Quick Stats
*Total distance traveled: 7,250 kilometers
*Number of days traveling in South America: Day 118
*Fish caught: 1 tiny guy so far…
*Number of times our laundry has been washed by a washer machine in South America: 0 (we hand wash our laundry whenever we get a place with a little water and time to air dry).
Map Update
*Note Numbers in top left-hand corner are incorrect
Hospitality that melts the heart
We started riding through Chile from Pino Hachado Pass on November 22, 2011. Today is December 5, 2011. Of the 13 nights we have spent in this country, only two did we have to pay for a place to sleep. Once, we overpaid in the tourist town of Puerto Octay, along the second largest lake in Chile which overlooks the mighty Volcan Osorno. I say we overpaid because we gave 6,000 chileanos ($12) for simply a spot of grass in a campsite where stray dogs run rampant and bark next to your tent ALL night long. I even walked up to the camp host at 11pm to discuss the problem as one dog followed and sat at my heels smiling. The host just laughed and said it was not her dog and closed the door. Awesome. The second time was some of the best $8 US (4,000 chileanos) we have spent on this trip. I will talk about the valley that I believe is closest to heaven a little later.
My point bringing up money is that the hospitality and support we have felt in this country thus far have brought me tears of joy more than once. The sun sets around 9:45 pm nowadays for us and so we find ourselves riding a bit later. Riding along the PanAmerican Highway one night, we crossed a river with beautiful willows swaying on the water’s edge. We decided to turn our bikes (which was a tad scary on a major highway) and backtrack the bridge to a trail leading to a property line and a string of homes, similar to an apartment complex, next to open fields where sheep and cattle graze. Three men working on a car stood up and came over to us as we pushed our bikes up the driveway. We explained that we have a tent and were looking for a place to set it up for the night and pointed to the willows. They said of course we could stay at their place and proceeded to ask the many common questions we receive about our journey. Excited, we ran to the willows, set up our tent, and started taking turns working on cooking our usual lentejas con arroz (lentils with rice) with whatever fresh vegetables we found in the last pueblo we passed through. The fishing pole we purchased over 1,000 miles ago, before Salta, Argentina, is finally getting put to use! Whenever we find a stream, river, or lake, we take a break and through our line in a few times. That night, I caught our first fish, a tiny little guy that flopped onto the shore and made Justin and I giggle with excitement!
After circling the mighty Volcan Osorno, we moved along a valley that is not trampled as much by tourism. We found a little note in a book that mentioned a valley similar to Yosemite and our curious minds decided to wander over to it as a side trip. Along the way, we stopped for the evening at a spectacular sight – the smell of sea salt filled the air as we viewed an estuary with volcanoes soaring above it showing the way to the magnificent Pacific Ocean. I have not seen the ocean since August 14, 2011, 110 days prior. This is the longest I have ever been apart from the ocean. I kept humming to myself a phrase we use in the outdoor education world to teach kids the word estuary, “ES-TU-AR-Y, where the river meets the sea! ES-TU-AR-Y, where the river meets the sea!”
Justin chatted it up with local fishermen sitting on their porch and soon we found ourselves a campsite on their riverfront property, fishing the late evening away while eating fresh baked cookies!
We also were blessed to tuck away for a night in a boat maker’s workshop to hide from the heavy rains. Jose welcomed us into his home for coffee, tea, and fresh baked bread with homemade honey and butter. Wow! Miel (Honey) is big in these parts and most families have their own bee boxes in their backyards. It is the most delicious honey either of us have ever enjoyed. It came at a price for me though as I was stung in my bicep and learned that I have a pretty good allergic reaction to bee stings. My arm swelled until I looked like a body builder, and then proceeded to turn an assorted variety of reds and purples.
Oy. The honey and company was worth it.
~Melissa
A valley close to Heaven
On our way down to Cochamo Valley, we followed a paved road with intermittent dirt patches. Admiring the views of volcanoes in every direction, we slowly rolled along the hillside. All of a sudden, a rabbit jumped onto the gravel path, looked at us, and took off up the road. Justin and I pointed it out to each other and thought nothing more of it. At the next corner, there it was again sitting waiting for us!! It took off once more for the next curve in the road and waited. I rubbed my eyes and took a drink of water. After following the bunny for 3 kilometers or so, I started thinking we were either entering Wonderland, or had eaten some funky food in the last pueblo and were sharing delirious images.
The bunny bid as a farewell without ever speaking english or telling us he was late for a very important date so we continued on. Just a little ways down the road another odd occurrence, this time tugging on my heart strings. A kitten cried loudly in the middle of the road, crouched down and shaking. I could not leave it there and decided to wrap it in a bandana and figure out what to do with it in the small town a few kilometers ahead. Sparkle, a name Justin and I independently thought of for it and later realized, cried and cried as I tried to ride her down the bumpy road in our cooking pot. When we arrived in town, we found a small cardboard box to place her in, and I bought a small carton of milk for her. Justin convinced me it was not plausible to have Sparkle ride down the Carratera Austral with us and so we wished her the best of luck near a store with many animals and people nearby to help her.
Cochamo Valley. A sister to Yosemite with massive Granite walls cradling a green valley with crystal clear water. The energy that this place emits is heavenly and pure.
There are only two ways to get to this valley, horseback or foot. We opted for feet as horseback was quite costly. The 12km/7.5 mile trail climbs through rainforest next to a mighty river with waterfalls at every turn. The trail is rocky, covered in mud, and I lived out a childhood dream of swaying through vines and crossing rivers to reach the valley floor.
The entire valley had 10 inhabitants in it, including myself and Justin. We laid in the grass in astonishment and planned our next backpacking trip to hike throughout these lightly touched valleys. I hesitate to even write about the valley as I hope its purity remains and pavement stays far away.
We only had enough food to stay the night and hiked out the next afternoon before another rain storm arrived and made the trail almost impassible.
~ Melissa
Mono y pato (Monkey and Duck)
The forecast was rain but when we awoke, the ground was dry and the air foggy. We set out for another day along the bay when the drizzle began. An hour later we decided to stop at the the tourist information kiosk in Rio Puelo as the drizzle turned to pouring. We pulled into a large garage where a mechanic was hard at work on this Saturday perfect for snuggling up with a good book and cup of hot chocolate. He called out his wife, the tourist information guide, and offered us some coffee and tea.
They asked us the typical traveling questions and we learned their names were Pato (meaning Duck) and Mono (Monkey). Pato, originally from Japan, was a mother of three including the most adorable 3 and 6 year old, and Mono was a fly-fishing guide and mechanic from Argentina.
Our short conversation turned into relaxing by a fire and drying out, before being offered a warm shower. Hesitant to resist and postpone more wet weather, we obliged and also did a quick wash of a few clothes. Laundry then turned into an offer to eat a late lunch.
Pato has a dream of opening a restaurant and after eating what was our most delicious home-cooked meal here thus far, we can see why. She made homemade Chilean fried-bread, grilled chicken in onions, carrots, and some other tasty veggies. We had potatoes and endless cups of fine tea.
Our bellies full, the afternoon late, and the rain still on she offered to take us to the store in her car, a short 5 km, but at this point a heafty trek by bike. The car ride turned into a tour of the countryside and visit to Lake Tagua Tagua, a large lake near the border of Argentina.
After our car ride Pato and Mono, and their lovely kids, who grew a strong liking to Melissa’s playing with them, offered us a place at their riverside cottage. A construction project on the banks of the Rio Puelo, home to Mono’s 28 kilo record Salmon.
Our experience with this happy family is one that we will definitely cherish, as they model great parenting and a hope of health and joy for their precious young ones. A trip back in the future will hopefully hold true to a summertime fishing trip with Mono when the Shinook Salmon are running, where one awaits my catching.
Thank you Mono and Pato for sharing your time and compassion and making our journey all the more special.
~Justin
Gear Malfunctions
Alright, here is where we cue the whining violins to start whimpering a sad song in the background…
Our gear… ah.. our gear… we have had quite a whirlwind of gear issues, failures, and losses. I will list a few of them in no particular order below.
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Tent
– Our Nemo tent has two doors on it, which is a nice change from our smaller Nemo on the PCT that had only one for us to squeeze by eachother to enter and exit. Well from the dirt and grime of our travels, 3 of the 4 tent zippers no longer work. We only use one door at this point, and hold our breathe every time we open and close the tent. It makes us extremely nervous to enter one of the most remote places in the world with only one tent zipper functioning… but we have faith. Oh yea, and our tent has picked up the stinky, been wet too long stink…
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Sleeping Mats
– Our Thermarest sleeping mats have a protective layer of the foam to make them waterproof. This layer has cracked in many places leaving our mats vulnerable to soaking up the rain.
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Ortlieb Back Panniers
– Both of our back panniers have ripped at the top where you synch them in order to make them completely waterproof. We have sewn them back together with dental floss but their waterproof capabilities have been severely compromised.
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Derailleur
– My rear derailleur has been cranky since Peru. Going the cheaper route with a Deore derailleur may not have been the best option as I only get 8 out of 9 gears.
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MSR International Stove
– We used our international whisper lite stove as it is able to use both white fuel and gasoline from gas stations (which is more readily available. Unfortunately, the gas seems to have trouble burning with the stove and clogs it up pretty darn good while being very inefficient with heat.
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Shoes
– Justin’s velcro no longer holds on his cycling shoes, and my base plates that clip my shoes to my pedals are both cracked.
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Spoons
– I broke Justin’s spoon that he has had the entire trip cooking lentils and rice one evening. I have gone through about 14 spoons at this point and we are now on the hunt for a utensil of some sort (we have a McFlurry spoon currently)
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Clothes
– I lost my trekking pants pushing my bike through the altiplano sand dunes of Southern Bolivia. They are dearly missed. I also lost my long sleeve black wool top in a hostal where another guest mistakingly took it as theirs. It too is dearly missed. We have found clothing stores in Chile called “Ropas Americanos” which are thrift stores similar to Goodwill but with clothes from the states! I have a $2 wool Banana Republic sweater as a good replacement, with the plus side of looking a bit fancy! My wool pants have a mighty hole in the butt that I have not had time to sew up yet.
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Socks
– All three pairs of my socks have multiple holes in the toes
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Hair Tie
– My hair tie snapped in Villarica. For some reason I only brought one hair tie on this trip, which is odd because I usually always have two on me at all times. Well I decided it was a challenge and hoped to use the same hair tie our entire trip! When it snapped, I was heartbroken… but then decided to tie a square knot on it, and it is almost good as new.
The list that keeps growing has prompted us to write serious gear reviews that will be posted some time in the future.
~ Melissa
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Today, Tuesday December 6, 2011 we are spending a day relaxing with a view of good ol’ volcan Osorno awaiting our ferry that departs tomorrow for farther South in Chile. The roads here become non-existent in the winter with the large amounts of rain, and we have learned that ferries are a better option for parts of Southern Chile. We decided not to head back to Argentina as Volcan Puyehue has been active since July of this year, thickening the sky with ash and making it difficult to ride. Below is a picture of Puyehue from my current seat at a cafe typing this blog and then a picture from the internet showing a closer image (I HIGHLY recommend google image searching Volcan Puyehue!!).
We are boarding a ferry for Puerto Chacbuco…… and headed for the rough and rugged Caretera Austral. We need to get riding sooner than later as we sit here packing on the pounds with monster appetites! We shall write as soon as we find internet once again.
~ Melissa & Justin
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