Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
The Andean Crossing...22.02.10
We set out at 8am to follow the original trading route from the Pacific to the Atlantic prior to the opening of the Panama Canal. The Chile/Argentina Company used to take cargo from Puerto Varas following the route which is now privately owned or part of the Nahuel Huapi National Park.
We took a bus around Lake Llanquihue which has no roads on the other side although there are scattered farms amongst the woodland. We passed Volcano Osorno and waterfalls Saltos del Petrohue before climbing through a range of mountains to Petrohue at the head of Lago Todos Los Santos. There are no roads at all round the lake, it is surrounded by jungle and some settlements. We took a boat along the lake for 20 miles (1 hour 40mins) and walked to the hotel at Peulla for lunch . This is really a border village with 120 inhabitants, a school, a hospital and a hotel!
The Chilean border controle is always much more laid back than the Argentinian one. We woke up the guard, went through in any order to get our exit papers taken and our passports stamped leaving our things on the bus. We were bouncing along the unmade road for about an hour in no mans land until we got to the Argentinian entry ...we were filed off the bus with all luggage, had to line up in the order our names appeared on the passenger list, were called through and watched by 2 armed guards and the passport controller....oh and 5 random cases were searched completely with the owners standing next to them!!! A bit like the difference between the Italians and the Germans I think!
Once in Argentina we swapped guides, got on a ferry across another lake, then a short bus journey before another 15 mile ferry trip to the end of Lago Nahuel Haupi which is the lake that Bariloche is on. A bus met the ferry and 25 km later we were tucked into our hotel. The journey took from 8am until 9.30pm door to door including a stop for lunch and tea..just as those traders used to do.
It was amazing how much territory we travelled through that was so isolated and relied soley on the lakes for transport. The monkey puzzle tree originates from that area and there are trees that live for 3000 years, big red ones. There was also wild fushias, alstramerias, no more lupins though!he jungle has a variety of bamboo which is small and has a dense stem which is not hollow...that is what the natives used to make their spears to kill the wild boar and deer.
So, we've crossed the Andes via an old trading route and finally arrived here in the Argentinian Lakes for a few days rest!
- comments