Last night’s camp on the beach was brilliant. The wind dropped during the night and it was calm in the morning too. A great sleep in our own bed.
As Jen said yesterday, today our destination is Puerto Natales. We are going to stay in Chile to visit the scenic attractions on the eastern side of the Andes, before crossing back into Argentina, further north.
The day is quite warm and sunny. There are lots of travellers on the road. Dozens of motorcyclists, mostly Brazilian. We cross back into Chile at San Sebastian then 150k’s north, take the ferry at Bahia Azul.
Then left on the R255 before another left onto the R9, which will take us into Puerto Natales.
By 3.45pm we are still 270ks’ from our destination, so chose to camp the night beside the Pacific Ocean. iOverlander has shown us what was once the main road, but a new section has created a little loop which, will be perfect for camping for the night. The tide is out, sun shining and we are sheltered by a hillside, from the wind and traffic noise. The only impediment are horse flies. Bloody things are everywhere in this part of the world. Clearly the warm weather is spawning them as there were none on the way south.
We are not the only people with the same idea as us. They are locals and enjoying the sun and tranquility, Father and son with their shirts off and a bbq going behind their ute. I doubt they will be staying the night. Latin music playing. They have a net stretched across a channel and are waiting for the tide to come in.
Jen is fossicking at the low tide mark, for shells and other items she’s interested in.
It’s going to be difficult to get the tent pegs in the ground tonight, as it’s hard packed gravel.
Given the distances in this part of the world and lack of structured camping facilities, I’m picking there will be more overlanders arriving. We have the best spot though…:)
There is a house-that-Jack built, about 80 meters behind us, on the waterfront, that appears to be uninhabited. They have a motion sensor that has picked up our movement and any time we leave the Caranex, it sets off squawking. Lets hope it shuts off during the night!…:)
Tonights meal will be scraps…:) Jen say’s that are not scraps, just ‘alternative’ components. The larder was depleted to avoid losing food at the Chile border and there have been no shops on the way here. I think we are still in surplus from the last couple of weeks, and will survive.
Being in Chile means we have no wifi till we reach the next major town and can recharge our Entel Chip or SIM. So, we’re writing in Pages and will upload tomorrow.
Rob and Lillian, the Dutch couple we met in Malawi last year, are winging their way back to Montevideo after spending Christmas in Holland with family. I’m sure they will be excited to be driving their Land Rover Defender again and I’m hoping we can catch up with them at some point, as they head south.
While moving up the hill beside us for a photographic shot of the lovely crescent shaped bay, I spied a large egg lying in the grass. It can only be that of a Rhea. It’s empty but perfectly formed.
So much for hoping the alarm will stop. I walked to the roadside right beside the house and the optical sensor is pointing towards the road, so that any vehicle coming down the track, is going to trigger it. “We can’t stay here” Jen says. Well, the reality is, there are few other wild camping places between here and Puerto Natales. What to do? I decide that we can minimise the inconvenience and remain where we are. So, I suspect if I put some gaffer tape over the camera lens and stuff some rag in the speaker, we can hopefully reduce the noise and frequency. I’ll remove the “modifications” in the morning, before departing.
It’s 8.45pm and the tide is coming in fast. The sun is setting. Some high cloud is building but I don’t think we are going to see any rain overnight.
Life is wonderful.
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