A Night on the Boat: Diary of Last Year #15

31st of January 2017

We’ve just spent a night on the ferry taking us from Puerto Chacabuco to Quellón, on the island of Chiloé. After cycling South on the Carretera Austral for two weeks, we have to turn our sails back towards the North, because a plane is waiting for us to take us back to Europe in 10 days. It has been a great two weeks on the Carretera Austral, despite the rain and the bumpy roads. We’re a bit sad not to cycle all the way to the Southern tip of the American continent, but that’s life. We might well be back one day on the Carretera Austral.

We spent the night on a tight and uncomfortable ferry seat (bit like a plane seat), unlike a few Chileans who knew better and blew up their air mattresses…

Chileans sleeping on air mattresses on the ferry from Puerto Aysén to Quellón

A this time – 9:30 am – the TV’s are still off, but they’ll soon start spitting out again stories about the forest fires that are ravaging parts of Chile right now. Every story will be told over and over again – the Russian plane dropping water, the supertanker plane dropping water, the Portuguese firemen, the French firemen making bad jokes. I start feeling weird. Looking outside, I see the horizon moving up and down. I’m seasick. I spend the rest of the day outside, observing the horizon, even spotting some dolphins. The weather is great and the views beautiful.

View of the fjords from the ferry from Puerto Aysén to Quellón

In the early evening, we arrive to Quellón. Not a town you’d want to stay in longer than you absolutely have to. We cycle a few kilometres to a campsite. It’s a bit overpriced, but the grass is nice and we have a view of the mountains.

Camping Paicos, Quellón, Chile

We’re ready to pedal this last bit in Chile. Enjoy the summer with its long evenings – winter is just 10 days away!

 

 


Enjoyed reading this? Here’s the full series of Diary of Last Year.

Or else, browse other posts about our trip here.

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