Grenzerfahrung

14.1. From Bariloche to Futaleufu

After Amelia's antigen test, we wait for 1 hour for the fortunately negative result. But that doesn't help us yet. To cross the border, we need 1. a negative PCR test and then an antigen test is done directly at the border crossing.

We only did one test to see if a PCR test could even be 'worth it'.

The PCR test must be negative - that's why we consider convincing the lab to fake a PCR test for us in order to get through Argentine customs in the first place. If they were to fake the tests for us, we would still be in trouble at the Chilean border if the obligatory antigen test were to come out positive: 7 days of quarantine and possibly no possibility to take the ferry to Chiloe would be the consequences.

So we go to the lab and explain our tricky situation again, but the employee who performs the test naturally doesn't want to hear anything about fake tests... So we do it anyway, since at least Roman can enter Chile with a positive test. Why that is will be explained in the next post. We prepare for the inevitable: Amelia has to stay in Argentina and fly alone to Buenos Aires and from there in a week to Santiago de Chile with another positive PCR test. If you're confused now, you should also consult the next blog post here. Roman would drive the 6 hours to the border alone, stay there overnight, enter tomorrow and spend a week in southern Chile to then return the car to Puerto Montt by ferry on February 22nd and then fly to Santiago where we would meet again after 8 days.

After an hour and a half the surprising result: We are both negative! Could they possibly have faked the tests? We don't know, but we are happy for now that we now have everything together to enter. After filling out the obligatory Jurada de Salud, we immediately get in the car to Futaleufu and try to be at the border as early as possible among the first 60 cars allowed to enter Chile tomorrow. There's traffic jam due to a truck accident that demolished a bridge. We are no less nervous because of that...

Shortly before the border, we also have a flat tire, but we only notice it when we join the car queue at the border crossing. A man helps us change the tire, as we can't find our jack in the trunk. The spare tire has seen better days as well, and we hope it will hold up at least until the next town where there is a workshop. We can exchange some Argentine money for some Chileans so they can buy something to eat at the nearby campsite. We also get to know two Israelis who are also waiting to cross the border. In addition, a man has created a list of all the cars and people present and numbered them so that during the night or in the early morning, no one else can drive in front of the line and cut in. The question is whether the police will also use this list when it comes down to it tomorrow. Here we learn that it is not 60 cars, but ONLY 60 people who are allowed to enter!!! We are No: 45 & 46, so we were pretty lucky! In the late evening, more cars join the line, whose passengers are outside the 60-person limit and will have to leave again after spending the night in their cars.

What will happen tomorrow if easily 20 people are standing in excess is not foreseeable. We imagine everything from order to chaos. The night will not be more restful because of it...

Digression: Our Chile dilemma:

Well, I will try to summarize the events that have caused a lot of stress and uncertainty during our time in Patagonia. The combination of misinformation, lack of information, and unfortunate circumstances regarding Chilean immigration regulations is worth an additional chapter in our journey, I think.

It all started with my corona infection, which most likely happened in the first refuge of the W-Trek. The dining rooms are large and you sit close together.

For better or worse, I only infected Amelia out of the many people we met and shared sleeping quarters with.

On the day we left Puerto Natales to pick up the rental car in Punto Arenas, we had to present a negative PCR test upon entry.

Unfortunately, I was positive at that time, but Amelia was still negative. What a stupid coincidence... Of course, we knew that Amelia would also be positive sooner or later.

The Ministerio de Salud was supposed to call me and tell me what to do next. But no call ever came. So Amelia tried to find out in a hospital how and where we had to do quarantine. They gave us four numbers of quarantine hotels in Punta Arenas. Two no longer existed, one was unreachable, and the last one was full. So we had no choice but to put ourselves in quarantine. On the internet, we found out that the Chilean quarantine lasts for 7 days and a recovery certificate is issued afterwards.

Since Amelia also needed a positive test result for a certificate, we did an antigen test in the same lab two days later. I was still positive, and Amelia was now too. She was about two days behind my infection. Then we went to a Seremi de Salud who confirmed that antigen tests are sufficient to get a recovery certificate. So we didn't do any more PCR tests. Amelia was also never contacted by the Ministerio de Salud, even though both of us were informed by the lab via email that they had forwarded the data to the ministry. Our Pase de Movilidad was also never deactivated, which should actually happen so that you can no longer enter restaurants.

After five days of quarantine, we tried to find out how we could get the certificate, as no one had contacted us yet. In Puerto Natales, they gave us an email address to which we had to send the positive tests in order to receive the recovery certificate, even though the ministry should actually have the results. So we wrote our email and hoped for a timely processing so that we could enter Argentina afterwards. At the same time, we tried to find solutions with our car rental company to possibly return the car and then travel to Panama by plane. You don't need any evidence to enter the country. The car rental company didn't like that, as they needed the car in Puerto Montt and had already rented it out again. Since we were concerned about being able to re-enter Chile after the possible Argentina tour, we insisted on a solution. The car rental company told us that entering with a Chilean vehicle would probably not be a problem, even if we were positive, but they knew little about the border situation... Also, we were getting tired of the uncertainty and waiting. No certificate, no negative test = no entry. After nine days of quarantine (7 days for me plus the additional two from Amelia), we still didn't know more. On the tenth day, we found on the Argentine Ministry of Health's website that they had changed the entry rules the day before yesterday and we could enter without a negative test if we had been in Chile for at least 14 days beforehand. That applied to us, and we happily set off, despite the uncertainty of whether we could return to Chile.

The entry went smoothly. At the border, we met two Dutch people who were also in quarantine. They bombarded the Ministerio de Salud with emails and then got their certificate from employees who had contacted them through other email addresses. We asked them for the email addresses and started asking for the certificate every day on all the email addresses. On the 17th day after my infection, I received the certificate by email. Amelia came up empty-handed... Since we no longer had confidence in the Chilean authorities, we tried to find out if the certificate would actually enable us to enter. We didn't find any information about it until our entry. Numerous calls and inquiries went unanswered. No one could or would tell us anything about it. Some referred to the official entry document where the certificate was NOT mentioned, hence our uncertainty.

On the way in Argentina, we asked at a hospital whether an antibody test would help Amelia get a certificate. They said yes. So Amelia took this test in Bariloche, it would take a day to get the result. The Argentinians are much more helpful than the Chileans, and after a visit to another hospital, we got a WhatsApp number where we could apply for recovery certificates. Amelia described her situation and received the feedback that they would issue a certificate with the antigen test from Chile and another positive PCR test from here. So Amelia took another test, which, as expected, was still positive. Unfortunately, the official website for certificate issuance did not work, and we were told to wait until later. We also didn't know if the Chileans would accept the Argentine certificate, as they couldn't even tell us if their own certificate was valid.

A café owner called the Argentine border crossing where we wanted to cross, and to our amazement, got the information that they only allow 60 cars to enter Chile on 4 days each. So we could only return to Chile on February 15, 17, 22, and 24.

Since we have our flight on February 23, only the first two dates were possible for us. The ferry, which we could reserve with great difficulty (another story), would depart on the 22nd, and without it, we couldn't return our car.

Since we probably couldn't present a negative PCR test until the 17th, we still had the following option:

If you carry two positive PCR tests with you, one not older than 72 hours and the second at least 10 days older than the first but not older than 30 days, you can also enter. We couldn't find out whether or not quarantine would be required. So the 15th remained the only option for the border crossing, as 7 days of quarantine would last until the 22nd, the day of our ferry trip.

One day, 60 cars, one chance. But now it gets even more complicated:

Amelia's positive PCR test was only three days old, and the antigen from Chile doesn't count, so she can't take advantage of this regulation. My first test would be 24 days old, and I could do the other one on the day of departure to the border. So I could enter.

The car rental suddenly had a solution as well:

We could return the car in Santiago on the 23rd. That would mean we wouldn't need the ferry and could use a different border crossing, most likely without a limit on the number of people. On the 22nd, my first test would still be valid, but Amelia's second test would be too young! On the 23rd, Amelia's second test would be old enough, but mine would be too old! What a mess!!!

So we only have one solution left:

Amelia stays alone in Argentina and waits for her positive tests to be old enough, and then she will, as a precaution, take a flight to Santiago (firm reservation, not like at the border) or directly to the States. For the second option, she would need a negative antigen test or her still missing certificate. I would try to cross the border on the 15th with my two positive tests and then wait 7 days for the ferry (possibly in quarantine) to deliver the car to Puerto Montt on time.

In the morning of the 15th, Amelia first took an antigen test to see if the PCR was 'worth it' at all. It was negative, and then both of us took a PCR test. For me, it's the second (most likely) positive one I need to enter, and for Amelia, it's a last desperate chance to travel with me to Chile with a negative test.

We begged the lab technician to fake our tests, but understandably she didn't want to be involved. Amelia then finally received her Argentine recovery certificate, as the website was working again. So she could risk going to the border, but would have to leave again alone if it didn't count. We decided not to expose ourselves to this additional stress and started packing the things Amelia needed for her time in Argentina, the separation was probably inevitable...

After an hour and a half, the results came by email, and we were both NEGATIVE!

What incredible luck, Amelia was positive just two days ago! Normally, PCR tests show positive results for an average of 35 days, and we were infected 24 days ago. Maybe our three vaccine doses helped a bit.

So now our hope remains that we can be at the border early enough today to be among the first 60 cars allowed to enter.

At the border, we are shocked to learn that it's only 60 people. We are No. 45 & 46, just pure luck that it was enough.

Small detail on the day of crossing the border: due to thinking only about Chilean immigration regulations, we forgot that Argentina also has exit regulations! Luckily, with the help of our iPad and the wifi, we were able to fill out the forms online at the border. If I had been alone at the border, Amelia would have had the iPad with her, and I would have been in trouble...

I hope this little digression shed light on our stressful time, and you could experience it with us. Hopefully, everything is settled now, and we can start the ferry ride, the car return, plus the four reserved flights to the USA according to plan... But I'm not so sure about that yet ;)

15.2. So today, we will probably cross the border. The police are very diligent and have a system where no one can cut in line. We are relieved. Other cars and people have partly arrived by taxi and have to turn back. In front of us, people who have been waiting in line since yesterday and spent the cold night in their cars have to give up because they don't meet all the entry requirements, even though they are among the first 60. We (especially Roman) get nervous: Did we think of everything? Unfortunately, no, we forgot to fill out the exit papers online! For weeks, we only thought about entering and completely forgot that Argentina would also like a form from us. Fortunately, we can submit the form at the border with our iPad and wifi. Then it goes relatively quickly. After 30 minutes, we are on the Chilean side of the border. Here, we have all the necessary papers ready and wait for the results of the antigen tests in our cars. If they were positive, we would have to arrange a quarantine hotel within an hour. If we can't do this, we would have to return to Argentina. Long 15 minutes pass until we get the OK to enter and receive our passports! We are almost there! Only three counters plus the

vehicle check, then we have finally made it. A very long period of suffering comes to an end. We are extremely happy but also exhausted. In Futaleufu, we find a mechanic who also tells us where we can get a tire. An hour later, the problem with the spare tire is also solved, and we can have a relaxed lunch. After that, we drive to the Carretera Austral to go south from there, we still have 7 days until our ferry leaves in Chaiten.

In La Junta, after asking around (Chileans are not very helpful in our experience), we find a room for the night. It starts to storm wildly, and we are glad not to have to sleep in the roof tent. The cabin owner's cat keeps us company, and we watch TV until we can finally get a good night's sleep again.