Lago Verde to Trevelin (Fri 2/12)

Stats:
- 41 miles (28 on dirt)
- 2400 of climbing (most of it on dirt)
- roadkill = zero
- precipation = zero!!!!
- wind = light
- season = SUMMER!!!

We camped last night. This always means we wake up early. I came to around 7am and I think Arn had been up for a while reading. Since this is too early to think about moving (a bit cool for riding), I went back to sleep and Arn read. We crawled out to mostly sunny skies around 8am.  With reasonable efficiency, we broke camp, packed up, and loaded the bikes. We arrived at the cafe in the campground a few minutes before 9am. While breakfast was supposed to start at 8am, they needed 5 more minutes. In South America time, this could be anything between 5 and 25 minutes. So, I ate a banana and a 75 calorie cereal bar (I am ready to declare these things completely void of any benefit to a cyclist. They have no lasting power and they taste like a tiny rice crispy bar). Arn chose to wait and see what breakfast options might appear along the road --- a strategy that only works for him. You really don't want to meet "Deborah Meltdown". She is a nasty woman capable of eating your head off in a single bite. 

Our start out of camp was like "0 to 60" in under 10 seconds. It was very steep ripio riding with switchbacks up to the main road. Luckily, we knew it was going to be a short grind.  After another short bit, we turned a corner to find jaw dropping mountains covered with glaciers.  As we continued, the mountains picked up a red and orange color. Things grew increasingly drier. We discovered these huge orange wild flowers that looked like gerber daisies. While we were now headed out of the park, the scenery did not disappoint. For much of the ride, we followed the edge of a lake (this does NOT mean it was flat).  We enjoyed warm sunshine and awesome views. The sky was bright blue, the lake was turquoise and aqua, and the mountains seemed to glow from within in shades of orange and red. It was another impressive display in the ruged and jaged nature of the Andes. It looked as if the peaks were pushed up only recently and time has yet to have the opportunity to round off the sharp edges and many spires. 

Today's drivers were mostly from the head on direction and most were curtious. We still didn't see that many cars; a few more than yesterday perhaps. However, we met a few jerks on the road. I think people were signed up for a boat excursion in the park and they were running late. At mile 20, we reached pavement --- sweet asphalt. It was very pleasant. We exited the park and looked for a place to buy a cold drink. We found a house with a small store. Not seeing our first choice (Coke Zero) or our second choice (Diet Coke), we settled on two juice boxes (kid size) of tropical fruit juice. The first box went down so fast that we bought two more. 

Riding away from the national park offered another change in scenery. The valley expanded wide with a meandering river all ringed in mountains. It reminded us of Wanaka in New Zealand or parts of Montana. Arn started singing some song by the Cars about summertime. He said, "When it's good here, it is really good. But when it's bad here, it really sucks".  He's right and today was really good. 

Now, everyday can't be perfect. Around mile 32, we returned to ripio. And, it was some of the lousiest ripio riding either of us has ever done. It was loose, followed by looser, followed by loosest. Is that even a word?  To ride in it, felt like trying to find traction in a slurpy or in snow. The only thing harder than trying to scratch out traction for the uphill was trying not to slide out and crash on the downhill.  At one point, we reached a small rise in the road and the views were 360 degrees of smashing scenery and perched in the meadow was a restaurant (file this tidbit away for later says she).  After a few more ups and downs and one up that included me screaming at head on traffic trying to pass one another (their windows were down and the tone of my screaming would translate into any language).

Once in town, we had pizza, Coke Zero, and the Internet for lunch. We checked into our second choice place for night (you got it --- the A Plan was booked).  We took showers, dropped off our laundry and walked around town until we found the bakery. Thanks to my brilliant Spanish, we had our second "bomb" treat --- cookie piled high with Dulce de leche dipped in chocolate.  For a while, we sat in the park on the tetter-totters to hop onto the WI-FI from the pizza place were we ate lunch.  Okay, we are bandwidth theives, but we are only guilty when caught. We saw two touring cyclists arrive at the visitor center. We walked over to say hello. They are the first traveling Chileans that we have met. They rode with Alex a few days ago (we rode with Alex yesterday).  The Chileans are going as far as Futaleufu and then returning home (don't know the logistics of that plan).  So perhaps we will see them again tomorrow. Today, they were driven in their search of showers and beds. They are also the first touring cyclists that seem to share our priorities --- indoor sleeping, hot showers, and food not cooked by a camp stove. There is a lot to be said for Chile. 

Back in the hosteria, Arn met a guy, Lew, from Portland. He just finished a week long rafting trip on the Futaleufu (we kayaked the river last year).  He told us tales of his week. The water levels were as high as 125,000 cfs. It is hard for us to comprehend as our trip last year was around 8,000 - 12,000 cfs. Tomorrow, we should enter the town of Futaleufu.  So, in the coming days we will get to see the contrast in water levels as we ride through the valley of the Futa river. 

Okay, back to today --- we invited Lew to join us for dinner at the restaurant up in the meadow (the one I scoped out during the ride).  We enjoyed smoked meats, cheeses, breads, steaks, sweet potatoes, wine and chocolate.  It was fantastic. We returned to the hosteria to find people sitting outside. Two couples were from Israel. Arn explained that he too is Jewish, but that his wife is not. I explained that "while I'm the shiksa, I know the difference between a mashugana and a mensche". They cracked up laughing. Another couple is traveling from Santiago with their 6 month old son (yes, he was still awake and very sweet at 11:30pm).  We explained we are traveling by bike. They were equally impressed and convinced we are crazy. The foursome from Israel is traveling in our direction. We described our bikes and have asked for help should they see our thumbs pointed skyward. 

As I finish writing this entry, it is after midnight and it is pissing rain outside.  Now, my idea of summer is this --- goregous days and enough rain at night to keep the fire danger to a minimum. Do you think weather gods and I are thinking a like????