January 28, 2019
More gravel and another border crossing
Today we headed west back into Chile. The route was another gravel road, with steep ups and downs for the first 10 miles. There’d been an accident on this road during the previous tour, with a rider taking a downhill spill and breaking his leg. In the interest of safety, we were transferred a bit down the road before starting our ride. The route was dusty, through a landscape of some scrubland and forest. Along the way, I spied a Caracara bird on the side of the road. He eyed me for a while, crossed half-way across the road, and then took off.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
The route took us along the north side of Lagos Lacár and Nonthue, though the lakes were not visible through the forest. After about 8 miles, we stopped for a leisurely lunch just east of the border, where the Huahum river empties into Lago Nonthue. It was another glorious sunny day, and I took advantage of the extended lunch time to explore some of the features of my new camera. In fact, I was off taking pictures when the group left and headed for the border! As border control was less than a mile away I soon caught up with everyone and waited patiently while bags, bikes, and passports were dutifully checked. My bag was pulled for a somewhat cursory hand inspection, and they did confiscate one of the bikes due to improper paperwork. However, everyone made it through and we were soon on our way
The gravel road continued, following the Rio Huahum to Lago Pirijueico where we were to catch the ferry to Puerto Fuy. We arrived at the ferry dock early, and several of us took advantage of the opportunity to dangle our legs from the edge of the dock into the cool lake waters . However, the ferry soon arrived so we were shooed away and made to wait patiently until boarding time. During the 1.5 hr ferry ride, we said good-bye to Argentina and were welcomed to Chile by the twin Choshuenco volcanos. After disembarking at Puerto Fuy, we cycled another 13 miles along a paved road to the town of Choshuenco and our modest lodging run by an old curmudgeon and his delightful staff. The tour guide promised a beer to anyone who could get the old man to laugh and, not one to back down from any challenge, I put on my best charm and elicited a bonafide chuckle. A beer to friends of the victor!
The gravel road continued, following the Rio Huahum to Lago Pirijueico where we were to catch the ferry to Puerto Fuy. We arrived at the ferry dock early, and several of us took advantage of the opportunity to dangle our legs in the cool water from the edge of the dock. However, the ferry soon arrived so we were shooed away and made to wait patiently until boarding time. During the 1.5 hr ferry ride, we said good-bye to Argentina and were welcomed to Chile by the twin Choshuenco volcanos. After disembarking at Puerto Fuy, we cycled another 13 miles along a paved road to the town of Choshuenco and our modest lodging run by an old curmudgeon and his delightful staff. The tour guide promised a beer to anyone who could get the old man to laugh and, not one to back down from any challenge, I put on my best charm and elicited a bonafide chuckle. A beer to friends of the victor!
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today's ride: 30 miles (48 km)
Total: 218 miles (351 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 2 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |