show began. While we have seen more impressive sights of ice (Antarctica for sure), we have never seen a better show of melting ice. The glacier made sounds like my feet creaking in the morning. However, the sounds frequently resulted in exploding towers of ice plummeting into the sea. Whole sections, the full height of the glacier erupted into waterfalls of ice. I can only guess the sizes. At times, it looked like balls of ice the size of a house rolling off the glacier. Sometimes, the ice would rise up from the water before everything came tumbling down. Most of the time, it appeared to be in slow motion.
The passengers were loaded into small zodiac boats and zipped around through the sea of icebergs and brought closer to the face of the glacier. While in the zodiac, we saw several massive calves of the glacier and at least two were the full height. The average deepth of the glacier is 300 feet, so it was an impressive wall of ice. The waves created by falling ice looked huge. We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride, the scenery and the ice show.
"1000 year old ice" was plucked from the sea and brought back to the catamaran. As we left Laguna San Rafael, the party started ---- whiskey and glacier ice! Being in Chile, we opted for Pisco Sours and ice. For a while, we sat in the lower level of the boat, enjoyed the views, and read. Then, we ventured upstairs to the lounge. The party was in full swing and we noticed an important split in the crowd. Downstairs, the French were sleeping or reading. Upstairs, the Chileans and Argentinians were singing karaoke and dancing. Now, you may not know this, but Arn is a secret lover of karaoke. I can now say he has sung karaoke in Spanish! We danced a bit and luckily both of us were tall enough to touch the ceiling for stability when the boat started rocking.
Dinner was accompanied by fantastic views of Volcan Baca as we returned to the fiord leading to Puerto Chacabuco. Nice finish to a great day. The five day forecast looks good, so tomorrow we ride!!!
Better maps!!!
Arn has done some more work on the maps. Here are some better links.
These are small and also are preset as topo maps.
From Pucon to just outside of Futaleufu:
http://tinyurl.com/y9m9jn2
From Futa to Puerto Chacabuco:
http://tinyurl.com/y8dazx3
These are small and also are preset as topo maps.
From Pucon to just outside of Futaleufu:
http://tinyurl.com/y9m9jn2
From Futa to Puerto Chacabuco:
http://tinyurl.com/y8dazx3
Puerto Asyén to Puerto Chacabuco (Mon 2/22)
Stats:
- 10 miles
- 200 feet of climbing
- Weather: full head wind, mostly cloudy, light drizzle
Food ---- it is an important part of life for Arn and me. One benefit to all this riding is the ability to enjoy food. However, this assumes you have good food to enjoy. At the end of the ride yesterday, Arn mentioned the book he is reading --- something about the history of In-n-Out Burger. He said it is too much at times and he has to switch to another book. I laughed until I hurt. I cannot imagine reading about In-n-Out burgers. I have remained silent about my food fantasies; however, this conversation opened Pandora´s Box. Arn talked about BBQ ribs, In-n-Out Burgers, french fries, and a good steak (have not had this since Argentina). I mentioned all my burger fantasies --- Five Guys, Red Mill, Fat Burger, In-n-Out. To this Arn said, "Wow, I forgot about Five Guys".
Our food options have been bad to basic for the last 9 days. Here is how to think about it. Breakfast = bread, butter, jam, and instant coffee. Lunch = more bread with cheese (always the same non-descript mild cheese). Dinner = chicken / bad fish / mystery meat with potatoes / rice. Snacks are the highlight. Snacks = dry crunchy cookies (think Chips Ahoy), chocolate bars with almonds or a fruit filling, and peanuts. Now, I know what you are thinking --- "Hey, you guys need to get more creative and hit the grocery store". To this I say, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE STORES!!! There is ONLY one kind of cheese. We cannot carry meat (salami, etc) that needs refrigeration as the sun is warm. Peanut butter has not been seen since Pucon and our jar went empty a few days ago. Sure, we could buy fresh fruit. HA HA HA HA HA!!!! The summer has been so bad that all the places that grow fruit have nothing. Everything is coming by truck and it is not great. Now, I happen to like pears and all stone fruit as hard as rocks. Ocassionally, I have gotten lucky and found a few cement like pears. The bananas are all split open. The apples are scary looking. The citrus has mold. The stone fruit is more like apple sauce than an actual piece of fruit. There are no such things are soft chewy cookies. The packaged cakes (think pound cake) we saw in Pucon and Argentina are NOT here. Dinner is the hardest...no spice, no choice, no change. We are a couple of foodies walking around hungry.
So, last night, we went to dinner with two fellow cyclists. Dominque and Michelle are traveling from the UK and we met them yesterday in our hotel. Given that we are in a port town, there is actually seafood in the restaurant. I say "the" restaurant as there is only one. However, the place had a menu --- we actually had choices. Dominque and Michelle do not speak Spanish, so they were thrilled to go to dinner with two people that would help them to fair better than their previous attempts. We introduced them to Pisco Sours and Chile´s red wine. We talked about the Carretera food experience. It took us 20 plus minutes to fully study our choices and decide what we wanted. Arn and I ordered one dish of a shellfish stew and another of a baked shellfish casserole. Of course, Dominque and Michelle ordered the same thing. It was a great night of sharing Carretera travel stores --- their stories from the south and our stories from the north.
You will remember we arrived into Puero Aysen with a "limping" rear hub on my bike. The best way for me to describe the riding experience is this --- think of when you were first learning to ride a bike and the bike would wobble around as you were developing your sense of balance on a bike. That captures the feeling pretty well. After breakfast this morning (bread, jam, butter), Arn headed off to the bike shop with the bike in tow. The man in the internet shop next door said the bike guy does not open until 3pm. He told Arn about another man in town that fixes bikes. He told him where to go, but his directions were wrong. Arn asked some guys working on a truck and they showed him the bike guy's house. Arn showed him the problem and he pulled out a set of cone wrenches. He completely serviced the hub and repacked the bearings. The hub was dry! No grease at all! Can you say RAIN?? Rain is very hard on a bike. So, my "pony" is good to go --- even on ripio!
Before leaving town, we stopped at the grocery store. Much to our surprise, this was a SUPERmercado! It was huge! I stayed with the bikes while Arn did our shopping. He returned and asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" I said, "Give me the bad news". He replied, "There is no bad news!" He opened his bag of goodies and revealed TWO jars of crunchy peanut butter. I nearly started dancing in the streets. I finished our first jar (of creamy - beggars can't be choosers) a few days ago and have been carrying dulce de leche --- a very poor substitute. Also in his bag of goodies --- two dark chocolate bars with orange filling, bread rolls, a package of strawberry jam, peanuts, a can of potato chips (think Pringles knock off), and a banana. In South America, most jam comes packaged in a foil bag. So, once it is open, it does not close again. It can be messy. I figured Arn had to have some big idea and then he said it --- peanut butter and jam sandwiches for lunch with potato chips and a diet coke.
Today´s ride was really just a "repositioning" to set us up for our boat trip tomorrow. We decided to move the 10 miles down the road to be at the actual port. Puerto Aysen used to be the port, but due to silt deposits the port was moved. The actual port is now in Puerto Chacabuco. It was a uneventful ride -- head wind, light drizzle, and more traffic than we have seen in two weeks. Arn kept saying, "I hope we can get there without rain. I just do not want to have to deal with the bikes again after the rain".
Now, I have to admit, I would gladly punch a 10 mile head wind for the shower I enjoyed today. It was clean --- our first mold free shower in 9 days!!! The water was as hot as I wanted and it had great shower pressure. It was also the first actual shower curtain rod we have seen in nearly two weeks. There has been a lot of creativity in the creation of shower curtain rods --- used pipes both plastic and rusted, bamboo cut, tree branches, a "system" of plastic bags braided into a hanging contraption. This is the first place in almost as long that has provided little bottles of shampoo. And, the towel I enjoyed was big enough to wrap around me. I know -- I am a spoiled brat. But see how much I appreciate these sweet luxuries in life??? But the best part of the day was still to come --- peanut butter and jam sandwiches! The peanut butter was crunchy, sweet and salty all at the same time (brand was Planters). The jam was thick with chunks of real strawberries. The bread was a fresh, soft kaiser roll. The Diet Coke was cold and the potato chips were very much like Pringles. It was the best PBJ sandwich ever! After Arn finished his, he said, "You know the best part of waiting to eat your sandwich until after you washed our pants? You still have your sandwich to eat!"
- 10 miles
- 200 feet of climbing
- Weather: full head wind, mostly cloudy, light drizzle
Food ---- it is an important part of life for Arn and me. One benefit to all this riding is the ability to enjoy food. However, this assumes you have good food to enjoy. At the end of the ride yesterday, Arn mentioned the book he is reading --- something about the history of In-n-Out Burger. He said it is too much at times and he has to switch to another book. I laughed until I hurt. I cannot imagine reading about In-n-Out burgers. I have remained silent about my food fantasies; however, this conversation opened Pandora´s Box. Arn talked about BBQ ribs, In-n-Out Burgers, french fries, and a good steak (have not had this since Argentina). I mentioned all my burger fantasies --- Five Guys, Red Mill, Fat Burger, In-n-Out. To this Arn said, "Wow, I forgot about Five Guys".
Our food options have been bad to basic for the last 9 days. Here is how to think about it. Breakfast = bread, butter, jam, and instant coffee. Lunch = more bread with cheese (always the same non-descript mild cheese). Dinner = chicken / bad fish / mystery meat with potatoes / rice. Snacks are the highlight. Snacks = dry crunchy cookies (think Chips Ahoy), chocolate bars with almonds or a fruit filling, and peanuts. Now, I know what you are thinking --- "Hey, you guys need to get more creative and hit the grocery store". To this I say, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE STORES!!! There is ONLY one kind of cheese. We cannot carry meat (salami, etc) that needs refrigeration as the sun is warm. Peanut butter has not been seen since Pucon and our jar went empty a few days ago. Sure, we could buy fresh fruit. HA HA HA HA HA!!!! The summer has been so bad that all the places that grow fruit have nothing. Everything is coming by truck and it is not great. Now, I happen to like pears and all stone fruit as hard as rocks. Ocassionally, I have gotten lucky and found a few cement like pears. The bananas are all split open. The apples are scary looking. The citrus has mold. The stone fruit is more like apple sauce than an actual piece of fruit. There are no such things are soft chewy cookies. The packaged cakes (think pound cake) we saw in Pucon and Argentina are NOT here. Dinner is the hardest...no spice, no choice, no change. We are a couple of foodies walking around hungry.
So, last night, we went to dinner with two fellow cyclists. Dominque and Michelle are traveling from the UK and we met them yesterday in our hotel. Given that we are in a port town, there is actually seafood in the restaurant. I say "the" restaurant as there is only one. However, the place had a menu --- we actually had choices. Dominque and Michelle do not speak Spanish, so they were thrilled to go to dinner with two people that would help them to fair better than their previous attempts. We introduced them to Pisco Sours and Chile´s red wine. We talked about the Carretera food experience. It took us 20 plus minutes to fully study our choices and decide what we wanted. Arn and I ordered one dish of a shellfish stew and another of a baked shellfish casserole. Of course, Dominque and Michelle ordered the same thing. It was a great night of sharing Carretera travel stores --- their stories from the south and our stories from the north.
You will remember we arrived into Puero Aysen with a "limping" rear hub on my bike. The best way for me to describe the riding experience is this --- think of when you were first learning to ride a bike and the bike would wobble around as you were developing your sense of balance on a bike. That captures the feeling pretty well. After breakfast this morning (bread, jam, butter), Arn headed off to the bike shop with the bike in tow. The man in the internet shop next door said the bike guy does not open until 3pm. He told Arn about another man in town that fixes bikes. He told him where to go, but his directions were wrong. Arn asked some guys working on a truck and they showed him the bike guy's house. Arn showed him the problem and he pulled out a set of cone wrenches. He completely serviced the hub and repacked the bearings. The hub was dry! No grease at all! Can you say RAIN?? Rain is very hard on a bike. So, my "pony" is good to go --- even on ripio!
Before leaving town, we stopped at the grocery store. Much to our surprise, this was a SUPERmercado! It was huge! I stayed with the bikes while Arn did our shopping. He returned and asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?" I said, "Give me the bad news". He replied, "There is no bad news!" He opened his bag of goodies and revealed TWO jars of crunchy peanut butter. I nearly started dancing in the streets. I finished our first jar (of creamy - beggars can't be choosers) a few days ago and have been carrying dulce de leche --- a very poor substitute. Also in his bag of goodies --- two dark chocolate bars with orange filling, bread rolls, a package of strawberry jam, peanuts, a can of potato chips (think Pringles knock off), and a banana. In South America, most jam comes packaged in a foil bag. So, once it is open, it does not close again. It can be messy. I figured Arn had to have some big idea and then he said it --- peanut butter and jam sandwiches for lunch with potato chips and a diet coke.
Today´s ride was really just a "repositioning" to set us up for our boat trip tomorrow. We decided to move the 10 miles down the road to be at the actual port. Puerto Aysen used to be the port, but due to silt deposits the port was moved. The actual port is now in Puerto Chacabuco. It was a uneventful ride -- head wind, light drizzle, and more traffic than we have seen in two weeks. Arn kept saying, "I hope we can get there without rain. I just do not want to have to deal with the bikes again after the rain".
Now, I have to admit, I would gladly punch a 10 mile head wind for the shower I enjoyed today. It was clean --- our first mold free shower in 9 days!!! The water was as hot as I wanted and it had great shower pressure. It was also the first actual shower curtain rod we have seen in nearly two weeks. There has been a lot of creativity in the creation of shower curtain rods --- used pipes both plastic and rusted, bamboo cut, tree branches, a "system" of plastic bags braided into a hanging contraption. This is the first place in almost as long that has provided little bottles of shampoo. And, the towel I enjoyed was big enough to wrap around me. I know -- I am a spoiled brat. But see how much I appreciate these sweet luxuries in life??? But the best part of the day was still to come --- peanut butter and jam sandwiches! The peanut butter was crunchy, sweet and salty all at the same time (brand was Planters). The jam was thick with chunks of real strawberries. The bread was a fresh, soft kaiser roll. The Diet Coke was cold and the potato chips were very much like Pringles. It was the best PBJ sandwich ever! After Arn finished his, he said, "You know the best part of waiting to eat your sandwich until after you washed our pants? You still have your sandwich to eat!"
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Photos!!!
Here is the link to our photos. You will need to copy and paste. This is the same link as before, but Arn has added 71 new pictures!
We have a stellar forecast for the next five days. So, hopefully, we can resolved the bike issue and go SOUTH!!!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/ArnSchaeffer/ChileAndArgentinaCycling2010#
We have a stellar forecast for the next five days. So, hopefully, we can resolved the bike issue and go SOUTH!!!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/ArnSchaeffer/ChileAndArgentinaCycling2010#
Maps!!!!
Well, I have been writing about all these places and towns. I thought you migt want to see it all on a map. So, Arn has worked Google maps. You will need to cut and paste the links.
There are a few caveats:
- The first part takes us through beyond Trevelin but there is a missing piece in the google maps so it won´t connect to Futa.
- This also doesn´t include any side trips (Pucon, Bariloche day trip, Manso, glacier viewing, hunting for places to stay, etc.).
- All of the stuff on the Carretera is approximate. Google distances and placement of the carretera are not correct (if it was, our climbout of Puyuhuapi would have been double what it was, for example).
- Still useful as an approximation.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Lincoy%C3%A1n&daddr=Ruta+199+to:Av+Ant%C3%A1rtida+Argentina+to:Av+San+Martin+to:Rivadavia+to:RN+234+to:RN+231+to:G%C3%BCemes+to:RP+83+to:RN+40+to:RP+16+to:RP+15+to:RP+71+to:RN+259+to:-43.188156,-71.610947&geocode=FSa4qP0dLrK1-w%3BFWVXpf0dzzy8-w%3BFZpznv0drlXD-w%3BFVtHm_0dBlu_-w%3BFXAvm_0diTy_-w%3BFfYnlP0dmXu6-w%3BFXsxkv0dzXG6-w%3BFVhLjP0dhtK_-w%3BFdeDhf0dtwK9-w%3BFR3Wf_0dTnS8-w%3BFa37fv0dluK7-w%3BFYNPd_0dwCS--w%3BFTIadP0dHI65-w%3BFc6nbv0dqIq9-w%3B&hl=es&mra=dme&mrcr=11&mrsp=14&sz=11&via=3,10&sll=-43.241201,-71.6185&sspn=0.244601,0.441513&ie=UTF8&z=11
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ruta+231&daddr=Ruta+235+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:-45.138461,-72.130737+to:Eusebio+Ibar&hl=es&geocode=FQQ7bf0dQza3-w%3BFdevaf0dytWu-w%3BFSpsYP0dUwyv-w%3BFQxDW_0dSMus-w%3BFWbSWP0dsM2s-w%3BFbRfVv0duTqx-w%3B%3BFewWS_0dSOmq-w&mra=dme&mrcr=5,6&mrsp=6&sz=10&sll=-45.220743,-72.398529&sspn=0.473021,0.883026&ie=UTF8&ll=-44.0718,-71.674805&spn=3.860051,7.064209&z=7
There are a few caveats:
- The first part takes us through beyond Trevelin but there is a missing piece in the google maps so it won´t connect to Futa.
- This also doesn´t include any side trips (Pucon, Bariloche day trip, Manso, glacier viewing, hunting for places to stay, etc.).
- All of the stuff on the Carretera is approximate. Google distances and placement of the carretera are not correct (if it was, our climbout of Puyuhuapi would have been double what it was, for example).
- Still useful as an approximation.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Lincoy%C3%A1n&daddr=Ruta+199+to:Av+Ant%C3%A1rtida+Argentina+to:Av+San+Martin+to:Rivadavia+to:RN+234+to:RN+231+to:G%C3%BCemes+to:RP+83+to:RN+40+to:RP+16+to:RP+15+to:RP+71+to:RN+259+to:-43.188156,-71.610947&geocode=FSa4qP0dLrK1-w%3BFWVXpf0dzzy8-w%3BFZpznv0drlXD-w%3BFVtHm_0dBlu_-w%3BFXAvm_0diTy_-w%3BFfYnlP0dmXu6-w%3BFXsxkv0dzXG6-w%3BFVhLjP0dhtK_-w%3BFdeDhf0dtwK9-w%3BFR3Wf_0dTnS8-w%3BFa37fv0dluK7-w%3BFYNPd_0dwCS--w%3BFTIadP0dHI65-w%3BFc6nbv0dqIq9-w%3B&hl=es&mra=dme&mrcr=11&mrsp=14&sz=11&via=3,10&sll=-43.241201,-71.6185&sspn=0.244601,0.441513&ie=UTF8&z=11
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ruta+231&daddr=Ruta+235+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:Ruta+7+to:-45.138461,-72.130737+to:Eusebio+Ibar&hl=es&geocode=FQQ7bf0dQza3-w%3BFdevaf0dytWu-w%3BFSpsYP0dUwyv-w%3BFQxDW_0dSMus-w%3BFWbSWP0dsM2s-w%3BFbRfVv0duTqx-w%3B%3BFewWS_0dSOmq-w&mra=dme&mrcr=5,6&mrsp=6&sz=10&sll=-45.220743,-72.398529&sspn=0.473021,0.883026&ie=UTF8&ll=-44.0718,-71.674805&spn=3.860051,7.064209&z=7
Villa Mañihuales to Puerto Aysén (Sun 2/21)
Stats:
- 37 miles (all pavement!!!)
- 1200 feet
- roadkill: 1 skunk, 3 birds, 1 giant beetle (seriously, the splat remains were the size of a lemon), and 1 rabbit --- we think it was a rabbit as a tribe of no less than a dozen vultures were circling the sky and road, picking apart the remains and leaving pieces scattered for about 25 feet!
- rain? ZERO!
Last night was cold! Our room had twin beds and we each slept under four wool blankets. Now, I left the window open while we went to dinner, so I "cooled" it down quickly. However, this morning, our room was the same temp as the hallway. I stuck all of our clothes into the bed to warm them up before getting dressed.
Breakfast was at 8:30am. It was three bad bread rolls (think something that looked like yesterday's hamburger buns), jam, butter, a few slices of cheese and some "ham-ish" thing that looked so weird that Arn offered me the cheese that had not touched the unknown meat-thing. Every day he gives me more reasons to add to the infinite list of "why he is a keeper"!
Our plan was to start off with the American couple. Eventually, we would reach a split in the road and head different directions. However, plans changed. Arn rolled the bikes out of the wood shed and said, "We have a problem with your bike". While all the rain did a number on our pedals, washing out the grease and leaving a lot of creaks (this problem has been addressed --- we think, but one bleedport on Arn's pedal is gone). the ripio has taken it's toll. My rear hub was loose and there was a lot of play in the wheel. It wobbled. We let the Americans know they were on their own plan. Arn checked the wheel, took it off, tried to adjust it in the drop outs, but in the end there was nothing we could do to fix it. The repair, we think, needs some special tools called "cone wrenches" to tighten the hub. Between us and the next bike shop is only pavement, so we decided to ride.
The day started off crisp and cool. Under completely blue skies, Arn put on his rain jacket for warmth. Slowly, things warmed up and we shed a layer. Once again, our ride followed the river headed to the coast. We enjoyed more stunning views that included a lot of rock walls up high, mountains, bridges over small rivers and creeks. One creek was set down in a tight gorge with a series of waterfalls.
We stopped for a snack and Arn talked with a man on his horse. Arn said he could only understand a few words. I couldn't even recognize it as Spanish. It was another fantastic ride. Arn said, "This might be my new favorite day". I asked why. "Because the vegatation has changed and it is drier. It is a landscape I like better". It is true. The jungle look was gone. The grasses were tall and golden. The lupine has started to go to seed.
Arn kept an eye on the wheel. Once rolling, it seemed fine. If I moved from sitting to standing (you know, just to get off the seat for a break), I could feel the wobble. Beyond that, it felt okay. I took it easy on the downhill and laid off the rear brake. I don't want us to end up on the side of the road. However, I feel pretty sure we would either get a ride from someone or the next bus would pick us up.
We reached the split in the road. The Carretera heads to Coyhaique. It is a large city with two bike stores! However, our plan is to head to Coyhaique on Wednesday. We took the fork to Puerto Aysén. Our plan is to stay one night in Puerto Aysén --- get our laundry done, see if we can find a bike shop and chill with the internet. Monday, we will move ten miles down the road to the port (not many services here). On Tuesday, we have reservations for a high-speed catamaran trip down through the fiords to Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael. The scenery is supposed to be fantastic and we thought it was an opportunity not to be missed. So, Wednesday we will backtrack to the junction and head to Coyhaique.
Once we turned to the west, we pushed into a head wind. We only had about eight miles and it was flat to a slight downhill, so it was not bad riding. As we rolled through town, everything was closed as it is Sunday. We never saw the two lodging places we were looking for and instead spotted something new looking. We checked it out --- new hotel, super clean, private bath, WiFi. SWEET!!!! There was a bummer --- no laundry services anywhere in town today.
So, after we took showers, I washed our clothes by hand. Thank god for modern washing machines and dryers! It took a long time ---- 4 pair of cycling shorts, 5 pair of socks, 1 sports bra, 7 shirts and 2 pair of underwear. Arn went in search of a bike shop. It turns out there is a shop, but it is closed today. The man has wheel rims hanging in the window which would suggest he can build wheels. If he can do this, then he should have the tools to fix my hub. So, tomorrow we will return in the morning and try to get things fixed.
We had a late lunch of fresh vegetables and French fries. The veggies were more expensive than a steak! They come from a long distance and the price reflects the transportation costs. We hit the ATM for the first time in a while. As Arn likes to say, "we'll pork it again tomorrow". The South Americans limit what you can get in a single transaction. When you don't see an ATM for a week at a time and everything is paid for in cash, you need more than the limit.
We returned to the hotel to enjoy hanging out. We met two other touring cyclists. They are two women --- one from South Africa living in the UK and the other is a Brit. They have traveled from the south and one has been nursing a bad knee. We are having dinner together and will exchange notes as we are heading in opposite directions and can help each other out with what we have discovered. They have already given us hope --- one of the two bike shops in Coyhaique is described as "Mecca and has everything". So, it may be a place to get things fixed or in the worst case, we can buy a new wheel. My bike wheels are "standard" size for South America and hopefully it will work out. We can't ride more ripio with the wheel and the trip would end in Coyhaique without a fix.
Where's dinner? Oh come on! Are you not paying attention to the stories? You should know this by now. Dinner will be at the same place we ate lunch! See how easy your choices become when there is only one restaurant or the supermarket for dinner!?!? Well, I need to turn my laundry or we'll be carrying a bag of wet clothes tomorrow!!!
- 37 miles (all pavement!!!)
- 1200 feet
- roadkill: 1 skunk, 3 birds, 1 giant beetle (seriously, the splat remains were the size of a lemon), and 1 rabbit --- we think it was a rabbit as a tribe of no less than a dozen vultures were circling the sky and road, picking apart the remains and leaving pieces scattered for about 25 feet!
- rain? ZERO!
Last night was cold! Our room had twin beds and we each slept under four wool blankets. Now, I left the window open while we went to dinner, so I "cooled" it down quickly. However, this morning, our room was the same temp as the hallway. I stuck all of our clothes into the bed to warm them up before getting dressed.
Breakfast was at 8:30am. It was three bad bread rolls (think something that looked like yesterday's hamburger buns), jam, butter, a few slices of cheese and some "ham-ish" thing that looked so weird that Arn offered me the cheese that had not touched the unknown meat-thing. Every day he gives me more reasons to add to the infinite list of "why he is a keeper"!
Our plan was to start off with the American couple. Eventually, we would reach a split in the road and head different directions. However, plans changed. Arn rolled the bikes out of the wood shed and said, "We have a problem with your bike". While all the rain did a number on our pedals, washing out the grease and leaving a lot of creaks (this problem has been addressed --- we think, but one bleedport on Arn's pedal is gone). the ripio has taken it's toll. My rear hub was loose and there was a lot of play in the wheel. It wobbled. We let the Americans know they were on their own plan. Arn checked the wheel, took it off, tried to adjust it in the drop outs, but in the end there was nothing we could do to fix it. The repair, we think, needs some special tools called "cone wrenches" to tighten the hub. Between us and the next bike shop is only pavement, so we decided to ride.
The day started off crisp and cool. Under completely blue skies, Arn put on his rain jacket for warmth. Slowly, things warmed up and we shed a layer. Once again, our ride followed the river headed to the coast. We enjoyed more stunning views that included a lot of rock walls up high, mountains, bridges over small rivers and creeks. One creek was set down in a tight gorge with a series of waterfalls.
We stopped for a snack and Arn talked with a man on his horse. Arn said he could only understand a few words. I couldn't even recognize it as Spanish. It was another fantastic ride. Arn said, "This might be my new favorite day". I asked why. "Because the vegatation has changed and it is drier. It is a landscape I like better". It is true. The jungle look was gone. The grasses were tall and golden. The lupine has started to go to seed.
Arn kept an eye on the wheel. Once rolling, it seemed fine. If I moved from sitting to standing (you know, just to get off the seat for a break), I could feel the wobble. Beyond that, it felt okay. I took it easy on the downhill and laid off the rear brake. I don't want us to end up on the side of the road. However, I feel pretty sure we would either get a ride from someone or the next bus would pick us up.
We reached the split in the road. The Carretera heads to Coyhaique. It is a large city with two bike stores! However, our plan is to head to Coyhaique on Wednesday. We took the fork to Puerto Aysén. Our plan is to stay one night in Puerto Aysén --- get our laundry done, see if we can find a bike shop and chill with the internet. Monday, we will move ten miles down the road to the port (not many services here). On Tuesday, we have reservations for a high-speed catamaran trip down through the fiords to Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael. The scenery is supposed to be fantastic and we thought it was an opportunity not to be missed. So, Wednesday we will backtrack to the junction and head to Coyhaique.
Once we turned to the west, we pushed into a head wind. We only had about eight miles and it was flat to a slight downhill, so it was not bad riding. As we rolled through town, everything was closed as it is Sunday. We never saw the two lodging places we were looking for and instead spotted something new looking. We checked it out --- new hotel, super clean, private bath, WiFi. SWEET!!!! There was a bummer --- no laundry services anywhere in town today.
So, after we took showers, I washed our clothes by hand. Thank god for modern washing machines and dryers! It took a long time ---- 4 pair of cycling shorts, 5 pair of socks, 1 sports bra, 7 shirts and 2 pair of underwear. Arn went in search of a bike shop. It turns out there is a shop, but it is closed today. The man has wheel rims hanging in the window which would suggest he can build wheels. If he can do this, then he should have the tools to fix my hub. So, tomorrow we will return in the morning and try to get things fixed.
We had a late lunch of fresh vegetables and French fries. The veggies were more expensive than a steak! They come from a long distance and the price reflects the transportation costs. We hit the ATM for the first time in a while. As Arn likes to say, "we'll pork it again tomorrow". The South Americans limit what you can get in a single transaction. When you don't see an ATM for a week at a time and everything is paid for in cash, you need more than the limit.
We returned to the hotel to enjoy hanging out. We met two other touring cyclists. They are two women --- one from South Africa living in the UK and the other is a Brit. They have traveled from the south and one has been nursing a bad knee. We are having dinner together and will exchange notes as we are heading in opposite directions and can help each other out with what we have discovered. They have already given us hope --- one of the two bike shops in Coyhaique is described as "Mecca and has everything". So, it may be a place to get things fixed or in the worst case, we can buy a new wheel. My bike wheels are "standard" size for South America and hopefully it will work out. We can't ride more ripio with the wheel and the trip would end in Coyhaique without a fix.
Where's dinner? Oh come on! Are you not paying attention to the stories? You should know this by now. Dinner will be at the same place we ate lunch! See how easy your choices become when there is only one restaurant or the supermarket for dinner!?!? Well, I need to turn my laundry or we'll be carrying a bag of wet clothes tomorrow!!!
Villa Amengual to Villa Mañihuales (Sat 2/20)
Stats:
- 36 miles (12 on bad ripio)
- 1600 feet
- roadkill, wind & rain ALL ZERO
There is one thing in life that I clearly excel at compared to Arn and it is sleep. If he sleeps six hours straight through, he thinks this is awesome. For me, this same night of sleep would be a disaster. This morning, I woke up mad. My night of sleep and recovery was stolen by the very people we were paying money to for the experience. It is true, one can roll over exhausted inthe morning and feel quite ticked off. My parents actually have a photo of this expression from when I was about four years old in pink pajamas. Nothing has changed except I am older and the pajamas are black.
Breakfast was scheduled for 8:30am and we found it sitting on the table waiting for us. Of course, the owner was still in the bed after partying until 3am on the other side of the wall from where I attempted to sleep. Yes, I'll get over it but I don't like my sleep &$#@ed with.
At breakfast, we discovered another couple from the US. They too are cycle touring. Arn engaged in the traditional biker chat while got my act together. The other Americans pulled out about an hour before us. We met the posse in the park. We left town in a group of five. The sky was broken clouds and given my feelings about the prior day and my lack of sleep (have I mentioned that yet?), I only put sunscreen on my face.
The temps were cool and we started with a long downhill. Phillipe is carrying so much gear that he is impossible for me to catch on a descent. His dry bag (laid across his panniers) is so large that I told him I would crawl in and go back to sleep if it started raining.
The rain did not return. In fact, the clouds broke and the sun returned. The day warmed up as time went on and once again, we were treated to the awesome views of the Carretera. After about and 1 1/2 hours, we found the two American riders we met at breakfast. They were nursing a busted tire on her bike. The innertube was popping through the tire and they had no spare tire. I need to clarify --- she is not running the beefy tires that most riders are using (Schalbe Marathon XR). She is on a 27" wheel with a skinny tire. In other words, finding a replacement tire is going to be hard. Shauna is actually running the same size and similar type of tire. She too has had problems. Her spare tire is now on her bike and her "exploded" tire is tied onto her gear. They gave the exploded tire to the American couple and they figured out how to patch something together. So, while the Canadians are helping the Americans perform tire surgery, these two Americans continued to ride. And somewhere, the Austrian rode alone with his massive dry bag.
Today's ride included 12ish miles of ripio. In parts, it was akin to the Futeleufú ripio and was not enjoyed. Given our start on asphalt and our expected return to asphalt, we rode with the tires pumped tight with air. This resulted in less forgiveness of the bike in chunky, loose ripio. Somethings are trade-offs (tougher ripio riding versus letting air out, only to pump it back up with a small hand pump). Now, if I knew then, what I know now, I probably would have done this differently --- but I must save this for tomorrow's tale.
With today's posse of five all spread out, Arn and I return to pavement. Let me tell you --- in good weather, the Carretera is awesome. In good weather and WITH pavement, every rider is overwhelmed with the experience. It is like being a kid and having Halloween, your birthday and the last day of the school year all rolled into one --- costumes, candy, cake, presents, friends, and freedom!!!
Arn and I were at the front of the posse. Once we reached pavement, we took a break and thought we would see the others. We didn't, so we continued. We met a couple riding north. They were from Switzerland. We asked what language was best. They said German. We asked about second best -- Spanish or English. English it was. She was sporting a Rohloff hub. Again, I think Arn had hub envy. We shared tips from the road. Their big tip was the discovery of a cash machine in the next town. For a week, there has been no access to a bank or ATM. We chatted for about 20 minutes and still our posse had not arrived. We said good-bye and sent a message back to our fellow riders via the Swiss.
Our road followed a river for much of the day --- in the direction of the flow or GRAVITY! So we enjoyed a downhill bias and it was sweet. After the prior day's uphill bias, it was a welcomed changed. About 6 miles from town (our stopping point for the day), we meet another northbound couple. They were a pair of Brits. We talk for a while and again exchanged tips and learnings. They were facing an uphill day and got a late start. Again, we talked for about 20 minutes and our posse did not arrive. And again, we sent another message via the Brits.
We really hoped out luck would hold and downhill run would drop us right into town. Given that this has not been the experience, our eyes were peeled and searching for the "final insult". It never materialized and we sailed downhill into Villa Mañuhuales. Upon arrival, our goal was a cockroach-free, smell-free and quiet place to sleep for the night. We checked two hosterias and decided on the one where the woman wouldn't let us in until she had finished her daily cleaning at 4pm.
We went in search of lunch and enjoyed fantastic roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. The posse rolled in as we finished. They enjoyed ice cream and loaded up on groceries for their night of wild camping. They explained that "tire surgery" took in excess of an hour and they stopped along the side of road to eat lunch out of their packs. We bid farewell to Jullian, Shauna and Phillipe. After their night of camping, they will head to the next large town to the south. Tomorrow, we will head to the coast --- an "opportunity" we have discovered and want to explore. So, we don't expect to see them again.
A couple of hours later, the other American couple arrived. Later in the evening, we enjoyed dinner together --- at the same place we ate lunch. Really, this is the only restaurant choice. Arn wanted something different and ordered salmon. I ordered the chicken again. Here was my thinking --- I see a lot of chickens running around, so they are great at cooking chicken. Arn now agrees --- this is a good rule!
- 36 miles (12 on bad ripio)
- 1600 feet
- roadkill, wind & rain ALL ZERO
There is one thing in life that I clearly excel at compared to Arn and it is sleep. If he sleeps six hours straight through, he thinks this is awesome. For me, this same night of sleep would be a disaster. This morning, I woke up mad. My night of sleep and recovery was stolen by the very people we were paying money to for the experience. It is true, one can roll over exhausted inthe morning and feel quite ticked off. My parents actually have a photo of this expression from when I was about four years old in pink pajamas. Nothing has changed except I am older and the pajamas are black.
Breakfast was scheduled for 8:30am and we found it sitting on the table waiting for us. Of course, the owner was still in the bed after partying until 3am on the other side of the wall from where I attempted to sleep. Yes, I'll get over it but I don't like my sleep &$#@ed with.
At breakfast, we discovered another couple from the US. They too are cycle touring. Arn engaged in the traditional biker chat while got my act together. The other Americans pulled out about an hour before us. We met the posse in the park. We left town in a group of five. The sky was broken clouds and given my feelings about the prior day and my lack of sleep (have I mentioned that yet?), I only put sunscreen on my face.
The temps were cool and we started with a long downhill. Phillipe is carrying so much gear that he is impossible for me to catch on a descent. His dry bag (laid across his panniers) is so large that I told him I would crawl in and go back to sleep if it started raining.
The rain did not return. In fact, the clouds broke and the sun returned. The day warmed up as time went on and once again, we were treated to the awesome views of the Carretera. After about and 1 1/2 hours, we found the two American riders we met at breakfast. They were nursing a busted tire on her bike. The innertube was popping through the tire and they had no spare tire. I need to clarify --- she is not running the beefy tires that most riders are using (Schalbe Marathon XR). She is on a 27" wheel with a skinny tire. In other words, finding a replacement tire is going to be hard. Shauna is actually running the same size and similar type of tire. She too has had problems. Her spare tire is now on her bike and her "exploded" tire is tied onto her gear. They gave the exploded tire to the American couple and they figured out how to patch something together. So, while the Canadians are helping the Americans perform tire surgery, these two Americans continued to ride. And somewhere, the Austrian rode alone with his massive dry bag.
Today's ride included 12ish miles of ripio. In parts, it was akin to the Futeleufú ripio and was not enjoyed. Given our start on asphalt and our expected return to asphalt, we rode with the tires pumped tight with air. This resulted in less forgiveness of the bike in chunky, loose ripio. Somethings are trade-offs (tougher ripio riding versus letting air out, only to pump it back up with a small hand pump). Now, if I knew then, what I know now, I probably would have done this differently --- but I must save this for tomorrow's tale.
With today's posse of five all spread out, Arn and I return to pavement. Let me tell you --- in good weather, the Carretera is awesome. In good weather and WITH pavement, every rider is overwhelmed with the experience. It is like being a kid and having Halloween, your birthday and the last day of the school year all rolled into one --- costumes, candy, cake, presents, friends, and freedom!!!
Arn and I were at the front of the posse. Once we reached pavement, we took a break and thought we would see the others. We didn't, so we continued. We met a couple riding north. They were from Switzerland. We asked what language was best. They said German. We asked about second best -- Spanish or English. English it was. She was sporting a Rohloff hub. Again, I think Arn had hub envy. We shared tips from the road. Their big tip was the discovery of a cash machine in the next town. For a week, there has been no access to a bank or ATM. We chatted for about 20 minutes and still our posse had not arrived. We said good-bye and sent a message back to our fellow riders via the Swiss.
Our road followed a river for much of the day --- in the direction of the flow or GRAVITY! So we enjoyed a downhill bias and it was sweet. After the prior day's uphill bias, it was a welcomed changed. About 6 miles from town (our stopping point for the day), we meet another northbound couple. They were a pair of Brits. We talk for a while and again exchanged tips and learnings. They were facing an uphill day and got a late start. Again, we talked for about 20 minutes and our posse did not arrive. And again, we sent another message via the Brits.
We really hoped out luck would hold and downhill run would drop us right into town. Given that this has not been the experience, our eyes were peeled and searching for the "final insult". It never materialized and we sailed downhill into Villa Mañuhuales. Upon arrival, our goal was a cockroach-free, smell-free and quiet place to sleep for the night. We checked two hosterias and decided on the one where the woman wouldn't let us in until she had finished her daily cleaning at 4pm.
We went in search of lunch and enjoyed fantastic roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. The posse rolled in as we finished. They enjoyed ice cream and loaded up on groceries for their night of wild camping. They explained that "tire surgery" took in excess of an hour and they stopped along the side of road to eat lunch out of their packs. We bid farewell to Jullian, Shauna and Phillipe. After their night of camping, they will head to the next large town to the south. Tomorrow, we will head to the coast --- an "opportunity" we have discovered and want to explore. So, we don't expect to see them again.
A couple of hours later, the other American couple arrived. Later in the evening, we enjoyed dinner together --- at the same place we ate lunch. Really, this is the only restaurant choice. Arn wanted something different and ordered salmon. I ordered the chicken again. Here was my thinking --- I see a lot of chickens running around, so they are great at cooking chicken. Arn now agrees --- this is a good rule!
Fiordo Queulat Eco-Lodge to Villa Amengual (Fri 2/19)
Stats:
- 37 miles
- 3800 feet of climbing
- roadkill ZERO
- rain MUCHO!!!
- wind NONE -- whew, good thing!!
Okay, we spent last nght in the attic and I listened to the Germans until much too late. Of course, we woke up early to the sound of rain. It poured all night long and this morning was no big change....rain, rain, rain.
We arranged for breakfast at 8:30am and naturally, we are alone as everyone else was STILL in bed. No surprise here! I took my wool hoodie to breakfast. I washed it last night in the sink --- first washing in a month! It was still wet and there was a fire built downstairs. While this morning they would have had a cabin for us after someone left, we decided to head south. Yes, it was pouring rain and we were going to ride. Arn thought he had cracked the code on the weather and micro-climates. We needed to get up and over the pass into the next region. Things are drier and the forecast was better.
So clad in FULL rain gear --- plastic bags in my shoes, shoe covers, rain pants, rain jackets, and over mittens --- we headed off. We had a good idea of what to expect...about an hour of flat-ish ripio followed by a series of steep switchbacks up to a pass (17-ish switches in total). This data was communicated by a fellow cyclist (read: perhaps a reliable source). The man working at the Eco-Lodge said that from the pass, we have a very long descent for most of the rest of our day into the next town (read: he is a motorist living in the area for 18 yeas and maybe he has knowledge).
It rained on and off and on and off. The mountains were shrouded in low hanging toufts of fog. It looked like a scene from "How someone killed a cyclist on the Carretera?". It was eery and beautiful at the sametime. The plants would have told you that this was the rainforest. The rain just underscored that fact. The birds and frogs seemed especially pleased with the day and the sounds were a huge part of our experience. The road got very narrow and felt like a jeep trail at times. Again, it was part jungle, part Candian Rockies. Through the low clouds, we had peeks to the mountains aboves --- huge, towering, forceful mountains wrapped in glaciers. It was so freaky this combination of ice and ferns, jagged peaks and jungle.
We had been on the bikes for nearly and hour when we reached the start of our climb. Up until this point, we had not seen a car on the road --- how was that for no traffic! At the base, there was a short walk to a waterfall. We took it and it was THUMPING! You could see the river round a corner, pop off a few good rapids, and then drop --- bombs away. It was pretty cool. Okay, we scarfed some chocolate and started up the grind.
For me, it was a granny gear grind. I am sure Arn pushed his middle chain ring. The ripio was pretty good and only the corners of the switchbacks were really tough. We passed a few cars, but everyone was courteous. It continued to rain then stopped and then rained again. I found it annoying as I am greedy and I wanted to know what was hidden behind the veils of fog and low clouds. Much to my surprise, Arn had a differetnt perspective. He kept repeating, "Isn't this cool? Don't you think this is great? We are seeing it like it is most of the time! Hey, check out that waterfall on your left!! Oh, see that one on the right -- it is even better!". I have to admit it. I kind of wanted to tell him to button it up -- I hate riding wet; especially wet to the bone. And while I could see his point, I missed the glowing feeling that comes from the sun on your back. I also have to admit, all this rain had set this landscape into action. The rivers and creeks were thumping. While on a sunny day you might call a stream, "babbling", this was "thumping". It was ground vibrating kind of stuff and there was water EVERYWHERE!!! We couldn't keep up with the "hey, see that waterfall" and " look high left at that one". They were everywhere.
It was somewhere along his point that I started to feel like I was riding in deep sand. I looked down to discover a flat tire on my rear wheel. In pouring rain and on a switchback road, this was not good news. Being optimistic, I pumped air into the tire and we continued. We checked it again in 10 minutes and it seemed okay. After another 20 minutes, we reached an incredible pullout along the road. From one spot, we saw in excess of 25 waterfalls going at the sametime. I know, you think I making this shit up. But really, I was pumping more air into the tire and I had time to count. It was again a surreal sight. With the climb not over, we continued --- in the rain. And again I heard, "Isn't this so cool?" Arn scouted so many rapids in creeks and rivers that I wad not sure if he was on the bike or dreaming of his kayak. In all honesty, I was dreaming of sunshine and dry clothes.
After crossing the pass, we began the downhill. It didn't take long until I grew cold. We stopped for more clothing and to put more air in the tire. Yes, this was a lot of pumping, but we were trying to milk this baby over the pass to a covered spot to deal with a tube change.
We finally reached the end of the descent and for the first time in many days, we returned to ASPHALT!!! Sweet baby Jesus this stuff was awesome. The rain stopped and we decided it is time to change the tire. We took all the gear off the back end of my bike, pulled off the wheel and began the process. As Arn got the repaired wheel back on the bike, it started to rain. We scarfed down some chocolate cookies with orange filling and took off again.
Now, remember that guy at the lodge that said,"it is a long downhill after the pass"??? This guy doesn't understand how gravity works. Our road followed the river --- upstream!! We were going against the current which means only one thing. We were climbing again! This went on and on and on and on. There was nothing like riding wet, in the rain, and looking miles into the distance to seeing your road follow the same freaking river. Never trust anything a motorist tells you about a road -- distance, elevation profile, grade, or surface conditions. Never ever.
Finally, we passed what looked like two new bus stops. They were covered and offered protection from the rain. We have joked that we feel it is very possible we will spend a night in a bus stop before this journey is over. Today, we stopped for lunch. We scarfed down bread and cheese. Have you noticed the pattern? All of today's food was scarfed. Once you are wet on a bike, you don't want to cool down. It is too hard and exhausting on your body to warm back up. Repeatedly cooling and warming will leave you much more exhausted than just continuing to move. It is all about staying warm. So, with about 10 miles to go, we were off again.
Now, the road also seemed to want to make sure that we didn't get cold. In the distance, we saw a truck make a few switchback turns on a place well above us, cut into the mountain. With about 6 miles to town, this was the "final insult" of the day. It was a steep grade that went on and on and on.
Finally, we saw town! As we rode in, we were greeted by the three remaining riders in the "posse" --- Shauna & Jullian from Canada and Phillipe from Austria! We never expected to find the wild campers in town. They were so wet after their ride the previous day, they checked into a hosteria to dry out. The weather was so bad when they woke up today (the day we have just ridden), they decided to take the day off and hang out.
Arn and I found a place to stay for the night and unfortunately, we were not at the place with the posse. After cleaning up and trying to hang two bushel baskets full of wet clothes, we took a walk around town. The "supermercado" was about the size of a gas station snack center in the US. We canvased our options and bought two ice cream bars, some raisins and a roll of paper towels. We continued our walk through town. Some people kept sheep in their front yard. Some kept chickens. One person had the hide of some large animal draped over the fence with the hoofs still on it. It appeared to be "drying out" from a recent slaughter. Near one yard, a black kitten charged about to greet us. While we attempted to pet it, the kids came up and explained it was "Pepe" and it sounded like he had escaped. The kids scooped him up and took him home.
We rejoined the posse for wine and dinner. The soup, potatoes, and salads were great. The meat remains a mystery, but was eaten by all. After dinner, there was a fiesta in town celebrate the town's 27th Anniversary. Of course, the 5 of us decided to attend. Kids were dressed in traditional costumes and danced. Let me tell you, if I were a 12 year old boy, I would have taken any kind of dance lessons to get the chance to wear spurs like that! The kids were really cute. Sitting in the bleachers, the little boy next to me asked if I was from Argentina. When I explaIned the United States, his eyes grew wide.
Arn and I are not late night party people. So, we made plans to meet the posse in the morning to ride of out town together and we returned to our hosteria. The party we left continued until well past 1am and we could hear it from our room. After it ended, the owner and her family cotinued the party in our hosteria until well after 3am. It was a lousy night of sleep and in a lousy place. Each time we returned to the room, we said, "this place smells really bad and it doesn't smell like wet cycling gear". It probably explains why the window was open when we arrived. We knew something was funky when the toilet plunger was stored in the shower (common bathroom down the hall --- we haven't had a private bathroom in a while). Luckily, we pulled out our own sleep sheets and sleeping bags. Note to self: tomorrow we need a room without cockroaches AND that doesn't smell!!! We need some standards!!!
- 37 miles
- 3800 feet of climbing
- roadkill ZERO
- rain MUCHO!!!
- wind NONE -- whew, good thing!!
Okay, we spent last nght in the attic and I listened to the Germans until much too late. Of course, we woke up early to the sound of rain. It poured all night long and this morning was no big change....rain, rain, rain.
We arranged for breakfast at 8:30am and naturally, we are alone as everyone else was STILL in bed. No surprise here! I took my wool hoodie to breakfast. I washed it last night in the sink --- first washing in a month! It was still wet and there was a fire built downstairs. While this morning they would have had a cabin for us after someone left, we decided to head south. Yes, it was pouring rain and we were going to ride. Arn thought he had cracked the code on the weather and micro-climates. We needed to get up and over the pass into the next region. Things are drier and the forecast was better.
So clad in FULL rain gear --- plastic bags in my shoes, shoe covers, rain pants, rain jackets, and over mittens --- we headed off. We had a good idea of what to expect...about an hour of flat-ish ripio followed by a series of steep switchbacks up to a pass (17-ish switches in total). This data was communicated by a fellow cyclist (read: perhaps a reliable source). The man working at the Eco-Lodge said that from the pass, we have a very long descent for most of the rest of our day into the next town (read: he is a motorist living in the area for 18 yeas and maybe he has knowledge).
It rained on and off and on and off. The mountains were shrouded in low hanging toufts of fog. It looked like a scene from "How someone killed a cyclist on the Carretera?". It was eery and beautiful at the sametime. The plants would have told you that this was the rainforest. The rain just underscored that fact. The birds and frogs seemed especially pleased with the day and the sounds were a huge part of our experience. The road got very narrow and felt like a jeep trail at times. Again, it was part jungle, part Candian Rockies. Through the low clouds, we had peeks to the mountains aboves --- huge, towering, forceful mountains wrapped in glaciers. It was so freaky this combination of ice and ferns, jagged peaks and jungle.
We had been on the bikes for nearly and hour when we reached the start of our climb. Up until this point, we had not seen a car on the road --- how was that for no traffic! At the base, there was a short walk to a waterfall. We took it and it was THUMPING! You could see the river round a corner, pop off a few good rapids, and then drop --- bombs away. It was pretty cool. Okay, we scarfed some chocolate and started up the grind.
For me, it was a granny gear grind. I am sure Arn pushed his middle chain ring. The ripio was pretty good and only the corners of the switchbacks were really tough. We passed a few cars, but everyone was courteous. It continued to rain then stopped and then rained again. I found it annoying as I am greedy and I wanted to know what was hidden behind the veils of fog and low clouds. Much to my surprise, Arn had a differetnt perspective. He kept repeating, "Isn't this cool? Don't you think this is great? We are seeing it like it is most of the time! Hey, check out that waterfall on your left!! Oh, see that one on the right -- it is even better!". I have to admit it. I kind of wanted to tell him to button it up -- I hate riding wet; especially wet to the bone. And while I could see his point, I missed the glowing feeling that comes from the sun on your back. I also have to admit, all this rain had set this landscape into action. The rivers and creeks were thumping. While on a sunny day you might call a stream, "babbling", this was "thumping". It was ground vibrating kind of stuff and there was water EVERYWHERE!!! We couldn't keep up with the "hey, see that waterfall" and " look high left at that one". They were everywhere.
It was somewhere along his point that I started to feel like I was riding in deep sand. I looked down to discover a flat tire on my rear wheel. In pouring rain and on a switchback road, this was not good news. Being optimistic, I pumped air into the tire and we continued. We checked it again in 10 minutes and it seemed okay. After another 20 minutes, we reached an incredible pullout along the road. From one spot, we saw in excess of 25 waterfalls going at the sametime. I know, you think I making this shit up. But really, I was pumping more air into the tire and I had time to count. It was again a surreal sight. With the climb not over, we continued --- in the rain. And again I heard, "Isn't this so cool?" Arn scouted so many rapids in creeks and rivers that I wad not sure if he was on the bike or dreaming of his kayak. In all honesty, I was dreaming of sunshine and dry clothes.
After crossing the pass, we began the downhill. It didn't take long until I grew cold. We stopped for more clothing and to put more air in the tire. Yes, this was a lot of pumping, but we were trying to milk this baby over the pass to a covered spot to deal with a tube change.
We finally reached the end of the descent and for the first time in many days, we returned to ASPHALT!!! Sweet baby Jesus this stuff was awesome. The rain stopped and we decided it is time to change the tire. We took all the gear off the back end of my bike, pulled off the wheel and began the process. As Arn got the repaired wheel back on the bike, it started to rain. We scarfed down some chocolate cookies with orange filling and took off again.
Now, remember that guy at the lodge that said,"it is a long downhill after the pass"??? This guy doesn't understand how gravity works. Our road followed the river --- upstream!! We were going against the current which means only one thing. We were climbing again! This went on and on and on and on. There was nothing like riding wet, in the rain, and looking miles into the distance to seeing your road follow the same freaking river. Never trust anything a motorist tells you about a road -- distance, elevation profile, grade, or surface conditions. Never ever.
Finally, we passed what looked like two new bus stops. They were covered and offered protection from the rain. We have joked that we feel it is very possible we will spend a night in a bus stop before this journey is over. Today, we stopped for lunch. We scarfed down bread and cheese. Have you noticed the pattern? All of today's food was scarfed. Once you are wet on a bike, you don't want to cool down. It is too hard and exhausting on your body to warm back up. Repeatedly cooling and warming will leave you much more exhausted than just continuing to move. It is all about staying warm. So, with about 10 miles to go, we were off again.
Now, the road also seemed to want to make sure that we didn't get cold. In the distance, we saw a truck make a few switchback turns on a place well above us, cut into the mountain. With about 6 miles to town, this was the "final insult" of the day. It was a steep grade that went on and on and on.
Finally, we saw town! As we rode in, we were greeted by the three remaining riders in the "posse" --- Shauna & Jullian from Canada and Phillipe from Austria! We never expected to find the wild campers in town. They were so wet after their ride the previous day, they checked into a hosteria to dry out. The weather was so bad when they woke up today (the day we have just ridden), they decided to take the day off and hang out.
Arn and I found a place to stay for the night and unfortunately, we were not at the place with the posse. After cleaning up and trying to hang two bushel baskets full of wet clothes, we took a walk around town. The "supermercado" was about the size of a gas station snack center in the US. We canvased our options and bought two ice cream bars, some raisins and a roll of paper towels. We continued our walk through town. Some people kept sheep in their front yard. Some kept chickens. One person had the hide of some large animal draped over the fence with the hoofs still on it. It appeared to be "drying out" from a recent slaughter. Near one yard, a black kitten charged about to greet us. While we attempted to pet it, the kids came up and explained it was "Pepe" and it sounded like he had escaped. The kids scooped him up and took him home.
We rejoined the posse for wine and dinner. The soup, potatoes, and salads were great. The meat remains a mystery, but was eaten by all. After dinner, there was a fiesta in town celebrate the town's 27th Anniversary. Of course, the 5 of us decided to attend. Kids were dressed in traditional costumes and danced. Let me tell you, if I were a 12 year old boy, I would have taken any kind of dance lessons to get the chance to wear spurs like that! The kids were really cute. Sitting in the bleachers, the little boy next to me asked if I was from Argentina. When I explaIned the United States, his eyes grew wide.
Arn and I are not late night party people. So, we made plans to meet the posse in the morning to ride of out town together and we returned to our hosteria. The party we left continued until well past 1am and we could hear it from our room. After it ended, the owner and her family cotinued the party in our hosteria until well after 3am. It was a lousy night of sleep and in a lousy place. Each time we returned to the room, we said, "this place smells really bad and it doesn't smell like wet cycling gear". It probably explains why the window was open when we arrived. We knew something was funky when the toilet plunger was stored in the shower (common bathroom down the hall --- we haven't had a private bathroom in a while). Luckily, we pulled out our own sleep sheets and sleeping bags. Note to self: tomorrow we need a room without cockroaches AND that doesn't smell!!! We need some standards!!!
Puyuhuapi to Fiordo Queulat Eco-Lodge (Thurs 2/18)
Stats:
- 22 miles
- 1100 feet of climbing
- roadkill = zero
- precipitation = rain, rain, rain
- wind = zero while riding
So, we did something that we are now thinking might have been a bad idea. We booked two nights at an ecolodge. They have beautiful cabins along the water and we have booked two nights. Of course, one of those nights is tonight and we have woken up to driving rain. It has rained most of the night. And now the wind is howling.
We are still in the sweet cabana in Puyuhaupi. The couple that runs the place have really taken us in. She has given us a tour of her garden, greenhouse and store that sells handmade items. He has talked about the various woods he has used to build each piece of furniture, the walls and doors in the cabana. Rather than traditional door hinges, he has fashioned a pin and groove type of door hinge from wood. He gave us a tour of his wood stash and work shop.
So, after a breakfast of eggs, cheese and bread --- we wait. We watch the weather and listen to rain on a tin roof and the howling wind. We wait some more. Now, if you know anything about the two of us --- or more simply, if you know anything about Arn; then you can guess how this is going. We have roughly 20 miles to ride to the lodge. On pavement and free of gear, it would be no big concern. But, this is ripio fully loaded. 20 miles will take well over two hours. With this wind and rain, it could be a real problem. Plus, given the remote nature of where we are, you have to consider the worst case scenario --- something goes wrong with the bike or one of us takes a fall. We wait and wait and then wait some more. Finally, the downpours are further apart and the wind has stopped. We quickly load up and head out.
From Puyuhuapi, the Carretera Austral (CA) follows the edge of the fiord. Even in light rain, it is a beautiful ride. The plants, trees and flowers remind us we are in a rainforest. The rain seems very fitting. Given the rain, the rivers, streams and waterfalls are all cooking with fresh water.
After roughly 14 miles, we reach a turn off to go see a hanging glacier. At the turn off, we find one of the "posse" from yesterday. It is the Chilean. He explains that the "posse" did a hike at the hanging glacier. He slipped, fell and injurred his knee. The other three continued south about 45 minutes ago. He is resting and waiting to see if he will feel better. So, we head to see the glacier and decide to skip the long hike. The glacier is impressive and twice we hear huge chunks of breaking ice. After checking out the views, we ride back to the CA expecting to see the Chilean rider gone. Instead, he has taken apart his trailor, changed clothes, and swapped shoes. His knee is too pain to ride and he has decided on a "Plan B". He is going to wait for the bus headed south and ride to the next major city (easily a week away by bike). He is going to take several days off and see if his knee will improve. It is a big bummer for him. We offer him pain meds and he says he has them. So, we wish him good luck and continue southward.
The sun tries very hard to warm things up and dry out the rain. We go from a light rain to a moderate rain to sun and then cycle through it all again. We have discovered some new yellow flowers. The feel of the place is part jungle meets part pacific northwest. We have discovered that the hoods on our rain jackets will actually fit over our helmets. It keeps us both dry and not too hot. We are very pleased with these jackets. They are a relatively new purchase for cycle touring and biking in foul weather. They are our first purchase of gear from Cabela's. We found them on sale ($90) -- full gortex, seam sealed, fleece around the zippers, lots of pockets, AND a hood that fits over the bike helmet. Arn declares, "These are the best rain jackets - ever!"
Wet, but happy, we arrive at the ecolodge. The barking dogs greet us and a man comes out to see what we want. Arn explains we have a reservation. Well, there has been a mix up and there is no cabin for us tonight. Now, it seems kind of obvious to us standing over our bikes in the rain, wearing rain gear that this is very bad. The man explains the problem with their reservation system --- center office is hundreds of miles away, they don't have a phone, they communicate once a day by radio, we booked via email with the center office, someone else drove up looking for a room, blah blah blah. How do you say "unacceptable" in Spanish??? So, he eventually offers us two small rooms upstairs over the kitchen in the attic. "Over the kitchen" is really not a problem --- it is also over the dining room where the Germans are still sitting around the table laughing and drinking as I write this note getting mauled by mosquitos very late at night. Arn is sleeping in a different room in his twin bed. I am in the slightly larger room in a twin bed with all of our wet clothes drapped around on our laundry lines, hooks and chairs.
There is a cabin available for us tomorrow night. We are going to see what the weather brings. If we can, we are just going to continue south. What we thought would be two nights and some R&R in a private, secluded and romantic cabin has turned out to be something very different with a very different kind of vibe.
- 22 miles
- 1100 feet of climbing
- roadkill = zero
- precipitation = rain, rain, rain
- wind = zero while riding
So, we did something that we are now thinking might have been a bad idea. We booked two nights at an ecolodge. They have beautiful cabins along the water and we have booked two nights. Of course, one of those nights is tonight and we have woken up to driving rain. It has rained most of the night. And now the wind is howling.
We are still in the sweet cabana in Puyuhaupi. The couple that runs the place have really taken us in. She has given us a tour of her garden, greenhouse and store that sells handmade items. He has talked about the various woods he has used to build each piece of furniture, the walls and doors in the cabana. Rather than traditional door hinges, he has fashioned a pin and groove type of door hinge from wood. He gave us a tour of his wood stash and work shop.
So, after a breakfast of eggs, cheese and bread --- we wait. We watch the weather and listen to rain on a tin roof and the howling wind. We wait some more. Now, if you know anything about the two of us --- or more simply, if you know anything about Arn; then you can guess how this is going. We have roughly 20 miles to ride to the lodge. On pavement and free of gear, it would be no big concern. But, this is ripio fully loaded. 20 miles will take well over two hours. With this wind and rain, it could be a real problem. Plus, given the remote nature of where we are, you have to consider the worst case scenario --- something goes wrong with the bike or one of us takes a fall. We wait and wait and then wait some more. Finally, the downpours are further apart and the wind has stopped. We quickly load up and head out.
From Puyuhuapi, the Carretera Austral (CA) follows the edge of the fiord. Even in light rain, it is a beautiful ride. The plants, trees and flowers remind us we are in a rainforest. The rain seems very fitting. Given the rain, the rivers, streams and waterfalls are all cooking with fresh water.
After roughly 14 miles, we reach a turn off to go see a hanging glacier. At the turn off, we find one of the "posse" from yesterday. It is the Chilean. He explains that the "posse" did a hike at the hanging glacier. He slipped, fell and injurred his knee. The other three continued south about 45 minutes ago. He is resting and waiting to see if he will feel better. So, we head to see the glacier and decide to skip the long hike. The glacier is impressive and twice we hear huge chunks of breaking ice. After checking out the views, we ride back to the CA expecting to see the Chilean rider gone. Instead, he has taken apart his trailor, changed clothes, and swapped shoes. His knee is too pain to ride and he has decided on a "Plan B". He is going to wait for the bus headed south and ride to the next major city (easily a week away by bike). He is going to take several days off and see if his knee will improve. It is a big bummer for him. We offer him pain meds and he says he has them. So, we wish him good luck and continue southward.
The sun tries very hard to warm things up and dry out the rain. We go from a light rain to a moderate rain to sun and then cycle through it all again. We have discovered some new yellow flowers. The feel of the place is part jungle meets part pacific northwest. We have discovered that the hoods on our rain jackets will actually fit over our helmets. It keeps us both dry and not too hot. We are very pleased with these jackets. They are a relatively new purchase for cycle touring and biking in foul weather. They are our first purchase of gear from Cabela's. We found them on sale ($90) -- full gortex, seam sealed, fleece around the zippers, lots of pockets, AND a hood that fits over the bike helmet. Arn declares, "These are the best rain jackets - ever!"
Wet, but happy, we arrive at the ecolodge. The barking dogs greet us and a man comes out to see what we want. Arn explains we have a reservation. Well, there has been a mix up and there is no cabin for us tonight. Now, it seems kind of obvious to us standing over our bikes in the rain, wearing rain gear that this is very bad. The man explains the problem with their reservation system --- center office is hundreds of miles away, they don't have a phone, they communicate once a day by radio, we booked via email with the center office, someone else drove up looking for a room, blah blah blah. How do you say "unacceptable" in Spanish??? So, he eventually offers us two small rooms upstairs over the kitchen in the attic. "Over the kitchen" is really not a problem --- it is also over the dining room where the Germans are still sitting around the table laughing and drinking as I write this note getting mauled by mosquitos very late at night. Arn is sleeping in a different room in his twin bed. I am in the slightly larger room in a twin bed with all of our wet clothes drapped around on our laundry lines, hooks and chairs.
There is a cabin available for us tomorrow night. We are going to see what the weather brings. If we can, we are just going to continue south. What we thought would be two nights and some R&R in a private, secluded and romantic cabin has turned out to be something very different with a very different kind of vibe.
More words from Arn about bikes (Wed 2/17)
A few words from the bike guy about some of the setups that I've seen. People are on all kinds of different rigs. The vast majority are mountain bikes. I'd estimate that only 15% of the people we've seen are on road bikes albeit with beefier tires. They seem happy with their setups. Rigid forks are much more common than front suspension. Everyone with a rigid fork also has front panniers. Only one guy with front shock has panniers using a home made very slick mounting system reinforced to his stem. We've only seen 3 trailers. Two bobs and one homemade Chilean contraption that apparently was made for twenty bucks. While I have no experience with trailers, I am struggling to see the benefit.
In terms of cool bike setups, I've seen four things of note.
First there are a number of people with Rohloff hubs. There is no question in my mind that this is the superior transmission system for the Carretera. Less external parts to get destroyed by the road and weather. Expensive but worth it. The only tradeoff is that an unlikely failure is a trip ender.
Next, I've been shocked by the number of busted racks and brazeons. Fully a third or more of the people we've met have had failures. Most of the problems were with front racks or front brazeons. I was concerned initially with the mounting system for the Old Man Mountain racks that we have, but I'm more than just a little impressed by them now. Spend the money, like Ortlieb panniers, Ergon grips, Schwalbe Marathon XR tires and Rohloff hubs. They are the gold standard.
We've seen a number of people with front hubs that can generate power to recharge battery packs and then USB devices. The utility of this for us is low as we are not camping enough to need this especially as we are carrying a rechargable USB recharger from IMAX Power that can recharge our iPod Touches like 6 times on one charge.
A final cool thing of note are a couple of frames with builtin racks. These rear racks seem absolutely bulletproof. Apparently made by a German framebuilder.
Our strategy for lodging has been pretty simple. Mostly choose the best value in town that has availibility. Sometimes, like last night, it is a room in a hospedaje. These range from about $15 to $30 per person per night. Sometimes it is a cabaña and occassionally it is a fancy pants lodge. Our least favored choice is camping. Both times we camped so far were by choice and both spots offered dinner (as well as rooms). So, if you were taking the camping as emergency approach, you could save a great deal of space and weight if you are willing to forgo a cooked meal in an emergency and instead feast on chocolates, bread, etc. To me, this is a good tradeoff as you could get rid of the cook kit, stove, cleanup kit, and fuel. We've only used the stove for one meal so far. Continuing, we brought with a nice gravity water filter that we have yet to use. Instead, I would bring iodine or other tablets for emergency use. Looking forward on some of our future days and ride options, we probably only have one forced camping option and even that might be avoidable with a long day of cycling. More on this in another note.
In terms of cool bike setups, I've seen four things of note.
First there are a number of people with Rohloff hubs. There is no question in my mind that this is the superior transmission system for the Carretera. Less external parts to get destroyed by the road and weather. Expensive but worth it. The only tradeoff is that an unlikely failure is a trip ender.
Next, I've been shocked by the number of busted racks and brazeons. Fully a third or more of the people we've met have had failures. Most of the problems were with front racks or front brazeons. I was concerned initially with the mounting system for the Old Man Mountain racks that we have, but I'm more than just a little impressed by them now. Spend the money, like Ortlieb panniers, Ergon grips, Schwalbe Marathon XR tires and Rohloff hubs. They are the gold standard.
We've seen a number of people with front hubs that can generate power to recharge battery packs and then USB devices. The utility of this for us is low as we are not camping enough to need this especially as we are carrying a rechargable USB recharger from IMAX Power that can recharge our iPod Touches like 6 times on one charge.
A final cool thing of note are a couple of frames with builtin racks. These rear racks seem absolutely bulletproof. Apparently made by a German framebuilder.
Our strategy for lodging has been pretty simple. Mostly choose the best value in town that has availibility. Sometimes, like last night, it is a room in a hospedaje. These range from about $15 to $30 per person per night. Sometimes it is a cabaña and occassionally it is a fancy pants lodge. Our least favored choice is camping. Both times we camped so far were by choice and both spots offered dinner (as well as rooms). So, if you were taking the camping as emergency approach, you could save a great deal of space and weight if you are willing to forgo a cooked meal in an emergency and instead feast on chocolates, bread, etc. To me, this is a good tradeoff as you could get rid of the cook kit, stove, cleanup kit, and fuel. We've only used the stove for one meal so far. Continuing, we brought with a nice gravity water filter that we have yet to use. Instead, I would bring iodine or other tablets for emergency use. Looking forward on some of our future days and ride options, we probably only have one forced camping option and even that might be avoidable with a long day of cycling. More on this in another note.
Arn talks about plans (Wed2/17)
We've reached the part of the journey where we are going to have to start making some difficult choices. Our next week is largely mapped out. Tomorrow we'll cycle a short distance to an Ecolodge in Queulet where we'll stay for two nights. After that it is three days of cycling (and primitive food and lodging) to Puerto Chacabuco - which is on a side road to the sea. From there, we have plans to do a very long one-day trip on a high speed catamaran to Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael in order to see the glaciers. It is supposed to be an awesome sight so we are hoping for some good weather and riding as we are committed to a February 23rd trip.
It is after this boat trip that the choices become difficult. There are three possible plans:
A. Continue on the Carretera through Coyhaique and then around the west side of the 2nd largest lake in South America. This would put us in Cochrane after 8 more ride days (including a couple of interesting side trips). From there, we are probably 4 ride days to the end of the CA proper but a very rough crossing - trail, ferries, etc -continues into Argentina and Fitzroy.
B. Continue on the CA through Coyhaique and then south another day to the ferry on the big lake. This would put us in Chile Chico. From there we'd ride a day into Argentina and to the town of Perito Moreno (not to be confused with the famous glacier near El Calafate). We'd be back on Argentina Ruta 40 and would then hop a bus to Fitzroy (12 hours on bad road).
C. Hop a ferry over to Chiloé - the 2nd largest island on South America. From what folks have said it is altogether different than the rest of Chile and well worth visiting. From our southern arrival port, we'd ride to the north end of the island and then hop a short ferry towards Puerto Montt and continue cycling to Puerto Varas and Cochamó - a beautiful Yosemite-like valley highly recommended by some friends.
The "A" plan is, well, choice "A" but that will depend on weather and legs. Stay tuned!
It is after this boat trip that the choices become difficult. There are three possible plans:
A. Continue on the Carretera through Coyhaique and then around the west side of the 2nd largest lake in South America. This would put us in Cochrane after 8 more ride days (including a couple of interesting side trips). From there, we are probably 4 ride days to the end of the CA proper but a very rough crossing - trail, ferries, etc -continues into Argentina and Fitzroy.
B. Continue on the CA through Coyhaique and then south another day to the ferry on the big lake. This would put us in Chile Chico. From there we'd ride a day into Argentina and to the town of Perito Moreno (not to be confused with the famous glacier near El Calafate). We'd be back on Argentina Ruta 40 and would then hop a bus to Fitzroy (12 hours on bad road).
C. Hop a ferry over to Chiloé - the 2nd largest island on South America. From what folks have said it is altogether different than the rest of Chile and well worth visiting. From our southern arrival port, we'd ride to the north end of the island and then hop a short ferry towards Puerto Montt and continue cycling to Puerto Varas and Cochamó - a beautiful Yosemite-like valley highly recommended by some friends.
The "A" plan is, well, choice "A" but that will depend on weather and legs. Stay tuned!
FAQs & Rest Day in Puyuhuapi (Wed 2/17)
Today is a much needed day of rest in Puyuhuapi. We headed into the Visitor's Center to check email. (They have free WiFi). As luck would have it, 4 cyclists rolled into the main square. It was Shauna and Jullian --- the Canadians we enjoyed beer with about 9 days ago in El Bolson. They were traveling with two other riders; a guy from Chile and a guy from Austria. They called themselves a "posse". When we last saw Shauna and Jullian, we had all just finished a lousy week of weather and traffic. Shauna was talking about the beach and I was talking about backpacks. Today, we laughed and joked about how awesome the last 8 days have been. Shauna and I shared our loathing of the "final insult" hill between Futaleufu and Villa Santa Lucia. She said she rode out in front of the the "posse", so they couldn't hear the language she used to express her feelings about the road surface. We swapped stories about who we had met on the road. The Austrian guy had camped one night with the crazy German (the guy riding 125 miles in a day). He had to help the German set up his tent. We gave them confirmed sightings of the German by the guys from Finland and the UK. The "posse" is "wild camping" --- finding spots along the road and making camp. So, while we talked, they laid out their tents to dry in the main square. After photos and a stop in the panaderia for lemon pie, the posse headed south. It is doubtful we will see them again as our ideas for the next week will take in some options that will put us behind the posse on the road. Arn thought Shauna and Jullian would roll through town today and he was right.
Since our day was pretty slow and quiet, I thought I would change it up a bit on the blog entry and post a list of FAQs (frequently asked questions). Sources for these questions include family, friends, people we have encountered in Chile and Argentina, and fellow cyclists also touring. And of course, I as the author, have written a few questions that should be asked by anyone considering this adventure.
Q: Where are you going?
A: In general, we are headed south. However, we are starting to generate westbound and northbound options. We have no set schedule or destination. We will go no further south than Villa O'Higgins where the Carretera Austral ends. Other than that, it is unknown. Our route is determined by the fun factor. Fun factor is a calculation based on weather, scenery, traffic, roads, and the 'off the bike experience'.
Q: How does this compare to the other cyclists you meet?
A: We are pretty much alone with this particular "plan". Most have a target --- Ushuia, Villa O'Higgins, etc.
Q: How are you figuring out where to ride?
A: We have maps and have formed loose ideas. In some places, it is easy as there is only one road. We are asking people along the way. Once we arrive in a place, we gather information about what lies ahead, look at maps, check the weather forecast, calculate distances, and consider the options for accomodations and food. We usually have a loose idea for the next couple of days. For the next day, we usually have an A, B, and C Plan.
Q: Is your "A Plan" usually what happens?
A: Sometimes, it all comes together and we have something better than the A Plan --- like finding a woman that sells awesome sandwiches from her kitchen. At other times, we end up with the H Plan which then ripples forward and changes the plans for the coming days.
Q: Isn´t this really different than how you guys usually travel?
A: Yes.
Q: How is it working?
A: So far, it is working. Arn would laugh at my "so far". But really, we have had no stress between us with this approach. If we had done our typical thing of making firm plans, we would have missed a few great opportunities and we would have screwed ourselves with the weather.
Q: Are you riding with a group?
A: Yes. I am riding with Arn and he is riding with me. And really, this is already a lot of opinions to consider when deciding where to go and what to do. We have been lucky and have enjoyed riding with other riders for several days. It has been great to meet so many people from all over the world.
Q: How far do you ride everyday?
A: We only know the answer to this question at the end of each ride. Seriously, sometimes stuff is a bit further than we expected. Sometimes it is shorter. There is no "typical day" as it just depends on what the options are in front of us.
Q: How fast do you ride?
A: Okay, the guy that got stuck on this question was enough to drive me nuts. Yes, he ticked me off. He wanted to compare his riding at home on a road bike (unloaded) and on pavement to our "pace". Here is the best math I can offer. Arn and I have compared our "equations" and we disagree by a bit. As the author, you are going to get my math. This is a multi-variable problem taking into consideraton the following: distance, wind, road conditions, load and type of bike, single day ride versus tour, climbing and calories burned. Here it is...if you take our ripio ride and you want to compare it to "road cycling", you need to increase the distance by 75% and double the climb. The ride time for me would be similar. (40 ripio miles loaded with 3200 feet of climbing equals 70 miles and 6400 feet of climbing on the road unloaded --- based on my ride time and calorie burn rates). Okay dude from some ski town in the USA --- crunch those numbers and get back to me. Bottom line, ripio riding while fully loaded is hard and in the words of one man from Buenes Aires ---"you must be a hard woman to ride here".
Q: "From the blog, it sounds like there is a lot of bad with the good. Is there enough good to make it worthwhile?"
A: Well, it depends when you asked this question. After a bad week of weather, nerves and tolerance were worn thin. The one with good feet had dreams of a backpack. Then, there was the day where the one with bad feet was nearly killed twice. While this individual had shed tears after trips over the handlebars on said individual's mountain bike, this person had never shed tears on a road ride. Unbeknownst (really how do you spell that word?) to the other party on this "tour", the person in question who was a) nearly killed and b) has bad feet --- choked up and shed tears. They were tears of relief to still be alive. So, the individual with bad feet was actually first to bring up the "is it time to pull the plug on this before we get killed" topic. The person with the good feet, suggested we take it one day at the time. The person with the bad feet thought, 'hmm, this is interesting as the good feet person tells people he is doing this because it was his wife's idea'. Man, can you keep up with the feet and bad ideas in this story?!?! And then, there were 8 days of stellar weather, scenery, no traffic --- good feet and bad feet agreed: if it could be like this all the time, we could do this for months and months and months. Of course, as I write this, good feet is sleeping, bad feet is typing, and it is pissing rain.
Q: Are you from Germany?
A: No, we are from the United States.
Q: How do the people in your country feel about your president?
A: "Do you want him? We will send him to you!" So far, no takers. We can't pawn him off on South America or Europe.
Q: You guys are traveling light! Do you have a tent and cook kit?
A: Yes, we have everything we need to camp. We prefer to stay indoors. We didn't want gear on the front of the bike as we wanted a front shock. And yes, we know a broken shock would mean the end of our trip. Everyone has something in their set up that could be the catastrophic break. Riding with the shock is sweet on ripio. Other than the crazy German and a woman from Australia that was only out for a few days, we are traveling lighter than everyone we have met so far.
Q: How have the people in my country treated you?
A: People have been very friendly in both Chile and Argentina. We have had great experiences off the bike. Most people have gone out of their way to extend hospitality and to do anything possible to support a touring cyclist. While most motorists extend support with a friendly wave or slowing down, we wish they all would.
Q: Which do you like better --- Chile or Argentina?
A: Depends -- who is asking the question? We have enjoyed both countries a lot. This is our second visit to Argentina and our forth visit to Chile. Secretly, there is just a sweet spot in my heart for the Chileans.
Q: It sounds like you have met people from all over the world. What is the language of choice?
A: If the people are from South America, then the language has been Spanish. For the rest, it has been English with the exception of Alex from Barcelona.
Q: You guys must be finding Internet cafes everywhere to be blogging. Yes?
A: No. I am actually writing the blog notes on my iPod Touch. When we have WiFi, I cut and paste the text to the blog. You should see my thumbs type on the Touch!!! This works well and allows me to write from anywhere we are --- sleeping in a tent at Lago Verde or in Estel and Hugo's extra room. We have visited the internet cafes to upload photos and reply to email a few times.
Q: I see you heart rate monitor watch. Are you wearing a heart rate monitor?
A: Yep. The HR monitor captures speed, distance and climbing. I like to wear the HR strap to see calories burned and current heart rate. At the start of every ride, I pay attention to the number --- my standing heart rate before riding. This number is very helpful. If the number is elevated, it usually means a) I am slightly dehydrated, b) I pushed gears too big yesterday and I have not fully recovered and I need to increase my cadence for today's ride OR c) I have ridden enough days in a row that I need a rest day. Also, I can get a rough cut at any fitness gain if my standing heart rate is dropping. For the last week, my standing heart rate has dropped day after day. I hit a new low for the trip two days ago -- 46 bpm. I would love to know my real resting heart rate that day (laying down in the AM).
Q: From you photos, it looks like someone was not wearing a helmet. true?
A: The only consistent helmet wearing countries are the US, UK and Germany.
NOTE - I will probably do another FAQ later in the trip, so stay tuned!
Since our day was pretty slow and quiet, I thought I would change it up a bit on the blog entry and post a list of FAQs (frequently asked questions). Sources for these questions include family, friends, people we have encountered in Chile and Argentina, and fellow cyclists also touring. And of course, I as the author, have written a few questions that should be asked by anyone considering this adventure.
Q: Where are you going?
A: In general, we are headed south. However, we are starting to generate westbound and northbound options. We have no set schedule or destination. We will go no further south than Villa O'Higgins where the Carretera Austral ends. Other than that, it is unknown. Our route is determined by the fun factor. Fun factor is a calculation based on weather, scenery, traffic, roads, and the 'off the bike experience'.
Q: How does this compare to the other cyclists you meet?
A: We are pretty much alone with this particular "plan". Most have a target --- Ushuia, Villa O'Higgins, etc.
Q: How are you figuring out where to ride?
A: We have maps and have formed loose ideas. In some places, it is easy as there is only one road. We are asking people along the way. Once we arrive in a place, we gather information about what lies ahead, look at maps, check the weather forecast, calculate distances, and consider the options for accomodations and food. We usually have a loose idea for the next couple of days. For the next day, we usually have an A, B, and C Plan.
Q: Is your "A Plan" usually what happens?
A: Sometimes, it all comes together and we have something better than the A Plan --- like finding a woman that sells awesome sandwiches from her kitchen. At other times, we end up with the H Plan which then ripples forward and changes the plans for the coming days.
Q: Isn´t this really different than how you guys usually travel?
A: Yes.
Q: How is it working?
A: So far, it is working. Arn would laugh at my "so far". But really, we have had no stress between us with this approach. If we had done our typical thing of making firm plans, we would have missed a few great opportunities and we would have screwed ourselves with the weather.
Q: Are you riding with a group?
A: Yes. I am riding with Arn and he is riding with me. And really, this is already a lot of opinions to consider when deciding where to go and what to do. We have been lucky and have enjoyed riding with other riders for several days. It has been great to meet so many people from all over the world.
Q: How far do you ride everyday?
A: We only know the answer to this question at the end of each ride. Seriously, sometimes stuff is a bit further than we expected. Sometimes it is shorter. There is no "typical day" as it just depends on what the options are in front of us.
Q: How fast do you ride?
A: Okay, the guy that got stuck on this question was enough to drive me nuts. Yes, he ticked me off. He wanted to compare his riding at home on a road bike (unloaded) and on pavement to our "pace". Here is the best math I can offer. Arn and I have compared our "equations" and we disagree by a bit. As the author, you are going to get my math. This is a multi-variable problem taking into consideraton the following: distance, wind, road conditions, load and type of bike, single day ride versus tour, climbing and calories burned. Here it is...if you take our ripio ride and you want to compare it to "road cycling", you need to increase the distance by 75% and double the climb. The ride time for me would be similar. (40 ripio miles loaded with 3200 feet of climbing equals 70 miles and 6400 feet of climbing on the road unloaded --- based on my ride time and calorie burn rates). Okay dude from some ski town in the USA --- crunch those numbers and get back to me. Bottom line, ripio riding while fully loaded is hard and in the words of one man from Buenes Aires ---"you must be a hard woman to ride here".
Q: "From the blog, it sounds like there is a lot of bad with the good. Is there enough good to make it worthwhile?"
A: Well, it depends when you asked this question. After a bad week of weather, nerves and tolerance were worn thin. The one with good feet had dreams of a backpack. Then, there was the day where the one with bad feet was nearly killed twice. While this individual had shed tears after trips over the handlebars on said individual's mountain bike, this person had never shed tears on a road ride. Unbeknownst (really how do you spell that word?) to the other party on this "tour", the person in question who was a) nearly killed and b) has bad feet --- choked up and shed tears. They were tears of relief to still be alive. So, the individual with bad feet was actually first to bring up the "is it time to pull the plug on this before we get killed" topic. The person with the good feet, suggested we take it one day at the time. The person with the bad feet thought, 'hmm, this is interesting as the good feet person tells people he is doing this because it was his wife's idea'. Man, can you keep up with the feet and bad ideas in this story?!?! And then, there were 8 days of stellar weather, scenery, no traffic --- good feet and bad feet agreed: if it could be like this all the time, we could do this for months and months and months. Of course, as I write this, good feet is sleeping, bad feet is typing, and it is pissing rain.
Q: Are you from Germany?
A: No, we are from the United States.
Q: How do the people in your country feel about your president?
A: "Do you want him? We will send him to you!" So far, no takers. We can't pawn him off on South America or Europe.
Q: You guys are traveling light! Do you have a tent and cook kit?
A: Yes, we have everything we need to camp. We prefer to stay indoors. We didn't want gear on the front of the bike as we wanted a front shock. And yes, we know a broken shock would mean the end of our trip. Everyone has something in their set up that could be the catastrophic break. Riding with the shock is sweet on ripio. Other than the crazy German and a woman from Australia that was only out for a few days, we are traveling lighter than everyone we have met so far.
Q: How have the people in my country treated you?
A: People have been very friendly in both Chile and Argentina. We have had great experiences off the bike. Most people have gone out of their way to extend hospitality and to do anything possible to support a touring cyclist. While most motorists extend support with a friendly wave or slowing down, we wish they all would.
Q: Which do you like better --- Chile or Argentina?
A: Depends -- who is asking the question? We have enjoyed both countries a lot. This is our second visit to Argentina and our forth visit to Chile. Secretly, there is just a sweet spot in my heart for the Chileans.
Q: It sounds like you have met people from all over the world. What is the language of choice?
A: If the people are from South America, then the language has been Spanish. For the rest, it has been English with the exception of Alex from Barcelona.
Q: You guys must be finding Internet cafes everywhere to be blogging. Yes?
A: No. I am actually writing the blog notes on my iPod Touch. When we have WiFi, I cut and paste the text to the blog. You should see my thumbs type on the Touch!!! This works well and allows me to write from anywhere we are --- sleeping in a tent at Lago Verde or in Estel and Hugo's extra room. We have visited the internet cafes to upload photos and reply to email a few times.
Q: I see you heart rate monitor watch. Are you wearing a heart rate monitor?
A: Yep. The HR monitor captures speed, distance and climbing. I like to wear the HR strap to see calories burned and current heart rate. At the start of every ride, I pay attention to the number --- my standing heart rate before riding. This number is very helpful. If the number is elevated, it usually means a) I am slightly dehydrated, b) I pushed gears too big yesterday and I have not fully recovered and I need to increase my cadence for today's ride OR c) I have ridden enough days in a row that I need a rest day. Also, I can get a rough cut at any fitness gain if my standing heart rate is dropping. For the last week, my standing heart rate has dropped day after day. I hit a new low for the trip two days ago -- 46 bpm. I would love to know my real resting heart rate that day (laying down in the AM).
Q: From you photos, it looks like someone was not wearing a helmet. true?
A: The only consistent helmet wearing countries are the US, UK and Germany.
NOTE - I will probably do another FAQ later in the trip, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
La Junta to Puyuhuapi (Tues 2/16)
Stats:
- 29 miles (all dirt)
- 1800 feet of climbing
- ALL ZEROS: roadkill, rain and wind
- Season = summer!
The plan was to meet Santiago at 9:30am to start riding. Arn and I had the typical Chilean breakfast: bread, jam, ham, cheese and instant coffee. I have a new name for the town of La Junta. I am going to remember it as "Cockroach Village". Again, as the girl looking for protein at breakfast, I have taken to eating a ham and cheese "sandwich". After we finished eating, I noticed a cockroach crawl out from under the remaining cheese on the plate. (Note to self: when we reach the next town --- we need to stay at someplace cleaner!!!)
As we loaded the bikes, a morning fog layer was lifting. The temps were cool. I started with a tank top (hopeful that things will warm up), wool t-shirt, heavy arm warmers, a long sleeve polypropylene shirt, a wind breaker, full fingered gloves, over-mittens, and cycling shorts. The town was covered in a hazy smog from all the wood burning stoves and fireplaces. We could smell the smoke in the streets.
We rejoined the Carretera and continued southward. Over the last couple of days, there was "chatter" about today -- this would be a short ride and would be "like a day off". While I didn't think it would feel that way, I was hopeful.
As we left town, there was a HUGE peak to the west. It was something akin to Rainier. Later on a map, I noticed that there is a huge volcano to the west of Cockroach Village (sorry, I meant to say La Junta). I am guessing we saw this volcanco.
With more blue skies, things warmed up quickly and the layers came off one at a time. After two hours, we took a break for cookies and chocolate. By now, it was full summer and I was once again riding the Carretera in a tank top! We met two young backpackers trying to hitch a ride south into the National Park. Standing around with the three of us and our bikes didn't seem to help their case, so they continued walking down the road and we enjoyed a break.
Our scenery continued to be excellent today. The road was frequently lined with white and purple foxglove flowers taller than me. We started to see huge, blooming fushia plants. The ferns increased in both number and size. It was a landscape that said --- "you really should be soaking wet in the rain to see such vegatation". So, it was not easy to forget just how sweet it was to have this on the warm sunshine!
We eventually entered the National Park. At this point, the road followed a lake and in the distance, we could see the sea (a huge fiord) and another massive peak (I think another volcano I saw on the map). Now, when I say the road "followed the lake", you probably get the image of road at lake level that is flat and straight. This is where you would be wrong. Here, the mountains seem to spring up and the remaining valley has been filled in with water. So, the road "along the lake" has really been carved into the mountain. In this case, it curved up and down and wound around here there and everywhere. While in your dreams you would have loved to sling the downhill speed of your bike up and over the next rise, it was impossible. It was big gear riding down and granny-ish gear riding up. In other words --- hill repeats! Or as I prefer to call it: death by a 1000 paper cuts!!! It was in this section that I heard Arn say, "My legs are definitely not great today". While I already knew it to be true for myself, Arn and Santiago agreed that this was not an easy "rest day" of riding.
During the "paper cut section", we met three riders headed the opposite way. Two were from Finland and one was from the UK. The Brit was actually riding a road bike with slightly wider wheels. One of the Fins was pulling a bob trailor. We shared all the standard info. All threes of us suggested they take a bus between El Bolson and Bariolche to avoid the death stretch. One of the Fins explained that they are bike messengers at home and they don't ride the "white line". They get out into the lane and "claim it". Now, between me and you -- I am married to a white line rider. I too think that this sets up the cyclist to get squeezed as the car doesn't move over. Riding down the west coast in the US, Arn typically rode in front on the white line and I took the lane. Once I found a place that I was okay with a passing car (ie not a blind corner), then I would pull out too. This typically resulted in the passing car slowing down before they reached us and crossing the center line to give us a better pass. Well, I tried this approch between Bariolche and El Bolson. I was run off the road by a bus!! So, we listened to the Fin, shared our experience, and wished him luck. I am guessing the Finland and American drivers are more a like and the Argentinians are the "one of these things is not like the others".
We reached the end of our "death by paper cuts" and were rewarded with a great view of the town of Puyuhuapi. The town sits at the base of the mountains and at the end of the fiord. The setting on the water with the mountains is fantastic. We pedaled past the visitor center --- it didn't open until 3pm. We rode to the hosteria that was recommended to us in Bariloche by a couple of American biologists that drove the Carretera. Well, we could only get single rooms (no doubles). Now, I was prepared to sleep in my own room alone if it meant no cockroachs. A girl has to have a few priorities and no roachs is one of them. Anyway, the woman recommended a different place, and after a bit of a hunt to find it, we lucked into a very sweet cabana. One bedroom has a queen sized bed that nearly fills the room. The other room has two sets of bunk beds. There is a shared bathroom and kitchen. So, Arn and I took the queen sized room and Santiago took a bunk in the other room. We joked that now he needed to find three other 'chicas' and he would have a sleepover party! Given his serious girlfriend in Spain, this would probably not have been a good idea!
Having arrived in time for lunch, we enjoyed fantastic roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. We even enjoyed a few minutes of the Olympics. The afternoon's entertainnent was finding and using the internet, a long discussion about the sex gender of the person working in the visitor center, a trip to the market for supplies, and looking over the maps and discussing options. A quick note on going to the market here. It is not like the US. There are a number of items that are kept behind the counter. You ask for each item individually. This included shampoo, eggs (which you exactly buy the number you want and they are not refrigerated), chocolate, cookies, jam, and butter. In the early evening, Arn and Santigo went for a walk to find a viewpoint that was rumored to exist near town. In the process, they met three more cyclists --- three Chileans. Theses guys are on a different kind of tour. It sounds like they don't start riding until late in the day -- 3pm! And, they are going about 20 miles a day. Perhaps, they could make it further of they started earlier!!
While Santiago is headed south tomorrow (rain or shine), we are taking a day off. And while he is set on getting to Villa O'Higgins, we are determined to be opportunists. So, we are studying the opportunites as they present themselves. More on this in a future post.
Dinner was baked salmon and sauteed vegtables. Funny, no one wanted more potatoes! Santiago had a slice of nut pie for dessert. Arn and I understood the choices to be nut or plum kuchen. Kuchen is a German pastry that loosely resembles an American pie. There were a number of German immigrants to this part of Chile. So, kuchen is pretty common. As we left the restaurant, I noticed that the second choice was not "plum", it was "cherry". Now, this was upsetting to my restaurant Spanish. I excell at food words and cherry kuchen would have been interesting to Arn and me. I confirmed it --- Arn understood it to be plum. Santiago said, "no, they use the same word for plum and cherry in these parts --- they don't have the word for cherry". Bummer. After hanging out and enjoying the heater in the cabana, we called it a night. It was another great day of riding and Puyuhuapi is a sweet little town.
- 29 miles (all dirt)
- 1800 feet of climbing
- ALL ZEROS: roadkill, rain and wind
- Season = summer!
The plan was to meet Santiago at 9:30am to start riding. Arn and I had the typical Chilean breakfast: bread, jam, ham, cheese and instant coffee. I have a new name for the town of La Junta. I am going to remember it as "Cockroach Village". Again, as the girl looking for protein at breakfast, I have taken to eating a ham and cheese "sandwich". After we finished eating, I noticed a cockroach crawl out from under the remaining cheese on the plate. (Note to self: when we reach the next town --- we need to stay at someplace cleaner!!!)
As we loaded the bikes, a morning fog layer was lifting. The temps were cool. I started with a tank top (hopeful that things will warm up), wool t-shirt, heavy arm warmers, a long sleeve polypropylene shirt, a wind breaker, full fingered gloves, over-mittens, and cycling shorts. The town was covered in a hazy smog from all the wood burning stoves and fireplaces. We could smell the smoke in the streets.
We rejoined the Carretera and continued southward. Over the last couple of days, there was "chatter" about today -- this would be a short ride and would be "like a day off". While I didn't think it would feel that way, I was hopeful.
As we left town, there was a HUGE peak to the west. It was something akin to Rainier. Later on a map, I noticed that there is a huge volcano to the west of Cockroach Village (sorry, I meant to say La Junta). I am guessing we saw this volcanco.
With more blue skies, things warmed up quickly and the layers came off one at a time. After two hours, we took a break for cookies and chocolate. By now, it was full summer and I was once again riding the Carretera in a tank top! We met two young backpackers trying to hitch a ride south into the National Park. Standing around with the three of us and our bikes didn't seem to help their case, so they continued walking down the road and we enjoyed a break.
Our scenery continued to be excellent today. The road was frequently lined with white and purple foxglove flowers taller than me. We started to see huge, blooming fushia plants. The ferns increased in both number and size. It was a landscape that said --- "you really should be soaking wet in the rain to see such vegatation". So, it was not easy to forget just how sweet it was to have this on the warm sunshine!
We eventually entered the National Park. At this point, the road followed a lake and in the distance, we could see the sea (a huge fiord) and another massive peak (I think another volcano I saw on the map). Now, when I say the road "followed the lake", you probably get the image of road at lake level that is flat and straight. This is where you would be wrong. Here, the mountains seem to spring up and the remaining valley has been filled in with water. So, the road "along the lake" has really been carved into the mountain. In this case, it curved up and down and wound around here there and everywhere. While in your dreams you would have loved to sling the downhill speed of your bike up and over the next rise, it was impossible. It was big gear riding down and granny-ish gear riding up. In other words --- hill repeats! Or as I prefer to call it: death by a 1000 paper cuts!!! It was in this section that I heard Arn say, "My legs are definitely not great today". While I already knew it to be true for myself, Arn and Santiago agreed that this was not an easy "rest day" of riding.
During the "paper cut section", we met three riders headed the opposite way. Two were from Finland and one was from the UK. The Brit was actually riding a road bike with slightly wider wheels. One of the Fins was pulling a bob trailor. We shared all the standard info. All threes of us suggested they take a bus between El Bolson and Bariolche to avoid the death stretch. One of the Fins explained that they are bike messengers at home and they don't ride the "white line". They get out into the lane and "claim it". Now, between me and you -- I am married to a white line rider. I too think that this sets up the cyclist to get squeezed as the car doesn't move over. Riding down the west coast in the US, Arn typically rode in front on the white line and I took the lane. Once I found a place that I was okay with a passing car (ie not a blind corner), then I would pull out too. This typically resulted in the passing car slowing down before they reached us and crossing the center line to give us a better pass. Well, I tried this approch between Bariolche and El Bolson. I was run off the road by a bus!! So, we listened to the Fin, shared our experience, and wished him luck. I am guessing the Finland and American drivers are more a like and the Argentinians are the "one of these things is not like the others".
We reached the end of our "death by paper cuts" and were rewarded with a great view of the town of Puyuhuapi. The town sits at the base of the mountains and at the end of the fiord. The setting on the water with the mountains is fantastic. We pedaled past the visitor center --- it didn't open until 3pm. We rode to the hosteria that was recommended to us in Bariloche by a couple of American biologists that drove the Carretera. Well, we could only get single rooms (no doubles). Now, I was prepared to sleep in my own room alone if it meant no cockroachs. A girl has to have a few priorities and no roachs is one of them. Anyway, the woman recommended a different place, and after a bit of a hunt to find it, we lucked into a very sweet cabana. One bedroom has a queen sized bed that nearly fills the room. The other room has two sets of bunk beds. There is a shared bathroom and kitchen. So, Arn and I took the queen sized room and Santiago took a bunk in the other room. We joked that now he needed to find three other 'chicas' and he would have a sleepover party! Given his serious girlfriend in Spain, this would probably not have been a good idea!
Having arrived in time for lunch, we enjoyed fantastic roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. We even enjoyed a few minutes of the Olympics. The afternoon's entertainnent was finding and using the internet, a long discussion about the sex gender of the person working in the visitor center, a trip to the market for supplies, and looking over the maps and discussing options. A quick note on going to the market here. It is not like the US. There are a number of items that are kept behind the counter. You ask for each item individually. This included shampoo, eggs (which you exactly buy the number you want and they are not refrigerated), chocolate, cookies, jam, and butter. In the early evening, Arn and Santigo went for a walk to find a viewpoint that was rumored to exist near town. In the process, they met three more cyclists --- three Chileans. Theses guys are on a different kind of tour. It sounds like they don't start riding until late in the day -- 3pm! And, they are going about 20 miles a day. Perhaps, they could make it further of they started earlier!!
While Santiago is headed south tomorrow (rain or shine), we are taking a day off. And while he is set on getting to Villa O'Higgins, we are determined to be opportunists. So, we are studying the opportunites as they present themselves. More on this in a future post.
Dinner was baked salmon and sauteed vegtables. Funny, no one wanted more potatoes! Santiago had a slice of nut pie for dessert. Arn and I understood the choices to be nut or plum kuchen. Kuchen is a German pastry that loosely resembles an American pie. There were a number of German immigrants to this part of Chile. So, kuchen is pretty common. As we left the restaurant, I noticed that the second choice was not "plum", it was "cherry". Now, this was upsetting to my restaurant Spanish. I excell at food words and cherry kuchen would have been interesting to Arn and me. I confirmed it --- Arn understood it to be plum. Santiago said, "no, they use the same word for plum and cherry in these parts --- they don't have the word for cherry". Bummer. After hanging out and enjoying the heater in the cabana, we called it a night. It was another great day of riding and Puyuhuapi is a sweet little town.
Villa Santa Lucia to La Junta (Mon 2/15)
Stats:
- 44 miles (all dirt)
- 2500 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 1 rabbit
- precipitation = zero
- season = summer
- winds = zero
Well, well, well....we have ridden 529 miles and have climbed 30,500 feet to reach the Carretera Austral. Today's ride was our first day on the Carretera. Cutting to the chase, Arn described it as, "the best scenery ever on a bike".
Santigo, Arn and I woke up to a freezing cold cabana. Arn toughed the night out under the wool blankets on his bed. I slept in my sleeping bag and was much warmer. The cabana was not heated, not well insulated, and had a few gaps to the outdoors. Still, it was warmer than a tent! Arn headed off to the "panaderia" to buy bread. The woman was pulling bread out of the oven as he arrived. We enjoyed hard boiled eggs, warm bread, cheese and dulce de leche for breakfast. The coffee was instant, but that is coffee all over Chile.
Without a cloud in the sky and crisp temperatures, we headed south for our first taste of the Carretera Austral. The ripio was sweet. The views were smashing. The traffic was nil and the motorists we did see were reasonable. We actually saw a number of supply trucks.
Okay, I need to share a few bits of history about the Carretera Austral. The road was the idea of Pinochet. He built the road to protect the sovereignity of Southern Chile from Argentina. With the presence of a road, Pinochet wanted to encourage the creation of settlements in this part of the country. While most people remember the bad deeds of Pinochet, in Chile and especially in this part of the country, people remember the good things he did for the people. The road itself is an engineering feat snaking through mountains and valleys and navigating lakes.
As the day warmed up, we removed layer upon layers of clothes. Eventually, I enjoyed the summer weather in a tank top. I never expected to ride the Carretera in a tank top! The valleys were dotted with homesteads and farms. We passed a few places offering homemade bread and cheese for sale. We probably passed more cows on the road than cars. At one point, we had a very unexpected car --- it was a pick up truck with Washington State license plates. We recognized it too late to flag down the driver.
We passed a solo cyclist headed northbound. He was from Belguim. I think he smiled more than any cyclist we have met so far. We exchanged ideas, experiences and notes. Things like where to stay, where to eat, what can you get in the store, how far is it really between points A and B, ripio quality, rumors of pavement, rumors of big climbs, best scenery, weather and wind patterns, etc are the subject of every conversation. Shortly after passing the Belguim, Santiago, Arn and I took a lunch break: more bread, cheese, cookies, chocolate, and peanut butter (my stash is quickly dwindling). While sitting the sun and enjoying our break, three northbound riders passed us and they never said more than 'hola' and never stopped. It was strange behavior because everyone seems to be glad to meet other riders.
Our views continued to be stellar all day long...clusters of mountains that looked like something out of Yosemite or Torres del Paine. Everything was capped in snow and the largest peaks were wrapped in glaciers. Occassionally, Arn would start singing something about the Carretera Austral. Our eyes feasted all day long with awesome scenery. Arn declared it the new best day of the trip.
Eventually, we reached the town of La Junta. It is certainly bigger than where we were last night in Villa Santa Lucia, but it was still very small. There was a gas station and small grocery store. To put things in perspective, these small towns have NO bank. People have to drive anywhere from an hour to several hours to reach a bank or ATM.
The Belguim suggested a hosteria. We stopped to check it out. Santiago decided it would work for him. Arn declared he would kill himself -- banging his head into low ceilings and doorways. So, Arn and I found a place around the corner and we all met up later at the internet cafe. Of course, Santiago arrived explaining that he had already smashed his head once (he is actually slightly taller than Arn).
As we left the Internet cafe, we found three loaded bikes. One of the guys was with the bikes. They were a group of college students from Brazil and they were struggling with a busted rack. Arn retrieved our repair kit and gave them a couple of hose clamps to try and patch things back together. As Santiago, Arn and I headed off for dinner, we came upon two more riders. It was a couple from Greece. I said I had never met anyone from Greece traveling in South America. They guy was very funny and explained that in Greece, "they only let them leave two at the time". They were headed northbound and again, we exchanged the typical set of information and ideas.
Our dinner was in a tiny shack with three tables. There were two choices for dinner -- braised beef or beef braised. With beef ordered all around, I was the only one who noticed the cockroaches on the table. I covered them with the placemats and pretended they didn't exist.
After dinner, Arn and I picked up a small box of wine. We returned to hosteria and spent a couple of hours sitting in the living room and chatting with the people working at the hosteria. They each had different views and experiences of living along the Carretera. The man has only been working here for a month and his family is still living much further north in Chile in a large city. The woman has been here longer, but is not from this area. They described a place with many young girls that leave school to have babies. This cycle repeats and there are a lot of women and children with no men or fathers in the picture. As time went on, I grew sleepy and my "not so great Spansish" turned into no Spanish. We called it a night.
- 44 miles (all dirt)
- 2500 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 1 rabbit
- precipitation = zero
- season = summer
- winds = zero
Well, well, well....we have ridden 529 miles and have climbed 30,500 feet to reach the Carretera Austral. Today's ride was our first day on the Carretera. Cutting to the chase, Arn described it as, "the best scenery ever on a bike".
Santigo, Arn and I woke up to a freezing cold cabana. Arn toughed the night out under the wool blankets on his bed. I slept in my sleeping bag and was much warmer. The cabana was not heated, not well insulated, and had a few gaps to the outdoors. Still, it was warmer than a tent! Arn headed off to the "panaderia" to buy bread. The woman was pulling bread out of the oven as he arrived. We enjoyed hard boiled eggs, warm bread, cheese and dulce de leche for breakfast. The coffee was instant, but that is coffee all over Chile.
Without a cloud in the sky and crisp temperatures, we headed south for our first taste of the Carretera Austral. The ripio was sweet. The views were smashing. The traffic was nil and the motorists we did see were reasonable. We actually saw a number of supply trucks.
Okay, I need to share a few bits of history about the Carretera Austral. The road was the idea of Pinochet. He built the road to protect the sovereignity of Southern Chile from Argentina. With the presence of a road, Pinochet wanted to encourage the creation of settlements in this part of the country. While most people remember the bad deeds of Pinochet, in Chile and especially in this part of the country, people remember the good things he did for the people. The road itself is an engineering feat snaking through mountains and valleys and navigating lakes.
As the day warmed up, we removed layer upon layers of clothes. Eventually, I enjoyed the summer weather in a tank top. I never expected to ride the Carretera in a tank top! The valleys were dotted with homesteads and farms. We passed a few places offering homemade bread and cheese for sale. We probably passed more cows on the road than cars. At one point, we had a very unexpected car --- it was a pick up truck with Washington State license plates. We recognized it too late to flag down the driver.
We passed a solo cyclist headed northbound. He was from Belguim. I think he smiled more than any cyclist we have met so far. We exchanged ideas, experiences and notes. Things like where to stay, where to eat, what can you get in the store, how far is it really between points A and B, ripio quality, rumors of pavement, rumors of big climbs, best scenery, weather and wind patterns, etc are the subject of every conversation. Shortly after passing the Belguim, Santiago, Arn and I took a lunch break: more bread, cheese, cookies, chocolate, and peanut butter (my stash is quickly dwindling). While sitting the sun and enjoying our break, three northbound riders passed us and they never said more than 'hola' and never stopped. It was strange behavior because everyone seems to be glad to meet other riders.
Our views continued to be stellar all day long...clusters of mountains that looked like something out of Yosemite or Torres del Paine. Everything was capped in snow and the largest peaks were wrapped in glaciers. Occassionally, Arn would start singing something about the Carretera Austral. Our eyes feasted all day long with awesome scenery. Arn declared it the new best day of the trip.
Eventually, we reached the town of La Junta. It is certainly bigger than where we were last night in Villa Santa Lucia, but it was still very small. There was a gas station and small grocery store. To put things in perspective, these small towns have NO bank. People have to drive anywhere from an hour to several hours to reach a bank or ATM.
The Belguim suggested a hosteria. We stopped to check it out. Santiago decided it would work for him. Arn declared he would kill himself -- banging his head into low ceilings and doorways. So, Arn and I found a place around the corner and we all met up later at the internet cafe. Of course, Santiago arrived explaining that he had already smashed his head once (he is actually slightly taller than Arn).
As we left the Internet cafe, we found three loaded bikes. One of the guys was with the bikes. They were a group of college students from Brazil and they were struggling with a busted rack. Arn retrieved our repair kit and gave them a couple of hose clamps to try and patch things back together. As Santiago, Arn and I headed off for dinner, we came upon two more riders. It was a couple from Greece. I said I had never met anyone from Greece traveling in South America. They guy was very funny and explained that in Greece, "they only let them leave two at the time". They were headed northbound and again, we exchanged the typical set of information and ideas.
Our dinner was in a tiny shack with three tables. There were two choices for dinner -- braised beef or beef braised. With beef ordered all around, I was the only one who noticed the cockroaches on the table. I covered them with the placemats and pretended they didn't exist.
After dinner, Arn and I picked up a small box of wine. We returned to hosteria and spent a couple of hours sitting in the living room and chatting with the people working at the hosteria. They each had different views and experiences of living along the Carretera. The man has only been working here for a month and his family is still living much further north in Chile in a large city. The woman has been here longer, but is not from this area. They described a place with many young girls that leave school to have babies. This cycle repeats and there are a lot of women and children with no men or fathers in the picture. As time went on, I grew sleepy and my "not so great Spansish" turned into no Spanish. We called it a night.
Futaleufu to Villa Santa Lucia (Sun 2/14)
Stats:
- 49 miles (all dirt)
- 3200 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 2 rabbits & 2 cars
- precipitation = zero
- winds = none to mild headwind
- road surface quality = @&$%#!!!!!
I know. There is new data in the roadkill count, but we thought they should be included. We passed two cars that were off the road and totaled. The first looked like a new SUV. Windows were shattered. Two wheels were bent straight outward from the car. And, the rear bumper was ripped off. The second car was an older sedan. It looked like it rolled, landed back on it's wheels, pointing back in the direction from which it had come. Now, how did these cars get to where they were? It is not hard to understand when I tell you a prime "feature" in today's experience, but this is getting head of the story.
We were rudely awoken very early this morning by a woodpecker. He was perched outside of our window, scratching on the glass, and banging away on the wood. Despite my banging on the window he continued with his wake up "call". It was hard to be annoyed because he was a beautiful bird AND he woke us up to completely sunny blue skies.
During breakfast, we talked about the weather, our A Plan for the day, and the forecast. We decided the right answer was to push south for the next three days and to not stop at the Bio Bio kayak and rafting camp. Should the forecast be correct, we can get to a reasonable town in three days and wait out a bad stretch of weather if needed. So, I first looked at breakfast as fuel for ~20 miles and then went back to fuel up for ~50 miles. But cereal and toast only goes so far.
After breakfast, we stopped at a mini-market of sorts to buy bread and cheese. The temps were crisp, but the sun was warm on our backs and there was NO wind. The setting of the Futaleufu River is very magical. It is a relatively narrow valley with high walls at times and beautiful mountains. This morning, we kept saying, " there wasn't this much snow last year". We also didn't remember all the lakes. It was a great treat to see everything from the seat of a bike. We heard symphonies of frogs near the road. We enjoyed the wildflowers and occassional peaks of the river.
We decided to take our first break as we passed the Bio Bio camp. It turns out that today was the first day of the season they didn't have a trip running. The guides were in town having taken the last group to the border very early this morning. So, we continued to the first bridge over the river (at the start of a section called "Bridge to Bridge"). Arn paddled it last year and wanted to see what it looked like at high water. From the bridge, we looked at Entrada rapid and ate alfajores (cookies). While we knew we were in for a long day, things were going well.
Our next landmark was the second bridge. This is the take out for the "Bridge to Bridge" run. We stopped on the bridge to "admire" some stout and scary eddy lines. However, this was not what I will remember about the bridge. The second bridge is where the ripio went to hell. The road grader had recently pushed the dirt around and it was miserable riding. Yeah, I know, "how bad was it"? Well, I had MANY hours to contemplate how I would describe this hellish surface. Here is how you can recreate the experience. First, cover a dirt road in 8 inches of baby powder. Next, drop bushels of rocks the size of lemons and limes. Then, get on your bike with a (not so) small child on your back and ride it! Now, when you finally get the hang of it, give the road a slant (bank the road around corners) and see if you can hang on without sliding into the ditch. To make things more "interesting", the nature of the suffering changed. To recreate this experience, start with an Olympic sized swimming pool. Fill it with golf balls. Again, get on your bike and ride from one end of the pool to the other. Should you not fall off, then you are ready for the section of the ride that has been labeled "the final insult" --- golf balls in the pool on a steep uphill grade.
This punishing surface went on forever. We began to talk about when we would have lunch (bread and cheese). With 30 minutes to go before our scheduled break, we reached the junction in the road. Our turn would be from the west southwest road through the Futaleufu River valley, to the road that would take us west northwest to join the Carretera Austral. At the junction, we found a woman selling sandwiches out of her house. Being the opportunists that we are, we stopped. She invited us into her dining room. Given what we looked like, I wouldn't have invited us into the garage -- never mind the dining room. She left us with two cold cokes while she went to get sandwiches. Next thing we knew, we heard the clatter of pans and the sound of something sizzling. She could have fried shoe leather and we would have gladly eaten it. She returned with two sandwiches each the size of my head! I am not kidding. They reminded me of a poboy sandwich in New Orleans. It was a homemade bread roll with lettuce, tomato (some of the best I've eaten), a hamburger, and roasted chicken! As the girl who has been on the hunt for protein for breakfast and lunch, I was convinced I had found my saviour! Arn declared he was going to eat the entire sandwich. He did. I gave it a good shot. Let's just say I prioritized and there was not a gram of meat left behind.
Refueled, we returned to "battle with the ripio". Our views were superb. The vegatation started to change. We began to see ferns along the road. The trees began to change. We continued to see lakes, rivers and streams. The mountains were topped with snow. As we pushed on, it was clear we were moving into temperate rainforest with lakes and mountains. I know this is lacking in creavity, but it looked like a scene from Jurrasic Park. I expected to see dinosaurs chomping on the trees. The road was lined with these plants that have tall stalks. Each stalk ends in a single leaf the size of a car door or car hood. Really, I think dinosaurs would have liked this stuff. We saw clusters of foxglove flowers in white and purple.
We passed a lone cyclist heading the opposite direction to ours. He was traveling light with a handlebar bag, a backpack, and a seat post rack carrying his tent. His plan was crazy. Today, he planned to ride nearly 90 miles from some hot springs near El Chitan to Futaleufu. Then tomorrow, he plans to retrace his steps back to the Carretera Austral and continue south to where we plan to be in two days! This is a 125 mile ride on dirt! Someone told him there was a nice place to stay in Futaleufu. And, he explained that he has a ticket for the ferry, much further south, on February 27th. So, he doesn't have time to waste. He was from Germany and we thought that might explain his advance purchase for the ferry. Every other rider plans to sort out ferries when they make it that far south.
The ripio battle continued. It was both mentally and physically grueling. With no way to go other than forward, we perservered. When things really suck on a bike (and let's face it -- in life, stuff just sucks sometimes), I play math games. I play the, "at this pace I will be there X more minutes". This game can be grinding on the brain because as you get tired you ride slower and the number of minutes increase. This game is a brain bender until you get close enough that the minutes are really starting to reduce. There is a pep talk that helps this game -- "come on, anyone can ride a bike for 180 minutes". Then, I play the "bottles of beer on wall" game. I calculate the remaining distance in tenths of a mile (15 miles equals 150). I take this number and start mentally singing, "150 bottle of beer on the wall, 150 bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, 149 bottles of beer on the wall....". Now, this game is usually very good. You play for a while, look at the bike computer, and think "wow, only 135 bottles of beer to go". So, I played math games.
Then, we reached the "final insult" --- a long, steep, uphill grind through golf balls. At the bottom, we saw two large roadkill. It was the two cars in the ditch. Given how some people drive, it was really no surprise to see two cars rolled off the road by the golf balls. I can't remember the number of times we both nearly went to the ground trying to ride either baby powder or golf balls. I know we both had a few slips and managed to get a foot down to catch the bike before a crash. As we climbed up the golf ball ramp and I ranted, "There is no place where this crap is compacted". Soon, I was breathing too hard to ride and complain at the same time. So, I shut up and continued to take my punishment.
Eventually, we looked into the distance and saw a car traveling on a road perpendicular to our road. It was the Carretera Austral! We had arrived at the road we have talked about for nearly a year. At this point in the day, we were actually much more excited about the fact that this meant the day on the bike was over. At the road junction was the "town" of Villa Santa Lucia. "Town" is a hard word to apply to the place. We were not expecting much. The German cyclist said he couldn't even buy food in Villa Santa Lucia. Our goal was to find a place to sleep inside. We stopped at a hosteria -- full. We stopped at a hostel -- full. Luckily, the woman wanted to help. She sent us to the "supermarket" as they have a room for rent -- no answer and the store (about the size of a single car garage) was closed. We returned to the hostel and this time she sent us to the house where the lady makes bread and sells it from her kitchen. She wasn't home either. Again, we returned to the hostel and this time she sent us to the elementary school. Given that it was Sunday in the middle of the summer, we were not surprised to find no one at the school. One more time, we returned to the hostel. This time, the young woman went to a neighbor's house and found a man that rents a cabana. Lucky for us, it was available. He showed us around, plugged in the gas can to heat the water and to provide fuel the stove, gave us the key, and left us to get settled.
With everythig unloaded, I took first shower. At one point, there was a hint of warm water. And then, it was liquid ice. Really, any colder and the pipes might have froze. After showering, Arn took a walk to see if the store might be open. He returned with two sodas, butter and eggs. We warmed some bread and enjoyed bread with butter. I washed our clothes in the kitchen sink. Arn cooked dinner --- pasta with olive oil and a dried pesto mix.
Someone in the store explained that the wine in town is sold from someone's house. While I cleaned the dishes, Arn decided to walk around to see if he could pick off a stray WIFI signal and to find the "wine" house. I laughed -- if you could have seen this village of ~50 houses, you'd know WIFI wasn't happening. Still, info on the weather would have been helpful. About 15 minutes later, Arn returned with no WIFI and no wine, but he did have a fellow cyclist with him. He had found Santiago headed to the elementary school. You'll remember, Santiago is the guy from Barcelona that jumped out in the street in Futaleufu and asked, "Are you the two Americans from Seattle?" So, with an extra bedroom in the cabana, there was plenty of room for all.
With more determination, Arn and Santigo headed out to find beer or wine to go with this evenings festivities --- the celebration that we are all inside and not dealing with tents, camp stoves, and gas bottles (let me tell you --- burning unleaded gas to cook dinner is an extremely messy and dirty process). They returned with the conclusion: it is Sunday and no one sells beer or wine in Villa Santa Lucia on Sunday.
- 49 miles (all dirt)
- 3200 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 2 rabbits & 2 cars
- precipitation = zero
- winds = none to mild headwind
- road surface quality = @&$%#!!!!!
I know. There is new data in the roadkill count, but we thought they should be included. We passed two cars that were off the road and totaled. The first looked like a new SUV. Windows were shattered. Two wheels were bent straight outward from the car. And, the rear bumper was ripped off. The second car was an older sedan. It looked like it rolled, landed back on it's wheels, pointing back in the direction from which it had come. Now, how did these cars get to where they were? It is not hard to understand when I tell you a prime "feature" in today's experience, but this is getting head of the story.
We were rudely awoken very early this morning by a woodpecker. He was perched outside of our window, scratching on the glass, and banging away on the wood. Despite my banging on the window he continued with his wake up "call". It was hard to be annoyed because he was a beautiful bird AND he woke us up to completely sunny blue skies.
During breakfast, we talked about the weather, our A Plan for the day, and the forecast. We decided the right answer was to push south for the next three days and to not stop at the Bio Bio kayak and rafting camp. Should the forecast be correct, we can get to a reasonable town in three days and wait out a bad stretch of weather if needed. So, I first looked at breakfast as fuel for ~20 miles and then went back to fuel up for ~50 miles. But cereal and toast only goes so far.
After breakfast, we stopped at a mini-market of sorts to buy bread and cheese. The temps were crisp, but the sun was warm on our backs and there was NO wind. The setting of the Futaleufu River is very magical. It is a relatively narrow valley with high walls at times and beautiful mountains. This morning, we kept saying, " there wasn't this much snow last year". We also didn't remember all the lakes. It was a great treat to see everything from the seat of a bike. We heard symphonies of frogs near the road. We enjoyed the wildflowers and occassional peaks of the river.
We decided to take our first break as we passed the Bio Bio camp. It turns out that today was the first day of the season they didn't have a trip running. The guides were in town having taken the last group to the border very early this morning. So, we continued to the first bridge over the river (at the start of a section called "Bridge to Bridge"). Arn paddled it last year and wanted to see what it looked like at high water. From the bridge, we looked at Entrada rapid and ate alfajores (cookies). While we knew we were in for a long day, things were going well.
Our next landmark was the second bridge. This is the take out for the "Bridge to Bridge" run. We stopped on the bridge to "admire" some stout and scary eddy lines. However, this was not what I will remember about the bridge. The second bridge is where the ripio went to hell. The road grader had recently pushed the dirt around and it was miserable riding. Yeah, I know, "how bad was it"? Well, I had MANY hours to contemplate how I would describe this hellish surface. Here is how you can recreate the experience. First, cover a dirt road in 8 inches of baby powder. Next, drop bushels of rocks the size of lemons and limes. Then, get on your bike with a (not so) small child on your back and ride it! Now, when you finally get the hang of it, give the road a slant (bank the road around corners) and see if you can hang on without sliding into the ditch. To make things more "interesting", the nature of the suffering changed. To recreate this experience, start with an Olympic sized swimming pool. Fill it with golf balls. Again, get on your bike and ride from one end of the pool to the other. Should you not fall off, then you are ready for the section of the ride that has been labeled "the final insult" --- golf balls in the pool on a steep uphill grade.
This punishing surface went on forever. We began to talk about when we would have lunch (bread and cheese). With 30 minutes to go before our scheduled break, we reached the junction in the road. Our turn would be from the west southwest road through the Futaleufu River valley, to the road that would take us west northwest to join the Carretera Austral. At the junction, we found a woman selling sandwiches out of her house. Being the opportunists that we are, we stopped. She invited us into her dining room. Given what we looked like, I wouldn't have invited us into the garage -- never mind the dining room. She left us with two cold cokes while she went to get sandwiches. Next thing we knew, we heard the clatter of pans and the sound of something sizzling. She could have fried shoe leather and we would have gladly eaten it. She returned with two sandwiches each the size of my head! I am not kidding. They reminded me of a poboy sandwich in New Orleans. It was a homemade bread roll with lettuce, tomato (some of the best I've eaten), a hamburger, and roasted chicken! As the girl who has been on the hunt for protein for breakfast and lunch, I was convinced I had found my saviour! Arn declared he was going to eat the entire sandwich. He did. I gave it a good shot. Let's just say I prioritized and there was not a gram of meat left behind.
Refueled, we returned to "battle with the ripio". Our views were superb. The vegatation started to change. We began to see ferns along the road. The trees began to change. We continued to see lakes, rivers and streams. The mountains were topped with snow. As we pushed on, it was clear we were moving into temperate rainforest with lakes and mountains. I know this is lacking in creavity, but it looked like a scene from Jurrasic Park. I expected to see dinosaurs chomping on the trees. The road was lined with these plants that have tall stalks. Each stalk ends in a single leaf the size of a car door or car hood. Really, I think dinosaurs would have liked this stuff. We saw clusters of foxglove flowers in white and purple.
We passed a lone cyclist heading the opposite direction to ours. He was traveling light with a handlebar bag, a backpack, and a seat post rack carrying his tent. His plan was crazy. Today, he planned to ride nearly 90 miles from some hot springs near El Chitan to Futaleufu. Then tomorrow, he plans to retrace his steps back to the Carretera Austral and continue south to where we plan to be in two days! This is a 125 mile ride on dirt! Someone told him there was a nice place to stay in Futaleufu. And, he explained that he has a ticket for the ferry, much further south, on February 27th. So, he doesn't have time to waste. He was from Germany and we thought that might explain his advance purchase for the ferry. Every other rider plans to sort out ferries when they make it that far south.
The ripio battle continued. It was both mentally and physically grueling. With no way to go other than forward, we perservered. When things really suck on a bike (and let's face it -- in life, stuff just sucks sometimes), I play math games. I play the, "at this pace I will be there X more minutes". This game can be grinding on the brain because as you get tired you ride slower and the number of minutes increase. This game is a brain bender until you get close enough that the minutes are really starting to reduce. There is a pep talk that helps this game -- "come on, anyone can ride a bike for 180 minutes". Then, I play the "bottles of beer on wall" game. I calculate the remaining distance in tenths of a mile (15 miles equals 150). I take this number and start mentally singing, "150 bottle of beer on the wall, 150 bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, 149 bottles of beer on the wall....". Now, this game is usually very good. You play for a while, look at the bike computer, and think "wow, only 135 bottles of beer to go". So, I played math games.
Then, we reached the "final insult" --- a long, steep, uphill grind through golf balls. At the bottom, we saw two large roadkill. It was the two cars in the ditch. Given how some people drive, it was really no surprise to see two cars rolled off the road by the golf balls. I can't remember the number of times we both nearly went to the ground trying to ride either baby powder or golf balls. I know we both had a few slips and managed to get a foot down to catch the bike before a crash. As we climbed up the golf ball ramp and I ranted, "There is no place where this crap is compacted". Soon, I was breathing too hard to ride and complain at the same time. So, I shut up and continued to take my punishment.
Eventually, we looked into the distance and saw a car traveling on a road perpendicular to our road. It was the Carretera Austral! We had arrived at the road we have talked about for nearly a year. At this point in the day, we were actually much more excited about the fact that this meant the day on the bike was over. At the road junction was the "town" of Villa Santa Lucia. "Town" is a hard word to apply to the place. We were not expecting much. The German cyclist said he couldn't even buy food in Villa Santa Lucia. Our goal was to find a place to sleep inside. We stopped at a hosteria -- full. We stopped at a hostel -- full. Luckily, the woman wanted to help. She sent us to the "supermarket" as they have a room for rent -- no answer and the store (about the size of a single car garage) was closed. We returned to the hostel and this time she sent us to the house where the lady makes bread and sells it from her kitchen. She wasn't home either. Again, we returned to the hostel and this time she sent us to the elementary school. Given that it was Sunday in the middle of the summer, we were not surprised to find no one at the school. One more time, we returned to the hostel. This time, the young woman went to a neighbor's house and found a man that rents a cabana. Lucky for us, it was available. He showed us around, plugged in the gas can to heat the water and to provide fuel the stove, gave us the key, and left us to get settled.
With everythig unloaded, I took first shower. At one point, there was a hint of warm water. And then, it was liquid ice. Really, any colder and the pipes might have froze. After showering, Arn took a walk to see if the store might be open. He returned with two sodas, butter and eggs. We warmed some bread and enjoyed bread with butter. I washed our clothes in the kitchen sink. Arn cooked dinner --- pasta with olive oil and a dried pesto mix.
Someone in the store explained that the wine in town is sold from someone's house. While I cleaned the dishes, Arn decided to walk around to see if he could pick off a stray WIFI signal and to find the "wine" house. I laughed -- if you could have seen this village of ~50 houses, you'd know WIFI wasn't happening. Still, info on the weather would have been helpful. About 15 minutes later, Arn returned with no WIFI and no wine, but he did have a fellow cyclist with him. He had found Santiago headed to the elementary school. You'll remember, Santiago is the guy from Barcelona that jumped out in the street in Futaleufu and asked, "Are you the two Americans from Seattle?" So, with an extra bedroom in the cabana, there was plenty of room for all.
With more determination, Arn and Santigo headed out to find beer or wine to go with this evenings festivities --- the celebration that we are all inside and not dealing with tents, camp stoves, and gas bottles (let me tell you --- burning unleaded gas to cook dinner is an extremely messy and dirty process). They returned with the conclusion: it is Sunday and no one sells beer or wine in Villa Santa Lucia on Sunday.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
More photos!!!
Here is the link to our photos. You will need to copy and paste. This is the same link as before, but Arn has added the last several AMAZING days. Unfortunately, photos and words don't do justice to the experience. We'd love to hear from you. Drop me an email!!! I think we could be headed into the stretch where we could be held up in a tent together....for days.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ArnSchaeffer/ChileAndArgentinaCycling2010#
http://picasaweb.google.com/ArnSchaeffer/ChileAndArgentinaCycling2010#
Trevelin to Futaleufu (Sat 2/13)
Stats:
- 31 miles (23+ on dirt)
- 1100 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 1 bird & 3 rabbits (all blown to death by the wind)
- precipitation = ZERO
- season = summer!!
- wind = a total blaster of a head wind
- ripio quality = butt breaker
After last night's rain, we were hopeful but unsure if the forecast would prove correct. It did. The skies were blue with only a few clouds. While our room last night was very tight with two bikes and all our gear (I had to crawl out the bottom of the bed to avoid the bikes), our hosteria served up the best breakfast of the whole trip. My legs have been ready to declare a strike when presented with toast and sweets for breakfast. They have been in search of something with more holding power and it was served up today --- hardboiled eggs. Awesome.
We loaded up and headed off in the direction of the border with Chile. The temps were warm and Arn never even put on arm warmers today. Initially, we were headed south. When the road turned west, we knew a head wind was likely. Well, it didn't disappoint. It was a head wind. At first, the dirt road surface was pretty good and head wind wasn't too ugly. At some point, we crossed a stream and it really picked up. This is where Arn yelled, "Oh yeah, no more girly wind. It's a man's man wind". For me, I prefer girly wind. In fact, I think a sissy prissy girly wind is best. Now, to make things more "interesting", the road surface went to shit --- loose, washer board, and more loose. Last night's rain kept down the dust. Traffic was light. Traffic that passed from behind was very light and very courteous. The jerks were in the head on direction and most failed to realize the option of using a brake or just not standing on the gas.
As for the scenery, it was another feast for the eyes....wide valley (good fetch for the wind), stunning mountains, snow up high, winding river, ranches, the ocassional farm, and a few gauchos riding horses along the road. After 18 miles, we found a small store in the front of someone's farmhouse. We stopped for a drink and a few minutes out of the wind. What happened next was inspiration for becoming a vegaterian. The store was a small room with glass counters and cabinets and a wooden floor and ceiling. It reminded me of a place near my grandparents were my brother and I went as kids to buy nickel bubblegum cigars. There was a collection of old scales on the counter. In one corner, there were baskets with fresh bread and tortas fritas (fried dough). In the other corner, there was a butchered lamb hung to dry (I guess) and a saw. So, we selected a carbonated grapefruit flavored drink and three tortas fritas to share. As we enjoyed our break, a local man arrived to buy red wine and 4 kilos (8.8 pounds) of fresh lamb. Really, I wish I had video of the sight and sound of 8.8 pounds of lamb being sawed off (come on you know it --- she sawed right through bones). And then, the whole slab of lamb was hoisted onto two different sets of scales to calculate the weight and price. Tonight, I think I am looking for fish --- or anything that comes to the table without bones!
We hopped back on the bikes and continued to take our beating in the wind. At one point, I asked Arn, "You can only have one of the following and you have to choose one. You can either have no wind and this road surface. Or, you can have a great dirt road with this wind". I had been thinking about this for a while and didn't have a clear answer. My butt was killing me. It is called a "hardtail" mountain bike because you need a hardtail to ride it. Fully loaded, it is a real spanking! The wind dried out my nose and throat to the point that both felt like they were on fire. So, my theoretical question was a tough one. Arn couldn't decide. He said it was a very difficult choice.
Eventually, a car passed us and then stopped. It was the Israelis from last night. They piled out of their car offering drinks, apples and bananas. They were like a sag wagon of good cheer. We chatted for a bit and then all headed off to the border. Sure enough, they were in the customs line when we arrived. There seemed to be two different processes to leave Argentina. We completed the first and they declared we could leave because we were on bikes. Next, we reached the Chilean side. The constrast between the two is marked. Think a cluster exercise versus a neat line. Between the two stops, it took 30 minutes and we were back in Chile. While I love Argentina and I find the people easier to understand than in Chile, there is just something about Chile that runs deep in my heart. There was definitely a sense of "aaahhh" --- we are back.
The road leaving the border headed to Futaleufu was paved! No ripio! At first, neither of us commented. It was like, "Hey, if I say something about 'isn't this the best chip and seal road in the world', then it will return to ass smashing ripio". And by the way, with the tires we are running, chip and seal pavement feels like riding glass it is so smooth. Finally, Arn just had to break the silence. "When we cross that bridge over the stream, you know this is going to ripio". It didn't! In fact, it stayed as pavement until we reached town! Along the way, we passed this huge rock grinding operation. I think they are making the means for chip and seal. Okay, I get it. Places in the world should remain as they once were and dirt is better than pavement. Well, tell this to the people that live and breathe ripio dust. And if your butt felt like ours right now, you would vote to pave the road to hell and find a different kind of torture for the rest of time. Enough about butts, ripio and pavement.
As we come into the town of Futaleufu, this guy jumps out in the street and started yelling after us. So, we stopped. He ran up and said, "Hey, are you the two Americans from Seattle?" Didn't expect this one. He explained that he heard about us from the Swiss couple (we passed them head on several days ago) and then he heard about us again from Alex (rode with him a few days ago). So, he has been on the look out for us as we are headed the same way. His name is Santiago and he is from Barcelona. Santiago was headed off for an afternoon of rafting on the Futa. Now, we looked at the river in a flat section on our way into Chile. It is cooking --- bank full with some ripping eddy lines in the flat stretches. You couldn't pay this Chica to get anywhere near a raft and definitely not a kayak. As for the Chico, he is currently saying the same thing.
We scouted out a very nice place for the night. It feels like a log cabin with some very interesting fixtures. The overhead light is an upside down tin funnel with a light bulb. Sanded tree branches are mounted on the walls to hang towels and clothes. The bathroom sink is mounted in an old sewing machine with the manual treadle at the bottom (I hope that is what you call that thing). The other lights look like karosene latterns except with bulbs.
Our forecast continues to look good; however, we are headed into a zone known for bad weather. We met a guy from Argentina this afternoon. He spent 20 days where we are headed. It rained for 17 days. He spent 4 days in a row in his tent hoping it wouldn't leak. So, we are hoping to get lucky. Tomorrow, we plan to continue westward. We are going to stop at the Bio Bip camp were we stayed last year for a week of kayaking on the Futa. I have been put in charge of our "begging" plan. This is where we beg to stay two nights -- paying for a tent cabin (if available), food, and hot showers. We are both having fantasies of Cookie's cuisine. And, it would be great to see some familar faces from last year. If this doesn't pan out, there is a B Plan and C Plan. After this post, I will put up a link to our photos for the last several days. From here, we don't know when we will be back on the grid. So, let's hope for luck and if not, let's pray for a sense of humor.
- 31 miles (23+ on dirt)
- 1100 feet of climbing
- roadkill: 1 bird & 3 rabbits (all blown to death by the wind)
- precipitation = ZERO
- season = summer!!
- wind = a total blaster of a head wind
- ripio quality = butt breaker
After last night's rain, we were hopeful but unsure if the forecast would prove correct. It did. The skies were blue with only a few clouds. While our room last night was very tight with two bikes and all our gear (I had to crawl out the bottom of the bed to avoid the bikes), our hosteria served up the best breakfast of the whole trip. My legs have been ready to declare a strike when presented with toast and sweets for breakfast. They have been in search of something with more holding power and it was served up today --- hardboiled eggs. Awesome.
We loaded up and headed off in the direction of the border with Chile. The temps were warm and Arn never even put on arm warmers today. Initially, we were headed south. When the road turned west, we knew a head wind was likely. Well, it didn't disappoint. It was a head wind. At first, the dirt road surface was pretty good and head wind wasn't too ugly. At some point, we crossed a stream and it really picked up. This is where Arn yelled, "Oh yeah, no more girly wind. It's a man's man wind". For me, I prefer girly wind. In fact, I think a sissy prissy girly wind is best. Now, to make things more "interesting", the road surface went to shit --- loose, washer board, and more loose. Last night's rain kept down the dust. Traffic was light. Traffic that passed from behind was very light and very courteous. The jerks were in the head on direction and most failed to realize the option of using a brake or just not standing on the gas.
As for the scenery, it was another feast for the eyes....wide valley (good fetch for the wind), stunning mountains, snow up high, winding river, ranches, the ocassional farm, and a few gauchos riding horses along the road. After 18 miles, we found a small store in the front of someone's farmhouse. We stopped for a drink and a few minutes out of the wind. What happened next was inspiration for becoming a vegaterian. The store was a small room with glass counters and cabinets and a wooden floor and ceiling. It reminded me of a place near my grandparents were my brother and I went as kids to buy nickel bubblegum cigars. There was a collection of old scales on the counter. In one corner, there were baskets with fresh bread and tortas fritas (fried dough). In the other corner, there was a butchered lamb hung to dry (I guess) and a saw. So, we selected a carbonated grapefruit flavored drink and three tortas fritas to share. As we enjoyed our break, a local man arrived to buy red wine and 4 kilos (8.8 pounds) of fresh lamb. Really, I wish I had video of the sight and sound of 8.8 pounds of lamb being sawed off (come on you know it --- she sawed right through bones). And then, the whole slab of lamb was hoisted onto two different sets of scales to calculate the weight and price. Tonight, I think I am looking for fish --- or anything that comes to the table without bones!
We hopped back on the bikes and continued to take our beating in the wind. At one point, I asked Arn, "You can only have one of the following and you have to choose one. You can either have no wind and this road surface. Or, you can have a great dirt road with this wind". I had been thinking about this for a while and didn't have a clear answer. My butt was killing me. It is called a "hardtail" mountain bike because you need a hardtail to ride it. Fully loaded, it is a real spanking! The wind dried out my nose and throat to the point that both felt like they were on fire. So, my theoretical question was a tough one. Arn couldn't decide. He said it was a very difficult choice.
Eventually, a car passed us and then stopped. It was the Israelis from last night. They piled out of their car offering drinks, apples and bananas. They were like a sag wagon of good cheer. We chatted for a bit and then all headed off to the border. Sure enough, they were in the customs line when we arrived. There seemed to be two different processes to leave Argentina. We completed the first and they declared we could leave because we were on bikes. Next, we reached the Chilean side. The constrast between the two is marked. Think a cluster exercise versus a neat line. Between the two stops, it took 30 minutes and we were back in Chile. While I love Argentina and I find the people easier to understand than in Chile, there is just something about Chile that runs deep in my heart. There was definitely a sense of "aaahhh" --- we are back.
The road leaving the border headed to Futaleufu was paved! No ripio! At first, neither of us commented. It was like, "Hey, if I say something about 'isn't this the best chip and seal road in the world', then it will return to ass smashing ripio". And by the way, with the tires we are running, chip and seal pavement feels like riding glass it is so smooth. Finally, Arn just had to break the silence. "When we cross that bridge over the stream, you know this is going to ripio". It didn't! In fact, it stayed as pavement until we reached town! Along the way, we passed this huge rock grinding operation. I think they are making the means for chip and seal. Okay, I get it. Places in the world should remain as they once were and dirt is better than pavement. Well, tell this to the people that live and breathe ripio dust. And if your butt felt like ours right now, you would vote to pave the road to hell and find a different kind of torture for the rest of time. Enough about butts, ripio and pavement.
As we come into the town of Futaleufu, this guy jumps out in the street and started yelling after us. So, we stopped. He ran up and said, "Hey, are you the two Americans from Seattle?" Didn't expect this one. He explained that he heard about us from the Swiss couple (we passed them head on several days ago) and then he heard about us again from Alex (rode with him a few days ago). So, he has been on the look out for us as we are headed the same way. His name is Santiago and he is from Barcelona. Santiago was headed off for an afternoon of rafting on the Futa. Now, we looked at the river in a flat section on our way into Chile. It is cooking --- bank full with some ripping eddy lines in the flat stretches. You couldn't pay this Chica to get anywhere near a raft and definitely not a kayak. As for the Chico, he is currently saying the same thing.
We scouted out a very nice place for the night. It feels like a log cabin with some very interesting fixtures. The overhead light is an upside down tin funnel with a light bulb. Sanded tree branches are mounted on the walls to hang towels and clothes. The bathroom sink is mounted in an old sewing machine with the manual treadle at the bottom (I hope that is what you call that thing). The other lights look like karosene latterns except with bulbs.
Our forecast continues to look good; however, we are headed into a zone known for bad weather. We met a guy from Argentina this afternoon. He spent 20 days where we are headed. It rained for 17 days. He spent 4 days in a row in his tent hoping it wouldn't leak. So, we are hoping to get lucky. Tomorrow, we plan to continue westward. We are going to stop at the Bio Bip camp were we stayed last year for a week of kayaking on the Futa. I have been put in charge of our "begging" plan. This is where we beg to stay two nights -- paying for a tent cabin (if available), food, and hot showers. We are both having fantasies of Cookie's cuisine. And, it would be great to see some familar faces from last year. If this doesn't pan out, there is a B Plan and C Plan. After this post, I will put up a link to our photos for the last several days. From here, we don't know when we will be back on the grid. So, let's hope for luck and if not, let's pray for a sense of humor.
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