We left the calm and beautiful town of El Chalten up north, driving all night on the Ruta 40 and crossed the border to Chile, to start our Carretera Austral trip. "We" means 3 Israeli couples aged 30-40 and a lunatic Argentinian driver called Martin. The plan: 6 days on the Carretera.
The Carretera Austral was built by Chile's dictator Pinoche in 1976 to allow access to remote populated areas in Chile. But make no mistake. This 1,200 kilometers so called "highway" is a dirt track leading to barely populated areas. However, it's a road with beautiful views, which makes it a destination by itself for South American tourists and backpackers.
These are my highlights of the Carretera Austral:
  1. Landscape: There's nothing I can say about the Carretera views that will be anything close to depict it. The huge Andes mountains thrown violently everywhere, with endless green and freezing-grey lakes and rivers filling the areas between the mountains, all shades of green on wild fields, beasts and wildlife everywhere, killer winds pale sunrises and pink sunsets. The Carretera has the most beautiful landscape in the world. It's Patagonia at its best.
  2. Horseback riding: A real Gaucho riding his horse as one and two adorable dogs led our group through beautiful Patagonian paths and fields (see "Landscape" above).
  3. An "enchanted forest": A secret and barely seen entrance on the side of the road leads to a thick and enchanted forest. It's like a fairy forest, so green and alive, full of all things to admire. We took pictures every 10 meters. Seriously.
  4. Chaiten, the ghost town: Chaiten resides next to a volcano. In May 2008, after 9,000 years of silence, volcano Chaiten suddenly erupted. 4,000 people were evacuated swiftly, leaving everything behind, including food on the tables and shouting tv sets. Only 500 people returned to their homes, claiming that "Chaiten no morira" or "Chaiten shall not die", determined to revive the ghost town. We walked in deep volcanic ash which covers everything, crossed the flooded streets and the experience was strong and sad.
  5. Hot springs: Sitting in a pool of steaming hot water. Cold drops of rain falling on my head. Thick forests on both sides of me. This is wildlife pampering.
We finished the Carretera Austral in an El Bolson restaurant, with great English service and awfully made beef steaks. We then departed from Martin in Bariloche, to start a new adventure in Argentine.


Goodbye Chile, you have been an unforgettable adventure.


Boaz.
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