Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. --- Mark Twain

Friday, April 19, 2013

Carretera Austral, Day 9, Galeta Gonzalo.


Day 790, 18.04.2013,
88168 km since the beginning of the journey,
Route :  Caleta Conzalo – Letepu -  Fiordo Largo - Hornopiren (40 km !!)

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01632
Next to the road there is a signboard introducing another walking trail. It`s about 10 more kilometres to the port and more than two hours left until the departure of ferry. So – why not!



Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01633
Here the cypresses are more than 3000 years old.

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01635

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01639
The trees are too tall to fit on the image! And while moving further only a part of the trunk can be seen.

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01641
All around everything is green. And humid. And quiet.

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01646
The walking trail has been made on a fallen tree trunk, further on there are stairs.

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01647

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01650

Sendero_de_Alerces_DSC01653
3000 years of age is not easy to imagine. These trees had been growing already when 3000 years ago the Bronze Age ended and Iron Age began, and when it was still more than 200 hundred years until the city of Rome was founded.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01657
Galeta Gonzalo port. Dolphins swimming in the Gulf. Under water. In the meantime one can notice a fin and then again and again.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01659
Basically one can spend the night here between four walls.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01660

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01662

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01663
About one o'clock the ferry arrives.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01664
Waiting for the ferry there are also for two cyclists from Argentina, their destination is Bariloche. And they ask if I can help them with transport –putting their bikes on the roof of my bus and giving them a lift. As after the first ferry ride there is 10 miles of road in unknown condition, and they wish to reach the next ferry today. Sure I can. There is enough space on the roof.

Just remembered Africa - the roof had been a place for yellow cans, hens, goats, and so on. The height of the load is limited only by the imagination of the load-fixer.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01666
Another option to travel about in Chile is to rent a bus.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01667
The right line is for of the buses.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01670

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01671

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01672
And the left one as well.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01674
The ferry is going to move.

Galeta_Gonzalo_DSC01676
While passing the banks and enjoying the landscape there is no wonder that no road has been built there. Technically it would have been possible – but at what cost?

Pumalin
The same place from higher, the port of Galeta Gonzalo is on the right side of the image. The picture itself is from Wikipedia.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01679
Pelikan rising into the air.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01686
The short ferry ride is over, the road takes through the rainforest again. The next port should be quite close, but all of a sudden all the vehicles stop in the middle of the forest. Initially, I think that it`s because of some road repairs, but the reason is much simpler. In order not to cause traffic jam at the port we wait until all the vehicles from the ferry have passed us.
Carretera_Austral_DSC01690
The sign confirms how important the condition of the road is and shows the cost.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01691
At this port the ferry is larger but to get on board it takes more time.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01693
The reverse ride onto the ferry should be performed carefully otherwise one can find oneself in the water.

DSCN7385
Some cars get onquickly, others spend more time while reversing.

DSCN7391
Then smaller cars are allowed to drive directly to the ferry as otherwise the day will come to an end.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01696
The shore is populated, but one can get there only over water. If to move from here directly to the east, the Andean direction, then before the Argentina border there are no roads.

Carretera_Austral_DSC01699
By GPS the speed of the ship is 15 km per hour. The journey lasts more than 4 hours and it is dark when we reach at Hornopiren. Close to the port there are several hostels of different prices, with parking-lots or without. As the ship arrives in the evening, all passengers should be accommodated somewhere. In summary we can say that it was a ferry- ride -day.

Currently, there are four ferry links on Carretera Austral, three of them are behind and one short ride is yet to come.

No comments: