It’s a NEW YEAR and I didn’t see it in zzzzzzzzzz typical for me. I was awaken around 1 am by banging at the door downstairs. No one is answering, so I get up and creep down the stairs and peak out the window….its the Swiss couple. I unlock the door and they are so thankful to be out of the Cold…….their key doesn’t work. Don Carlos, the hostel owner, Antonio and Steve the English cyclist were still partying when I hit the sack….all are sound asleep.
I am up early, packed and ready to hit the road….Antonio initially plans for a late start but in the end by the time my bike is loaded he to is ready and we leave together. Pavement greets us for the next 28 k. Antonio continues straight through the village of Amarillo and stops. He asks if I saw another road and I say just behind us……then he proceeds ahead, we are stopped at the entrance to a campground and park that I had heard he and Steve discussing earlier. Past the campground was a thermal spring with natural baths, so when Antonio went in that direction I assumed he was heading to them. A few k up the road Antonio misses a man waving us down…….I stop and though I don’t speak Spanish figure the guy doesn’t want me going further and looks up the road for Antonio to return…..1/2 hour passes no Antonio and the guy goes back to his cabin. I wait back at the camground entrance another 1/2 hour. Thinking, Antonio is taking in a hot bath and camping here….I decide to push on alone as I am low on Pesos and must get to Coihaique 400 k away……..the road is suppose to turn to gravel.
It doesn’t disappoint and over the next 100 k is a mix bag of loose small stone then big stone and some hard packed miles but filled with wet pot holes….the going is tough and wet. FISH FARM…I stop again for 1 hour to adjust my load as it is falling off the bike and wait to see if Antonio catches up. No Antonio so I take off and come into the village of Palina, a Fuel Stop…no fuel till 15.30 says the attendent in Spanish….I miss understand him, thinking 5.30….its almost 3 pm so I go into the village looking for a place to stay….I try 3 no answer…..after all it is New Years Day and a Holiday…after 3/4 hour I take a side road that leads me just south of the service station…..I see a bike heading towards me….its Antonio…..now how is that for chance….15 seconds….I would have missed him. I tell him I can’t get gas until 5.30……he says he just filled up. I go and and fill my tank….they accept Visa and it was 3.30 not 5.30 ( 15.30 ),,,daw daw. Many Falls…… Road Hazard 1 lONG lANE bRIDGE….NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS iT’S RAINING HARD AGAIN Puyuhuapi for the night…..
Thinks happen for a reason, so Antonio and I are hold up at a hostel for the night called Don Luis each with his own room. A few pics in the village……. Don’t let the Sun fool you …in 10 minutes it is dark and raining.
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