A Few Days in Isla Chiloé, Chile

From our nice stay in Ensenada, we took a morning bus through Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt, and then another bus and a ferry to the island of Chiloé. We picked a rainy, foggy day for the trip, so couldn't see much of anything on the ferry.

We went straight to the main city of Castro, a quaint little fishing-turned-tourist town. Castro and Chiloé somewhat reminded us of the small towns in Penobscot Bay, Maine. There are many smaller islands in the Chiloé archipelago, and small ferries abound.


Castro has a beautiful square, complete with an old church built completely of wood. We spent the first day and half, with warm sunny weather, strolling around Castro's square area and the waterfront.

Church Inside--All Made of Wood!
We stayed in a small hostel a block from the bus station called La Cordillera. We chose an upstairs room with a waterfront view, though we had to give up the option of a TV and a 'matrimonial' bed to get the view. But it was worth it.

We investigated taking guided tours to see other parts of the island. But they wanted 18,000 pesos per person (about $32). After asking at the tourist information kiosk in the square, we found that we could do a 'self-tour' for only a few dollars.

So the next day, we got going early, and caught the 9am bus that goes through the small town of Chonchi and out to the Parque Nacional de Chiloé. It was a nice 90-minute ride through the countryside (costing only $6 each round trip).


For another $2 each, we got into the park. The park features a couple of short walks--one on a boardwalk trail through a unique area of forest (for Chile) that reminded me of a Central Florida pine/palmetto hammock. The second walk was out to the dunes on the Pacific Ocean. It was kind of drizzling the whole time we were there, but we still enjoyed the walk.



For lunch, we returned to Chonchi, and had a nice seafood lunch and a walk on the (almost deserted) waterfront. The Lonely Planet raved about Chonchi, but we thought it was kind of dull. But both the square and the church was under renovation, and there were no tourists in town.

The Deserted Chonchi Waterfront
I think that during high tourist season, when everywhere else is packed with tourists, Chonchi might be a nice respite from the crowds (especially when their extensive renovations are complete).

On our third day in Chiloé, we took the bus in the other direction, to the town of Dalcahue, and on to the smaller island of Quinchao. Again, the bus fare included the ferry trip.


We enjoyed the bus ride down the backbone to the principal town of Achao, and an hour walking around. We tried to get a map of the town, but the tourist office was closed. We did get in to see the church, nicely renovated.



We had lunch at the new waterfront complex in Dalcahue, where they have built a fish market, an artesan market, and restaurant complex over the water. The 'restaurants' are very small booths with a few seats, selling delicious seafood plates.. anything from steamed mussels to crab and several kinds of fish.

The one thing we DIDN'T get to do while in Chiloé is tour a Salmon Farm. But Salmon farming is BIG business in Chile. The whole time we've been in the Lakes District, we've seen large semi trailers transporting fish... Since salmon live in salt water but breed in fresh water, the farming operation has to transport them back and forth between farms on fresh water lakes and farms near salt water.

Salmon Transport
We would really have liked to had a good explanation in English of the farming operation. But never saw a tour offered.

We loved Chiloé, it would be a great place to come back and spend more time.

Rafting the Rio Petrohue

We had a great time today doing a whitewater rafting trip on the Rio Petrohue.

We went with Ko Kayak on a nice half-day whitewater rafting trip down the same river we biked along yesterday. ($27,000 Pesos per person)


The weather was great and the water was good. They told us it was about 5 feet higher than it was last week. So we had some good rapids.


At one point, our guide, Richard, the owner of Ko Kayak, told us we could jump out and swim for a little bit. By that time, we were all hot and sweaty (in full 5 mil wetsuits with booties and spray jacket), so we jumped in an swam for a bit.

Dave In the Water With the Camera
Evan Having a Good Time in the Water
The scenery was fantastic, in the shadow of Osorno Volcano.

After the trip, Richard and the staff at Ko Kayak treated us to snacks and Pisco Sours. We had a great time hanging out and warming up.

Tomorrow we are trying to put together a big ride DOWN Osorno (truck up, bike down).

Bike Riding along Rio Petrohue in Chile

Donna and Sherry on their Bikes
We rented bikes today from the cabins that we are staying at. It is about $18 per day per bike. They have pretty decent bikes (15 speed mountain bikes in reasonable condition). We set out about 11am to ride all the way to the Petrohue and Lago Todos Los Santos... about 19 KM one way, with lunch in our backpacks.

We first rode to 'Salto Petrohue' (Petrohue Falls). We got off our bikes and paid $2 each to get into the park. There was a cruise ship in Puerto Montt today and so there were tons of visitors in big tour buses.




It was fun to wander through the people and try to guess what nationality they were... from skin color, clothes, and mannerisms. But really you can't tell any more. Chile has a lot of European heritage people (Germans and Croatians, we know for sure) besides the Spanish. And everyone has cross populated, so an Oriental-looking person could be from San Francisco, UK, or Japan. Plus everyone in the world is copying each other's fashions, so it is really hard to tell from clothes and hair anymore. You just have to wait til they open their mouth.

The ride to the falls was easy... all on nice paved roads, not too many cars, and not too hilly. Once we got beyond the falls though, the pavement ended, so we were riding on gravel/dirt road. It wasn't a lot of fun. Especially later in the afternoon (on Good Friday) when all the locals started zooming past to get to the lake.

But we finally made it out to the lake. It was a nice improved park, but they wanted about $5 for a picnic table, so we just ate our lunch in the parking lot.


The lake was beautiful. You could take a ride in a small tour boat on the lake for about $20, but we passed on that.



The ride home was a lot easier, as there was a gentle grade almost all the way back to Ensenada. We only had to ride up 2 small hills, and the rest was coasting downhill.

When we got back, sore butts and all, we were treated to the most spectacular sunset over the lake.

Puerto Varas and Ensenada

Vulcan Osorno from our Cabin Window
Our Sky Airlines flight from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt was uneventful. It was pretty overcast, and we had interior seats, so we didn't see much out the airplane windows.

The pilot landed in the heavy fog, 'below minimums', I believe. But we lived. I don't think there are many reliever airports around here.

We didn't see much of Puerto Montt... it was totally foggy and about 7pm. We took a taxi from the airport directly into Puerto Varas. No reservations... We had the taxi dump us at the front door of the hostal we hoped to get into. But they only had bunkbeds left, scattered across 4 different rooms. (We are now, for a short time, traveling with friends Evan and Donna from s/v Java). So Evan and Dave went around the corner to look for another place while Donna and I guarded the pile of backpacks. Our walking poles make good defensive weapons, if needed!

After a bit, Dave and Evan came back with good news... two nice rooms in Ellenhaus, for a reasonable price. They have built this hostal in the 2nd and 3rd levels of an old building, and it's literally a rabbit warren. But a nice one. I got lost every time I went out of the room, but the room was nice and very clean, and the hot water was hot, and we had internet.

The next morning, Dave and I bought new backpacks... Chilean brand (Doite)... to replace the cheapies we'd bought in Guatemala that are now literally falling apart at the seams. We couldn't justify $400 North Face backpacks, and the Doites looked pretty good. They were being used as rental gear in Puerto Natales, so they will probably hold up to our careful use.

Then we all went out to the grocery store and stocked up for 4 days in Ensenada. We are renting a cabin on Lago Llanquihue, with a nice big kitchen. Then we caught the local bus out to Ensenada. 42 KM with all our gear, for about $3 per person.

Varas was still really overcast and foggy in the morning, but as soon as we headed out toward Ensenada, we came out from the clouds and it was nice and sunny. We could see Vulcan Osorno alongside the lake as we approached. And our cabin is right on the water, and right under Osorno. We'll hang out here for a few days (and let Easter weekend pass by).

Sunset Over Lago Llanquihue
Details on where we've been staying in every town are being posted on our website:
http://www.svsoggypaws.com/travel_chile.htm

Change in Plans

We were dismayed this morning to find out that the Navimag Ferry, that we were going to take from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, has been delayed. We were told by the agent in Puerto Natales that they developed a repair issue and returned to Puerto Montt to sort it out. (though a later email from Navimag said the problem was due to weather, not repairs).

They gave us the option of rebooking on the next run on April 14, or cancelling and getting a full refund. We have opted to cancel. Dave has already made the trip once, and quite frankly, I am ready to get to warmer weather. We have already seen and experienced penguins, several glaciers, lots of snow-topped mountains, and windy waterways. It would be fun to do the 4-day trip, but I don't want to wait another week either.

So we took our refund and bought 2 one-way airplane tickets from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt for tomorrow. And we have about $400 left over to play with elsewhere. We opted not to bus this stretch of Chile... the route through Chile is about 2000 KM of gravel roads. The alternate route is to cross over into Argentina, and go up through Argentina. Both bus routes would take a couple of days. For about $140 each we can fly.

So our next stop is the southern end of what is called The Lakes District. We already have reservations for Easter Weekend at a cabin called Brisas del Lago alongside a lake in a little town called Ensenada, about 42 KM east of Puerto Varas. It is in the shadow of Vulcan Osorno. We'll just move those reservations up a couple of days, and have a few extra days to spend in the Lakes District.

Back from 5 Days Hiking in Torres del Paine

We are just back from a 5 day hiking trip doing the "W" in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.


The "W" is a W-shaped hiking trip that traverses the park and makes 3 forays up into different valleys. It's not high altitude, but there are lakes, mountains, and glaciers everywhere.

Most of the people who are doing the "W" are young backpackers in their 20's, camping in the free camping spots, and packing EVERYTHING. We chose to sleep in the 'refugios' and purchase our evening meal there. So we only had to pack our clothes and the makings for breakfast and lunch (no tent, no cooking stuff, and not as much food).

A refugio is a big cabin with a small staff, hot water, showers, bathrooms, and bunkhouse sleeping facilities. They have upgraded the biggest ones so that they are now almost like hotels (but still bunkhouse sleeping). And none are properly heated, because it is so cold, and they are so far from regular electricity (about a 2 hour bus ride from the nearest town).

Refugio Grey
We haven't finished adding it up, but we think we hiked about 35 miles in 5 days, most of it with a 25lb back on our back. (Oh, my aching knees!)

We had some pretty good weather. 4 decent days and one spectactular day. A couple of sprinkles of rain, and one snow sprinkle. The last day, we hiked all the way up to the 'Towers' and they were fogged in, so we didn't get to see them.




Glacier Grey

El Calafate, Argentina

The flight to El Calafate was easy. Not quite as scenic as we'd hoped. We ended up on the wrong side of the plane as we took off and missed the views of Ushuaia, Puerto Williams, and Cape Horn (well in the distance).

The rest of the flight we were over the desert-like mostly flat terrain of southern Argentina.

Arriving in El Calafate, we were surprised to find that there is no public bus service from the airport to town. The only option was a shuttle bus for about $10 US, or a taxi for about $20 US. The new airport is strategically located about 15 miles out of town, so if you don't use these options, you are stuck.

Friends had given us the name of a hotel they used. It's not on the internet, so we didn't book ahead. We just used the Tourist Information service at the bus station. There are several small hotels right near the bus station that are nice and haven't jacked their rates up to full 'tourist' level yet. (see our Argentina Travel page).

Ours is an 'entirely adequate' facility a block from the bus station, and cost us $28.50 US for a room with twin beds and a shared bath, no breakfast (this is pretty cheap for Patagonia). It looks newly-built and well maintained, was quiet and had heat and hot water. Not a bad deal, but Dave found a cheaper one around the corner for only $22.

The first thing we did after getting settled in our hotel room, was to go look for Hostal del Glaciar, to book their 'Alternative Moreno Glacier Tour'.

Tierra del Fuego Park and Beagle Channel Hike

For our second day in Ushuaia, we opted to go out to the Tierra del Fuego National Park and hike along the famous Beagle Channel. Unfortunately, Ushuaia, like at least one other Argentinian tourist town we know of (El Calafate), doesn't have a 'local bus' system. The options to get anywhere are taxis, tourist shuttle buses, and the long distance buses.

So, to get out to the park from town, about a 30 mile drive on gravel roads, we had to pay $15 USD per person for the r/t shuttle bus, and another $15 per person for the park entry fee. This is pretty outrageous for a 3 hour non-guided hike. They are really milking the tourist trade.

However, the park was 'improved'... a maintained path, with some markers, and some small bridges over the marshy areas.

It was a really nice hike... we barely made the '3 hour trip' in 4 1/2 hours, and almost missed our 5:30pm bus back into town. We stopped for lunch in a little glade (out of the wind) along the Beagle Channel, and took lots of pictures.

And then there were 'knee stops'. Though the trail was mostly level along the shore, there were some ups and downs. My old knees, punished by years of jogging and triathlons, and genetically inclined to arthritis, complain a bit when I do a lot of ups and downs.

The only major tourist thing we didn't do was a boat trip out on Beagle Channel. Though we would have like to do it, the combination of outrageous prices and expensive meals in town, we just decided to skip it and move on.

So we booked a one-way flight on Aerolineas Argentina from Ushuaia to El Calafate (about $140 per person). The distance to Calafate is about double the distance from Punta Arenas, so we figured we'd be paying close to $100 per person and in for a 24 hour bus trip if we did it by bus.

Hiking in Ushuaia to Glacier Martial

When we woke up in the morning, the view out our window was breathtaking. Snow capped mountains, everywhere we looked.

Our hostal had good internet, so we spent a little time getting caught up on email, blogs, Facebook, etc.

Then we set off for Glacier Martial, a short taxi ride from our hostal. At the foot of the mountain, the views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel were already pretty spectacular, and it only got better.


We opted to take the chair lift for the first third of the way up the mountain. It was a little expensive (about $15 per person), but with my weak knees, well worth it.

This hike is supposed to be 2 hours, but we stop and rest and take so many pictures, that it took us about 3 to do the hike.


We never did actually get to the glacier. It has been receding, and has receded right up a steep cliff face. We met some hikers who had scrambled up all the way, and they said it wasn't worth the climb, so we opted to stop at the base of the cliff. There was a snow bank down low, though, and we took a few shots of Dave 'in' the snow.


The views in every direction were stunning, and we took lots of pictures. A few are here and the rest may someday get posted on our photo album.


From the mountain, we could see the harbor and could see a number of sailboats anchored and docked in the harbor. So on our way down, we had the taxi take us to the 'marina'. The dock had about 15 boats, rafted 3-deep along a single pier.


The first boat we came to was SSCA member 'Diesel Duck' with Benno and Marlene aboard. We had looked on the SSCA Members Map page and seen them in Patagonia, and were delighted to actually see them. They were aboard reading (waiting for weather), and when we knocked to say hello, they greaciously invited us aboard for some nice Agentinian red wine.


We enjoyed several hours hearing of their adventures coming down from Ecuador by boat, and swapping boat stories in general. They have done a lot of cruising in the same areas we have, and we have several mutual friends.


We also saw Skip Novak's famous Antartic exploration/charter boat Pelagic Australis. It is a very impressive 60 foot aluminum boat, purpose-built for high latitude sailing.

Jury Duty, AGAIN!

Daughter Nicki has been opening our mail, and told me that I have been called up for Jury Duty AGAIN (I just served in December). I wasn't too worried about it, because now that I'm an 'old hand' at Jury Duty, I know I can go to the website and request an excusal. The reasons are limited to very specific reasons, but 'Served within the Last 12 Months' is an option. However, we just heard that my request to be excused was denied. I also put in the text of the request for excusal that we were in South America. So I was just amazed that they denied my request.

There were so many lame excuses given by others when I served in December, I can't believe that 'I just served 6 months ago' and 'I am semi-permanently out of the country' didn't work!!! And that they really expect me to fly back from South America for jury duty!!??

I have showed up to serve every other time that I've been asked, and have never actually served on a jury... after a day or two of screwing around, I have always been dismissed. I can't believe they wouldn't let me off ahead of time with a fairly legitimate excuse.

It was a big inconveniece for me to show up to serve in December, but the main reason I did it was to them be less likely to be called up later.

There is not an easy way to argue our point--the form letter we got back said that any additional requests have to be taken up with the judge on the day we report. I can't find a fax number. So we are going to mail a paper letter with a Chilean stamp and basically just not show. Let them send the court officers to get me.