Day 9 - 65 KMs, Lago Tranquilo, Puerto Guadal, Chile (08:00) to Puerto Rio Tranquilo Campsite, Lake Tranquilo, Chile (16:00)

Rest Day - Limited Driving with Magnificent Scenery


Woke up around 8am ish.  Nice camping considering its right in the township lake front ;  it’s free though!    I woke up to find Flio (the German guy from the 4x4 van) swimming in the cold lake.  How cool! (or how COLD!).  Anyway, that inspired to get my ass moving early.    I got up and peed like a racehorse.  Don’t  know what but I did.  Anyway, I got into my swim trunks, grabbed my sandals, and the organic lake-safe soap.   I walked quickly over the platform and slowly stepped in the lake; it was about 18” deep there.  By now Flio was already out of the lake and changed.

Everyone enjoying breakfast & our lazy morning at
Puerto Guadal, Chile

He looked over at me and laughed.  I was freezing.  I slowly braved the water after 3 minutes of being a chicken shit.  I dunked myself, but not my jumping off the platform into the deep water, but like sort of doing a push up in the platform 18” deep area.    I quickly washed myself with the soap and 3 minutes later I did 2 more “push” ups to submerge myself to rinse myself of the soap.  I dried off very fast and walked back to the van.  I changed and hung up my swim trunks to dry in the warm sun.  I then also rigged my 20watt solar panel to my solar battery.  The morning sun was blazing indeed and it provided me warmth, power and happiness.  The sun, while driving on dusty roads, can be a misery of a thing, but when not driving it's a lovely thing indeed. It's a love/hate relationship!

Sun is good. Charges gadgets and dries clothes fast!

Flio offered me a coffee with sugar and milk. All good to me! Thanks mate!  I then cooked myself a nice double packet of cinammon sugar porrage with a banana for breakfast.  Add to that some orange juice!   Once it was done, I sat over on then permanent seats and stared out at the lake as well as the dogs playing in/near the water. Everyone around was in a happy mood!

Barbara does a handstand with her dog licking her face
sometimes during the process - LOL.

One of the groups of van campers was about to leave so I suggested we take a nice group photo. Barbara the girl who looks like my friend Sandra, did a handstand for the group photo - so funny!  Anyway, we traded contact info with everyone, and then slowly people starting departing for their onward driving journeys.  I was not done my stuff though.    I washed my clothes in the lake with the same nature-safe soap I bathed wth.  I then hung up my clothes on the line I packed with me.

An hour or so just went by, so I had to rig up a way to dry clothes while driving on the gravel road.  So I did a MacGuyver thing and rigged a cool multi-line thing for INSIDE the van.  Worked out well!.   I then was thinking what else am I missing?  Oh yeah water!  The water I had in my tank was good, but it had shit floating in from Lake Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Not good. So I dumped out all of it, and filled up with fresh clear mountain lake water.  My mindset was that any water I use from this will filtered from my hand filter (bottle) or boiled.

Interior clothes lines for the van. It worked well until driving
on the bumpy roads eventually rattled them loose to fall over

I said good bye then to the older couple in the RV.  This was Claudia and Uwe.  They are nice people and their 5 year driving journey (retirement) story is amazing to say the least because they have a cumbersome RV and not like a survival looking vehicle.   Soon after they left, I then finally got the heck out of there for more driving adventure Northbound.  I drove more about 25KMs and then I found this place called, “Pared Sur Camp” run by a man named Pablo.   I just went there out of curiousity because this place seemed to offer every mountain activity under the sun.  It looked like a new lodge and etc on the lake side.

I took my laptop and blog book inside and ordered a coffee, but it was hot already outside & inside as well. I asked Pablo if I could get a cold Coke instead. He got me one pronto.   His place is amazing! All wooden cabins, views of deep blue lakes galore and a friendly/rugged views of the Central Andes Mountains.   As I was getting into writing my blog stuff, Pablo offered me to use his WIFI for free.  I accepted, but did not really use except to show him photos of where I am from (NZ).

Yes the lake is real and NO I didn't alter the image at all 8-)

He said it looked like Chile!  I agree!     So I was able to successfully finish my blog entries for 25/2, I packed up my stuff.  Before leaving,  I took some photos from his mountain / lake view deck and a few pics from inside his main lodge  I asked Pablo to come over to take a photos with me. He did happily and signed my travel diary as well.  Awesome indeed.  I departed for more driving.

About 25kms more, I was driving up a road and suddenly this massive digger machine was coming at me down hill (fixing the rocky/dirt road.  I backed up 25m and the driver of the digger/grater finally let me pass him on his right.  Damm.. that was a big ass machine!   I kept going for 15 km more on this windy  twisty mountain road.  I finally arrived in then place where I’d stay for the ight.  This was called, “ Puerto Rio Tranquilo”.  I was hungry and needed to fill the tank up. So I filled up the tank first before anything.

Most likely the best chicken, avo, mayom and tomato
sandwich I have ever had!!!  

I drove the van down to the main street in town and saw 20 hitch hikers begging for rides.  I waved off 6 of them saying I was staying here for the day sorry.   I parked and walked to a nice café where I had the best ever chicken, avocado, and mayo sandwich. I even got photos of it!     This was at like 5:30pm, so that was my dinner.  

After dinner, I walked down by the water / main road where all sorts of “excursion” companies are selling boat trips , glacier hikes, etc…    I asked one guy how much is boat ride cost,.  It’s 12,000 CLP.(25 NZD) is cheap.     I think I will do it tomorrow @ 10am.

I then went down the main town lake beach and saw Barbara & Flio again from the big 4x4 Van. They were just hanging out by the lake after a swim about go find a campsite.   I chatted with them for 10 mins then we split up again. I drove my van back up towards to main road to find a campsite like 70 KMs away. I looked at Google and saw that a campsite on the lake was just 1km South of this town.  I gave it a go.  Score!  This was is awesome.  It costs me $6,000 CLP (or $12.50 NZD) for the night and I have a lake front spot too.  I paid the friendly Spanish woman and she gave me a Austral Andes map in ENGLISH of the region and then pointed me where I needed to go.  Its too bad I did not know about this camp spot as I could have told Barbara and Flio about it before they went off an 70 KM drive for a campsite.

My home for the night

I drove down to the lake campsites, and this place was perfecto!  I parked, then saw the sparkling lake water. I needed another lake bath!  LOL!    

So I quickly got into my swim trunks, grabbed my hemp soap and jumped in.  I got a 5 minute long bath..  and came out nice and clean! I messed about at my van and kept to myself.  This van trip was inspiring me to get another van.   

I had a grand vision so I acted on it. I used my meager/slow 3G data and ordered from Amazing a 30-watt semi-permanent/permanent (mountable) solar cel with carry bag.  My goal is to built a new van with this on the roof of the van, and get custom wiring done with a deep cel battery.  I have seen all sorts of vans here in Patagonia which has given me great ideas!  

After ordering the permanent glass solar panel. I then begin writing my daily blog entry here. I stopped though to try some star photography,  but for some odd reason  I cannot get my remote to work or the “bulb” mode to work properly so it was not my night for photography.    I was also lucky enough to exchange some TXTs with Rebecca.  I miss her so, but I am also enjoying my time alone here.    

Its 0025 now, and I am now @ zzzz time.   Today was a very good day indeed...

Daily Summary:

This was a lovely peaceful day.  Let's hope I get more days like this.