Puerto Montt to Chaitén by Ferry
After three relaxing days in Puerto Montt, we were ready for the famous Carretera Austral — the main road of North Patagonia. We took an early bus to Chaitén, a small village, but the journey took ten hours because the bus loaded onto three ferries along the way. The time passed fast. On arrival we found an old fellow called Nicholas on the street who asked where we were headed. His English was perfect and he helped us book a bus for the next morning to Villa Santa Lucía — smaller still. It was Halloween. We found a camping nearby and chilled out.
Hitchhiking in the Rain
A special long weekend meant no buses for four days — so we started hitchhiking from Villa Santa Lucía. After an hour and a half, a CONAF worker picked us up and dropped us at Junta. From there, a Belgian-Chilean woman and her father stopped for us. They had just started producing whiskey and gin and planned to open the farm to tourists the following year (Thanks Tepaluma!). A third car, which had already picked up a French girl heading to a job in Antarctica, dropped us at Lago Rissopatrón.
We camped at an old CONAF site and lit a fire to cook dinner. Minutes later, a bicyclist couple in their sixties arrived — we had crossed them during the day. They had been riding since Alaska, more than two years on the road. That day was full of incredible meetings :-)
The very nice man traveling with his wife since 2 and a half years, who started in Alaska!
First Salmon, Deaf Traveller, and a Welcoming Family
Next morning the first car stopped for us immediately. In Puyuhuapi we had our first ever salmon — because the South of Chile is famous for it. Delicious! A Chilean couple from the restaurant gave us a lift to the entrance of Parque Nacional Queulat where we saw the famous glacier. We could have hiked three hours closer but it was raining. We hitched on and two guys from Santiago dropped us near a mirador to watch for dolphins. We found the Texan bicycle couple again — they had seen lots of dolphins, unlike us :-(
Saturday brought a two-and-a-half-hour wait. Finally a driver took us with another hitchhiker: Richard from Germany, who had been travelling since January. Richard was deaf. We communicated through phone messages and gestures the whole time — a very brave traveller who made us want to learn sign language one day.
A large and welcoming family in a big pickup then took us three: us plus Richard, seven people in total with the madre riding in the back. I think we were starting to manage the basics of Spanish :-)
Coyhaique — Three Nights to Sort the Ferry
A young couple from Puerto Montt and Santiago dropped us in Coyhaique. We stayed three nights — exhausted, and waiting for Monday to buy supplies. That city saved us: we found gas canisters and, finally, paid for the 41-hour ferry tickets to Puerto Natales. They charged us three times the local price because we are foreigners. It's just really abused honestly... Bref! We met several interesting travellers at the camping — mostly campervan families from France, Germany, Australia, and Chile.
After those three days we hitched out in ten minutes with a friendly climber heading into the hills. On the way we spotted deer from very close — check the pics :-) He dropped us at Villa Cerro Castillo. A red traffic light from road construction did not help attracting rides; only an old farmer stopped, just for five kilometres. The landscape from there was incredibly majestic. We walked as much as possible and were starting to think about pitching the tent when a young French couple stopped for us. We are definitely lucky on the Carretera Austral :-)
Cavernas de Mármol
We spent two good days with this French couple. One tire deflated in the evening; we changed it quickly and found a quiet spot by the river for a good meal together. Next morning we set out for the famous marble formation. We chose Puerto Sánchez over Puerto Río Tranquilo — less touristic. Because of the weather, kayaking was not possible, but two local guys brought us by boat to the Cavernas de Mármol — arguably more interesting than the marble cathedral anyway. They explained the geology: 300,000 years of formation. We also walked on the island itself, which belongs to their family. A wonderful tour (Turismo Cirviolet Carretera Austral, gracias chicos!).
Back at Puerto Río Tranquilo we stopped at Cervecería Arisca — a restaurant brewing its own draft beer. Good beer, good pizza. This was where we invited the French couple as a thank-you. We finished the day at a camping where we met two Swiss couples. Peaceful evening, cards in the rain.
Exploradores, Cochrane, and the Road to Caleta Tortel
Next day, still with the French couple, we tried to reach the Exploradores Glacier — but the road was blocked by a landslide. We made it as far as Cascada de la Nutria and glimpsed the glacier in the distance. Still worth it. We drove back to the Carretera Austral and pushed south to Cochrane, pausing often for photos of the landscape.
In Cochrane we said goodbye to our French friends — there is a big chance we would meet them again in the South. A very nice woman's camping in the city had everything we needed. We rested two nights. We could have hitchhiked to Caleta Tortel, but with a ferry to catch we played it safe and took the bus.
And now, the time had come to leave for Puerto Natales by ferry — crossing untouched nature, fjords, and mountains with white peaks. We should have amazing weather, even if the temperature drops close to zero at night.
See you in a few days... Our world trip is almost over. 2 weeks left!
October 31 – November 10, 2018