an update

So allow me to update our plans because they have most definitely changed, quite drastically, since the last post. So it would appear that we´ve finally realized how little time we have left down here. I suppose that can be both a good and a bad thing, but we´ve been trying hard not to think too much about it. Our original plan was to rent a car and drive from Coyhaique north to see the destruction at Chaiten, and then head across to the Futaleufú Valley, maybe do some whitewater rafting. But just yesterday we received information about ferry service across to the island of Chiloe, which we were planning on driving up through after Chaiten and Futaleufú. It´s a 36 hour crossing from Puerto Chacabuco and the service runs 3 days a week. We´ve been more or less riding north from El Chalten with two other cyclists (Ralph and Thiago) and we´ve decided to partner up and head to Puerto Chacabuco tomorrow and catch the ferry headed to Chiloe. Once on Chiloe we´ll ride north and hopefully ride the length of it (just about 250 km) in about 4 days. After that we should be in Puerto Montt in a day and we´ve been discussing options from there. There is ferry service from Puerto Montt to Chaiten but it´s 8 hours and it would require us to spend the night 17 km outside of Chaiten. Ralph has suggested we rent a car and drive to Chaiten from Puerto Montt, which would allow us to do a roundtrip in one day. We´ll have to see how things go. I´m thinking that at the very least we could bug out and take a bus or transport up Chiloe and get to Puerto Montt. I guess we´ll just have to see how things go and play it by ear.

In the meantime, you should head over here and check out Thiago´s website. It´s quite good, lots of really nice photos, but it´s impossible to read unless you know portuguese :P

http://www.trilhasulamericana.com.br/

From left to right: Thiago, Me, Ralph, and Thomas