After our extended stay in Villa O´Higgins we were ready to hit the road and head north on the beautiful Carretera Austral Road in Chile. During our rapid climb through the south of Chile we traveled by boat, bus and hitched to get through this sparsely populated region. It didn´t help that we were traveling on the cusp of winter during low season. In terms of landscapes, both Mariah and I were impressed with the many micro climates and ranging scenery from temperate rain forest to barren deserts, rolling hills to glacier topped mountains.
Due to low season and lack of traffic, many public buses were not in frequent operation during our journey north.
We also knew with the onset of winter that we needed to quickly move north to get to El Bolson and Bariloche in Argentina to finish our trekking goals (Note: looking back we should have spent more time traveling this beautiful area... more on this in a moment). Due to these reasons, we found ourselves stuck a few times and had (were given the opportunity) to hitch in order to save precious time. In one such instance we found ourselves traveling with 6 Israelis and 1 driver (9 in total) in a small early 90s pick-up truck to the border town of Futulefu. At the time, riding in the back of the truck in the rain for close to two hours seemed reasonable (and like bit of an adventure) to save us 3 days of waiting time for the next bus to the same location.
The experience in the rear of the truck was shared with a new friend Roy (and more than 10 bags) as we fought the rain and dust on the dirt road and tried to avoid the many injections of water into the cab through the holes in the bed of the truck. We wound up in Futulefu half frozen and looking like we had crawled the whole way, but in the end it was worth it for the story and the views were certainly nothing to complain about.
While we didn´t get to spend as much time as we wanted exploring the towns and regions along the Carretera Austral, our journey did include some memorable moments. On the way Mariah and I stopped in Coyhaique - one of the larger towns along the route - and had a great experience staying at
a hospedaje
run by a kind older lady by the name of Yolanda. We found the place by suggestion of a guy we met and became friends with at the tourist info center (Tal from Israel) who raved about the hospitality of this little place and led us there himself. Also staying was a Chilean guy (Aldo) taking a year to bike around his country. The 4 of us were spoiled by Yolanda who acted as our grandmother, forcing food down our throats and trying to get us to use our Spanish to describe our families and travel plans. Now I know Mariah has been modest lately, but her Spanish improved exponentially during our trip on the Carretera Austral due to lack of English speakers. She had a great time communicating with Yolanda and other members of the family and formed a nice bond with her. This was an amazing experience in terms of getting immersed in the culture and a fabulous few days of TLC (the breakfasts she cooked us were amazing!).
Some Advice for Future Travelers to the Region: Now as many people have responded to us recently and said that traveling to Patagonia is a dream they have held for many years, let me take a few moments to highlight an amazing trip opportunity:
When to go: Dec-March
For how long: 10+ days
1. Fly into San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
2. Rent a car from a reputable company like Avis/Hertz (usually they have less problems crossing the Argentina/Chile border)
3. Spend a few days in the national park in Bariloche, Nahul Huapi, and in El Bolson (just 2 hours south)
4. Head south on Routa 40 in Argentina down to Los Antigues and cross into Chile via the town of Chile Chico. Take the well marked dirt road north in Chile through the many micro climates, snow capped mountains, temperate rain forests, estancias (farms) and lake districts. During this trip take the time to stop in a couple of the many estancias for local accommodation or stay at hospedajes (local homes open to guests, similar to bed a breakfast). And be sure to take time to do a few short hikes (or even some horseback riding) along the way.
5. If you want more info or suggestions, let us know!
Looking back on our time on the Carretera Austral Road, we wish we had been traveling by car so we had the time and flexibility to explore this beautiful region more completely - but, you can´t do it all (not in one trip anyhow). The people in this region are full of character and open to sharing their lives and culture with you, especially if you are able to get off the beaten track a bit.
Due to low season and lack of traffic, many public buses were not in frequent operation during our journey north. We also knew with the onset of winter that we needed to quickly move north to get to El Bolson and Bariloche in Argentina to finish our trekking goals (Note: looking back we should have spent more time traveling this beautiful area... more on this in a moment). Due to these reasons, we found ourselves stuck a few times and had (were given the opportunity) to hitch in order to save precious time. In one such instance we found ourselves traveling with 6 Israelis and 1 driver (9 in total) in a small early 90s pick-up truck to the border town of Futulefu. At the time, riding in the back of the truck in the rain for close to two hours seemed reasonable (and like bit of an adventure) to save us 3 days of waiting time for the next bus to the same location.The experience in the rear of the truck was shared with a new friend Roy (and more than 10 bags) as we fought the rain and dust on the dirt road and tried to avoid the many injections of water into the cab through the holes in the bed of the truck. We wound up in Futulefu half frozen and looking like we had crawled the whole way, but in the end it was worth it for the story and the views were certainly nothing to complain about.
While we didn´t get to spend as much time as we wanted exploring the towns and regions along the Carretera Austral, our journey did include some memorable moments. On the way Mariah and I stopped in Coyhaique - one of the larger towns along the route - and had a great experience staying at
a hospedaje run by a kind older lady by the name of Yolanda. We found the place by suggestion of a guy we met and became friends with at the tourist info center (Tal from Israel) who raved about the hospitality of this little place and led us there himself. Also staying was a Chilean guy (Aldo) taking a year to bike around his country. The 4 of us were spoiled by Yolanda who acted as our grandmother, forcing food down our throats and trying to get us to use our Spanish to describe our families and travel plans. Now I know Mariah has been modest lately, but her Spanish improved exponentially during our trip on the Carretera Austral due to lack of English speakers. She had a great time communicating with Yolanda and other members of the family and formed a nice bond with her. This was an amazing experience in terms of getting immersed in the culture and a fabulous few days of TLC (the breakfasts she cooked us were amazing!).Some Advice for Future Travelers to the Region: Now as many people have responded to us recently and said that traveling to Patagonia is a dream they have held for many years, let me take a few moments to highlight an amazing trip opportunity:
When to go: Dec-MarchFor how long: 10+ days
1. Fly into San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
2. Rent a car from a reputable company like Avis/Hertz (usually they have less problems crossing the Argentina/Chile border)
3. Spend a few days in the national park in Bariloche, Nahul Huapi, and in El Bolson (just 2 hours south)
4. Head south on Routa 40 in Argentina down to Los Antigues and cross into Chile via the town of Chile Chico. Take the well marked dirt road north in Chile through the many micro climates, snow capped mountains, temperate rain forests, estancias (farms) and lake districts. During this trip take the time to stop in a couple of the many estancias for local accommodation or stay at hospedajes (local homes open to guests, similar to bed a breakfast). And be sure to take time to do a few short hikes (or even some horseback riding) along the way.
5. If you want more info or suggestions, let us know!
Looking back on our time on the Carretera Austral Road, we wish we had been traveling by car so we had the time and flexibility to explore this beautiful region more completely - but, you can´t do it all (not in one trip anyhow). The people in this region are full of character and open to sharing their lives and culture with you, especially if you are able to get off the beaten track a bit.
Well on to El Bolson...and putting our packs back on to head for the mountains!
1 comment:
I´ve been there and I must say it is breathtaking. The excellent food and drinks available to the travelers revive and freshen up their weary souls for sightseeingI stayed in El Bolson for a couple of days and then I finished my trip in a hotel in buenos aires since I had been camping for two weeks and I needed to be in a cozy warm room and take a hot shower. Anyway, the landscapes I saw, will be in my memory for ever!
Kim
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