Day 35 Chonchi: Palafitos houses

November 26, 1999

Esmeralda Hostel

Ruben's Dutch wife will arrive in Puerto Montt today per plane from Santiago. She has been to Argentina for a week. Ruben will drive down to get her and asks us to join him. We decline, instead going to ride on the hostel we heard about in Chonchi, and then to return by bus Saturday to meet Yolande.

During the night a fierce rainstorm wakes us. Before Patrick can close the rainfly of the vestibule and part of the inner tent gets wet. This morning we try to dry it, but in the moist morning hours that doesn't go too well. We eat our cornflakes at the breakfast table and leave just as the kids catch their bus to school.

Their house is an interesting design, the building on the right is a bunkhouse like design, one for girls one for boys.

We scouted out the road to Castro yesterday's three major hills the last one into the town. The riding goes well, the clouds are clearing, and we get some sun. At the outskirts of Castro, Patrick takes some pictures of the palafitos houses built on stilts over the water. Well, it's low tide now so they sit over mud. Patrick doesn't understand the rational for building over water. We shop for groceries and eat lunch in the plaza des armas

Only another 23km to Chonchi but the road gets hillier. We meet an Irish girl on a bike and she has to be back at work in Ireland on Monday! Today is Friday. Another couple of nasty hills, and a very steep downhill take us to the waterside in Chonchi. There lays the Esmeralda hostel run by a Canadian guy.

We take a nice room for7000 pesos per night and sign up for dinner at 7:30pm. This was a great dinner of pork, sausage, mussels and mashed potatoes.

After dinner we walk along the water's edge, it's low tide again.

Today's ride: 24 km (15 miles)
Total: 1,527 km (948 miles)

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