March 16, 2016
Snap: PanAm km1243 to 1162.
I write now in warm sunshine at seven in the evening, having camped early, the sun hovering low in the west where it'll set at about quarter past eight. I thought this morning being on this island, which has no mountains and it being the first morning in a while since I haven't had mountains immediately to the east, the sun would appear earlier, but no. Still, it isn't daylight till after seven and 07.41 when I look at the watch and decide to sit up. Outside the sky small fluff balls of broken cloud, which turn crimson, just after eight local time as the sun rises.
I break camp, quite literally. When taking down the tent there's a sudden sharp snap of a pole breaking; in so doing, going from a curved bow to a square elbow inside the tent sleeve. So I have to sit down and repair it from my stock of spare pole bits I bough back in France; having to use a hacksaw blade I keep with them to trim a pole section to size. I should be an expert at repairing tent poles now, this being the fourth time I've had a pole break on this tent and it goes without saying, the poles with this particular tent, aren't great quality. I hanker after my old Hellsport tent from Norway, which has quality poles. Then again it is more than double the price.
The sky having looked like it would cloud over earlier and I'd see the start of a change in the weather, but while tent pole fixing I'm sweating as the sky clears leaving warm sunshine.
I eventually after near an hour's delay get on the road shortly after ten. The road had had a paved shoulder which ended, but not long after starting today, the paved shoulder is back. A good thing as route 5 is the biggest road in Chile. The traffic is constant; lots of trucks, long distance as well as local light trucks and commercial vans which don't give a lot of space when passing. One such van on a curving descend, instead of steering round the curve, cuts a straight line over the shoulder just as I'm on the same curve and passes me within inches of clipping me.
About lunchtime I stop and shop at a roadside supermercado, or autoservicio as it calls itself, 20km before the town of Castro. Then lunch in the next bus shelter along. I'm just about halfway through eating my sandwich, when I'm joined by an old man whom I make space for on the bench, having had my lunch things spread out the full length of the bench. It is always a risk you run when lunching in a bus shelter when just wanting peace to sit and think that someone will come along and talk to you. And the Chiloe dialect, or maybe they don't even speak Spanish, as it is hard to make out a word this man is saying to me, besides liking to be left to eat in peace and not have to suddenly with my mouth full to speak to strangers. He, when I could understand him, is just curious to know where I'm from, where I'm going and where I sleep at night. Usual questions.
Castro which I reach mid afternoon, seems a nicer town in a tidy sense than Quellon where the ferry arrived yesterday, though I only stop long enough to replenish my water supply at a petrol station. The road further like before, a rollercoaster of steep climbs followed by steep descents of I'd guest 12-13 per cent gradient. Though after a bit the road levels out for the last part of the day. When I have done 80kms by half five, a good distance for a late start, I start looking out for a place to camp. So here I am camped, having come to an area covered with low bushes and a track in, with a rusty old wire gate which I lift up and push the bike underneath, the track then leading to a level open rough grass plot among the bushes.
Today's ride: 91 km (57 miles)
Total: 6,982 km (4,336 miles)
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