Days 4 & 5 - - Esquel - Puyuhuapi – Coyaique

Note: Don't forget, you can click on any image to see a larger version.

These have been an interesting two days: In the morning of March 10, we left Esquel and faced a day of approximately 220 miles of driving. We had pretty good roads until we hit the Chilean border. Our processing through customs and immigration went fairly smoothly, however it still took us nearly an hour in total to process everyone and their vehicles through customs. After crossing back into Chile, we began our trek down the Carretera Austral (“Southern Highway”) which was built mostly during the government of Augusto Pinochet and finished in 2000. The “highway” is for long stretches barely more than a dirt path through the mountains, and at times the holes outnumber the stones.
This was a bone-jarring drive, and we endured it well, though it did slow our progress. The scenery along this "highway" is spectacular. Waterfalls and rushing rapids. Wide open valleys and jagged peaks. Tiny villages, or simply single houses set along the road, with small herds of cattle lazily munching on the grass. We even came upon one cow standing halfway on the road, with a calf drinking from the mother while we passed. This is truly outback, probably more so than just about any other place I have ever seen.

In mid-afternoon, just after a short rest break, we came across Roberto, who is leading our group, stopped by the side of the road. Here there was a small bird, just standing there, and it had not flown away as the motorcycles passed. He carefully scooped it up and set it on the side of the road. Hopefully it recovered, but it seemed to be in shock, because it barely moved when we approached it.

We reached our destination of Puyuhuapi at around 6 p.m., and relaxation was in order. This small town consisted of maybe 100 houses, a few small stores (all of which were called “Supermarkets” even though they might just have 8 or 10 shelves of products.

I made a stop in the store whose sign is shown at the left and bought a bottle of wine to take back to the B&B where we were staying. Total cost: 1,750 Chilean pesos, or a little more than $3. It was a very good Cabernet Sauvignon by Gato, from the Chile’s Central Valle.

The B&B where we stayed is run by a German woman whose husband founded the town. Ursula was a very hospitable German matron, and the smell of sauerkraut and other German delicacies permeated the first floor of the spacious house. A warm fire was burning in the wood stove in the parlor when we arrived, and the gardens in the rear of the house were delightful. Just beyond you could see the Pacific Ocean (picture below).

Unfortunately internet access was non-existent in Puyuhuapi, so we had a relaxing dinner and several of us spent time reviewing and comparing our photos taken in the bright sunshine of that day’s journey.

Our hostess Ursula ("Whatever you do, don't mention the war. I let it slip once, but I think I got away with it.") treated us to a phenomenal breakfast on Saturday of homemade cherry marmalade, homemade breads, eggs, coffee with milk and hand-squeezed rhubarb juice. After this hearty start to the day, we headed onto the road for more bone-jarring riding over the Southern Highway. Our total distance for the day was 150 miles, of which nearly 100 was on pitted dirt roads. The views, however, were tremendous, and even though the skies were overcast and gray, we saw many natural wonders that were duly recorded on many digital cameras. Bridges, valleys, waterfalls both small and large, fences enclosing a variety of livestock, and occasionally a shepherd dog that would run alongside either the motorcycles or the support truck that brought up the rear.

We saw very few people and houses along this route, though there were several construction crews, including one large group of men working on a modern bridge to cross a particular portion of the river we were following.

After a brief stop for sandwiches and soda, we continued driving to Coyhaique, and we arrived around 3:30 p.m.

Thanks to the hotel’s somewhat temperamental wi-fi connection, I am able to post this summary before dinner, after having explored the town a bit. Most notable in the main square is the assemblage of statues pictured below that commemorates the herders who are common in this province of Aysen.