I am embarking on a bike tour from La Paz, Bolivia to Tierra del Fuego. I should be on my bike by October 24th. I have three months to complete this journey. I am doing this trip solo ... unless of course I get any last minute (or last second) offers from friends and family who wish to accompany me. The following map shows the approximate route I will be taking. Along the way, I hope to have time to do a little bit of trekking and perhaps enjoy some fine Chilean wine.


Friday, December 21, 2007

Days 58 & 59, Puerto Río Tranquilo to Puerto Bertrand - Cochrane

The question was raised if there are trucks. Well, yes there are. Plenty of small and big cargo trucks. They are tend to drive very fast and spit up a lot of dust. I tend to yield (read completely ride to the side of the road and stop) when one of the big-boys comes haulín' ass towards me.

My brother is posting for me as I can´t enter the blog from here. Don´t know if I can get new photos. Please check though.

www.picasaweb.google.com/darryl.mekechuk

Day 58, Puerto Río Tranquilo - Puerto Bertrand
More cruising through the heart of the Patagonia along the Carretera Austral. The road can get very rough at times which at times allows a max speed of only 9 or 10 km-hr. Lots of twists, turns and short steep climbs.

Believe me, these climbs really make you pay a toll by the end of the day.

Ran into three veteran riders from Spain who were going in the opposite direction. It was great to chat with them as they provided me with critical intelligence on the upcoming stages, which are hardcore to say the least. More on this later.

Total time 5 hrs 37 min, ride time 4 hrs 37 min, 67 km, elevation gain 1,239 m, elevation loss 1,217 m.

Day 59, Puerto Bertrand - Cochrane
(I was wondering if I made a major wrong turn and ended up just north of Calgary. For those of you who don´t who ... we have a pueblo called Cochrane as well).

The road continues to get rougher and rougher the further south I venture. Go figure. I flatted today which is my first in a LONG time. First flat on the entire Carretera Austral. Sixth flat overall. Can´t complain.

Today was the absolute first day that it has been CLEAR BLUE SKY since enterring the Carrertera Austral. It was thoroughly soaked up by the pale gringo.

Total time 4 hrs 51 min, ride time 3 hrs 30 min (approx. my odo is back at the hostal), 48 km, elevation gain 1,054 m, elevation loss 1,104 m.

Upcoming ...
OK, I am going over Survivor Man episodes in my head as it is 230 km to the next village. Oh yeah, and one short ferry crossing of fjord. This will be a real test. I have got to carry three days' worth of food ... or I will be eating pineneedles, beatles, moss and dirt.

I am hoping to arrive in the very remote village of "Villa O´Higgins" on the evening of Dec 24th. I would LOVE to take the day off on this very special day coming up.

Then on Dec 26th (if all goes well) I start the arduous cross into Argentina which requires two ferry crossings and several hours of trekking. This part requires hiring a guide agency to accompany you. I´ll try to keep my mouth shut and wheels rolling as I will be pushing my bike.

No contact for about 4 days.

PS. Merry Christmas !! ... in advance

PD. Hola E, Me alegro que estés llegado bien a tu tierra. Saludos a todos de mi parte por fa. F ue un actor en las fotos. No fui yo. Hiciste muy bien con el oso. No tuviste ningún pánico. Eres la mujer!

PPPS. Dezzi, ... I mean Desi, please pass on my best wishes to Joni and Frank and others from the old Gang. Gee, we are old aren´t we?
________________________________________

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hola D2,

Espero que pases una Feliz Navidad, que el ninio Dios te traiga mucha paz y mucha energia para continuar tu camino. Gracias por tu mensajito.

Aqui todo bien, el clima deli y hoy estoy mas feliz pues finalmente esta maniana llegaron mis maletas, Continental no las habia embarcado desde Houston y me toco esperar hasta hoy.

Todos aqui te deseamos lo mejor para navidad y el nuevo anio y te deseamos mucha suerte en esta parte del camino pues parece que es mas dificil. Animo que siempre has hecho cosas dificiles y siempre con exito, esta vez no va a ser diferente.

Mil abrazos para vos y todo mi carinio, cuidate mucho D!!

Besos,

E.

Anonymous said...

Merry Xmas Hack;

I had to go to the chuck to partake in a fantastic dinner party at Frank & Andrea's. Your epic travel was high on the list of topics and there was much retelling of ancient history too. Joni started the evening with a little known account of how she helped you celebrate the Oilers 1st cup win in an appropriate manner and the conversation went downhill from that point on.

Also present were Desi & Jeremi, Jill Y and Graham. It was great to see everyone doing well and all are sending their best wishes for a safe and successful conclusion to your grand adventure. We all look forward to seeing you soon.

peace & merry christmas

tom,mb,gabriel,ella

Anonymous said...

Hey Darryl

Merry Christmas from this end. Been out on the misery sticks a bit, getting used to pulling the chariot, each time I think I'm getting in a bit better shape Kaleb gets a little fatter and slows me right back down.

Merry Christmas
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Bristling winds at the "Fu"

Bristling winds at the "Fu"
Winds are from the West. If all holds true, hopefully, I will be faced with cross winds for the next 1000 km. However, today was all headwind.

This is Futaleufú, Chile

This is Futaleufú, Chile
OK, it is tiny but its beautiful around here

Crossed into Chile on Dec 11

Crossed into Chile on Dec 11
No problems crossing the border ... even smuggled in a tiny quantity of cheese.

Gravel rode riding towards Chile

Gravel rode riding towards Chile
This will be my last day in Argentina for a while .. until I hit the deep south

Riding towards Chile, Dec 11

Riding towards Chile, Dec 11
Nice views of the snow covered Ande

These Andes form the border between Argentina & Chile

These Andes form the border between Argentina & Chile
Riding on Dec 10th. Will be heading west and back into Chile through a mountain pass (Futaleufú) on Dec 11 ... if all goes well

South thru the Lake District, Dec 10

South thru the Lake District, Dec 10
Beautiful ... but ferocious winds

Tiny Hostal in Epuyén, Dec 9

Tiny Hostal in Epuyén, Dec 9
I was the only one there. It´s a little of the beaten track.

South of El Bolsón, Dec 9

South of El Bolsón, Dec 9
Nice Lake District riding

Lake District with the Andes in the background

Lake District with the Andes in the background
Nice riding all day long

Typical Lake District Riding

Typical Lake District Riding
Very enjoyable riding. A little gusty at times though.

Just south of Bariloche, Argentina

Just south of Bariloche, Argentina
The beautiful Lake District

Had a nice Argentinian style steak

Had a nice Argentinian style steak
I must say it was delicious. People have dinner around 10 pm (or later) around here. Also, from 1 pm to 5 pm most shops are closed.

Entering the town of Bariloche, Argentina

Entering the town of Bariloche, Argentina
I was very interested in seeing this famous Patagonian city that I have heard so much about.

Riding along the lakeshore into Bariloche

Riding along the lakeshore into Bariloche
Typical riding for day 44 into Bariloche. Thank goodness, I had a nice tail wind for most of the day.

Descent into Argentina

Descent into Argentina
Was a little chilly. This was the ride from "El Crucero" to the beautiful village of Villa La Angostura. Was a long day. Stayed at a rustic Argentinian hostal.

Welcome to Argentina

Welcome to Argentina
As you can see there was plenty of snow at the top of the pass. Was a cold, windy, and rainy descent.

Heading East to Argentina, Day 43

Heading East to Argentina, Day 43
The mountains in the background form the border with Argentina. Ended up passing through the mtns and descending this day.

Short Cut after "El Crucero"

Short Cut after "El Crucero"
Ended up flatting on this road. Bike could handle it but had to ride slowly .. about 16 to 18 km-hr

Waiting out the rain

Waiting out the rain
Waiting out the rain at an antiquated rural bus stop (Day 41, 40 km out of Pucón)

Another view from the top of Lanin

Another view from the top of Lanin
I forgot to mention, the top of this mountain forms the border with Argentina. Our Guide, Rodrigo, demanded documents from the Argentians that arrived.

View from the Summit

View from the Summit
Rodrigo making the final steps to the summit. View looking north along the Andean mtn range

Rodrigo ascending Lanin

Rodrigo ascending Lanin
My trusty guide leading the way

Villarica in the Shadow of Lanin

Villarica in the Shadow of Lanin
Getting close to the summit of Lanin

View of the High Camp

View of the High Camp
We ended up sheltering ourselves a little better by digging them out a little lower

Snow Caves

Snow Caves
We each had our private rooms .. out of snow

Making dinner at the high camp

Making dinner at the high camp
Rodrigo and Cristian from Rumbo Sur

Volcano Lanin

Volcano Lanin
This is what we climbed

Valley of Yellow Flowers

Valley of Yellow Flowers
These flowers only flourish in areas when volcanos have left behind ash or lava

Lake Toro (Huerquehue Park)

Lake Toro (Huerquehue Park)
Mountains in the background are abou 10 km away from the Argentinian border

Snow on the Trail ... Huerquehue Park

Snow on the Trail ... Huerquehue Park
The upper sections in the shade had snow. I thought I was escaping the snow.

Huerquehue Park (more)

Huerquehue Park (more)
Another nice lake

Huerquehue Park (close to Pucón)

Huerquehue Park (close to Pucón)
One of the nice lakes

Countryside around Pucón

Countryside around Pucón
Lush green mountains and some open pastures

Villarica Volcano ... in the clouds

Villarica Volcano ... in the clouds
Thought I better take this photo in case the weather didn´t improve

Met two riders from Spain (Basque Region) on the way to Pucón

Met two riders from Spain (Basque Region) on the way to Pucón
We ate trail mix together as part of the ritual between fellow cyclists

Villarica Volcano (look closely)

Villarica Volcano (look closely)
You have to look closely to make out the white cone and the cloud on top looks like an oriental hat!

Plaza de Armas at Temuco

Plaza de Armas at Temuco
One of the nicer plazas I´ve come across.

A Yellow Bridge and a nice valley.

A Yellow Bridge and a nice valley.
You´ve heard of a yellow submarine right. Kind of the same?

Main Plaza at Mulchén

Main Plaza at Mulchén
Nice place to sit and read for a few minutes

Hotel Mulchén

Hotel Mulchén
Very comfy. Didn´t have much time to enjoy at as I left this morning at 6 45 am.

Can you tell it was hot in Mulchén?

Can you tell it was hot in Mulchén?
Dogs of Mulchén trying to escape the heat.

Locals Swimming at Mulchén

Locals Swimming at Mulchén
I later joined in the folly and took a dip. Proved to be a nice way to cool off on a hot day.

Bureo River at the village of Mulchén

Bureo River at the village of Mulchén
Looks like clean water to me.

Typical riding close to the village of Mulchén

Typical riding close to the village of Mulchén
Around 500 km south of Santiago

Having a snack break

Having a snack break
Pod asked, "what I´m on?", well, it is peanut butter, jelly, cheese and bread. And of course the awesome Chilean empanadas. Yum, yum. By the way, this was the first stop after 4 hrs straight riding.

Pit stop at a highway bus stop

Pit stop at a highway bus stop
Very convenient place to stop to take a quick snack break

Hostel in Chillán

Hostel in Chillán
Well, of course I had to stay at this one! .. truth is, it was full but the owners have another one across the street. Comfy & ... cheap.

Hostel in Linares

Hostel in Linares
Got a little disorientated in this pueblo, ended up going for a long afternoon walk.

Plaza de Armas in Curicó

Plaza de Armas in Curicó
Here is aportion of the main plaza, this is a very quiet pueblo ... shhhhhhh, everybody seems to be having a siesta

At the Hostel in Curicó

At the Hostel in Curicó
In the atrium. This is a budget accomodation but very clean & comfy. By the way, I have started to make reservations in advance to avoid riding around town like a chicken with its head cut-off.

Roadside Fruit Stand

Roadside Fruit Stand
About 150 km South of Santiago. Fresh fruit & brooms for sale ... some type of "package deal" I suppose

LLama in Rancagua

LLama in Rancagua
Or was this an Alpaca? I don´t know but it was furry and cute.

Café con Piernas ("Coffee with Legs" in Santiago)

Café con Piernas ("Coffee with Legs" in Santiago)
I am still trying to figure out why they call it that ..... great cup of coffee though

Sunset in Santiago

Sunset in Santiago
Yes, that is the Andes Mountains off to the East

Barrio (Neighborhood) "Paris London"

Barrio (Neighborhood) "Paris London"
Just outside my Hotel enjoying a bit of the good life

Street vendors in Santiago

Street vendors in Santiago
They were just selling books. This area is very close to the Univ. of Chile. I guess, this area has a high proportion of bookworms

One of the main streets in Santiago

One of the main streets in Santiago
I arrived on this street. It actually wasn´t too bad negotiating traffic.

Shoreline at Viña del Mar

Shoreline at Viña del Mar
I was kind of thinking that Chile was leaving their west flank wide open ... until I noticed these guns. Good on you Chile! Defend the beaches of Viña!

Pelican in Flight

Pelican in Flight
I figure dogs shouldn´t dominate all of the animal photos.

More Chilean Coast

More Chilean Coast
Very pleasant riding.

Chilean Coast, Day 28

Chilean Coast, Day 28
I liked this yellow house

Village of Papudo

Village of Papudo
Unfortunately, I couldn´t enjoy the beach as I had to get the bike fixed

Welding (mechanical failure on Day 27)

Welding (mechanical failure on Day 27)
Let´s hope that it "holds".

Preparing to Weld

Preparing to Weld
Patrick & his helper Felipe

"Volker" from Germany

"Volker" from Germany
I met this other German solo cyclist, we had a coffee together, just after this photo he lit up a smoke before starting his ride. Must be a European thing.

Chilean Coast Close to Papudo

Chilean Coast Close to Papudo
I liked this little cove

A Nice Beach 250 km North of Santiago

A Nice Beach 250 km North of Santiago
The highway is flanked by a barbed wire fence. If in a predicament, I think I could squeeze through and set up the infamous pup-tent.

Riding Along the Coast

Riding Along the Coast
By the way, the Panamerican is now a four-lane highway. It is in extraordinarily good condition.

Riding on the Panamerican Highway

Riding on the Panamerican Highway
The route between Termas and Los Vilos was constantly descending and ascending small valleys like this.

Trip Planning Over a Cappucino

Trip Planning Over a Cappucino
This is where I nearly cried when I realized that I am still just scratching the surface.

Steets of La Serena

Steets of La Serena
Just off the Main Plaza de Armas

Revelling in the Streets of La Serena

Revelling in the Streets of La Serena
I think that this was a promotion for some theater. They seemed to be enjoying themselves though.

Back to the Chilean Coast

Back to the Chilean Coast
The city of La Serena is about 35 km south of this point along the coast

One BIG Tonka Toy

One BIG Tonka Toy
Mining is a HUGE industry in Chile. Gotta be real careful when you see one of these coming at you. As a matter of fact, there was a convoy of 3 lead by a police car about an hour later. I yielded.

Right in the Fog bank

Right in the Fog bank
Yes, at this point in time I quickly turned around and rode bank up to clear skies and waited until the fog burned off.

Fog Bank in the Valley

Fog Bank in the Valley
"La camachaca" is what they call this thick as pea soup (but tastes different) fog.

Early morning riding through the coastal range

Early morning riding through the coastal range
The terrain has now changed and is supporting some vegation. Looks to me like something out of those Spaghetti Westerns with Clint Eastwood.

At the Pensión at Incahuasi

At the Pensión at Incahuasi
Little Simon is feeding the geese that were just outside my room.

Entering the Village of Incahuasi

Entering the Village of Incahuasi
As shown from the sign it appears that there is some woman who plays some strange shaped cello. Hmmm, I later learned that symbol meant Arts & Crafts. Learn something new every day!

Breakfast at the Posada

Breakfast at the Posada
OK, I gotta come clean, this was my second breakfast of the day ... after about 2 or 3 hours of riding

Typical Posada along the Highway

Typical Posada along the Highway
This pooch was not interested in terrorizing gringos ... at least not in the early morning

Camping at Playa Flamenco

Camping at Playa Flamenco
This little "Big Agnes Tent" has served me well so far. Oh, those yesteryears of Boy Scouts...

A little sunbathing at Playa Flamenco

A little sunbathing at Playa Flamenco
Too chicken to go into the water though

Leaving the Atacama Desert

Leaving the Atacama Desert
Had a nice descent here!

Dog Day Afternoon at Posada Bahía Taltal

Dog Day Afternoon at Posada Bahía Taltal
And the next morning as I was leaving they were wide awake ... had to run the gauntlet. Didn´t get bit though. They seem to enjoy intimidating gringos.

Posada Bahía Taltal

Posada Bahía Taltal
Getting back to civilization!

Sunset in the Atacama Desert

Sunset in the Atacama Desert
It got chilly at night but nothing compared to a Canadian winter

Camping High in the Atacama Desert

Camping High in the Atacama Desert
I wished I had built the windbreak another 2 feet high. It got gusty!!

Typical Atacama Desert

Typical Atacama Desert
It isn´t all flat. It was hot though!!

The Camera Fell before the timer went off ......

The Camera Fell before the timer went off ......
And here is how pi--ed off I got. (ps, large cavernous things are my nostrils)

Taking a break in the Atacama Desert

Taking a break in the Atacama Desert
This was one of those time when pop leaked inside my panniers. I was not impressed.

Mano del Desierto by Mario Irarrazabal

Mano del Desierto by Mario Irarrazabal
The rest of the body apparently is another 300 m below the earth

The Main Promenade in Antofagasta

The Main Promenade in Antofagasta
And the search was on for a hotel .. it sure took a while .... big Empanada convention going on?

Entering Antofagasta

Entering Antofagasta
fighting traffic ... shoulder check, signal, lane change left.

Sunset at Hornitos

Sunset at Hornitos
just about beddy-bye time

Camping at Hornitos

Camping at Hornitos
Yes, I finally figured out how to use the auto-timer

More Camping at Hornitos

More Camping at Hornitos
No charge for camping, just hide out behind this big rock

More Chilean Coast

More Chilean Coast
another pleasant view from today´s ride

Chilean Pacific Coast

Chilean Pacific Coast
Enjoyable views during riding along the coast

Strange things at gas stations

Strange things at gas stations
Uncle and nephew from Argentina touring throughout S.A.

Camping along the Coast at Rio Loa

Camping along the Coast at Rio Loa
After nodding off I was kind of wondering about the high tide mark.

Northern Desert

Northern Desert
Yes, it is flat and sandy

Darryl in Arica, Chile

Darryl in Arica, Chile
behind me is the "muro" where the Chileans defeated the Peruvians in an infamous territorial battle

From Putre to Arica

From Putre to Arica
This snaked all the way down to the valley below

Entering Chile

Entering Chile

Leaving Bolivian border

Leaving Bolivian border
Cholita guarding bike

Attempt of Sajama

Attempt of Sajama
High Camp

Ridge on Sajama

My Guide Sergio, up the ice ramp

Leaving Sajama behind

High Andean Plains

High Andean Plains
fixing a flat

Images from Bolivia

Images from Bolivia
In Patacamaya.

Packing List (final)

Packing List (final)

About Me

Mechanical engineer working in the oil & gas industry. In my free time, generally, I can be found on a bike or with skis strapped to my feet.