January 15, 2018
Villa Amengual: Taking refuge
We were pretty exhausted last night and didn't feel a great deal better this morning. Even though we slept quite well, I struggled to get out of bed. Villa Amengual lay just over twenty kilometers away but with a devil of a climb starting at the fourteen kilometer mark. We were determined to cycle no further than the village and today we stuck to our plan.
The first few kilometers were pretty easy but our legs felt like lead and we stopped for a break at one of the roadside rest areas. While nibbling a few chocolate biscuits in anticipation of the climb, we were joined by the two Argentinian cycling who had camped with us at Puyuhuapi two days earlier. They had only made it to the top of the previous day's climb at nine o'clock that night and had camped on the side of the road.
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Just before the climb there is a lovely campsite with a little restaurant and shop. We pulled in to buy extra energy and were met by a Swiss couple we had spoken to on the ferries from Hornopiren to Caleta Gonzalo. They had spent the previous two nights there. We enjoyed some kuchen and a cup of coffee (instant - yuck), bought some pan and set off up the hill.
Once in Villa Amengual, we first checked out the Refugio por Ciclesta, a refuge for cyclists. It had a great kitchen, where we could use the stove to cook up some beans (beans use too much gas so a wood stove is better) but there was no place to camp (and we really didn't feel like spending the night in the communal sleeping area with other cyclists smelly socks). So we wandered down to a mercado which, I had been told by Diana at the campsite down the hill, had gas cylinders. The Swiss couple were sitting outside eating their lunch and one of the Argentinians arrived. It seemed that he had wanted to spend the night in Amengual but his buddy had ridden past the town already.
We wandered up the street looking for a campsite and came upon the Hospedaje el Michay. We decided to spoil ourselves and have booked in for the night. First of all a lunch of pan and salami washed down with an Escudo (the cheapest local beer) followed by a lovely hot shower. We've handed our laundry over to the lady of the house so even that has been taken care of. We're not sure what the bill is going to be but we don't really care at this moment.
Today's ride: 23 km (14 miles)
Total: 444 km (276 miles)
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