We leave Curacautin and enter the relative unknown. We have little idea what the roads, the landscapes and the camping options will be like as we ride away from the mountains and toward busier places. Before reaching the first busy place, we stop to enjoy avocado, pesto and roasted vegetables on fresh bread rolls for lunch. Continue reading “South America 2019 – Curacautin to Santiago.”
On the day we arrive in Pucon, it is packed with people enjoying the easter long weekend. On the day we leave, it is quiet and empty. Those who haven’t already left pass us on the road as we negotiate a busy stretch to nearby Villarica. No sooner do we escape the urban sprawl of one town, we reach the beginning of the sprawl leading to another. The lakeside road is lined with developments. Daisy spots two high rise buildings and then Villarica itself. We leave the busy road and find a scenic lunch spot overlooking the lake.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Pucon to Curacautin.”
A persuasive piece by Banjo Ford
Cycling is the best way to see the world because you see more stuff. You also get to be more fit and healthy. Lastly, you get the freedom of going anywhere. I am sure that when you read this you will say that cycling is the best way to see the world.
Moving on after spending a day or two in the one place is rarely easy. A day or two is enough time to make new friends, discover a few favourite local places, and begin to feel comfortable in an unfamilar environment. What draws us back to the road are windows of fine cycling weather, a growing awareness that winter is approaching, and a regularly renewed sense of wonder for the places and people we continue to discover along the way.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – San Martin de Los Andes to Pucon.”
We ride 16km to reach the centre of Bariloche before continuing out the other side. On the edge of town we meet a couple of Australian cyclists heading south, and a Mexican cyclist heading north – it’s his first day on the road. We continue to nearby Dina Huapi where we initially stop to resupply panniers and eat lunch. Feeling weary, we decide to stay overnight. We camp at a local Danish club which has a massive hall, swimming pool, commercial kitchen, and sports fields. The ground is covered in golden leaves from poplar trees. Banjo and Daisy gather the leaves and make big piles.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Bariloche to San Martin de Los Andes.”
We awake beneath thick, fluffy doonas and step outside into similarly thick fog. There are no volcano views this morning. We farewell our friendly host Carolina, who has a hug and a chocolate treat for each of us. We make our way around Lago Llanquihue, wondering where the surface ends and the sky begins. A faint grey horizon line is all that separates one from the other. It’s atmospheric riding.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Puerto Varas to Bariloche.”
We roll off the ferry and onto the back streets of pretty Hornopiren. Although we have minimal experience seeking rooms in Chilean hostals, on this occasion, it’s pretty simple. A cosy hostal filled with natural light, a well equipped kitchen, a friendly and welcoming host, and space for our bikes and gear – we could not be happier.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Hornopiren to Puerto Varas.”
From La Junta we ride beyond the maps we have been following for two months. Maps allow us to plan each stretch of our journey in small, manageable blocks. Initially, we couldn’t plan more than one day at a time. However, the distance between towns in the early stages of our trip soon made us think in 4-5 day blocks. Now, nearing the end of the Carretera Austral, we’re beginning to think further ahead. Riding is far simpler.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – La Junta to Caleta Gonzalo.”
Time passes quickly in Coyhaique. We find a place that repairs bikes and another that sells bulk foods. There’s a cavernous hardware store that sells fuel for our stove. There are gear stores that supply a growing national interest in camping – we meet more Chileans exploring their own country than any other nationality. And at the museum, we visit an exhibition of forest birds carved from forest timbers.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Coyhaique to La Junta.”
The rocky lake shore around Rio Tranquilo is home to an elaborate collection of Marble Caves that require a boat or sea kayak to explore. We take a short, fast, bumpy boat ride to reach the caves. Our skipper has made the trip many times before and he skillfully manoeuvres the boat in and around streaked and sculptured caves, cliffs and rock stacks. The return trip is faster and bumpier. Reaching the safety of the jetty makes us very happy indeed.
Continue reading “South America 2019 – Rio Tranquilo to Coyhaique.”
Daisy and the Rolling Banjo 