27th Jan. Have to admit that I was quite relieved not to be on a bike this morning, when I started up the stoney road with Izvan and Henrietta in rain and wind, to catch the ferry.
Soon the weather improved, however, and every now and then we'd see a couple of cyclists.
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| Carretera Austral |
Photo: István
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| Ferry |
The road to Tortel passed through rain forest, with some deep gulleys, and interesting rock formations.
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| Gullies and thick vegetation alongside the road to Tortel |
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| Carretera Austral on the way to Tortel |
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| Typical Carretera Austral vegetation: photo Istvan and Henrietta |
At last we arrived at Tortel; a small seaside town, characterised by lots of steps and boardwalks, which made it easier for the local people to get around - but which, to me, gave the village an artificial look.
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| Tortel |
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| Tortel |
Walking around this village took time, because of its different levels, and road surfaces being as they were, the light was already beginning to fade by the time we reached our campsite for the night: Rio Nadis - a small farm in a beautiful valley, run by German-born Gabriella and her Chilean husband, who had two beautiful children,. Over 20 years or so, thez had built up their business, building a cosy wooden refugio plus extra shelter, selling firewood, making jams and bread, growing vegetables, etc.
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| Rio Nadis |
Their lifestyle, and that of their neighbours and many other families, however, is threatened by government plans to flood the valley, in order to build a dam and provide hydro-electricity: a project that they say will only meet a small percentage of the countrys needs, and ruin one of the world`s last wildernesses. All over Patagonia there are posters, saying 'Patagonia Sin Represas' (Patagonia without dams). There is understandably very strong feeling, and there is a court appeal in progress, or being prepared, since apparently the government has cut corners illegally to get it through.
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| Animal skins hanging up to dry at Rio Nadis |
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| Wood burning stove and cooker at Rio Nadis `Camping': good for drying out wet clothes and people |
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| Rio Nadis |
After two days' relaxation (catching up on washing and walking a bit for me, horse riding for Izvan and Henrietta, along the Pioneers route - that scared them quite a lot, and left them exhausted), time to move on to Cochrane (for the first bank and ATM since crossing the Chilean border!), up the Chacabuca Valley, where a new National Park (NP Patagonia) is soon to be opened, and on to Rio Tranquillo.
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| Istvan negotiates the suspension bridge, leaving Rio Nadis |
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