After just over two months in Peru, it was sooo great to get to Chile, a wonderfully easy country to travel in, great people, mostly good roads, a perfectly modern, middle-class country, very much like the USA in so many ways. I really have enjoyed my time in Chile, and will be back soon. Life in Chile so very similar to much of middle-class USA, and things are so very different from Peru. In Peru for example, they love tourism, they love our money, but they do not really like us. I never really felt welcome in Peru, and definitely felt less safe. There is definitely more ethic diversity in Peru, and a much more "exotic" feel, when compared to Chile (and Argentina as well). You definitely know you are in a different country when you are an American (from USA) visiting Peru. Things in Chile simply feel more like home, and thus,  you can concentrate more on being a tourist, and exploring, adventuring, doing whatever you want to do. Things in Chile are very comfortable, at least for me, for many reasons. For example, unlike in Peru, in Chile, they also love tourism, but they like us as well. And you get the feeling that even if I were not a tourist, I would be welcome in Chile, and I would have many friends. Things are good here, affordable, safe, and often so beautiful. I drove from Arica in the north, to Cochrane in the south, and plan to visit Punta Arenas way down south, and everywhere I have visited so far, very enjoyable experience. I recommend a visit to Chile for all, so much to see, such wonderful people, great combination. Visit Chile! Oh, and don't forget the wine, wonderful! Plus, the further south you go in Chile, the more the beer culture develops, many wonderful microbrews in Patagonia.

I started filming my drives some days with my GoPro, just to give people a sense of what the Carretera Austral is really like. Even though this is the main, the only road through southern Chile, most of it is unpaved, rough, challenging, but often very beautiful (the scenery, not the road!). I have close an hour of footage, and I hope to edit and compile, put together a short video of a ride on the Carretera Austral, someday. I did not film any paved sections, why? What is the fun in that? The video below is pretty typical of many of my many days on the Carretera Austral were like. This video was shot while traveling south of the Ventisquero Colgante in Parque Nacional Queulat, mostly, and while this was not the roughest section of road I traveled, it was pretty typical. Come take a ride with me, on the Carretera Austral. (Note: I had to greatly reduce file size in order to upload the video, so the image quality is not 4k, as shot.)
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 After a fantastic few days in Parque Pumalin, even if it rained most of the time, it was time to get serious, it was time to head south into the heart of Patagonia, it was time to hit the Carretera Austral. And after Pudus, an earthquake and a great time hanging with Nick, fishing, and even a little hiking and biking, I was pretty excited, hopefully the terrible taste in mouth left by my Peruvian experience would soon disappear.  We were heading south on the Carretera Austral.

The road stretches almost 1200 km (or 1156 km, 718 miles, depending on which source you consider), from Puerto Montt in the north, all the way to Villa O'Higgins in the south. The road is unpaved most of the way, and sometimes, it is brutal, my van, and thus I, struggled at times. One day we drove for six hours (with stops for photographs of course), and only covered 120 km. You can do that math, it was slow-going much of the time, brutal washboard sections, potholes which peppered the road like bugs on your windshield in summer, and switchbacks, steep uphill sections, mud, construction areas, gravel, a total lack of a shoulder most of the time, and locals driving red, 4WD pickups, politely, but really fast. There were occasionally white pickups, maybe silver, but no blue, or green, definitely no orange, just lots and lots of red pickups. But, while the road is mostly bad, even horrible in stretches, the scenery, well, it can be amazing. It is an incredible stretch of road, we just had to take our time, go slow, and hope that nothing breaks or that we don't slide off some cliff into a river gorge, lake or fjord.

The Carretera Austral was the brain-child of former President Augusto Pinochet. He proposed the massive project, to build a road connecting the Pan-American Highway in Puerto Montt, to the southern coast, and Patagonia, in response to perceived threats from Argentina, he felt a road would allow the army to protect Chilean Patagonia from Argentina. The project started in 1976, and by 1982, you could drive from Chaiten to Coyhaique, with other sections, north to Puerto Montt and the south to Cochrane, being finished soon after. Now, I use the word "finished" to point out only that you can drive the Carretera Austral today, from Puerto Montt (plus three ferry rides early) to Villa O'Higgins, but the road is far from finished. There are paved sections, especially up north, but after Villa Cerra Castillo, it is all gravel and dirt, potholes and washboards, all the way to Villa O'Higgins. This is a tough road to travel, beautiful, even raw and brutal at times, but just an impressive stretch of road. And what is just totally amazing to me, even a life-long biker like me, is the number of people on bicycles, fully-laden with panniers, handlebar bags, front panniers, even BOB trailers, going up and down, on this road, it is just amazing. I will talk about this later, but know, the real studs of the Carretera are those folks on bikes, total studs.

Left El Volcan, and immediately picked up hitchhikers, something which would become the norm, even almost a requirement as I headed south on the Carretarra Austral. This couple, German, very nice older couple (relative to others I would pick up along the road), he was an experienced traveler in Patagonia, she worked for Patagonia, the company, in Europe, and immediately noticed my dedication to the company, pants, nanopuff jacket, hat and fleece nearby in the van. I dropped them off in Chaiten, then headed to another hot springs, Termas El Amarillo, but road was totally iffy, so instead went into Parque Pumalin, again, the southern section, get into a campground early. The weather was nice, rain had finally stopped, so needed to hike or bike, do something, and getting a campsite early is nice. I tried to get to a campsite up near a lagoon, think glacier nearby, but road again was just not something I felt confident about, so ended up at campground Grande, nice, but not El Volcan. I did later meet a great German couple in the 'Big Grasshopper', big Sprinter, modified by pros as a camper, just beautiful inside, and very green on the outside. I biked around, explored, place nice, and very quiet, to bed early, many miles to cover the next day.

I traveled, picked up more hitchhikers, including two Israelis who would end up riding with me three separate times. I also picked up two Chilean hitchhikers on their first visit this far south from Santiago. I tried to get down to Futaleufu, maybe do some whitewater rafting, some of the best whitewater in South America, but road brutal, 40 minutes and 12 km later, I turned around and headed back for Ruta 5, the Carretera Austral. Continued south, through La Junta, Reserva Nacional Lago Rosselot, and eventually into Puyuhuapi, where I ended up at campground La Sirena, along fjord. And guess who had gotten there before me, my two Israeli friends, Sagi and Dean, who I picked up first thing in the morning but dropped off when I turned off for Futaleufu. Funny. So we arranged, next morning we would travel together again, to Ventisquero Colgante, the hanging glacier in Parque Nacional Queulat. Next morning, now the 29th of December, we three took off south, and on the way out of town, picked up three more Israelis, five of them, and me, way too many Israelis in one van. We hiked the 3.3 km up to the Ventisquero Colgante together (well, they jogged up and I trundled along behind), great view, but there were something like 15 people there in addition to me and my Israelis. Back down quickly, and I had already decided to stay at the campground in the Parque, campground right beside the parking lot for the hike to the hanging glacier. I got Sitio 1, great site, while my Israeli friends took off, still heading south. Campsite, great, just wonderful, though 'park ranger' ended up dumping five young Chileans at my site with me, apparently the campground filled up, so time to double-up. They were nice folks, all spoke some English, and all were medical school students (totally different system, they started at the University at 18 years old in the medical field, do 4 years, then residency, etc., very different), and none had any camping experience, I had to let them us my stove to cook dinner as none of them could get their borrowed stove to work. Up early, weather great, off for the Bosque Encantado, 'enchanted forest', for another 3+ km hike, and another glacier, laguna, but this one was just wonderful, much better than Ventisquero Colgante, and the trail, beautiful early, crossed a river later, and views of glacier right from near the edge of the laguna below the glacier, wonderful. And as I pulled into the parking lot for the hike, guess who I saw hitching along the road, my Israeli friends, Sagi and Dean. And after my hike, 3+ hours later, they were still there, so they loaded up for the third time, and we took off again, heading south, on the Carretera Austral. I made it to the biggest town in this part of Chile, Coyhaique the next day, after spending the night in Villa Manihuales. I have yet to see those two Israelis since. 

We had finally made it to Patagonia, to Chaiten, it was a good day after a long night mostly spent on a ferry crossing the Gulfo Corcovado. Chaiten is just over 3,000 miles from Arica, where I really started my Chilean adventure. It was raining, still, but whatever, water on one side, mountains and volcanoes on the other side, I was in Patagonia, this counts as a good day. Ok, a good day, but not great, it was raining, and I lacked the enthusiasm to camp, so wandered around Chaiten, looking for a place to crash for the night. After a mostly sleepless night, first waiting for the ferry, then riding the ferry, I was tired, hungry, and of course, thirsty. Now Chaiten is not big, and parts of the town have yet to be rebuilt after the volcanic eruption in 2008 which caused the town to be evacuated. There was even a question as to whether the government would let people return, but they did, and Chaiten is slower rebuilding and growing, the gateway to the Carretera Austral and Patagonia, at least for me. I think the famous Carretera Austral actually officially starts in Puerto Montt, but that route requires three ferry rides, and I did want to check out Chiloe, so for me, the road started in Chaiten. 

I ended up at a wonderful little place, selected mostly because of the price, the homey look of the place, and the owner, great guy. Place, Hospedaje Don Carlos (an exception to the norm for hospedajes), cheap with shared bath, think it was $15000 pesos, hot water, great WiFi, and Don Carlos, the owner. I checked in, shower immediately, and logged on, trying to catch up with the blog, a nearly impossible task. I worked all afternoon, then wandered around town, bought some supplies and tried to find a place to eat, a struggle, but found a great little pizza place, had a monstrous hamburger, then to bed early. It had been a long day. It was the 23rd of December, almost Christmas, looked like it would be Christmas in Parque Pumalin.

Parque Pumalin is considered by some to be the largest, privately owned nature reserve in the world, with an area of about 715,000 acres. The park, which eventually (if not soon), will be given to the Chilean government, was the first major conservation project of Doug Tompkins, US citizen and founder of The North Face, and co-founder of Espirit. We will hear more about Doug Tompkins later, amazing man, and conservationist, along with his wife Kris. The park is important as one of the last refuges for temperate rainforests in Chile, and home to a number of threatened plant species, including alerces and araucaria. This area might be one of the most diverse temperate rainforests in the world. Alerce trees are especially important, as few old-growth stands exist, anywhere, and this amazing tree species can live to be up to 4,000 years old; only bristlecone pine trees, and maybe some redwoods, live longer. I stayed at the El Volcan campground, 29 km north of Chaiten, beautiful place. There are 12 sites, each with a small shelter and picnic table, and each also has a gravel pad for parking a vehicle, perfect for my van. The sites are also well spaced, you do not have noisy neighbors right next to you. And all around, mountains, even a glimpse of a glacier, and an active volcano, or two, a wonderful place. A total bonus for me, was fact that there was a small stream not 15 m from my site, stream channel lined with ferns and other low plants, a stream just filled with little trout. The morning bite was amazing, every cast, got a hit, and often a fish. Had not had this much fun fly fishing in a long time, maybe ever, just a blast. 

I biked a bit, hiked a bit, and fished while I was in Pumalin, but unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, it rained, a lot. There are a number of good hikes in the park (check out www.parquepumalin.cl/en/), but only one which started from the El Volcan campground, up to a small glacier. Although the weather was not great, still very much enjoyed my time in Pumalin, a great place to spend Christmas. And, Christmas eve turned out to be lots of fun, as Nick, a fellow American, from Colorado, had seen me and my van, with Maine plates, and he stopped by for a chat. Nick was hiking, backpacking and mostly hitchhiking around Patagonia and I guess, other parts of Chile. As a result, he was not hauling around lots of ice cold beer, like I was. So, we chatted, and drank beer, snacked on whatever we had (he seemed to really enjoy my horse meat jerky), the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. It rained most of the time, even poured, but the shelter was great, even if things got very chilly later in the evening. Though it did rain most of the afternoon, there was a short period later in the afternoon when the rain stopped, and I think the sun even tried tried to make a brief appearance. It was then that Nick and I were treated with our first of two Christmas presents. We were sitting at the picnic table in the shelter when I noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye, two small animals slowly grazing their way right at us. We were sitting in the shelter as though in a blind, so they obviously had no idea we were there. I was not immediately sure what the animal was, though thought it must be a pudu, not many other small mammals which look nothing like animals up north are in Chile, mammal diversity is pretty low. My camera, with zoom telephoto, was sitting on the table beside me, so it was easy to slowly and quietly grab my camera and start shooting. It was obviously a doe and her fawn, fawn still had spots along its back, very cool. They wandered to within 15 m of the shelter before I think she sensed something, and they quickly moved off, just as it began to rain again. I have since talked to many Chileans who have never seen a pudu. This species is the world's smallest species of deer, and they are threatened, and they are small, even tiny, especially compared to deer species common in the United States such as white-tailed and mule deer. It was a great time, hanging with Nick, drinking beer and talking, and seeing a very rare animal, unique in some ways, wander right up to us sitting in our shelter. A great early Christmas present for both of us, Christmas in Pumalin.

I awoke late on Christmas Day, 2016, and a bit hungover, was a long afternoon, evening drinking with Nick, though definitely worth it. It was not raining, though there was little blue to be found in the sky, and the wind was still blowing as I would quickly learn is often the norm in Patagonia. Nick was heading north to catch the ferry, while I was thinking about staying night, hoping that the weather might clear and I could finish the hike I had started a couple of days earlier, up to a small glacier which you could actually see from the campground. Nick stopped by on his way out, have a cup of late-morning coffee before he hit the road. We were sitting in the shelter, drinking coffee and chatting when it happen, slowly at first, before things really started to rock. The ground started to move, an earthquake. We jumped up and out of the shelter, and first checked the nearby volcano to make sure there was not an eruption in progress, that would be bad. No eruption, just an earthquake, and quickly we both realized, this was a big one. It is just amazing to stand there while the ground shakes back-and-forth, and I mean, shake, almost enough to knock you off balance. And you should have seen my van, shaking violently on the old suspension and new shocks, it was wild. We both figured it was a big one, much more powerful than the 4.8 I experienced one night in La Punta, Peru, this was a serious quake, and oh so cool. It seemed like it lasted for at least a minute, if not more, and there were definitely at least a few aftershocks, all of which could be easily felt. I was so glad to be outdoors, in nature, surrounded by mountains and natural vegetation, and not in some city. I think when in such a setting, experiencing a quake is something you really feel, head to toe, it is more than just an simple experience, much more existential. To feel the Earth shake under foot, violently, suggests forces almost beyond human description. Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, are all examples of the potential furry and wrath of Mother Nature. But a powerful earthquake, seems different to me, deep, powerful, unpredictable, though very cool, at least as long as I am not staying in some dive, three-story hotel made of bricks and clay when it happens. Pudus, then earthquake, Merry Christmas in Pumalin. 

​Note. I would later learn that the quake was indeed a big one, 7.6 to 7.7, centered not far from Quellon on Isla Grande de Chiloe, and thus not far from Parque Pumalin.

I mostly try to camp, in my van, why I spent thousands to ship my van to South America, and deal with the total insanity that was Peruvian customs, etc. But, there are times when I need to upgrade a bit, especially when I need WiFi, or maybe a hot shower, or just need to be in a city to take care of certain "business". So then the confusion began, hotels, hostals, and hospedajes, what the heck is the difference? And around Santiago, Chile, you can throw in motels as well. Ok, I realize that you seasoned travelers know there is a clear difference, but what about the rest of us? Once I really got on the road, used MAPSME, GoogleMaps and iOverlander to point me in the right direction, and then I quickly learned that these different types of accommodations are just that, different.

First, hotels in Peru and Chile are pretty much like hotels around the world, though obviously you do get what you pay for, 5-star hotels will cost you, whether in Cusco, or Paris, France, but they are nice, very nice. Here in South America, hotels have private bathrooms, WiFi in the room, TV, always hot water, and breakfast is included. And like in the USA, the "free" breakfast can vary, from great, to something you might expect in a Days Inn in West Virginia, USA. Hotels are always more expensive that hostals and hospedajes, but sometimes convenient WiFi and a hot shower is nice. Hostals, they are all over the place, from dirt-bag, backpacker dives (though obviously most backpackers are NOT dirt-bags), to wonderful places which if not for shared bathrooms for some rooms, these would definitely fit into the class of a hotel. For example, I stayed in Hostal El Nevado in Coyhaique, a fanstatic room, large, two windows, and did have to share a bathroom, but shared only with one other room in the hostal, and there were people in that room only one of the nights I stayed there. So yeah, biggest difference between a nice hostal and a hotel is that hostals have some rooms, if not all, with shared bathrooms. And in many hostals, especially those which cater to the bikers and backpackers, even sleeping quarters are shared, some have basically large dorm rooms, sleeping up to eight people or more. I have slept in a number of hostals, a couple, like El Nevado, were great, but, I am not a fan of sleeping in a room with a bunch of complete strangers. I do not mind sharing a bathroom, do that at every official campground where I have stayed, no big deal, but just not keen on sleeping in a big room with a bunch of other folks, however nice. I must also mention that one cool thing about some hostals is that I can park in their courtyard (or just yard or basically a field at times), sleep in my van, but use their facilities like bathrooms and WiFi. This is what I did all three nights while I was in San Pedro de Atacama in Peru. This can work great, and sometimes, you even pay less than those travelers staying in a room. And finally, there are these places called hospedajes, and they vary a lot as well. In big cities like Lima, Peru, you can rent a room in a hospedaje by the hour, are basically "flop-houses", frequented by highly questionable clientele. I did not stay in any of these places. What I discovered is that most of these places are pretty much dives, but are cheap, and if you just need a place to crash after a long day of traveling, guess they work. But I would much rather sleep in my van than stay in these places, Hospedaje Gaby in Aguas Calientes, Peru, was a dump, had to beg for toilet paper and a towel, and floor was not ever really clean. I think I slept with my cloths on, did not even trust the sheets. I generally avoided these places, so sometimes they are fine. I stayed at Hospedaje Dona Ruth in Villa Manihuales, on my way to Coyhaique, Chile, and it was fine. The room was tiny, the mattress sucked, but place was pretty clean, there was hot water, and WiFi. Plus, they served food, and it was a long day of driving, so it was nice to get a hot shower, and have something to eat, no menu, just what they were serving that day. I enjoyed it, so sometimes, hospedajes are not all bad, just not preferred. If you have the cash, usually you cannot go wrong with hotels, and hostals can be just great. The nice hostals have common areas like the kitchen, or just a common room where WiFi available, great place to meet other travelers. I avoid hospedajes, unless I look at the rooms first, and have no choice, definitely prefer camping to staying in these places, they can be real dives.

So when you travel in South America, you have many options of places to stay. I prefer to camp in my van, even wild camp where you just park somewhere, hopefully with a great view. But for those times when a hot shower and great WiFi are important, just check out your travel app, look around, and do not be afraid to negotiate, I often got a better rate than advertised, just asked for it. Happy travels! 

Although I am not sure where Patagonia officially begins, and think it does depend on who  you talk to, for me, once I got to Chaiten, I was in Patagonia. That would be where Expedicion Patagonia would officially begin.

I really enjoyed my time in Pucon, great little town on the lake, I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. And Volcan Villarrica, just amazing, tall, conical, snow-covered, with little puffs of smoke blowing from the top. At night, at least on a clear night, you can see a bit of orange, the glow of lava flowing out of the cone. It seemed cloudy every night I was in Pucon, but the day I left was beautiful. 

After I left Panguipulli, I again headed south. Many, including Luis, an American I met at the campground in Pucon, said I should head to Valdivia, interesting place, German heritage, and a brewery, Cerveceria Kunstmann. Valdivia is supposed to be one of Chile's most scenic cities, but the detour would cost me at least a day, and I was on a mission, get to Patagonia before Christmas, and, I wanted to visit Isla Grande de Chiloe before catching the ferry to Chaiten. I guess I would have to pass on a visit to Valdivia.  Maybe next time.

I quickly got back on Ruta 5, and headed south, first past Rio Bueno, then Osorno and Purranque, towards Puerto Varas, just north of Puerto Montt. The weather quickly turned for the worst, rain, and lots of it, all day. I had decided to head to Puerto Varas for a few reasons, including the facts that the town lies on the southern shore of Lago Llanquihue, and the town is much smaller than Puerto Montt. Also, there was supposed to be a nice place to camp just outside of town, right on the lakeshore, so, I was off for Puerto Varas. Well, it rained all day, really poured, and by the time I got to town, the streets were running like rivers as the town is not flat, the land flows down from the highway to the lakeshore, and it was pouring. I took a quick look around town, including a look at a couple of hostels and places to camp, decided for sure to head to the place north of town along the lake. It was still pouring. I got out of town, and actually ended up driving all the way to Frutillar, the next town up the west shore of the lake; the campsite was further away than I thought. But, the campground, Playa de Werner was great, and again, I was the only one camping there. And I was really glad to have my van, and that I did not have to pitch a tent; it was still pouring. The place sits right on the lake (though fence along the campsites prevented easy access to the lake and water), owned by an old German, Werner. Bathrooms were great, hot shower was wonderful on a rainy day, though WiFi was pretty inaccessible, as there was a family party going on in the building where WiFi was available, lots of people, so I felt uncomfortable intruding. Whatever, had some organizing to do, dinner to cook, cold Cristals to drink, plenty to keep me busy. It was still raining, but, that did not stop me from going for a quick swim before my hot shower. Water temperature was brutal, though interesting when you go from cold air, into cold water for a swim, then back into cold air, just does not seem so bad, well, not terrible at least, and of course, headed off immediately for a hot shower, then the cold Cristals and more beans and rice and whatever green or orange or red stuff I had to add. Slept well, constant sound of rain drops on the roof of my van helped get me to sleep quickly.

Next day, made it to Puerto Montt, big city, tons of traffic, and with Christmas right around the corner, place was crazy. Stayed at Hostal Pacifico, room tiny, but cheap, hot shower, WiFi, and safe, off-street parking for my van. Had time to wander around a bit, grab a bite to eat, and work on this blog, though city, not a fan. I guess I had expected something different, less crowded and crazy, more a gateway to the south, to Chiloe and Patagonia. But, Puerto Montt was just a big, crowded city, and I was happy to leave.

I left Puerto Montt early on the 18th of December, headed for Pargua and the short ferry ride to Isla Grande de Chiloe. Trip a short one, though weather again threatened to be unpleasant. After the ferry, drove up to Ancud, did a little shopping before heading to the northwest corner of the island, towards Punihuil. From there, you can get a boat tour of small islands with penguin rookeries, but man, the roads were crazy, even those which were paved. Everywhere you went, winding, steep up, and down, often narrow roads were the norm. And often the pavement would quickly end, and the van would struggle, the steep, uphill gravel roads were brutal. I could not get a penguin tour, seas too rough for the small boats that afternoon, so headed to a camping spot high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, Ballena Azul. Place also has a Fogon, or small restaurants, plus hot showers and an amazing view, all for only $4000 pesos. I could not actually drive down to the campsites, with small shelters and tables, so parked near the restaurant, along fence, with views of the rocky coast and waves down below. It started to rain again, though sun did try and fight back a bit now and then. I ate at the restaurant, mussels, some meat, bread, a pile of food, also for only $4000 pesos, a good deal. Hopefully the weather would improve, as I had a few days to explore Chiloe before catching the ferry to Chaiten.

Well, unfortunately, I did not get to see much of Chiloe, not Parque Nacional Chiloe, or Queilen, not the many historic and interesting churches or the colorful houses on stilts, did not really see much of anything as it rained, pretty much the whole time I was on the island. I drove around a bit, visited Casto (not impressed), and spent a whole day in Quellon waiting for the ferry (which leaves at 3:00 am). Guess the spirits, the trolls, witches and mermaids said to frequent the island were out-and-about, imagine they love the foul weather which I heard (and learned first-hand) dominates on the islands. I did meet a fun German couple who shipped a VW van (much different from my '75 van, first vehicle I owned), who were also a bit stranded by the weather, and who also needed WiFi and electricity. Nothing you can do about the weather, except move on, and hope things get better. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but after the five hour ferry ride to Chaiten during the early morning hours, to finally get there, even if in the rain, was great. I felt that I was finally in Patagonia. I exited the ferry, drove to the small plaza in Chaiten, and took a nap. It was still raining.

The transition seemed to abrupt, at least in my mind, in the way I remember things. I had been driving hard, as other than the wonderful time spent in San Pedro de Atacama, I had been on the road, Ruta 5, the PanAmerican Sur, forever. And all along the way, from Lima in Peru, south into Chile, Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, up to San Pedro and back down again, it was all desert. And other than Lake Titicaca, and the salars high above San Pedro, there was little water. It was all desert. So I drove, always heading south, rarely stopping until the day was over, continuing to pee in a bottle at quick stops along the way, snacking on Oreos or peanuts, maybe some fruit if I had any, always driving. I did have to stop for diesel occasionally, but at 100 kph, van seemed to run forever on a tank of fuel. We left Arica in the north of Chile on the 30th of November, and on the 9th of December, arrived in Talca, 2,289 km away, and this does not include the detour up to San Pedro de Atacama. But I was now past Santiago and Valparaiso, we were out of the desert, and our next destination, Pucon, did not seem that far away. And each km I drove got me closer to Patagonia, so every effort seemed worth it. Pucon was still 532 km from Talca, another long day away. But seeing rivers which carried water, trees and flowers, green, yes the color, and not brown and tan, and even rain drops, I was out of the desert, and moving quickly into the Lake District, land of lagos and volcanoes, I could not wait. So off to Pucon and the Lake District we went. I could not wait.

Got to Pucon after another long day, but found a great campground where I would stay for a few nights. It was raining when we arrived, but found a site, and quickly met the campground manager, Jose, and an American, Luis, who was fluent in Spanish. They were off for town, just down the road along Lago Villarrica, and to the market. I needed ice, if nothing else, so I tagged along. I did not take any pictures in Pucon, too bad, a great little town, resort town, wooden buildings, lots of bars and restaurants, guiding services for trips up the volcano, or rafting down the local rivers. Reminded me of bit of small resort towns out west, except Pucon sits along the shore of Lago Villarrica, a big lake, and always under the watchful eye of Volcan Villarrica, an active volcano just south of town. I enjoyed my time in Pucon, and in campground La Poza. Jose did not speak any English, but was always helpful, and the American Luis, nice guy, and a wonderful translator. I met a few other campers, including a Kiwi, Paul Chainey, who seemed to be traveling the world on a shoestring, and did enjoy my time in Pucon. Biked out to some waterfalls one day, was real domestic another day (was raining that early that day, so good day to clean the van, continue to organize things, and do some laundry later when the sun came out). There was WiFi in the common room in the campground, but pretty weak signal. I tried to connect with Josh and Tess, couple from Colorado I met in northern Chile, did not happen. It was nice to be in a larger town, yet very relaxed place. I ate asado with the boys one Sunday afternoon, and partied pretty hard that night (I had lots of cold beer, so I was popular). It was a productive, and enjoyable couple of days. But after three nights, it was time to move on, and this time, needed a hot bath, off to find some thermal springs. They are all over the place east and north of Pucon, all cost about $8,000 pesos, but some are just big, blue, hot, swimming pools, while others are much more natural, much more fun.  After three nights in Pucon at Parque La Poza, went to Las Termas Pozones, great, before heading to a private campground right down the road, Agrocamping La Araucaria, another spot recommended on iOverlander. The hot springs were a series of very natural-looking, rocky pools, with handrails, which varied in temperature from just warm, to almost scalding. I loved it, very low-key, very relaxed, and very natural, rocky pools of very hot water, very few people, and maybe only seven or eight meters away from the pools was a beautiful, rushing river. And the campground was only minutes away from the hot springs, and I was the only one there, and old guy running the place, just great, and so happy to see me, see someone. The six or seven campsites all were in a strip of forest which border a nice small, river. There was no hot water, but the bathrooms were clean, and since I was the only camper, a theme which would continue for a number of nights, it was very quiet. I did have an interesting visitor later in the evening, Michael I think his name was, Canadian, who had been living in Chile for many years. He came to Pucon as a ski bum, and never left. Interesting guy, college educated, and fun to chat with. 

After my night at La Araucaria, became a road warrior again, the urge to keep moving south took over, and off we went. I did stop at another hot springs, big, blue swimming pools, yuck, camped at an overpriced private campground near Neltume, Camping Rio Chan Chan (and he did not even turn on the electicity at the site, or for hot water), and drove on probably the scariest road I had been on in Chile, before finally getting to Panguipulli, great little town overlooking Lago Panguipulli, and great campground, Camping Puchaley Laequeh (they had wonderful cabanas as well). And again, I was the only one in the campground, third night in a row. I did meet two couples who had met on the road, one from Australia, the other from Holland; they stayed in a cabana near the campground. From here, we would continue to head south, towards Puerto Montt, and eventually to Pargua where you catch the ferry to Isla Grande de Chiloe. And then, after a few days on Chiloe, would then catch another ferry to Chaitan, and Patagonia. I was getting close.

Anytime you travel to another country, visit another culture, your explorations should include more than museums, waterfalls, and beautiful natural places. You should also explore the food culture as well. This can be fun, if you have inclination, some money, and sometimes, a pretty tough stomach. I love trying different foods, and will eat almost anything, or at least try almost anything, at least once. You can get in trouble if you are not careful, many tourists get sick, even violently so, after eating some foods. But, in places like Peru, and especially in Chile, it seems to be very safe to eat almost anything, though do have to watch street food in some areas.

It has not been my primary focus to explore all the different types of food and dishes during my travels, whether still imprisoned in Peru, both Miraflores and La Punta, and later in Chile. I did not get a chance to try all the different foods you can find, especially in Peru, and especially in Lima, where they are very proud of their food. But, I did explore a bit, and there is definitely some very good food to be found in both countries, though you will find more diversity in Peru. Heck, there are like 100 different kinds of potatoes in Peru, lots of choices there for sure. Well first off, if you do not like seafood, you will really be missing out, in both countries. Just look at a map, between the two countries, Peru and Chile, there must be close to 8,000 miles of coastline (really have no clue, just know there is a LOT of coastline). Seafood is everywhere in both counties, it is very good and fresh, and my favorite, especially in Peru, was ceviche, ate it often, never got sick, and loved every bite. And in places like La Punta, the seafood is as fresh as it can get. I remember watching a fisherman still in his boot deliver just-caught fish to a restaurant close to the seawall in La Punta, and I swear, 10 minutes later it was being served to me in ceviche. Also, my favorite restaurant in Miraflores was La Mar Cebicheria, owned/run by a famous chef in Lima, ate there every Sunday afternoon I was there. And it was always great, amazing ceviche. If you do like seafood, you just cannot go wrong, from a ton of different kinds of fish, to shrimp, shellfish, even octopus, it is all great. And of course, you cannot visit Peru without trying coy, or guinea pig, at least once. I had it twice, always a bit overprice, and once, a bit overdone, but it was good. Am I going to race out and start raising guinea pig to eat when I get back to the United States, probably not. Do give it try though when if you get to Peru, you kind of have to. I also had alpaca a few times, once as a burger, and it was great. There are few other dishes in Peru which you need to try, including anticuchos (meat, usually beef heart or liver, marinated, skewered and grilled, very good), lomo saltado (strips of beef, marinated, sauteed with chilies, onions, tomatoes, other stuff), tiradito (goes by other names, and like ceviche, is marinated raw seafood, but here, fish, thinly sliced before lime juice, onions, peppers which make up ceviche added), cupe de camarones (shrimp chowder), arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), quinoa and potatoes of course, and tacu tacu, Peruvian form of rice and beans (often with seafood mixed in). Generally, is tough to go wrong in Peru, order almost anything and you will likely enjoy, including street food, and food sold at the open markets found in every city and village. I did not always know exactly what I was eating, but it was almost always good.

Things in Chile are bit different, as there is less ethnic dishes and variety, definitely fewer potatoes, quinoa and no coy, but still all good. Some areas have a significant German influence, especially down south, and their ceviche is as good as any I ate in Peru. So again, long coastline, lots of great seafood, and all that I have tried, excellent. Plus, when you get further south, lots of salmon as there is lots of aquaculture around Chiloe and surrounding islands. I am not a fan of farmed salmon, but the couple of time I did eat it, was great. And they definitely eat more meat in Chile, and sausage is everywhere. Chicken is always present, but Chileans love their asado, or parrillada, grilled meat, usually beef. Think for many Chileans, Sunday afternoons are all about sitting around a wood-burning grill, grilling up all different kinds of beef and sausage, drinking wind and beer, and apparently, women are rarely present. And with the asado, they often serve pebre, sliced tomatoes with onions, chilies, spices, bit of oil, all served at room temperature. In addition to parrillada, Chileans also love their empanadas, stuffed pastries, stuffed with all kind of stuff, including cheese, meat, all kinds of seafood, beans, whatever. In larger towns, you will also find lots of street vendors selling sopaipilla, fried bread made of pumpkin and flour, filling stuff, and almost anything grilled on a small wooden skewer. I enjoyed a meat soup, carbonada, more than once, every little restaurant has their own recipe, includes potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green peppers, lots of vegetables. And up north, you often find humitas, boiled corn leaves filled with seasoned, ground corn, also common in Peru. And while not common, llama is on the menu at some places, and the llama tacos I had in San Pedro de Atacama were wondeful. I know there are many regional specialities, lots of many different kinds of food to enjoy in both countries. But I tried not to eat out that much, I am all about hiking, biking and camping. Though if you do get down here, be sure to explore, there is a lot of good food to be enjoyed in South America.

And finally, you cannot have a discussion about food without talking about beer, beer is food you know. As most of you know, I like beer, enjoy beer, drink it probably too often. I do wish I enjoyed wine more, knew more about wine, as there are many, many wonderful wines available here, especially in Chile. I tried a glass here, or there, and drank a bit at times while with friends in La Punta, but I just do not enjoy a glass of wine as much as I enjoy a bottle of beer. Unfortunately though, the selection of beer here in South America is nothing like what we enjoy in the United States. While some told me there is a growing beer culture, a number of new microbreweries, in both Peru and Chile, you simply will not find the variety that you do up north. Now this does not mean that I have not been drinking beer, it simply means that you often drink what is available. And that is what I have been doing, find something that is ok, stick with it, and explore what little variety exists when I get a chance.

So far, my favorite definitely is Cusquena, brewed in Cusco, Peru. I definitely had more than a few Cusquenas while I was in Peru, and I have even found it for sale down in Chile a couple of times. They make three kinds, but their Golden Lager is my favorite. After that, there is not much exciting to the beer culture in Peru. Pilsen is brewed in Callao, so is popular in La Punta, and Cristal, which I think might be the same as the Cristal widely available in Chile, is ok. I tried a Arequpena a couple of times, but outside of Arequipa, this beer was not readily available. And of course, there is always Corona and Heineken, they seem to be everywhere in South America.

In Chile, there is definitely more selection, guess that German influence again, though once you get out of the larger towns and cities, even this variety goes away. I have been drinking mostly Cerveza Cristal, ok, another pale lager, and Escudo is not that bad. I tried Royal Guard, and Becker, no thanks. But as I have traveled further south, there is definitely lots more to choose from. Kunstmann out of Valdivia is well-known, and they have a few different kinds though I have not tried them all. And the other day, I had a pale ale from Finisterra in Puerto Cisnes in Patagonia, great stuff. Another beer from down in Patagonia, Austral, brewed in Punta Arenas, was not my favorite at this point, but only had one time. And finally, I tried to visit a brewery in Coyhaique where I stayed a few nights, D'Olbek Beer, but they were never open. Guess I should not have been surprised as I was in Coyhaique over the weekend of New Years. I have only tried one of the different types of beer brewed by D'Olbek, very good, but much of this new variety of beer is just not readily available. I need to get to a supermercado when I can, as that is where you are more likely to find some variety. So in conclusion, do not go to South America, Peru and Chile, expecting a great variety of beers, just is not here. Things are getting better, but they have a long way to go. Beer drinkers in the USA are pretty spoiled, the selection of beers is almost overwelling. I love many different IPAs, and now, the big beer specialty stores can have 30 or 40 different types of IPAs alone. Here, have not seen a single local IPA, though know somebody must brew one. Beer is food, but here, more like a grilled cheese sandwich, than lobster or king crab legs. I am fine with that, as long as it is cold, and after I just finished a 6.6 km round-trip hike up to a hanging glacier and back, still tastes great.

In between my visits to Reserva Nacional Pampa de Tamarugal, and Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar, I headed up into the Andes again, into the high desert, to the Atacama. There, I visited the absolutely cool town of San Pedro de Atacama, this place is a must-see for anyone traveling in Chile. Is a quiet little town, a place which in some ways reminds me of what Santa Fe, New Mexico in the United States might have looked like 70 years ago. The town is dry, but irrigation channels give the town life, an oasis in the high desert. Plus, it seems that everyone is on a mountain bike, so that alone made me feel perfectly at home. There are cool shops, and many restaurants, plus lots of hotels and hostels, a backpacker's paradise. Had llama tacos one night for dinner, just great. I bet I met people from more than a dozen countries, including Canada and New Zealand (Scott and Jennifer, I think), Holland, Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, Argentina, Brasil, United Kingdom, Australia, and of course, Chile. Scott and Jennifer were on small motorcycles, 400 cc, and had ridden their bikes all the way from Toronto, though USA, Mexico and Central American, and then down from Columbia to Chile, very impressive. I parked and camped in my van for two nights in the courtyard of a hostel, Hostal Puritam, and had access to bathrooms and showers, and even had some shade. The first night, there was a Dutch couple there, rented a little Suzuki with a roof-top tent, from a company call WickedRental (or something like that), colorful vehicles which I would see all over Chile. I stayed in San Pedro for three nights, though the third night I had to move, no room at the previous place, so moved down the road to Hostal Casa Campestre. This was a very cool hostel, though more about tent camping, bikers and backpackers, not overlanders like me, parked in dirt parking lot, no shade. I biked a lot, including a trip out to the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna), about 30 km round-trip, and drove up high one day, over 12,000 feet, visited the Salar de Pujsa which was beautiful, and the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos, which was a bit of a disappointment (mostly because there was not really anything to see, and I almost got stuck in the sand). The salars are shallow salt lakes, and flamingos, and vicuna are everywhere. There are volcanoes, high peaks, salt lakes, hot springs, and, the Atacama Desert, driest desert in the world. I loved San Pedro, just a great place to explore, get on a bike and ride, and then chill later at one of the many restaurants, enjoy a beer, and llama tacos. You need to get here if you ever get a chance, one of the coolest towns, and place I have visited so far.
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I prefer, if possible, to camp at established campgrounds, and I quickly had great luck in Chile, including two national parks/reserves. South of Iquique, right along Ruta 5, I stayed two nights at a campgound in Reserva Nacional Pampa de Tamarugal, and then north of Chanaral, I stayed one night in Parque National Pan de Azucar. Both were great.

R.N. Pamp de Tamarugal, in the desert of northern Chile, is basically a plantation established to preserve one species of tree, the almost bush-like tamarugal tree. This species of tree is well-adapted to desert life, life in the Atacama region, but was almost wiped out during the nitrate era in this part of Chile. This small reserve helps protect a large grove of trees, planted, but still, very nice. The campground was great, each campsite almost felt like a cattle or goat pen (they do allow some grazing by both species in the reserve), but with a light and electricity, a picnic table, and your very own tamarugal tree. Plus, the bathrooms were great, hot water, and clean, with separate sinks for washing clothes, and sheets, which I did. I stayed there two nights, hiked a bit, and bike all over the place. Was always nice to stay someplace, more than one night, much more relaxed. I had neighbors both nights, including an older couple with a serious overlander rig, thing a tank, swear I read about them somewhere. Think they were Dutch, but they spoke basically no English, so never really chatted. Then, the second night, a small van, obviously modified as a camper pulled in, with Chilean plates. But, to my surprise, and delight, the van contained a couple of Americans, Josh and Tess from Salida, Colorado. We chatted, enjoyed a beer together, do enjoy meeting folks from the USA, as there are few which I have run into during my travels. Josh is a rafting guide, guides out of Pucon, Chile during the southern summer, then they return to Colorado do guide during the northern summer. Enjoyed our chat, interesting folks. 

​Further south, quite a bit south of Antofagasta (and after my visit to San Pedro de Atacama, see next post), and just north of Chanaral, camped in Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar. I would have loved to have had more time here in this rugged, beautiful, and surprising biologically rich park. The park stretches 40 km along the coast north of Chanaral, just spectactular coastal scenery. Although this area is still basically desert, there is much biological diversity; there are approximately 20 different species of cacti in the park. But unfortunately, the legacy of Peru continued to haunt me, so I was only able to stay one night. And while the road into the park was brutal, it was definitely worth a visit, even if for only one night. I camped in the first campground I got to, facilities nothing special, but sites right along the rocky coast, and less than 100 m from a sandy beach. The water was a bit chilly, and currents I guess can be dangerous, but I went for a swim anyway. I parked my van along the shelter which exists at each site, backwards, and left one door open all night. I went to sleep looking out at the ocean, the crashing waves on the rocks, and a large island not far off the coast, sounds of the ocean all night. I slept great. I was not alone in this campside, there were two guys from Argentina on motocycles, seriously loaded, and a wonderful Dutch couple in a rented RV. It was a very pleasant place to spend a night, warm showers, campsites right on the ocean, quiet, serene, just beautiful. I just wish I could have had more time to explore.

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I finally made it safely into Chile, and I was very happy to leave Peru. But, the delay in Peru had been costly, both in terms of time, and money, so now, the race began, the race to get south to the Lake District, Chiloe, and Patagonia. After crossing the border, I headed to Arica, less than an hour drive down Ruta 5, the PanAmerican Sur in Chile, a road which would in a way become my home until I got all the way to Pargua, took the ferry to Chiloe, and even all the way to Quellon where I would take another ferry to Chaitan, and Patagonia. I spent a lot of time on Ruta 5, traveling basically the entire length of the most important, and traveled road in Chile. Thank heavens it is mostly a great road, often essentially a 4-lane interstate like those in the USA, posted speed limit, 100 to as high as 120 kph. It was mostly a great road, and the van and I handled it all well, though do have one complaint. The Chileans love tolls, toll booths seem to occur every 80 km or so, and, every time you exit, you pay again. For example, on the 8th of December (the day I drove past Santiago in the middle of the country), I paid four tolls (for which I kept receipts, might have been more) for a total of $11,250 pesos, or US$16.67, and I traveled less than 600 km that day, including some off Ruta 5. Look, I actually like tolls, a true "users tax", more you drive on a road, the more you pay, a fair and just tax. But come on, there is one main road in all of Chile, runs basically almost the entire lenght of the country (except for Patagonia), and they just kill you with tolls, plus they do not accept EZPass down here. 

Well, I was traveling, to Arica, and then south. Stopped at some cool places to camp, take a few photos, and San Pedro de Atacama was great (more on that later). I was mostly a road warrior, driving 500+ km per day, paying lots of tolls, peeing in a bottle in my van along the side of the road so I did not have to exit (and pay another DAMN toll, just to pee). There are an occasional service plazas, fuel, but they seem pretty infrequent at times. So, I just drove, enjoyed the scenery, and found places to camp with my iOverlander app. It took a number of days, but, eventually, made it to the Lake District, where things get very nice, and very different from the desert I had basically been driving through since leaving Lima. Below, a map of my route, and more text and pictures to follow. Traveling is fun.

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