The road to Puerto Montt

So another splendidly scenic week in the Lakes and we've had a proper little mini-break (with the current stats at: 86 days cycled, 5707km along and 57,640m up) . All the photos look very blue again I'm afraid: sunny skies, lakes, new T-shirts..! (Cloud and rain to come I promise). We crossed back to Chile and then came south past the elegant snowy cone of Osorno volcano. It was mainly dirt roads and you can also see a swarm of horseflies chasing Liz uphill that kept us busily swatting en route. The area has a marked Germanic influence visible in the architecture, names and (happily) the availability of wurst and kaffe und kuchen. We are now in Puerto Montt, which is another milestone as from here we leave populated lands and start on the 1240km of the Carretera Austral (southern highway). This is a remote dirt road through the fjordland of southern Chile. Lots of raw nature, isolation and scenic drama to follow...

The Lake District

Greetings from Patagonia, long-awaited destination of my outdoor dreams! We arrived in Villarica just over a week ago after a ten-hour, 700km bus journey from Santiago, our longest and probably last bus of the whole trip. And since then, we have been in cycle touring heaven with bright sunny skies almost every day, impossibly blue lakes, snow-capped volcanoes, waterfalls, and beautifully lush woods - somewhere between Norway and the Rockies, we think. To maximise on the views and avoid the Panamerican Highway (and not because we have turned into proper hard-core cyclists, honest) we decided to cross the Andes again back into Argentina, where we are now. Then tomorrow it will be back to Chile for what is supposed to be another absurdly scenic stretch of lakes.
It´s peak holiday season here at the moment (full of wealthier Argentinians from Buenos Aires) so prices are quite high and the towns are busy but it´s easy to get away from the crowds and we´ve stayed on some idyllic campsites. Camping isn´t that cheap either (more than a decent Peruvian hotel) but wine is still very affordable so all is well.
Puerto Montt is four days away and there begins the legendary Carretera Austral. And that will most probably be the end of all this warm sunshine, you will be glad to hear.

Crossing the Andes (again)

We've taken the bus to Mendoza and it was a blessing as the road was a bleak, wind-blasted horror. However after several restoring glasses of wine, we decided to cycle over the mountain pass from Argentina to Chile. The crossing took two days up and two down, with fine views on the way (but the ski slopes were a bit short of snow...) The biggest mountain in the continent - Aconcagua at 6960m - was just off the road, although another 4km up in the air so we didn't walk up it. Downhill into Chile was splendid bendy tarmac (another classic motorcycling road, ah...) and then into the capital Santiago. After 1750km in four weeks we needed a breather and enjoyed a nice social with Amanda, a friend of Liz's, ending in a Germanic bar in town. Interestingly that was the first day we had spoken to another British person at all since starting out. We've cycled over four months now and our riding kit's worn out, so we have been shopping for new clothes. The trip has also been a test for our gear, with some brands falling short: Brooks saddle (bust tensioning bolt), Leatherman Blast (broken catch) and Shimano pedal (grinding bearing). Thankfully the bikes (Thorn Raven Tours) have been admirably reliable. Off to Temuco and (the southern hemisphere's) Lake District tomorrow. (NB: Settings have been re-re-revised to allow comments by all. I hope...)

Happy 2008!

A very Happy New Year to you all from San Jose de Jachal, a small town in the middle of nowhere, about 300km north of Mendoza and currently about 39 degrees ... phew, just like being in Andalucia in July. We have had no option but to adopt the local rhythms of life, i.e. moving very slowly in the shade, taking a five-hour siesta and having dinner at 10.30pm - not particularly compatible with a cycling routine you might think, which is why we have decided that enough is enough. Tomorrow we're taking the bus to Mendoza, where it's only 35 degrees, and from there, probably another bus over the Andes to Santiago.

We've done 1,400km on the road in Argentina in just under three weeks (bringing our trip total to 4,700km) and have loved the wide open roads, the amazing colours of the desert and canyons, the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people, and the mind-boggling range of ancient, battered vehicles on the roads (a typical truck above, apparently constructed from bits of various other trucks) - particularly striking alongside all the swish, modern cars and pick-ups. We've also witnessed some violent storms with hailstones the size of large marbles and the effect of the these downpours on the roads can be dramatic (see photo above with mud and debris)
New Year's Eve for us was a complete non-event in a nice way - spent in an hosteria on the outskirts of a very sleepy village, too tired to stay up til midnight, we missed the UK New Year and then subsequently realised that the clocks had gone forward in Argentina anyway. Still, sitting in deck chairs in the garden and star-gazing with a litre of local red was certainly memorably different.

We're looking forward to a few days off now and probably won't be cycling again until Temuco and the Chilean Lake District, where it is summer but without these ridiculous temperatures. We have been warned about giant horseflies, though ... insect repellent is on the shopping list for Santiago!