So where the hell are we now?

We left the Bark Europa and our Antarctic memories on January 19, 2013 when the boat harbored back into Ushuaia (check out the map if you don’t know where that is-hint: look south).  So where the hell are we now and why has it taken me this long to write about things that happened months ago??  It’s March for crissakes!

For the past week, we have been in Puerto Montt, Chile (see map above).  Most of our time has been spent working on photos (for Laurent), writing this blog (me) and both of us have just been resting.  Oh and reveling in the feeling of a real bed!  We are staying in an amazing hospedaje, where the señora dotes on us like grandma would, feeding us chicken soup and apple empanadas.  We are in “recovery” from last months antics and enjoying every second.

From Ushuaia, there is only one way to go.  North!  Three years ago we took famous Ruta 40 down south (through Argentina) and so we wanted a ‘different’ way of going north.  And since Chile was our next destination, we thought going north through Chile was the perfect way!  It made so much sense back then!

We met a lot of cyclists in Patagonia.  Hardy types that pack out their bikes with tents, food & pretty much everything they need to survive.  Then they cycle for about 60 km a day to their next destination.  One of the more popular routes for cyclists is the great Carretera Austral (or it’s more humble and much duller name: Route 7).  It was from a cyclist that I had first heard about rushing waterfalls, tumbling glaciers, Patagonia’s most beautiful rivers and just about the most wildest, most remote nature you could find in this region.

I was hooked.  I wanted to go north like this!  And so did Laurent.  It seemed so perfect (maybe too perfect!).  And on a bicycle, where you have your own transport, it must be.  I did a few google searches about the Carretera Austral and learned that it was not yet so popular with most tourists because of its limited transportation options.  I just kind of ignored that and instead gushed over the google images I found.

The transportation thing didn’t really put us off so much though.  I was really craving a bit of an adventure at this point.  We had been on the same popular tourist routes through Patagonia for the month of December.  It was about time to get off the beaten track and do some real exploring!  Well, we definitely got what we wanted and then some!!  Stay tuned for the next post!!!