Mi Casa Es Su Casa ...Y Mi Casa, Ella Viaje!

Since we last blogged we've stayed in a myriad of random homes:

We hit Puerto Montt for a late night stopover and found ourselves in a flat inhabited by several families. We slept in a room just off the shared kitchen and a shy cup of tea turned into an hours Spanish practice. We turned in at midnight just as one family sat down to their dinner :)

In Castro, the landlady of our Hospedaje apologised for her slightly wonky, higgledy piggledy, wooden house, with the words; "be careful, my house, it travels!"

Last night, we were totally stuck as our boat arrived at 1am, 12 hours late. With nowhere to stay at the harbour we boarded a random bus to the nearest town, Puerto Aysen. After passing the Prison, late night bars and a brothel we were again worrying about finding a safe place to put our heads down. Luckily, a family on the bus asked us if we wanted to share a taxi to Coyhaique (our planned destination) and in the end offered to let us stay at the Madre´s house when we arrived at 3am! PHEW. Plus she made us tea and Panitos (wee bread) con homemade Jam before we went to bed! Whatta woman, wouldn't take any money from us either. Que super linda :)!

Into Patagonia

23/01/11  We struggled through a variety of options to travel from Chiloé southward into Patagonia without backtracking or waiting a week for transport, and at the last minute discovered a boat sailing to Puerto Chacabuco.  The Alejandrina took a 36 hour journey through the fjords and snow capped mountains off the west coast of Chile, docking at several small puertos en route.  As it seems to go around here, it left 13 hours late and sailed for 40 hours.  But it was nice to go by boat :) and you should´ve seen our pack lunch.

Boarding the Alejandrina.  More of a cargo boat than ferry.  And not so clean on the inside!

As well as birds we saw dolphins, seals and...Penguins!!!  (And hiding whales).

Spooky and cold.

Location location location.

Layers...

Tea and sunset at sea :)

Colours and patterns :)

Into the night.

Parqué Nacional Chiloé

20/01/11 Along a beach, over a bridge, over a head land, along a beach, over a bridge, over a headland and arrive at Cole Cole.  The first day was sunny but windy, and lots of Horse Flies (gross).  We stayed the night at a sweet little campsite on the beach next to the stormy Pacific.  The walk home was wet and windy, but it felt good :)  32K round trip.

This felt pretty epic.  Like crossing a desert for a few hours.

Weather could´ve been a lot worse.

Over the headland...

Arrived!  Camping Cole Cole is hiding in the bottom right, just off the beach.

Safe from the wind :)

Vamos a casa.

Chew Chiloé

Check these out, nice food over here though not as cheap as we´re used to.

Cerviche! Fresh fish salsa, with lots of lime and coriander. Que Rico!  We mixed two, Hake and Salmon.
$2000 ($700 is 1GB)

Bringing it home like a Pasty! Empanada, traditionally con carne. But we also had one fried with Squid and Cheese. Squid and Cheese!!
$700

Curanto, a dish traditionally baked in a hole the ground. Mussels, Clams, HAM!! Sausage, Chicken, Baked Potato and a dumpling (water proof bread). The waitress said it was for one, so we got 2 and some chips! Sheesh. Amazing after a long, wet and cold walk :)

$3500

Looking sligtly overwhelmed in a new Alpaca Jumper (Grace gave in).

Chiloé

19/01/11  An island off the west coast of Chile, with the landscape and weather to resemble Wales and Scotland.  Mmm home :) We hung out, ate local, stumbled into a brothel (doh!) and romped in the national park.

Chiloé has a wool market.  Nice Alpaca, but not the quality we´ve become accustomed to ;)

Our favourite two Palafitos.

Crikey! Lets Chuck A U-ey

These just in from our Cheery Lass Chirilas down under!

John, Grace, Diana and Rob with photographer´s Viktor and Little :)

Didn´t we tell you Chocolate Pizza?  Photographic evidence of Nutella Calzone.

Here we are!  Awesome picture Viktor!

Experimental photography. I think we could´ve kept playing this for hours :)

Thanks guys :)

Made In Vietnam

Thank the lord for these bad boys (cheapos from Hanoi).  And thank Adam for reminding us we´ll want down jackets up mountains in South America.  Mucho Toasty. Especially with tea :)

Grace wears North Face while John is in Black Yak, which turns out to be some intense Korean mountaineering brand. 

We Go Way Back

In 2004 I asked for a Howies base layer for Christmas.  It´s probably my favourite piece of clothing. Grace had to patch up the elbows in 2007 and at 6 years old its still keeping me warm and comfy in South America, especially when sleeping in cold tents.  Good work my friend :)

Comidas Rapidas

18/01/11  Chilean style fast food.  Pretty damn good. Churrascos: One mighty sarnie with chips. Steak, cheese, toms, onion and gaucamoleeeeeee. Pastel Choclo: Abit like Shephards Pie but with corn instead of tatties. Comfort Food! Strangely contains no Chocolate. Hmm. And Raspberry juice! Hello! Our first meal out. We deserve it :) $5,500. (chilean pesos)

Junin De Los Andes

17/01/11  We stayed at Junin to access Parque Nacional Lanin.

Trout centre of the lake district. Official.

We treated oursleves to Vino Rojo. We slept welllllllll.

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'

New-ooooooooooo :)

Parque Nacional Lanin

16/01/11 We crossed the Andes briefly (as you do) to Argentina to check out Parque National Lanin and the Argentinian Lake District. The journey there via public transport was a nightmare and we were beaten by rain storms, but the day we arived it all became worth it.

Into the Rainbow. Starting to get excited :)

Past Lago Huechulafquen.

The bus dropped us of at the end of the road. It was a short walk before we ran into Philipo and his boat.  He rowed us over the lake to his Estancia (farm) where he offered camping. We´d planned a much longer walk to a camp, but on finding this one we were pretty happy to stay put!

We asked if he had a spot by the lake, and... check it out!  Horses, cows, sheep and ducks too. Pretty much to ourselves :)

We took a walk along the lake, passing through other Estancias, fully equiped with hanging hydes and smokey chimneys. The Parque covers an area that is mostly Mapuche inhabited, the indigenous people of this part of Argentina. Felt pretty authentic as a guy on horseback, with sheepskin for a saddle, in a hyde poncho and with a Beret on rode past!!!

Thistles! The size of tennis balls. They obviously like extreme conditions... Wind, rain, cold. This place definitely has a feel of Scotland and Wales! Thats why we like it :)

We cooked mucho.

Bath time. Brrrr.

Wet wood, one match.

 Blue Tent and morning view :)

 La Union Chapel, on the other side.

Now I Am An Explorer

Grace sewed the Union Jack on to my sweatshirt.  Now I am an explorer!

Breakfast

It´s not so bad! In fact having a stove and pans has to be the healthy way to eat cheap around here.

Hemos Subido Volcan Villarica

14/01/10  We met Mauricio and Albero (our guides) and Til and Nicola (fellow climbers) at 06.30 after porridge and Bananas.  We were so lucky to get a clear day today, with the bad weather yesterday and a storm forecast tomorrow.  The climb was extreme!  All the gear, crampons, ice axes...we learnt how to use it too. Grace was definitely a bit scared as it got steeper and steeper but the reward of the chilly (hoho) summit was worth it.

Mucho Kit. First out. SCORE.

Ready, set, look silly. Go!

Excited!

Not so happy with the sinister storm clouds chasing us. (the little whispey ones are the worst, pressure dropping, ah!)

More happy about the biscuits :)

Grace (just to clarify) whatta pro.

Lunchtime.  Always about finding a good view for the sandwiches :)

Crater presapice. Hmm gasey.

Por Fin! N.B. Volcan Lanin in the background, we´re off there tomorrow!

Team Paredon.

The cherry on top. Sledging all the way  back down! BEST SLEDGING EVER. Le Raju. ('The Shit' in Chilean)