Our time resting in Cochrane ended just as our streak of sunny days turned to rain (or liquid sunshine, as I've heard in called in Maine!). We set off from the welcoming, warm house of Don Jorge and Silvia with enough food to make it through to Villa O'Higgins, knowing that there were no shops and only one possible empanada stand in the kilometres to come. Between pockets of downpour, sunshine, and drizzle we pedalled onwards - I hadn't been on this portion of the road since 2014 driving back from the kayak section of my NOLS course, and either way, everything felt so new.
After about 30km we passed by a Basque couple and exchanged hellos, only to camp and have snacks along the road with each other for the next week. They had been biking since Santiago and they were heading south with an open calendar and big hopes of heading back up to Equator after making it to Usuhaia. Maria was the Euskera teacher and master of macrame and Unai was the engineer who seemed happier to read on his kindle than sleep, and we adored their company.
Our second day south of Cochrane, we passed the crossroads with Tortel, and began the section of road that neither Martin nor I knew even by NOLS bus. And after a snack under the cover of a bus stop, we rounded the corner and began one of the more beautiful questas through waterfalls, high lakes, and so so much green forest.
After a tiny hold up on the downhill of the pass where a big truck jack-knifed on a steep slope, we made it to Puerto Yunguay at 6:02, just in time to watch the last ferry of the night leaving port. But no worries, with only 3 bikers and 1 car aboard, the ferry turned around and we got to catch a ride across to Rio Bravo. And we were settled in the ferry terminal cooking our rice, quinoa, and curry just as the rain started again for the night.
The next day would be our hardest, with 4 mountain passes, questas, in 35km and we started pedalling from the ferry terminal with the rain in our faces. But as the rain began to clear and we began climbing into the valley, we joined a rare and ever precious tail wind and cruised through the amazing river valley. We found camping, protected from the incredible wind, alongside Lago Cisnes. We intended to do something like 50km, and ended up pitching camp after km 65, which put us only 35km from our destination in Villa O'Higgins. And low and behold, the last section of road was full of only gentle up and downs and great vistas of the Villa, the valley, and the Andes.
Villa O'Higgins! We made it! Only 600 or so kilometres past our intended destination of Chile Chico! The town was small but had everything we needed. It was constantly in a mix of rain and gusting wind, and the towns power was cut halfway into our first day there because the gusts knocked down some power lines. All and all, we were very happy with all that awaited us in the villa and we rested heavily (after a very long shower!).
Turns out, the gusty wind we were having also stopped the ferry that connects Chile and Argentina so, at our camping site, we found many other bikers and familiar faces stranded in the warm kitchen of Hostel El Mosco. Together we pull out all our cooking stops to create a magnificent pot luck Christmas Eve, Noche Buena, dinner, with lamb from the hostel owner, apple crisp, salads, pebres, cakes, potatoes, and of course some wine and beer. We were a mix of North Americans, Chileans, our Basque mates, Scottish, French, German, Australian (originally Holland), and even two NOLS students from the Patagonia Year program.
Especially after talking to my family in Virginia and those who stayed in Maine, had a very happy Christmas, in the rain and wind, in the Villa. Now to Argentina!
No comments:
Post a Comment