Chaiten

19.2. Chaiten

We have another long stretch ahead of us until we reach Chaiten. We chug along the Carretera Austral for nearly 400 km. Today, the weather is unusually mixed. It rains on and off, and we have great respect for the numerous cyclists on the route. We have exciting topics to discuss, read, and time passes pleasantly. In La Junta, I have a sugar low, which is filled with cake and coffee. Then we continue our journey. When we arrive in Chaiten, we visit all the cabaña owners to find accommodation for the next 3 nights. Eventually, we get lucky and find a room at an old, frail woman's house. We feel a bit nervous, but it will have to do for one night. We'll be off again soon and have dinner at the front of the port. We take a stroll along the pier, enjoy the colors in the sky, the fresh sea breeze on our noses, and are glad to be moving forward step by step. Our trust in ourselves and our surroundings returns, and tensions dissolve.

We fall asleep later to the sound of a real frog concert (the garden behind our house seems to be popular with amphibians).

20.2. Somewhat rested, we pack up the few things we brought and leave the hut. A coffee and breakfast would be nice! We walk through the village until we reach the restaurant El Quijote. It's cozy, rustic, and the Argentine waitress is friendly and nice. They also have rooms, and they actually have some available - so we book without seeing the premises and pay directly for the next 2 nights. Now we are completely stress-free: we only have a few things left to do and plenty of time, nice. Roman starts to catch up on our blog, and I start to unpack the car. Our room is small and consists of the essentials: a bed, a bedside table, a picture on the yellowed wallpaper. Bathroom in the hallway. But actually, nothing else matters as long as we have enough space to pack our backpacks peacefully.

Afterwards, we take our laundry to be washed, clarify the remaining uncertainties with the ferry company, and let the sun shine on us. In the afternoon, we grab our remaining groceries and prepare our lunch on a bench at the front of the pier. Fusilli with lentils, tomato sauce, onions, and a little bacon - delicious! Now all that's left is to clean out the fridge in the jeep and wash the kitchen utensils.

In the evening, just as we are about to leave for dinner, we meet Itamar, a young Israeli. He is also looking for a restaurant and joins us.

It's a very cozy evening with exciting topics of conversation: Itamar gives us a first-hand "history lesson" and describes his view on the Israel-Palestine conflict. A situation that is still deadlock and unbearable for the people in Gaza and the West Bank... He also explains Israel's military training. He himself spent 5 years in the military and is now traveling before he settles professionally. This is how many young Israelis handle it.

After this evening with Itamar, we have definitely become more curious about this country and its diverse and vibrant culture!

21.2. Although the house seems to have walls made of paper, we sleep well and I finally don't wake up at 6:00 a.m. (senile bed escape?). We want to go to the post office to inquire about the cost of sending a package to Switzerland, following the motto "shedding ballast". Of course, we can't find the post office at first because it's not where Google Maps says it is. After a quick inquiry at the tourist office, we head to the right place. A small garden shed with a tiny sign - yes, we obviously walked past it earlier ;)

We are told that since the pandemic, Chile does not send parcels internationally?!? We are surprised and not surprised by this handling.

So we continue with refueling the car, retrieving and folding laundry, and packing our backpacks in a relaxed manner. I treat myself to a really long phone call with a dear person, and Roman continues to write the diary.

In the afternoon, we take a break at the restaurant El Volcan with some fish and salad - hmm, delicious! Now we research possible destinations and activities in New Orleans, Louisiana in general, and Florida. Another day comes to an end.