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+ Log & Blog December / Dec 23

 Progress log and blog report

23 DECEMBER 2005 - To Chile and the Pacific… we hope

An error in the last report concerning fuel pumps – we actually had 3 spare pumps, as Julian had one too – none of which worked!

Up and out for the second time, at 230 pesos for a double room a night – approximately £25 each a night including breakfast, and this in a 4 star hotel (not sure how the star system works though) the value even in a major tourist town is still very good.

Today we planned to cross over into Chile, the big test of whether right hand drive cars would get through or not. Geneva conventions at the ready for the border crossing, we first had to set off to the garage. The blokes were there, and yes they had made two good pumps out of the 4. They were really helpful and charged us only £25 and presented us all with stickers about their garage to put on our cars. Finally we were really off. After trying to fill up at a gas station, yes gas, we managed to re-fuel one last time in Argentina as we heard petrol was a lot more expensive in Chile, in fact everything was meant to be a lot more expensive in Chile. We took Rn231 to the border…

To-the-border

We neared the Chilean border. The country is just indescribably wonderful round there, so as usual I will try to describe it. Yes, lupins, broom, large yellow poppies, wild rose, and leading up to ancient looking forests with trees thick with hanging lichen. Views of impossibly craggy mountains with knife edge ridges so sharp you could spread butter with them.

The-route-to-the-border

Of course the un-photographable Condors appeared again. White wing tips with ‘fingers’, very wide wings and always circling. We climbed up almost to the snow level all the cars behaving. Only because Ivor’s overdrive is completely broken we have to go a lot slower than before. The small towns we went through were made of sculptured wood, very new, very modern and I have no doubt, very expensive. Villa La Angostura was one such place. The lakes were large and calm, reflecting the mountains. I could live there, I would like to live there!

Getting out of Argentina was the easy bit, then there was the almost 50km to the Chilean border crossing. We wondered what would happen. So many people had told us we would not get through. Austin 7s who had driven into Chile earlier in the year had required police escort for their tour!

The Chilean border point was a large modern building, well laid out and efficient looking. In fact the best we had seen so far. The officials were polite, and practiced their English on us. They came to inspect the cars and let us pass on. No problems. Even in Santiago when policemen came up to us later, they simply joked about the steering wheel. It does seem that the ‘no right hand drive cars’ law only applies to modern cars, phew.

Our only problem now was we were hungry and we had no Chilean pesos. There had been a café and exchange office at the border crossing, but we were so desperate to cross we had gone straight though and were not about to turn back just in case.

The countryside was now very different. Bamboo, lush vegetation, no lichen on the trees. The whole place had a feeling of lushness and plenty.

We took Rn215 passing Lago Payehue, and stopped after Nilque for lunch. Chris had just been saying we needed a country restaurant with a view over a lake when we passed a sign for one! The Villa Gretchen, a beautiful little hotel, restaurant and tea house. Inside was all wood with the end made from large picture windows. The view was beautiful and the set menu that came was even more so – and they accepted American dollars! Starting with an alcoholic fresh raspberry drink and a type of mackerel ‘mash’ with crackers, this was followed by abalones with fresh salad, tagetelli with lamb and sauce, finally followed by fresh raspberries and strawberries and coffee. Wow. Needless to say lunch took some time.

Lunch-stop

We then headed onto Rn5 at Osorno and travelled north for about 130km passing through San Jose de la Mariquina and headed due west to Mehuin.

 

Mehuin was the largest looking town we could find on the Pacific coast. Then we can say we have really travelled cost to coast. The Southern Atlantic across to the cold Pacific. In this area the Pacific is extremely cold due to the Humboldt current. Only Alan could brave going in for a swim due to his extreme weather training as a lad in Bridlington, south beach.

As we came into town we saw the Tsunami evacuation signs. The town/village had been wiped out in the 1960s by a Tsunami. Only the church had remained unscathed. We saw a pretty uninviting hotel and just as we came to the end of the town came across a real beauty, ‘Hotel el Nogal’. The lady running the hotel had come out to Chile about 12 years ago, simply because of the beauty of the place. Sadly her partner had died about 6 years ago, and so she managed the business on her own – with her efficient local staff.
 
Again, we had no problems getting a room, though in November she was completely full and would be likely to be full again Jan/Feb. Julian was in his element as he was proficient in German, and our hostess couldn’t speak English, so he was able to converse well.

A-warm-welcome-5-on-the-Pacific-Coast

Another elderly German couple were also staying, a young South African and his Chilean wife (working in Switzerland) and Helen - an Austrian, with her boyfriend. She moved over here about 10 years ago and for 8 of those years managed German investments in farms and plantations. For the last 2 years she has worked as an English teacher. Her passion is her horses and she rides these for days on end across Chile. She was about to set off along the coast. Often she heads into the mountains, when the snow has receded some more, and goes to where the remnants of the Mapuche Indians live. These folk consider the Monkey Puzzle tree to be sacred and used to live extensively from the seeds. These trees are indeed amazing, very slow growing they are very resilient to the volcanic lava flows in the area and are the dominant tree after an eruption.

A-volcanic-plug

Although after that lunch we hadn’t expected a big meal, the meal we had was perhaps the best of the trip so far. Shellfish in their shells with cheese and a wine sauce to start. The most tender and fresh fish imaginable in a piquant sauce for the main course and fruit soaked in alcohol and sugar for desert. That fish…. We could find no English name for it and it exists only in this part of the world.

An excellent night and we planned for a 8.30am off tomorrow.

Past-the-border

The-cold-Pacific-coast

Just-like-Bridlington

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