The South-Autumn gets us quicker up North then we actually would like to do. The rainy season in the lake district has already started. The sunshades and deck chairs at the beach are already taken away. Just a few hotels and campgrounds are still open and there are nearly no holidaymaker to see. We are on a campground at the lake Lago Villaricca and imagine the lot´s and lot´s of tourists which have been here just two weeks ago. Now we are the only ones. Different then in Europe there is no early or after season here in South America. The season is just during the school holidays.

The trees, under which our bus is parked, gives us protection against the rain which we had the last two days. In that moment the weather will clear up again, we want to go further up north. Finally at day four, the weather changes, well up we go. After a few kilometres ride we can hear it again. This noise which bothered us already since last week. It comes and goes and we don´t know where it comes from or where it go´s to. It makes us nearly mad. It´s enough know, we want to know what it is. While Michaela is driving the bus, I stand on the bumper in the back and already after a few kilometres I can already locate, where it is coming from. I take away the back wheel and here I find the answer to the riddle, a broken spring. A shock for the first moment but we still can drive with the bus just not any more gravel roads. We find out the nearest dealer of VW in the nearby town of Temuco. He explain to us, that since last week he quitted the contract with VW and tells us we should try it in Puerto Montt which is 370 km far away from Temuco. We try it at another place in Temuco, who’s dealing with spare tools for different cars. He let us know, that this kind of tool we just will get over the head department of VW Chile which is located in Santiago, the capital of Chile. At least he gave us the telephone number of VW-Chile in Santiago. Later at the day, we find out that the number we’ve been given is wrong. So up to a telephone shop and we search through the huge telephone books. When we finally found the number and going to phone it, we have an answering machine on the other side, which tells us that we phone out of office time. Well we phone again next day. Next day the official in charge let us know, that this tool is just to be ordered directly from VW Germany and the time to be delivered will be about three weeks. We actually don’t want to wait that long, on top of it, if he tells us it need three weeks it can be that the actual time to be delivered is five weeks.
Here we are at a point, where we want to try another variation. We phone Christian, the brother of Michaela, and ask him, if he would be so kind to find out the price of the spring and the way of delivering. Immediately Christian is working on that problem and find out, that the spring can be delivered already in the next 10 days. Meanwhile we phone to the consulate general of the republic of Germany to ask, if we could use their address to let the spring deliver to. The lady at the phone tells us that in the moment the person which could answer to the question is not available anymore (it is Friday morning) we should phone again on Monday. Even after telling her, that it is quite important and necessary for us to have an address, she is not able to do anything for us. In that moment we are nearly at a nervous breakdown, since we did nothing than phoning and driving from one place to another the last two days. Keep cool and think over it! Next possibility is to phone to the consulate dignitaries of the republic of Germany in Vina del Mar. We phone and ask once again and immediately the problem is solved. Certainly we could send it to their address. We phone Christian and he informs us that the spring is already ordered and next day he will send the package out. Christian, we thank you so much for your prompt help! Our two families are just great!!!!

We are still in the lake district of Chile which is as well called the “Switzerland of Chile” In the last two centuries thousands of German and Swiss people have immigrated to this part of Chile, where before only the Indio’s called Mapuche have been living. The reason this part of Chile is called the “Switzerland of Chile” is that nature really looks a bit like Switzerland. Over 150 000 people, which have their roots in Germany or Switzerland are still living in this part. All over we can see signs with .”Kuchen y Strudel” (cakes and strudels), “Bier vom Faß” (beer of the barrel) or “Biergarten” (beer garden). We drive through the countryside. It is Autumn and therefore all over is harvest time. As well we pick blackberries along our way, since they are growing like mad. Not long and Michaela have done a few cans of fantastic marmalade out of blackberries.

Part of travelling is certainly to meet and get to know people. Via email we made up an appointment with Joli and Ingo, two Swiss which we already met in Usuhaia. We want to spent a few days together at the Hosteria La Suizandina, a Hosteria which is led by a Swiss family. On the campground which is part of the Hosteria we make ourselves comfortable. This time Joli and Ingo are not alone, Reni, the sister of Joli is travelling with them for the next two month through Chile. We do together some hikes in the wonderful forests full of trees of Araucarias. Some of the trees are more than a 1000 year old. In the evenings we cook together and the highlight of each day is to sit around a campfire till midnight while we tell each other stories. Reni and Michaela are preparing the dough for a bread which we then place in a closed pan in the embers of the fire. On top of the pan we place as well some embers.

Approximately after an hour the bread is finished. For tomorrow morning we have wonderful fresh baked bread. In the moment we still try different varieties and different wheat. Meanwhile we are already quite satisfied with our bread. There is not a real good bread to be found in Chile as well then in Argentina. Actually after a while as a German you can´t see anymore this kind of bread. Therefore it is not just fun to bake your own tasty bread with certainly lot’s of seeds and nuts. Even if it is sometimes quiet black, maybe that is the reason, that we call in Germany some of our bread black bread “smiley”

Since we are now together with Swiss people and are at a Swiss campground we think about to eat a typical Swiss dish. We reserve a table at the restaurant for Raclette (Swiss cheese dish). We never thought that we would find so much “Swiss” in the middle of South America. Every single day passes by so quick, that in the end instead of a few days we stay there over a week. There is simply to much to talk over. Joli, Reni and Ingo stay a few more days in the region of the Araucaria forest but we want to drive further up west to the Pacific. Suddenly the whole nature change face. The whole stretch the main colour was green, but from now on it is brown. Palm trees along the streets and a warm wind comes from the ocean. Shortly before sunset we reach the coast. It is already to dark to find a campground or a good place to overnight. So we place our bus at the beach next to a fishing village and hope that nobody will recognize us and we can sleep through the whole night. Till midnight everything is fine but then a bunch of young people comes to the beach and they start a midnight-disco-party. We in our bus are in the midst. The last are leaving the beach at sunrise and we are as well already awake. In this condition we start the new day along the coastline on red coloured streets.

Four ox carriages are coming in our direction, full of potatoes. It is Sunday morning, where do they go at this time of the day already. Well it is harvest time! At an old threshing machine we admire the work of the people, how they can work with all that dust the whole day through. Some of them wearing eye glasses and scarfs to protect themselves from the dust.

We drive further to Iloca, where we overnight, a small village situated on the coastline. In the morning the fishers are back from the sea. By using ox carriages the small boats are taken out from the water. To be more sufficient, the fisher smashes the crabs in the net with a kind of hammer. Just the fishes they will sell later on. For all the seagulls and the dogs it is breakfast time.

The whole village smells after fish. After half an hour, we are really fed up with the smell and we flee. Our way takes us through more villages, sometimes on asphalt, sometimes gravel roads. Often the gravel roads are in better condition then the roads with asphalts. Holes where one could disappear. Again the outlook of nature changes. We pass by fruit plantation, vineyards and in the midst very often grand mansions. This is truly a fertile region south-west of Santiago. For vegetarians the pure paradise. All what grows here is directly sold along the street. Nuts, grapes, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, lemons, oranges, dates, strawberries, sweet corn and so on. 4 Kilograms of Avocados for example are to get for the price of 1,40 Euro.
We want to visit as well one of the vineries. We drive along the vineyards and on our way we see lots of grape gatherer, mostly young people. They come towards our bus and look at it in astonishment. Lot’s of questions they have. In the end they cut some grapes and give them to us as a present. A meeting with heart!

Meanwhile some days passed and actually our tool should be already in Vina del Mar. Every day we phone to the consulate, just to get the information, that it is still not there. Since Easter is almost upon us we stock up our groceries and go for a few days to a campground, northwest of Vina del Mar, directly at the coast. Maundy Thursday – the spring is still not there. It would have been much easier to get the tool before Easter. On Good Friday we are very disappointed about the Roman-Catholics of Chile. Churches are closed and all shops are open. Julio, the owner of the campground tells us on Saturday, that the Easter weekend is just next week. Well this is the life of a traveller. After a while you have problems to know which day is today and you think it must be Eastern, instead Christmas is just upon us.

Tuesday, finally a positive answer from the consulat. The spring is there. Up we go directly to Vina del Mar and back again to the campground. Same day we install it on the campground. Now we are prepared again for the gravel roads. Next day we go further on the Pan Americana towards the town of La Serena. It is already late afternoon when I realize, something is wrong with the gear stick. I try all of them and find out that I only can use the third, fourth and the fifth gear. Sh…. Till Coquimbo/ La Serena there are still 40 km to go with lots of up hills and latest in two hours it will get dark. None of us is talking, we both hope, that we can do the hills in front of us with the third gear and that we don’t get stuck in the middle of the street when it starts to get night. From the coast there is already the fog coming. Now we see in the far distance a cross. It is the cross of the “ Third century” of Coquimbo, which is standing on a hill with a height of 92 m

At the beginning of the town we first see a petrol station and go straight away there. With the bus we have to go up a lifting platform and then we can already see our problem – the reverse gear is broken. The mechanic from the petrol station informs us, that with this problem he is not any more able to help us. But he takes his phone and calls another mechanic which did not need longer then 10 minutes to appear. With the removed gear stick in his hand he disappear, just to be back half an hour later with the repaired one. For this action we pay approximately 15 EUR. Since it is already dark, the owner of the petrol station allows us to stay with our bus at the petrol station

In the morning we decide to have breakfast in the small service room of the petrol station. We are not the only one there. In front of the Service room is parked a fire red Brazil-VW Käfer, which is an older model. The driver of this car sits in the service room, having breakfast and intensively reading his newspaper. That’s what we think. But he observe us as we can´t decide what we would like for our breakfast. That’s the moment he stands up, coming over to us showing us his plate and speak to us in English „ Would you like to have toasted bread like this, they are tasting very good“. That’s the beginning of a talk. He introduces himself as Oskar Fiedler und that he is the director of the culturhouse here in Coquimbo with it´s
160 000 inhabitants. He knows as well a few words in German since his father is born and grown up in Nuremberg but already living since 1930 in Coquimbo, Chile. He invites us to his office and tells about his work.

Oscar has a friend, Raul, which speaks fluent German. One phonecall and Raul comes along to the office and take a full day for us to show us the towns of Coquimbo and La Serena. Raul have been in the 1970th an active fan of Allende and had to leave Chile after the military revolt. From there he came to the exile to Germany. He tells us: “The Germans have been so nice and helpful to me, I want to give back just a bit from the help I received”. A farmers family have been taking care about him and adding him to their family. Raul: “Hans is like my brother” and between them is still the deepest friend(brother)ship. Raul did live in Germany over 30 years and did just out of health reason go back to the much warmer part here in Chile. Hans, Rauls brother is meanwhile the deputy mayor of Hannover.

Elisa, Rauls wife invites us on Easter Sunday for the afternoon tee. Together with their Spanish friends we have tea, cake and tart. Raul shows us the farewell present which he got from his friends in Germany as he left four years ago. It is a big map full with witnesses of the work he did in Germany. Raul was in his free time an active part of so many relief organizations and the founder of the Nicaragua relief organization. Raul really has a big warm heart and we are very grateful to get so much warmness from him and Elisa. On the next day as we had a problem with the garage, a phone call and he was in between five minutes with us. Dear Elisa and Raul, thanks so much for your kindness and your great hospitality!

Again it’s time to leave and to see new wonderful places. In La Serena we drive through the Valle d´Elqui, a very fertile valley, where along the river and at the watered mountain ranges fruits and wine are growing. Here as well the very well known Muskateller grapes grow, from which the Pisco, the Chilenean national drink is made.

Our goal for today is to reach the neighbour valley, called Valle del Rio Hurtado, where we hope to meet our Swiss friends. They as well wanted to drive there. In our map the street is marked as a tiny street, which connects this two valleys. We dive into another world, where other then the desert mountain range, cactus, dust and heat nothing else is to be found.

After two and a half hours driving time and shortly before sunset we reach the Andes-farmer village of Hurtado. Now there are just a few kilometres more to go to the Hacienda Los Andes. Joli, Reni and Ingo arrive next day. Even if we just spend one day together, we are very happy to see each other and have plenty to talk about. The three have planned quite a lot, since Reni have to go back to Switzerland already in three weeks.

After six weeks it is time for us to change the country again. We want to go to the north of Argentina and the shortest way is over the Andes-pass Agua Negra. The altitude of the pass is as well the actual border between Chile and Argentina and lies 4779 m above sea level. It is only opened between December and May. In the South-Winter month it is closed, due to heavy snowfalls. We drive to the end of the Valle del Elqui, where we do a check on our bus, to prepare for the height. Air, water and oil as well then an ant frost addition for our Diesel petrol to make sure we will not have problems up there when it is cold during the night. The Chilenian border control lies at the very end of the valley at a height of already 2000 m and 100 km before the actual border. As well the Argentinean border control is 80 km away from up there. The officer want to know, if we plan to overnight up there or if we go directly to the Argentinean border control. This information will then be passed over to the Argentinean border. Should we not pass in time there, they will look for us. There are often landslides and as well travellers which have problem with the height, the so called PUNA.
In the beginning the street is winding like a snake up the hill on good gravel roads and we hardly recognise that we win in height.

The colours of the rocks are changing very often in all different kind of varieties. There is ochre, chimney-red or a wonderful green.

The colours are even stronger with the last sunbeams and we are just in time at the Laguna for our overnight place. The day says good bye to us with a fantastic sky full of stars and it is so silent up here at a height of 3000 m that you can hear your own blood circulation. During the night it did not get cold like we though. In the morning we both have a bit of head-ache, the first symptoms of the PUNA. We drive further on through the valleys up there, wherever we look, just mountains. We do have the feeling that we are totally alone somewhere on the Mars.

In the far distance we see a car causing a big stir. Yesterday we saw a car and today already three cars. The first snow fields, our altimeter shows 4000 m. We still have to do 779 m and now we can already feel that even for our bus it is quiet hard to manage. In this height, where the oxygen is quiet less it is hard for the engine. Hopefully “HE” will manage it. In the last part the gravel road gets up quicker then yesterday. If you now look down, the mountains are falling vertical 800 m down. Finally we are at the pass, 4779 m high and the border between the two countries. Other then a few rocks done like a monument and signs showing Chile and Argentina, there is nothing more. Michaela wants to drink her cup of tea up here, but the wind is so strong, that she decides to fulfil this in the warm and wind still bus.

Michaela’s headache is gone. With me a further symptom of the PUNA comes to it: nausea. That’s the reason we go down as quick as we can do. 80 km just down, now on the Argentinean side. Towards the border control. I swear to myself, that in the near future I will not do another pass over the Andes. With every meter going down I feel better. This side of the Andes is not as nice as on the Chilenian but still beautiful. At the border we are already expected. “Ah, the two Germans are here”. One short remark to the two border controls: Both of them have been very nice and official other then we had it another time. In the next village called Rodeo we first did go on a campground for the next two days to get new power from that real tiring way over the Andes.

With beer and wine in the evening we already plan our next passing over the Andes. But now we want to stay here in Argentina where we realize, that the climate is different, it is hot – but about that you get to hear in our next report
Michaela and Raimund

The South American-Traveller are like a big family. You meet someone, who know that person, which you have met earlier in the month. Very often, you meet again on another spot, even if the distances here are quiet big. At the entrance to the National park of El Chaiten we see already from a distance an orange coloured VW-Bully with the old black licence plate of Austria. The driver, white beard, suspenders – that must be Sepp from Upper-Austria! The 72 year old guy travels with his 20 year old car on his own through South-America. We know him already from a campground in Usuhaia. He told us, that he have been many time travelling through South-America but this year it will be he’s very last tour.

Sepp did work as well as a mountain guide as he was young and climbed up to some really difficult mountain peaks all over the world. He tells us, which hiking tours here in this region are the most wonderful ones and which we should definitely do. Next day we go on our way. But today the sun is quite strong and the heat is not the best weather for a hiking tour, so we need longer than we would normally need.

But nevertheless we have a terrific view from up there and nature is just marvellous. We will sleep tonight very good after this hike. In that moment we want to close our door from the bus to leave everything behind us, after this great but strenuous day, there is Sepp standing in front of our bus. He have his binoculars with him, which is suitable for darkness and he want to show us the mysteries of the galaxy. We are very thankful that he tells us all about the stars and then we really fall into star-dreams. After four days here in El Chaiten with lots of hiking tours and getting to know a lot more about the stars in the sky we leave and go back to the street “Cuarrenta” (Route National No. 40).

In Tres Lagos we take some more petrol. As well we take a break and eat a sandwich (kind of at least) with cheese and ham. In front of us till the village Perito Moreno are now 500 km just dusty gravel roads. Between Tres Lagos and Perito Moreno is nothing then a few Estancias. This are more or less big farms, most of them are living from breeding cows and sheep’s but nowadays you can as well overnight there. Most of the Estancias in Patagonia are a few kilometres away from the main route in the so called Mesetas in the Canyons. Here they are hidden from the strong Patagonian wind. We are in our bus, it is hot and we decide, to go to one of the Estancias for a night, to cool ourselves down and get a shower after nearly one week without. „Estancia La Angostura“ is written on a piece of wood. We follow the sign. After a few kilometres we don’t see anything just the Meseta. We have the feeling the road leads us to nowhere. Then the street leads downwards and ends in a canyon. This is like paradise. A River winds up through green fields. Lot´s of cows and horses and the Estancia La Angostura. From the main road we could not imagine to find such a piece of land since the Meseta gives you the imagination, there is just land till the horizon. We are not the only overnight guests, there are two small groups, each 6 persons from France and Germany. The owner of the Estancia ask us, if we would like to join the today’s lamb Asado. Well, after this long and dusty day we don´t really have to think that over, especially since we are not anymore in the mood of cooking. The Gautchos prepare the two half’s of the lamb on a kind of cross and put them over the wooden fire. Together with different kind of salads we eat this wonderful lamb which is so tender one can just find it here in Patagonia. After dinner we still sit together with the other guests and the workers of the Estancia. After the generator is switched off, we enjoy the silence and the stars, while sitting in our chairs in the total darkness.

Next day we still don’t reach the village of Perito Moreno and so we overnight again on an Estancia. Peggy, the 70 years old owner, tells us, that about 100 years ago her father came from the village Gairloch in Scotland (which we surely know) all the way to Argentina to settle down here. Till 1991 they had about 12 000 sheep’s, but as the volcano named Hudson erupted, they lost over 7000 of them. That was the idea of finding another way of earning money – Tourism. In there garden is now a place where one can overnight with tents but as well they have more and more guests hosting in a few cabanas (guest-houses).Next day we don’t stay to long in the nearby village Perito Moreno. We go further west and drive the south part along the lake Buenos Aires, which leads us then to Chile and the Chilenian Carretera Austral (street of the south). In Chile Chico we cross the border. The second biggest lake of South-America, which is located in Argentinia as well in Chile, has two different names. On the Argentinian side it is called Lagos Buenos Aires, on the Chilenian side it is called Lago General Carrera. Now on the Chilenian side we will have 120 km of highly dramatic but as well fascinating stretch. The road is becoming a steep slope and goes along the cliffs. We can do this stretch just on a extreme slowly base. The street is part of the rock and now and then we find rocks which have the size of a football and bigger. On the right side the street goes vertical into the lake. Michaela shut her eyes and pray one Lord´s prayer after the other

At the height of Paso de Los Llaves , they had to blow up 30 km out of the rock. We have a terrific view over the lake and the Anden. Shortly before sunset, we reach the village Puerto Guadal, where we overnight in the garden of a Chilenian family. We have lake view and all over poultries and goose and three dogs from which we don´t know if they protect us or if we should protect ourselves against them. Next day we drive onto the Carretera Austral, which is the only street leading to the cold Southern part of Chile. The road leads through dark forests and passes volcano’s and glaciers. Chile started to construct this road in the year 1981 and it ends shortly in front of the Patagonian inland ice field. A few cyclists which we met along the road, told us, they started in El Chailten/ Argentina, crossed there the border and went via Villa O`Higgins northbound the Carretera Austral. We do not go the whole stretch southbound, shortly before Cochrane we end. The road was getting really bad, wholes bigger and bigger and lots of big rocks on the road. The shock absorber gets into a bad condition. We don´t want to bother our bus anymore with that and return northbound.

We drive direction Coihaique to the north and then westwards till Puerto Aisen. There we overnight at a wild romantic lake and drive next day the long distance back to Argentina and then further on the Cuarrenta till the village of Esquel. At the border the costumes officer of Argentina check our bus totally through. Five officer try to find something, which I guess they even don´t know by themselves. In the end they tell us, they search for drugs and bring a “Drug-dog”, which even after five times telling the dog he should enter the bus, he won’t do. After this we both are really mad and for the rest of the stretch we are angry like a hell. In the evening Michaela comes to the point, that they might have checked us through, because my outlook is a bit wired. (Not shaved for the last 14 days). I decide, I will not shave anymore for the rest of my life!!

It seems that nearly whole Bavaria is on it´s way through South-America. On the campground in Esquel we meet Judith and Uwe from Hof an der Saale which lies in the north part of Bavaria. Two of many Bavarians, which we have seen since we are here in South-America. The two are travelling with a yellow bus (librarybus of the administrative district of Hof). They already have been to India and Pakistan but they like it a lot as well travelling through the Franconian Swiss. Uwe, studied teacher, twice he already skipped working at school, tells us that the beer here in Argentina is quiet good, but the best beer you get in Upper Franconia. Dear Uwe, we know that you have a profound knowledge, but this is not quiet right. We will invite you one time to Upper Palatinate and then you will see! After a barbeque together, we sit around the fire and speak about the world; and if the wood would not have been finished, I guess we still would sit there together. Uwe loves cooking as well then Michaela. Both are telling each other what kind of delicious food is to be found around the world. So we decide to stay one more day here with them and tomorrow both will cook some specialities.

Uwe prepares a wonderful Tom Yam. This is a spicy Thai soup with different vegetables and special herbs. Michaela surprises us with Ghana Chili (for recipe, see witch corner, goodies). This is an African dish with chicken cooked in tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic. With that you serve rice. Later in the evening, John from Seattle is coming and get´s us drunken with his Caipirinas. It have been two wonderful days together with Judith and Uwe and we are looking already forward to meet them again somewhere in South-America.

Next day Judith and Uwe drive northbound. We want to visit the National park of Los Alerces with it´s dark forests and unspoiled lakes and rivers. The peculiarity of the national park are the Anden-larchs and the south-beech’s with an age up to 5000 years old. Lot´s of plants which we at home actually just know from the balcony or in flower-tins are growing wild, like orchids or lilies.

We drive onward to visit Klaus and Claudia. They have been settling down with their two girls about four years ago in the near of El Bolson. A few years ago we did read their book “In 16 years around the world” (See under links). As well we visited a slide show done by Klaus. Once their, Klaus hand me over a bush knife. The paths are full with bushes of rosehip. This bushes have been brought over to Argentina from the first settlers of Europe and are now a real plague. We try to find our way through this jungle to search for the spring water on his land. After all we find it, the water tastes fresh and clear. Meanwhile, there are some friends in the house of Claudia and Klaus and we sit together with speaking and singing. Juan, gets into raptures about his self-made Empanadas (filled dough pockets) , a delicacy of Argentina and Chile and invites us for the next day lunchtime.

We go for lunch next day together with Anna and Mona, the kids of Klaus and Claudia, which are as well friends with Maria Paz, the daughter of Juan. The Empanadas of Juan have been delicious. In the afternoon, Juan show us more about his native city El Bolson and the surrounding. In the evening we drive back to Claudia and Klaus.

Four wonderful days have been gone by with Claudia and Klaus. We wish them, that whenever “South-American-Travellers” will stop by at their house, that they will be just nice ones. People which appreciate hospitality and not take advantage of Claudia and Klaus. We did enjoy the interesting conversations and went with a tear in our eyes. We are crossing now once more the border from Argentina to Chile. We are on our way to the island of Chiloe. On the way to that island we stop for two days at Herberts and Isabels place, which we met already in Tierra del Fuego.

About 80 km south of Osorno is the city of Llanquihue. Isabel is from Llanquihue and Herbert, born in Germany lives since 34 years in Chile. They have been build a wonderful house at the lake of Llanquihue on a dreamlike spot with a terrific view up to the volcano Osorno.

The world is really small. We meet Petra and Frank from the Eifel, Germany, at Herberts house. They are travelling with their motorbike through South-America and we met them already three weeks ago in El Chaiten. Herbert prepares a barbeque with steaks and sausages and we sit quiet a while together in this night of full moon.

After two days we say good bye. Herbert and Isabel, thank you once more for this wonderful time in your house. Today is our first raining day, since we started our tour in South-America two month ago. We drive over Puerto Montt to Pargua, where we have to go with a ferry to the biggest island of Chile, Chiloe. The ferry just takes 20 minutes for this small stretch, but due to the mist we can´nt see anything of the island. It rains on top of it. Just in the evening the rain stops, the mist disappears and we see the sun for a short while.

Chiloe is just 10 km far away from the main land and still it is like an own world. The people live here like about a hundred years ago. The washing is still done by hand, an oven in the houses gives warmness and is the only way of cooking. Just the TV , as the only modernisation, is to be found in most of the houses, that one can tell due to the lots of Satellite’s. The small and colourful houses, the vegetation, the smell of fish in the village along the coast line, reminds to villages in the Caribbean.

Our mission on this island is to find the family, where I got hospitality 16 years ago, as I travelled with my bike through Chile. We do not have an address, nor a name. The only thing which we have is a picture, which I took 16 years ago from the family.

I did remember as well that the father of the family worked as a police officer and that the house was on the left side of the island. This means we have to search an area from about 80 km length and about 20 km width. There are lots of paths to the coast. I go with my feeling and do not go every single road. We ask ourselves lots of times, if they are still living here, what about the kids and and and. We drive through villages and ask the people living there, showing them the picture of the passed. The kids in the villages try to peak through the windows into our bus. We as well ask at police stations, just to hear: No we don´t know the family. Now the last police station. After that we give up. Michaela comes back from the office and smiles from one ear to the other. Well I know the meaning of this smile, we found them. The police officer who we showed the picture, laughed his head off and repeats one after the other time: “Yes, this is Patricio.” Now I remember the name as well. The officer calls to the house of Patricio and just five minutes later we look into each others eyes. He remember me as well as he see the picture which I show him, from 16 years ago on my bike. We have not changed a lot, just our tummies grew bigger. We hug each other and then we go together with him to their house. Now I remember again. On their land I immediately find the spot, where in those time my tent was placed and even an old tyre of a lorry is still on the same spot. Just the dog, which 16 years ago emptied my bags full with groceries, is not alive any more. But there is certainly already a substitute and lots of small pigs, which are luckily behind a fence. Michaela gets some old bread and feed them.

Now Patricia arrives (picked up the kids from school), which is the wife of Patricio. Unfortunately Patricio have to go back to work, but Patricia invites us in their house for lemonade and goodies. In the middle of the room is an old wooden stove and right there is a small case, where noise is coming from. Small chickens are in there. Patricia fetches a big loaf of homemade cheese and grandma slices it into small pieces. She puts them on a plate and we all sit around the table, eating the cheese with bread and try to have a conversation with hands and feet’s and our knowledge of Spanish which is getting better day by day.

The second person from right on the picture is Christina. On the family picture from 1991 is Christina, the baby which Patricia holds in her arms (blue trouser) The other kids have not been born to that time.
Here time really stands still. No High-Tec, no internet, nothing.
Back from the passed times you will hear more from us.
Greetings and Salute
Michaela und Raimund

Saturday morning: The Argentinean flag waves from the flagpole, it is quite ragged.. Finally we arrived the Argentinean – Chilenian border, we are near Tierra del Fuego. If you look onto the map for the first time, one could think that Tierra del Fuego is a peninsula of Argentina and Chile. In fact it is a huge island which is separated by the water street called Street of Magellan. The eastern part of the island belongs to Argentina, the rest of it to Chile. In order to come to Tierra del Fuego one have first to pass about 220 km through Chile – including a ships passage over the Street of Magellan – and then you are at the most southerly point of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.

We are at the end of a long waiting line at the border from about 30 cars and a few lorries. In a small building there are four counter where all the papers get stamped to be allowed to leave the country Argentina. It takes ages till it is our time. After all is done we can go and we drive now through no man´s land to the border of Chile. As well this procedure needs quite a while. After we have again stamped all our papers to enter Chile, we are ready to go. That´s what we thought!! A person with dark sunglasses comes to our bus and want to see the bus. Not at all he is looking like someone working for the government. So I think, he is someone want to hitch-hike. Michaela opens the door and try to speak to him. In that moment I am ready to throw him out of the bus, Michaela realizes that he is from the food control and stops me to do so. By law it is forbidden to bring any veggies, fruits and meat into the country. Yesterday we bought fresh Tomatoes, these are now belonging to him. It took us about 3 ½ hour´s for the whole procedure at the border to leave and enter again. That means that we now already know what will come after the 220 km. But first we have to make it on a gravel road for the next 170 km.
Now we have to do the border control the other way round. Leaving Chile and then entering Argentina. But this time we need just half of the time. But still we can´t make our destination for today and so we decide to overnight near Rio Grande at the beach. We make our way through the dunes and — for only one minute I did not concentrate and we get stuck in sand till the axle. It is nearly night time and I think it over if we should not leave it until tomorrow. But Michaela wants to do it right away and so we start to work. Michaela get´s onto the roof of the bus, catches the sand metal plates and the spade. We do the work in turns: digging, sand metal plates under the wheels of the bus and this for about four turns. After 1 ½ hours the wheels of the bus are on hard soil again. We are tired and hungry but nevertheless we are just having a cold dinner instead of a warm one. Out of the fridge we get us a cold beer and after five minutes we laugh already about this “adventure”. After this long and boring rides through the Pampa, this day was really full of changes.

Since yesterday we are now on Tierra del Fuego. In an old guide, which I have bought 15 years ago for my first trip to South-America, it is written: “Tierra del Fuego – endless plain, lonely paradise and lot´s of space for dreams”. Well this is just partly true, “seclusion” is not like it have been 15 years ago. For example the small fishing “village” Usuhaia. About 6000 inhabitants did live here in 1975, where nowadays the population is 60 000 and it seems that there are coming more people to live here, since all over you can see construction sites for new houses. Additional during the summertime’s there are about 80 cruise ships getting into the harbour of Usuhaia with about 10 000 tourists coming, apart from the daily Tourist’s which arrive in buses and via airplane.

As well the MS Delphin, the ship on which Michaela did work, comes back from an Antarctic trip and be anchore for two days in Usuhaia. Michaela quickly arranged a meeting with a few colleagues from the ship and we go out for a fantastic dinner in an Asado-Grill-restaurant. From our table we can look onto the whole lamb which is roasting slowly over the wooden fire place

As well the huge beef steaks are tasting wonderful. A nightmare for all vegetarians but a paradise for those who love meat. The Argentinean people love to eat meat. In average they eat per year/ person 61 kg meat. In comparison the German people eat just 13 kg. Even we – normally not very fond of meat – eat since we are in Argentina quiet a lot of meat. The cost of a kilogram of a filet of beef is just 3 Euros.

We have a great evening with the colleagues of Michaela and in the end we have a few cans of beer which we drink on this wonderful Summer evening in the park of Usuhaia. This weather is unusual for this region. A day before we arrived here it snowed.

After Ushuaia we visit the Estancia Haberton and a small fishing village, named Puerto Almanza and then we try to find the “seclusion of Tierra del Fuego”. We drive away from the Routa National No. 3 and follow a gravel road for about 40 km. According to our map we should find here the lake “Lago Yehuin”. But – no lake to see, no signs, nothing. We think it over, if we should drive back, but since it is already late we decide to carry on. So we drive for a few more km and there it is, Lago Yehuin. A wonderful lake with crystal clear water. Far in the west we can see the glacier and the snowy mountains of the Darwin Cordillere. At the banks of the lake there is a hotel which has burned down. No human beings, no sole, nothing. Silence! It is quiet mysterious. In this moment one could believe that we are the only people on the whole earth.

The wind stops and the sun warms us up again.
Michaela hears some noise, from the direction, where we came from. But with so much silence one can fantasize. After a while, I can hear the noise as well. It is a jeep with Joli and Ingo. A couple which we have already met earlier on the campground in Usuhaia. With warm clothes and coffee and tea we sit together at the lake, speak about “God and the world” until the coldness gets us back into our cars.

In the morning we go separate ways again. Joli and Ingo want to stay a couple of more days and we want to go up north and then onto the Chilenian side of Tierra del Fuego. Shortly before the border we get more petrol and as well groceries, since the prices in Chile are about double as high then in Argentina. Since fruits, veggies and meat is not allowed to bring over to Chile we get them out of the fridge and into our Toilette (which we never used as a toilette but as a store). Now we do hope that the controller prefer to look into our fridge rather then into our toilette. Yes, this was right, he looks into our fridge and points onto our Toilette: Ah, el bano, muy bien (Ah, a toilette, great!)

Again over dusty gravel roads. We drive by at closed Minefields, which still remember the time of the “Almost war of 1978” The signs are even in German and English stating “Do not enter”. In those times there was starting a fight between Argentina and Chile, fighting for three tiny rocks on the coast of Tierra del Fuego. Both countries did state that they are the owners of it. In the year 1985 the pope was that one to settle the dispute by taking the advantage that both presidents have been very religious.
At sundown we arrive the coast where we stay overnight. Since here are no trees I collect flot-wood for our campfire.

There is enough of it at the beach. Meanwhile Michaela prepare the smuggled Argentinean meat. That´s the reason, today the meat tastes even better. Two fishermen, which are working on a fishing-ship be anchored, see the campfire and come on shore with a small boat. Even if there dialect is hard to understand for us and with our not to good Spanish, we have an interesting conversation. Certainly our dictionary is as well quiet useful. But both of them have to get up tomorrow morning early, so therefore they leave us after another hour again.

We say good bye to Tierra del Fuego. From Porvenir we take a small ferry, which brings us in
2 ½ hours over the Street of Magellan to the port of Punta Arenas. When we arrive the sky is full of clouds. The city of Punta Arenas has as well the name of “Gate to the Antarctica”. Out of this port lot´s of cruise ships leave during the South-Summer month to the 6th continent. Punta Arenas with a population of 120 000 is not really an attractive city.

Our way leads us towards the national park of Torres del Paine. On our way we make a stop at a small colony of Magellan-Penguins, which take their name from the Street of Magellan where they live. When it gets winter-time they make their way to Brazil.

We flee as well towards the North in the hope that we will get warm weather and the storm will become just wind. At a place called Cerro Castillo we have the possibility to watch Gauchos (the cowboys of South-America), how they brand the young cattle.

They get them with a lasso and two Gauchos are holding them. Then a red hot sign from the various Estancia gets stuck on there back side.

Because of the storm, which always gets us dust in the eyes we leave this place. The storm is now more like a hurricane. The door to our bus is nearly not to open, honestly!! Once we are in the bus we are secured. Who ever has to go now out for any necessary things, should think it over twice. The wind (?) comes from all over.
Just in the evening, once we arrive at the Torres del Paine it gets a bit better.

Already on our way to the National park we can see lots of herds of Guanakos and Nandus, the South American ostrich. Three condors are up in the sky and a small group of Flamingos are walking on the shore of a small lake. There are as well Pumas in this Park, but to see one of those it is quiet unusual. We overnight at a place where it is allowed to camp and have a terrific view up to Cuernos del Paine, a huge mountain range and the heart of the national park.

In the evening it gets quiet cool, so we decide not to cook outside. We have cold kitchen and go to bed early under our warm blanket, dreaming about a good trekking weather for tomorrow. Well the weather seems not to get better, the weather forecast is rain, mist and more wind, so we decide after three more days to leave and go further back to Argentina.

We are now on the Cuarenta ( Routa National No. 40) direction north through the Patagonian Table mountains until El Calafate. Then a side street to the glacier Perito Moreno The Patagonian inland ice field with its glaciers is the biggest ice field of the world, after the ice fields of the poles and Greenland. About 30 m far away from the glacier we can watch ice rocks of the size of a house falling into the Lago Argentina with enormous noise. It is fantastic so see this and we are for a long time here, watching it.

Here we meet Petra and Richard again which are from Schrobenhausen (Bavaria) and are in Argentina and Chile for 3 month in there VW-bus. We already met them in the National park Torres del Paine.
All together we drive to Lago Roca, where we stay for a couple of days. The daily highlight is the campfire in the evening with temperatures nearly to cero degrees Celsius. When we are cooled out, the only thing which helps, once we are back in our buses, are hot water bottles and the heater.

During the night we hear a noise now and then and we know this is not a thunderstorm but ice rocks falling into the Lago Argentino. Then we even get deeper into our warm blankets.
That was it for this time.
Michaela and Raimund

Gonzo, is not moving away. He is our personal dog-watch and for sure one of the most faithful dog south of Rio Negro. We are here on a campground for two days to have a bit of rest after this long rides of the last days we did. In Camarones, a small fishing village we found a shady place under a Ombu-Tree.
But we should start from the beginning and give an overview of the last four weeks.

Michaela is already a week before christmas travelling to Vienna, were she awaites 23 passengers, with whom she does a cruise on the MS Delphin as a tour-guide. First they fly to Lissabon, where they board the ship. Wonderful ports of call are on the list, like Madeira, Canarian Islands, Kap Verdian Islands, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo or Buenos Aires. The trip is called „The great Christmas and New Years cruise“.

My small travelgroup is a very spezial one. Every one of them makes it very easy for me, to miss this year my beloved christmastime in the midst of my family. The time on board of the MS Delphin is for my passengers and myself a most wonderful one, with lots of interesting Ports on the list.

There is as well a good varity of attractions on board, especially on the days on sea. Starting with the wake up call – radio, different excercises like Pilates or jogging, slideshows of the different port of calls and as well the evening entertainment. For this there were different artist on board like W. Plathe, wellknown in Germany in a doctors-serie, which presented humoristic writings and songs, Hill Gutt, her reportaire is from Hildegard Knef to the great singer Zarah Leander, Randell Cooper, who did sing – with the voice of an angel – Broadwaymusicals and others and a magician, named Kalibo, who brought the passengers to big asstonishment.

In the beginning I thought, three weeks will be a long time, especially since christmas and New Years eve will be included. But time did go by very quick and I really have to say, even I did already looked forward to Raimunds and my Southamerica tour, I did go off board with tears in my eyes. Certainly, since part of a journey is much depending on the people you meet during that time and I did meet most wonderful ones, whith whom I do hope, will be staying in contact as well in future.

Fryday, 05th of January was Dday. All three of us, should arrive in Buenos Aires. Michaela with the cruise ship, our bus with the container and myself with the plane. It have been a very long flight al the way over the Atlantic, with a short Stopp in Madrid. At 6.30 am (Buenos Aires time) the aged Boing 747 of Aerolineas Argentina landed in Buenos Aires. Now I still had to sit and wait, since I waited for Michaela, who should arrive around lunchtime at the airport with her passengers. Well, already from far away I could see her in a bus with the sign in the front „MS Delphin – Aeropuerto“. Now we are already two of us. Our VW-Bus we will just get on Monday, since the cargoship first have to be reloaded and weekends the people from costums don´t work. For the next three nights we have ourselfes booked into a small Hotel in the middle of this 14 Million people Metropole. Most of the places of interest we can do on foot.

You don´t have to hesitate walking during evening and nighttimes in the middle of this city. At all corners of the street there are police-man/ woman. A fantastic smell make it´s way to our nose from the lots of Asado-Grills. In the month of summer in the south part of this world, people from Buenos Aires do sit till morning hours in one of the coffee-houses or restaurants and enjoy the great athmosphere of it. Who ever is in the birth-city of Tango, should not miss out one of the fantastic Tango-Shows. Randy, one of the artists of the MS Delphin and a person who loves and knows Buenos Aires very well, get tickets for us in the Theatro Piazzolla. We see a great performance there and enjoy the evening with him and other colleagos of the MS Delphin. Even that ones, which are not so much interested in dancing (like me!!) do enjoy it at it´s best.
On Weekends at lots of places in the centre of Buenos Aires are performances of Tango and singing.

But here in this city there is as well another side. The south part of Buenos Aires are the Slums. Lots of the people, which are living here do not have any work and have no drinkwater-pipelines. Over 20 Million of rats are sharing theire home. The costums harbour, where we get our bus is right next to this Slum-area. Therefor it is not so easy to get a taxi-driver, which drive us over to this part of the city. But the portier of our Hotel find us a reliable one. On the day before we already did the paper work for the costums, know we just have to pick up the bus. The costums officer asked us to be there at 10.00 am, he himself came at 3.30 pm. At our agency Hamburg-Süd they told us already, that in the worst case, the officer will ask us for some extra money. Rodriguez, one of emplyee of Hamburg-Süd did help us to work out all the papers which we needed. Well we are lucky, our costums officer already wants to finish work for today so he just have a quick look into our bus from outside and fix the rest of the papers. Everything done!!

It is already 4.30 pm. By no circumstances we want to stay any longer in this mega city. So we drive till St. Clemente, about 160 km far away at the coastline and south of Buenos Aires. It is already dark as we reach the camp ground there. Now we just have to fix the bus the next day, before we can start our journey. Everything is cleared out before it comes to it´s right position in the bus.

The wooden box with the spare tools moves onto the roof of the bus. Michaela have to do this out of „Weight-problems“. Now we are ready and can go!

We arrive over a small street the Routa National No.3. This street leads all the way from Buenos Aires over 3000 km through Patagonia down to Feuerland, to the town of Usuhaia or like people as well say „To the end of the world“. Day after day we drive through the Pampa. The Pampa is as big as the country of France but flat like a pancake. The word Pampa means: plain – without obstacles. What that means – we´ve gone through.

Emptiness, plain and again plain, so far as your eyes can catch it. The street is only straight on towards the South. The sun is very hot, it flickers on the Asphalt because of the heat. Very often the temperature in the bus is over 50 degrees celsius. The fields with the lots of cows in the beginning are getting more seldom so more we come south. Now we have our first control of foodstuffs on the Rio Colorado. We are stopped and have to leave here our apples which we had with us. They are worried about illnesses and therefor they don´t want us to carry them over to the next region of Argentinia. At the Rio Negro the next controll of foodstuffs, this time about beef. But we don´t carry beef with us. Later on at a next controll of foodstuff we have to give them the tomatoes.
Slowly but surely the landscape changes over to bushes. No houses, no people, no trees anymore.

Traveller which are going South gets a recommandation, never to leave a place without enough drinkingwater, petrol and whereever it is possible to get more petrol. Especially in the time of harvest – which is now – it could be, that some of the petrolstations do not have enough petrol and if so the farmers get them priority to travellers. That´s the reason, whenever we see a petrol station we drive by even if our tank is just half empty. By the way the price for the petrol is 0,30 Euros.

The heat of the last days is over. But now we have the problem with the wind. In this tree-less region the wind can be so strong that it blow up to 200 km/h. Sometimes the wind is so strong that our bus does not reach the 80 km/h. If then one of the very rare sidestreets is coming up and the day comes to an end, we drive into, with the hope that a fiew dunes at the seaside will bring us a bit of rest from the wind for the evening.

Most of the time in this endless Pampa we are lost in thoughts or philosophize and it seems that this 3000 km are a preparation for the spectaculare „end of the world.
Finally short before the Tierre del Fuego we have some change on our program. But this we will tell you the next time.
Hasta luego
Michaela u. Raimund