Archive for the Chile Category

Chile’s Inside Passage

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Coyhaique is the biggest town along the Carretera Austral, and we planned to stop there to resupply food, gas and money, since not all of the towns in the region have ATM machines. On the way we found another nice wild camp along the river, and arrived in the town of Coyhaique the next day. It took us our normal few hours to do all of our “town stuff,” and we rewarded ourselves with a pizza and a beer at a local microbrewery.

We stopped that night just out of town at a campsite that was also an organic farm. Nacho, the farm’s Spanish owner, was very helpful, showing us around his greenhouses and giving us a great list of things to do farther north. We stayed for two nights, chatting with Victoria and Cameron, a couple from Florida heading South on the Carretera on their bicycles.

Our first stop after leaving the farm was to do two hikes recommended by Nacho.

Hiking (with coffee in hand) through the Bosque Encantado (Enchanted Forest).

Hiking (with coffee in hand) through the Bosque Encantado (Enchanted Forest).

The Sparks in the valley above the Enchanted Forest.

The Sparks in the valley above the Enchanted Forest.

Continuing North.

Continuing North.

After a couple more hours driving, we arrived at our next stop, a hanging glacier. We were excited that Quinn did the first hike of the day without complaining, and not wanting to push our luck, Jen and Quinn went to the nearby overlook to see the glacier while Witt did a longer hike to get a closer look at it.

A waterfall drains the glacier onto the snowpack below. As the afternoon sun warmed the ice it calved, sending echoes down the valley.

A waterfall drains the glacier onto the snowpack below. As the afternoon sun warmed the ice it calved, sending echoes down the valley.

The area we’re driving through is very remote and rural, with cattle and sheep being the main focus of the farms. Not much can be imported, as transportation in the area is difficult and time consuming. Lots of houses have greenhouses. If you want veggies, you have to grow them yourself.

Happy Cows.

Happy Cows.

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We stopped one evening at an upscale lodge that our camping app (iOverlander) said also had a campground. They weren't quite open for the season yet, but let us stay anyway at a reduced price.

We stopped one evening at an upscale lodge that our camping app (iOverlander) said also had a campground. They weren’t quite open for the season yet, but let us stay anyway at a reduced price.

Quinn tests out the bridge he built in the nearby creek.

Quinn tests out the bridge he built in the nearby creek.

Our route north took us next through the village of Chaitén which was nearly wiped out by the eruption of it’s namesake volcano in 2008. Farther north we entered Parque Pumalin. This private park was created by Douglas Tompkins, an American businessman who co-founded the North Face clothing company. Doug and his wife, Kris (who is the former CEO of the Patagonia clothing company), are leading many conservation efforts in the Patagonia region of Chile, including the creation of this very nice park. We camped in one of the park’s campgrounds on our way through and remarked that it was set up much like campgrounds in US national parks.

Volcan Chaitén, seen from Pumalin National Park.

Volcan Chaitén, seen from Pumalin National Park.

The next morning we arrived at the southern terminus of two ferries that make up part of the Carretera Austral.

The climate here is much like the US pacific northwest. When it's sunny, it's beautiful, but the many overcast days can be dreary. Yellow blossoms add a bit of color to a rainy day.

The climate here is much like the US pacific northwest. When it’s sunny, it’s beautiful, but the many overcast days can be dreary. Yellow blossoms add a bit of color to a rainy day.

On the ferry

On the ferry

The clouds cleared for our second ferry ride and we enjoyed a beautiful trip up the waterway.

The clouds cleared for our second ferry ride and we enjoyed a beautiful trip up the waterway.

The coastlines here are dotted with salmon fisheries. The farms are the main industry in the area and the source of much of the farmed salmon imported into the US. There are typically tanks set up on shore where the salmon spawn in fresh water supplied from a stream. Once they mature they are transferred to nets located just offshore.

A salmon farm floats offshore.

A salmon farm floats offshore.

On the recommendation of a guide we met on the ferry, we decided to take a detour into the Rio Puelo valley. The valley is very remote and just opening up to tourism. Like much of the region we’ve been traveling through it is threatened by a hydroelectric scheme that would flood most of the valley.

Chile has privatized most of its water resources and today they are 80% owned by foreign corporations. In recent years there have been plans to dam rivers in the area and build the world’s longest transmission line (over 2400 kilometers) to supply Santiago and the power-hungry mining operations in the north of the country. This transmission line has been blocked by local conservation efforts, but there are other fights brewing as developers eye lesser known valleys.

Reaching the heart of the Rio Puelo Valley required yet another ferry ride, this time across a lake. We arrived at the terminal after the last ferry of the day had departed, so we made camp on the lake shore.

Enjoying the sunset at our campsite on Lake Tagua Tagua.

Enjoying the sunset at our campsite on Lake Tagua Tagua.

Clear skies the next day allowed us to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

Clear skies the next day allowed us to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

Later that afternoon we hiked to Lago Azul. Like all of the lakes and rivers here it features perfectly clear, blue waters.

Later that afternoon we hiked to Lago Azul. Like all of the lakes and rivers here it features perfectly clear, blue waters.

Since our rustic campsite didn't have showers Jen braved the cold lake water to rinse off.

Since our rustic campsite didn’t have showers Jen braved the cold lake water to rinse off.

Along the Carretera Austral

Just about every traveler who drives the PanAm route from north to south has the ultimate goal of reaching Ushuaia, Argentina. It is commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world, and therefore it often serves as a symbolic southern endpoint for a Pan American trip.

When we started out on our trip that was also our goal, but somewhere along the way we changed our minds. We had the pleasure eight years ago of flying in and spending a whole month exploring the areas of southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It was wonderful and magical. We trekked extensively in Parque Torres del Paine, saw beautiful glaciers in Chile and Argentina close up and we had a terrific time.

At some point on our current trip we just decided that instead of driving all the way down to Ushuaia that we would rather see places that we haven’t seen before. We would focus on Northern Patagonia and points north. So when we reached Northern Patagonia in Argentina we took a right turn and headed towards Carretera Austral in Chile.

The Carretera Austral is a 1200-mile, mostly dirt road that runs through the countryside of Patagonia. It’s been on our must-see list for some time, and as our time in South America winds down we are working our way north along this beautiful road.

We’re currently staying at an organic farm and campground about midway along this route, and thus far the trip as more than lived up to it’s billing.

From the Atlantic coast of Argentina we turned West, and after a day's drive through the dry brush lands we arrived at the border with Chile.

From the Atlantic coast of Argentina we turned West, and after a day’s drive through the dry brush lands we arrived at the border with Chile.

After crossing the border we arrived in the town of Chile Chico, set on Lago General Carrera with the snow-capped Andes in the background.

After crossing the border we arrived in the town of Chile Chico, set on Lago General Carrera with the snow-capped Andes in the background.

We found the local laundry lady, and while we were parked in front of her house, a Spanish man came out to say hello. We chatted for a bit, and found out that he and his girlfriend were couch surfing at a nearby house. Soon we had been invited to tea, and that led to a dinner invitation.

Enjoying a fun evening with new friends.

Enjoying a fun evening with new friends.

We met some other van travelers at a viewpoint overlooking the lake.

We met some other van travelers at a viewpoint overlooking the lake.

From Chile Chico, a dirt road led us 90km along the lake to the junction with the Carretera Austral.

From Chile Chico, a dirt road led us 90km along the lake to the junction with the Carretera Austral.

Between the rough roads and the nonstop photo opportunities, progress was slow, but it gave us time to enjoy the amazing scenery.

Between the rough roads and the nonstop photo opportunities, progress was slow, but it gave us time to enjoy the amazing scenery.

The lake is the second largest in South America, and we spent several hours following it's coastline.

The lake is the second largest in South America, and we spent several hours following it’s coastline.

We had to keep a lookout for lambs crossing the road.

We had to keep a lookout for lambs crossing the road.

Fortunately there weren't many cars on the road, but there was plenty of wildlife.

Fortunately there weren’t many cars on the road, but there was plenty of wildlife.

Our friends in Chile Chico recommended that we visit the confluence of the Baker and the Neff rivers.

Our friends in Chile Chico recommended that we visit the confluence of the Baker and the Neff rivers.

The confluence marks the southernmost point that we'll reach on our trip. Even though we didn't drive all the way to Ushuaia, we felt like it was a milestone on our journey.

The confluence marks the southernmost point that we’ll reach on our trip. Even though we didn’t drive all the way to Ushuaia, we felt like it was a milestone on our journey.

According to this sign we are closer to Kathmandu, Nepal, than to Carbondale, Colorado.

According to this sign we are closer to Kathmandu, Nepal, than to Carbondale, Colorado.

The sapphire blue Baker River is a world-class fly fishing destination.

The sapphire blue Baker River is a world-class fly fishing destination.

We found a great campsite on the river and enjoyed sitting around the campfire.

We found a great campsite on the river and enjoyed sitting around the campfire.

Sunset from our campsite.

Sunset from our campsite.

The next day we rented kayaks to paddle to a set of marble cave formations.

The next day we rented kayaks to paddle to a set of marble cave formations.

Quinn had a great time helping dad paddle the kayak. Just please don't splash me with the cold water!

Quinn had a great time helping dad paddle the kayak. Just please don’t splash me with the cold water!

We even found a tunnel that we could paddle all the way through and come out the other side. We had to do that twice.

We even found a tunnel that we could paddle all the way through and come out the other side. We had to do that twice.

We hiked to an overlook where we could see a glacier. It wasn't as impressive as some we saw in Alaska, but it was a nice hike.

We hiked to an overlook where we could see a glacier. It wasn’t as impressive as some we saw in Alaska, but it was a nice hike.

A cemetery outside the village of Puerto Rio Tranquilo.

A cemetery outside the village of Puerto Rio Tranquilo.

Into Argentina and Crossing a Continent

After a beautiful sunset, we enjoyed a very quiet night on the Salar de Atacama.

After a beautiful sunset, we enjoyed a very quiet night on the Salar de Atacama.

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After taking in the sunrise the next morning it was time to head for Argentina.

After taking in the sunrise the next morning it was time to head for Argentina.

On the way we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.

On the way we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.

There were frozen salt lakes near the 14,000 ft pass we crossed. Lest anyone think we are hard core, we saw three long-distance cyclists on the same route.

There were frozen salt lakes near the 14,000 ft pass we crossed. Lest anyone think we are hard core, we saw three long-distance cyclists on the same route.

The Argentinian border post at Paso Sico.

The Argentinian border post at Paso Sico.

This could be one of the world’s loneliest border posts. After walking around inside the empty office looking for someone to stamp our passports, we finally found them eating lunch. We waited for them to finish and then completed our paperwork. We were at the border for more than an hour and saw no one else and no other vehicles.

After a four-hour drive on dirt roads we stopped for the night in the dusty mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres. (Saint Anthony of Copper – I didn’t know there was a saint of copper.) We couldn’t find a good camping option, so we splurged on a hotel with hot showers and heated rooms. Oh the luxury! There we met Chris, a motorcyclist from California.

We stop for every steam engine we see.

We stop for every steam engine we see.

We were surprised on our way into Cafayate by the amazing Quebrada de Cafayate. It reminded us of Utah and made for a beautiful afternoon's drive.

We were surprised on our way into Cafayate by the amazing Quebrada de Cafayate. It reminded us of Utah and made for a beautiful afternoon’s drive.

We spent a week in Cafayate, mostly working, but also getting a chance to taste some of the region's wines.

We spent a week in Cafayate, mostly working, but also getting a chance to taste some of the region’s wines.

Apparently eating ice cream in Argentina is the social thing to do. We even found some made without cow milk!

Apparently eating ice cream in Argentina is the social thing to do. We even found some made without cow milk!

After a few days in Cafayate, the Adventure Trio rolled in on their motorbikes. They are a family of three riding BMW motorcycles through the Americas. We first met them three years ago at the Overland Expo where their son Jack gave a talk on traveling as a family. We spent two nights together in Cafayate before heading toward Córdoba.

The Flying Sparks with the Adventure Trio. Left to right they are Sandy, Terry, and Jack.

The Flying Sparks with the Adventure Trio. Left to right they are Sandy, Terry, and Jack.

We were heading in the same direction, so we decided to meet up the first night in the town of Recreo. It happened to be the fourth of July, so we got some steaks and grilled them over the campfire. It was nice to have friends to celebrate with!

Next stop, Buenos Aires, and hopefully a working fridge!

Cold Beer is Overrated

About three weeks ago when we first pulled into San Pedro de Atacama after crossing the Salar de Uyuni, our refrigerator stopped working. Part of the reason we stayed in San Pedro for so long (other than work) was to get parts for the fridge mailed to us from Utah. While we were waiting, we sampled some of the offerings available in the region.

Witt takes apart the refrigerator for something like the fifth time.

Witt takes apart the refrigerator for something like the fifth time.


Among the many, many tourist activities on offer in San Pedro is sand-boarding on the local dunes.

Among the many, many tourist activities on offer in San Pedro is sand-boarding on the local dunes.


Quinn had fun playing on the dunes too.

Quinn had fun playing on the dunes too.


One afternoon we went back to the Valley of the Moon to explore the salt cavern there.

One afternoon we went back to the Valley of the Moon to explore the salt cavern there.


Quinn had a good time climbing on the strange salt formations.

Quinn had a good time climbing on the strange salt formations.


One benefit of our extended stay in San Pedro was that we got to see the beautiful adobe church without its shroud of scaffolding.

One benefit of our extended stay in San Pedro was that we got to see the beautiful adobe church without its shroud of scaffolding.

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We discovered recently that many of our credit and ATM cards are expiring soon. June of 2015 seemed like so far away when we left on our trip two years ago! Quinn’s grandparents have been kind enough to collect the replacements for us, and since we were stuck waiting for our fridge parts anyway, we asked them to send our new credit cards to us as well. Despite having to make the 4-hour drive from their house to the nearest DHL office, they mailed our cards and new car registration documents for us. Thank you so much!!

The process for receiving a package in Chile goes something like this. First the package gets mailed. It usually only takes 3 days to arrive in Santiago. Then it has to go through customs. Each of our packages took about 5 days for this process. Then DHL notifies you that you owe import duties on your package. Visit the DHL office and pay the taxes. Then they release the package from customs, and about two days later the package arrives at its destination.

For us the destination was Calama, a mining town in Northern Chile. Since the town (and more importantly its only campground) wasn’t that appealing, we decided to wait in the tourist hub of San Pedro, camping at hostels where we could use the fridge in the kitchen. This meant that we had to make the 3-hour round trip drive from San Pedro to Calama three times before we had both of our packages in our hands.

The fridge parts were the first to arrive, and we installed them that evening with high hopes that we’d soon have cold beer once again. Unfortunately it was not to be; the fridge still refused to run.

A few days later it was time to pick up the package containing our credit cards and other necessities, like train tracks. (Doesn’t everyone get train tracks in their care packages?) After retrieving that package we drove to the Tatio Geysers, the world’s highest geyser field.

We got to see an amazing sunset on our way up to see the Tatio geysers.

We got to see an amazing sunset on our way up to see the Tatio geysers.


By far the most important part of the care package was new tracks for Quinn's train set.

By far the most important part of the care package was new tracks for Quinn’s train set.

The Tatio Geysers are apparently most active between six and eight AM. That combined with the fact that they’re at 4320m (over 14,000 feet) in elevation meant that we had to endure some discomfort to see them (namely cold temperatures, lack of sleep due to altitude, and then getting up before sunrise). We drove up the previous evening and camped near the geysers. It got to well below freezing overnight, so we put our water-filled nalgene bottle along with a container of leftover bean soup outside to freeze. This will keep our fridge (turned cooler) cool for a couple of days, we hope. We fired up our heater and snuggled into our sleeping bags for the night.

The next morning as the tour busses started to pull in well before dawn, we dropped the top on our van and followed them to the geyser fields.

The geysers were neat to see, although they consisted mostly of pools of boiling water and not many actual jets.

The geysers were neat to see, although they consisted mostly of pools of boiling water and not many actual jets.

With our packages now safely in hand, we were finally free to leave for Argentina. Since we’d decided to cross the border at Paso Sico, which doesn’t have a Chilean customs post, so we did our immigration and customs paperwork in San Pedro. We left town at about 2pm, and since we didn’t want another sleepless night at altitude, we camped in a flamingo reserve on the Salar de Atacama.

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Quinn convinced us to let him open up some of his new tracks and set up his trains on his bed.

Quinn convinced us to let him open up some of his new tracks and set up his trains on his bed.

We’ve decided that Buenos Aires is the best place to try to get our fridge fixed, so we’ve opted to detour south to the “Paris of South America” to either repair or replace it. Our next stop is the Argentinian wine growing region of Cafayate for a week. After that we’ll bolt across the continent to BA. Wish us luck!

The Star-Gazing Capital of the World

The Atacama Desert is known as one of the best places in the world for star gazing. That’s why scientists from the U.S., parts of Europe, and Japan decided to install one of the world’s largest radio telescope arrays at 5000m (over 16,000 feet) in the mountains there. The dry (2% humidity – don’t forget your moisturizer!), thin air ensures that the faint signals that have been traveling from distant galaxies for the past 100 million years don’t end their journey by being dispersed in a pesky water droplet in our atmosphere.

We visited the Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-millimeter Array last weekend, and it was quite an experience.

The first thing that clues you in that this project has deep pockets is the fact that the tour is free. We awoke at 8am, which here is before dawn, and went to board the brand new, fancy bus that would take us to the site. Then they turned on the safety video which easily matched any of the safety videos I’ve ever seen at NREL or any other government facility, right down to the Personal Protective Equipment, Health and Safety Regulations, and Medical Response Action Plan. The English speaking narrator obviously had never even visited a Mexican restaurant, as he kept saying, “San Pedro dee Atacama.” It all felt very out of place for us.

These 12m telescopes have been moved from the 5000m plateau where they operate down to the maintenance and operations facility at 2400m for repairs.

These 12m telescopes have been moved from the 5000m plateau where they operate down to the maintenance and operations facility at 2400m for repairs.

How do you move a 12m telescope, you ask? With one of these crawlers. It moves at 5kph and consumes $2000 of diesel fuel in a round-trip.

How do you move a 12m telescope, you ask? With one of these crawlers. It moves at 5kph and consumes $2000 of diesel fuel in a round-trip.

If you start thinking about the task of assimilating the data from 66 different radio telescopes into a single dataset that represents the virtual 16km antenna that the site simulates with it’s array, you can imagine that there’s a lot of data processing going on. In fact, for every astronomer on site, there are 9 electrical engineers. On top of that, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, called the correlator, is operational at 5000m on the site to carry out this work.

We got to climb up on the transporter and even sit in the driver's seat.

We got to climb up on the transporter and even sit in the driver’s seat.

The collector on the antenna is cooled to +5 degrees Kelvin in order to make the receiver “radio quiet.” This must be maintained even during transport, and so the crawler generates power for the antenna during the trip.

To continue the astronomy theme, both Jen and I attended (on separate nights) an astro tour held just outside of town. The host had a couple of good-sized telescopes, and we got to see Saturn with it’s rings, star clusters, and something called the “Sombrero Galaxy.” The guide was obviously passionate about the subject, and we ended out having a great time despite the cold weather.

I biked out to the valley of the moon, about 10km outside of San Pedro. The white stuff on the hills is not snow - it's salt.

I biked out to the valley of the moon, about 10km outside of San Pedro. The white stuff on the hills is not snow – it’s salt.

I love it when old rusting equipment has manufacturer's plaques on it. I think this was either a generator or a pump for a mine.

I love it when old rusting equipment has manufacturer’s plaques on it. I think this was either a generator or a pump for a mine.

Anyone have any idea what language this is?

Anyone have any idea what language this is?

It’s hard to buy real coffee here, and we’ve been drinking instant. Jen’s birthday present this year was a real cup of coffee. Happy birthday!

Birthday breakfast with real coffee.

Birthday breakfast with real coffee.