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Up at 6.30 to be at the bus office for 7.45 for the 8am bus to Chaitin which left at 8.15. We had the two front seats with plenty of leg room. With the sun rising in a clear blue sky it looked like it could be another hot day.
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Left on the road that we had walked a couple of days previous to the National Reserve. Climbed steadily up to a mirador overlooking Coyhaique and three wind turbines hardly moving in the almost still morning air. Dropped steeply following the valley of the Rio Baguelas as it cut through a deep gorge to reach the Rio Simpson which at first impatiently and later more gently made its way to the sea, fed by many small streams running off the hillsides.
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The generally wide flat valley narrowed in place to not much more than the width of the river and road. The steep hillsides with some out-crops of shear cliffs were heavily blanketed with trees. The valley floor was also well endowed with trees, mostly willows. Every now and then, for no apparent reason the bus wipers would give a sweep. Soon the valley widened out and the sun rose sufficiently for the rays to reach much of the valley floor now taken over by small farms. The road that until now had been winding round the valley walls was now able to take a more direct route. In front of us high snow-capped mountains dominated our view. Occasionally the bus would slow down where the concrete slab had broken up to revert to gravel. At 9.25 we reached Puerto Aisin, where the Rio Simpson enters the sea and a ferry port, which was a short diversion from our route. As well as selling bus tickets the outlet also offered to cut hair and cut keys.
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Puerto Aisin is said to have 370 days of rain a year, today was a major exception. After 25 minutes, including stopping to top up with diesel, we were on our way again, back to pick up the route north following the Rio Maqihuales up river. In this mountainous countryside all roads make use of the river valleys to get to their destinations. At 10.45 we reached Maqihuales. For 15 minutes we had a break to change drivers before travelling a couple of hundred metres and stopping at a garage for half hour of maintenance. A mountain with a classic pyramid peak stood in front of us as we left Maqihuales.
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After 15 minutes the concrete road came to an end and we were on to a narrow gravel track which later, fortunately widened out. As we went along the driver put on his tapes on opera and classical music, he also had a CB radio that he was regularly talking on, driving round the bends one handed. At 12.35 we pulled into Lago Verde, a small but lively community and stayed for half an hour. From here we entered into a more mountainous region with rough and narrow roads along narrow valleys and winding down steep hillsides. Some bends were so tight the bus had difficulty getting round in one. At 3pm we were back to sea level at the end of a fjord containing a fish farm. Shortly after we pulled over near the Queulat National Park headquarters to take a look at a glacier, which from the road was partly obscured by a mountain and so not at its best. Drove around the shore, with occasional cottages until we puled into Puerto Puyuguapi for another 30 minute stop.
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Not much in the shops for travellers and not enough time for the cafi. At 4.25 we were off again, but not for long as a temporary bridge that we needed to cross was temporarily out of action. Part of the edge of the road approaching the bridge had given way and was in the process of being reconstructed. A 45 minute delay and we were off again. There seemed to be quite a bit of bridge building taking place with the old wooden bridges being replaced with concrete ones. The landscape in this area was not so enclosing and the road was better. Occasional small farm had been carved out of the forest. A 20 minute break at La Junta followed later by 10 minutes for further mechanical adjustments, we thought to the air brakes!
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At 8.20 we pulled in to Villa Santa Lucia, turned in to a side road with a narrow bridge across a ditch, just after the junction. The front wheels crossed the bridge OK but the back wheel didn't follow quite the same line and the right wheels dropped into the ditch. Another 45 minutes were spent getting the bus back onto the road. As dusk fell we had the sight of a pink sky over a white snow clad mountain - quite pretty. As we passed Lago Yelcho, dusk closed in.
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At 10.30 we finally reached Chaitin, pulled up outside the Hosteria La Recoba and were told that this was the terminus. As it was late, and the hostel had a room, we took it. It wasn't what we had hoped for but it was clean and there was no point in looking for anything better at that time of night.
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A change in the weather. During the early morning there had been a light drizzle that had cleared by the time we got up, leaving grey clouds behind. With a lot of time on our hands until we caught the midnight ferry we lingered over everything we could. A slow breakfast, not entirely of our own making followed by a stroll into the small town. Strolled up and down each side of the main streets and found a couple of places at which to buy a few basic provisions. Called in at the ferry office to collect our tickets. Looked in at the Pumalin Information Centre and then settled down on a seat looking out to sea.
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After a while we ventured across to the nearest restaurant for a bite to eat but they didn't cook at lunch time so we settled for a couple of hot drinks and the Internet. Wandered up to the ferry terminal for something to do and also get the lie of the land. Nearby we found a small bay with some driftwood logs and rocks which we used to make ourselves comfortable whilst reading out books and watching the world. Out from shore birds were fishing in a great flock in one particular spot, fishermen were out in their small boat and someone was even kayaking, despite an onshore wind picking up and stirring up the waves. In the sky the clouds and sun fought it out. The sun won a few small skirmishes but the clouds won the major battles. Fortunately it stayed dry. Another wander and sit in the Plaza de Armes before returning to the cafi we had frequented in the morning - but it was closed. Ventured around the corner to another restaurant were we lingered over a meal and a drink, aided by a large group from an Exedus truck who took up quite a bit of our waiters attention. Finally paid up and returned to the hostel to pick up our rucksacks and move down to the ferry jetty to settle ourselves in for a long wait before we were due to load.
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Watched the ferry arrive and unload and then spend even longer loading as a truck with a trailer shifted backwards and forwards for half an hour trying to get the right spot. In the end they uncoupled the trailer and manoeuvred it by hand. At last they called the foot passengers or maybe it was just that a group moved forward and the rest of us followed and they accepted the inevitable and let us on. We had seats allocated to us, aircraft type seats but with more leg room. We settled ourselves in and waited to sail. There were more passengers than seats but as we had allocated seat numbers and were on early we were OK. We presume that those without seat numbers were on a lower tariff that they hadn't bothered telling us about. Those without seats found themselves whatever spaces they could in the gangways, blocking access to the toilets.
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Finally left about 0.15. We were reasonably comfortable despite the severe judder that would pass through the boat about every 30 seconds as we got out of sync with the waves. The rest of the time we just rolled and pitched. Mostly it was just 10 hours of severe turbulence. Around 6am we called in somewhere to pack in a few more passengers, this was strange as it was supposed to be a direct journey. Leisurely the marine diesel engine throbbed like a slow heart beat. Mist closed in around us as we inched our way to Puerto Montt. The mist lifted and the sun came out as we followed the coast to our left. We were now running quite late. Someone went up to the bridge to enquire and was told that we would arrive about 12.30. At last, at 1pm we were back on shore. A 10 hour journey had for some reason taken 13 hours.
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Walked down to the Internet cafi we had used the previous time we were in Puerto Montt, looking forward to one of their salads, it was closed. So we walked a little further to a reasonable cafi just beyond the bus station. Once satisfied we returned to the bus station where we bumped into Maggie, who ran the hostel we stayed at in Puerto Montt, then booked our tickets from Puerto Varas to Temuco for the morrow. Hopped onto a local bus which in 30 minutes had us at Puerto Varas.
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