Dangerous Driving Days
I woke up at 8am. The girls were already awake chatting away in their tent which was on it's last days of being useful. They were just snacking. I immediately said hello, when I opened the side van door nearest to their tent. I then asked them "what happened last night ? They said they got a ride into town, an then were showed the grand tour of the town by the guy who gave them a ride into town. I said, “Well we were supposed to have dinner @8-9pm. You left me here.. so started the fire without you and ate tuna for dinner. I thought you had been kidnapped or etc. I was going to call the police and tell them you were missing if I didn’t see you this morning. That was very rude of you. If you wanted to be late in town, then should have just say you’d be back late. That was very rude of you to do that.". I also said that if I had to report them "lost/missing persons" then I'd have to get my nearest Embassy involved as my name would have been on police missing persons report as the last person to see them.
The Jacqueline thought I was acting like her father. I said, "no that’s not true, but I just want a little courtesy that’s all". She didn’t understand why a person who was offering them a ride for 3 days could be pissed off for that. Anyway, I told her that I wouldn’t let them ride with me anymore and that it was my idea BEFORE their stupid stunt. They seemed saddened by that. However I said, I don’t mind picking up people, but don’t want "travel partners" who don’t help me with petrol costs. I explained to them that to hitch a ride for a day is no problem, but the moment you're hitching a ride with someone for 2+ days you need to pitch in for fuel costs. Eventually I think Jacqueline understood that her and her friend fucked up.
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| Just on the Eastern entry of Los Antiguos, Argentina - Got cherries? |
Jacqueline, the English speaking girl, began to tell me her sob story of her parents and how they are poor and etc. Well I can relate to that, but still being courteous to your driver doesn’t cost money. I am a nice guy, so given her sob story and playing the "air violin" (which they did not know what that meant), I made me offer to drive to the the next town, Los Antiguos, near the border. We didn’t talk much on the way as I was a wee bit tired from lack of good sleep the night before.
I stopped in town for petrol, and dropped them off. They said good bye and thank you to me at the petrol station in Los Antiguos. I guess they learned the hard way when they had 'worn out their welcome' so to speak.
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| Giant guitars in Los Antiguos, Argentina |
I ran some errands in Los Antiguos including getting a very interesting pizza for lunch this town. Its hard to explain what the pizza was, but it was plain cheese however the pizza began to make my belly not feel so good. I felt pressure in my read end region building up slowly. Not good at all It was like 1pm now. Not much happening here because everything closes at 11am to reopens at 4pm or so.
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| The big welcome sign/map in Los Antiguos, Argentina |
So I left for Chile....On my way out of town to the border crossing, I saw the girls on the right side of the road hitching heading the same way I was going. It seems once they say my van they immediately turned away in ‘embarrassment’ or so it seems. I went into the Argentinian customs, got my passport stamped again, and then drove through 10kms or of no man's land to the Chilean Customs building. Here, they confiscated my cache of fruit and veggies per law. They were friendly -- very friendly as was they see I am from NZ. Very nice police officers!
I left the customs area for Chile and reached no man's land. There were all sorts of religious artefacts near the road:
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| A cross / some sort of shrine at the side of the road. it was about 3m tall as well. |
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| A beautiful engraved religious landmark in No Man's Land between Los Antiguos and Chile Chico |
Then soon arrived in Chile Chicos, Chile. A nice town with lots of needed stuff. I stocked up propane cooking fuel, got some other supermarket items like a re-stock of veggies (avocados, apples, bananas) and etc. I desperately tried to find a bathroom and a permit for fishing while there. No luck for either. No one wanted me to be able to use a toilet there; not even an official city building! Ouch! Strange indeed. I could not also find the place where to get a fishing permit as I was being jerked around by everyone who gave me diretions to find the proper building to go to. Grrrrr!
I went down to Chile Chico's lovely water front to take some pics of the lake. So lovely indeed. I took many pics! I also did some walking around this lovely little town, with continually increasing pressure in my rear side from that nasty pizza I ate a while back..
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| A pano photo of Chile Chico's lovely lake waterfront |
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| I found this old boat with no tourist signsnear it. I wonder what happened to it? |
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| A boat on stilts in Chile Chico town centre |
As I left town to go back on the gravel roads, I saw heaps of hitchers looking for a ride. I saw 1 pack of guys (4 of them with loads of gear each) and 1 solo hitcher. I didn’t offer anyone a ride. I wanted to my own time thanks.
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| A beautiful, but unnamed lake just West of Chile Chico that was nowhere to found on my map. |
That pressure I was feeling in my rear side from that nasty pizza had sadly caught up to me. So I pulled into an old abandoned viewing area for this beautiful lake. I grabbed some TP and tried to find a spot with some sort of reasonable privacy. I dropped my shorts and let nature do it's calling. I think I lost 2 KGs on that one. Yes I know TMI (too much information!) Ouch! I tried to bury the evidence as best I could before I left the scene of the crime. LOL! So I kept driving on this rugged lakeside road....
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| The beginning of what was going to one of the hardest non-snow driving days I have ever experienced.. andI am comparing this to my older hard drives in Alaska and Canada. The "true colours" of Patagonian roads were now clear to me with Lago Tranquilo, Chile in the background... |
I hit the long dusty mountain road and this was a special one. My GoPro seemed to have malfunctioned because it would not record video! Uuugh! Dammit! I was driving on Lago Tranquilo (Chile). Amazing views, but so very dangerous driving indeed. I hope to never get that sort of road again! At one point I thought I was going either crash into the rocky wall to my left or fall off the cliff and into the lake 200m below. I initially went up about a 35 degree slope with rutts like 4" high filled in with large rocks. To my left was a jagged wall like a meat grinder. To my right was drop of about 175m (70 degree slope) to the glacial mountain lake below. For the 1st time since driving here, I was very afraid. For this day from here onwards, I really missed Rebecca and was worried I'd never see her again. I somehow made up the steep slope in my ill-equipped RWD campervan.
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| A pano photo of Lago Tranquilo: During this entire what many people would call a "terrifying" solo drive was unimaginable scenery to soak the senses |
When I got the top of this jagged crest and pointed the van downhill, I saw the road narrowed to just barely enough space for one vehicle with the cliff drop off to my right with zero room for error. On the way down to engine brake it, I lowered the gear to 2nd then eventually to 1st first, but that was no help. I was fishtailing all over the place with the crappy rocky rutted road. I now realise that I pushed this van passed it's operating limits and now I had surpassed my own driving experience / skills here. I was relying on lady luck to get me through this section of the road. So I aimed the car towards to the rocky wall rather than risking falling into the icy lakes below. The idea of sinking in a van in 590m deep Lago Tranquilo was not good way to die. No would ever find me or the van. I would be lost forever as I was travelling solo with zero witnesses to help me. I could not, I would not let Rebecca, my family and friends be saddened with no closure like this. Think of the true story and the movie called "The Perfect Storm" with George Clooney where these men were lost at sea forever. I would not let that happen to me!!!
The van was sliding for what seemed uncontrollably downhill. The steepness of the road was about 37-40 degrees or so with barely wide enough for one vehicle. The van eventually stopped slightly facing the jagged wall in a very precarious way. To the right, was the 175m drop off to the lake. I was near the bottom / end of this very dangerous section. I literally stopped my mind panicking to compose myself and get a grip. I took a drink of water, then reversed the van (RWD works well in reverse for traction!), and straightened the van up. I then rolled onto a wider, flatter, safer terrain road. I was sweaty, mentally broken and inside felt beaten with no energy left. For many minutes, I had tears in my eyes actually. So I composed myself and got moving onward because the loose cliffs above made this entire route unsafe for stopping.
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| Notice the steep road sign -- good fucking grief! This does not help soothe my now broken nerves! |
I stopped for a few pics along the dangerous drive, but not many as I was still very jittery from taking this very ill-equipped RWD campervan on this mountain lake road. I just wanted to get this road overwith as soon as possible. I kept driving and met some other adventurers driving a very appropriate vehicle indeed.
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| A customised Mitsubishi Delica 4x4: This is vehicle I wish I had been driving the the entire drive. |
After driving for what seemed forever hours, I finally arrived at Puerto Guadal, Chile (a Chilean Patagonia little lake town), I found what seemed to be the only free lakeside camp area at 6pm or so. Soon after, I arrived, 2 other vehicles arrived. 1 of which I saw from the ride there. I spoke to the people too who were having tea above a cliff view of the lake with my dream 4x4 van.
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| Hey I see a place to rest on the lake! Nope. the 2000m of rocks above can comedown and smash you and your car. Keep going sucker! |
Soon after, all people from all 4 vehicles including mine, were chatting away. They were all Germans except 1 couple (Swiss), but lucky for me they all spoke English. A few of them went into the COLD lake for a swim. I was tempted, but did not. Others starting making dinner and sorting their sleeping areas out in their vehicles. I cooked a simple, but nice pasta with sauce meal. Yummy food with nice view.
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| The very hard earned sunset view from the back of van in Puerto Guadal, Chile |
I spent an hour or so chatting with the other friendly road trippin' tourists and then hit the van for bedtime at 11pm or so. I updated my blog from 24/2 (yesterday) and turned off the lights inside the van.
Today was a day of fear and loneliness for many parts I wish I could erase from my memory. However I cannot do that so those experiences are part of me forever. I have grown in many ways from experiencing those solo moments of doubt and pure fear. It was very nice with meeting very nice travellers to share experiences with in near real time. And even more important, it's very good to be in normal flat gravel roads. I am exhausted, but I'm very much "alive" in Southern Patagonia living my dream!
It's bedtime now @ 11:30pm ish….
PS. I didn't want to forget about the very cool travellers who I met here while camping this night:
1) Felix and Eva, from Germany (Wicked Van renters like me, but hired from Santiago)
2) Claudia and Uwe, from Germany (The are a couple in their very customised RV who are rigged for a 5 year journey in South America!)
3) Barbara and Flio (from Germany who have a Massive Diesel 4x4 van.. Awesome!
Daily Summary:
Everything that happened today definitely made me feel "alive". From telling the girls to get a ride with someone else to driving the steep gravel roads to meeting the amazing people at the campsite at the end of the day, I definitely feel very much alive today. I really like this feeling and I hope it keeps going for the rest of the trip.
PS. I didn't want to forget about the very cool travellers who I met here while camping this night:
1) Felix and Eva, from Germany (Wicked Van renters like me, but hired from Santiago)
2) Claudia and Uwe, from Germany (The are a couple in their very customised RV who are rigged for a 5 year journey in South America!)
3) Barbara and Flio (from Germany who have a Massive Diesel 4x4 van.. Awesome!
Daily Summary:
Everything that happened today definitely made me feel "alive". From telling the girls to get a ride with someone else to driving the steep gravel roads to meeting the amazing people at the campsite at the end of the day, I definitely feel very much alive today. I really like this feeling and I hope it keeps going for the rest of the trip.
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