Recordings

Ok, I've not posted many of my recordings for a while so I thought I would upload a bumper issue. Firstly a snippet from a long, rambling and highly amusing interview I made with the very wonderful Seth and Kirsten. I first contacted them through Warmshowers looking for somewhere to stay in Santiago. They have a blog at thespokenword.blogspot.com. The whole interview is both too long to put on here and also in several parts as I ran out of batteries halfway through. Another problem is that instead of choosing a set of questions to ask them I tried to "freestyle" and frankly the results were somewhat mixed. If you don't know what a Bob trailer is look here. Here is the recording: Seth and Kirsten talking about trailers and long hair


Next up. Here is a nice little charango piece from Nicolas de Penna who I met in Chaiten. The recording was made in the back of his mini-bus. The song is called Dos Palomas (two doves).


Next more interviews with fellow cyclists.
Michael from Switzerland Michael, Brett, Monika, Thorsten and I all shared a great Christmas together in Coyhaique. This interview with "Iron Mike" was made beside a fire in the campsite beside Lago O'Higgins. He mentions the song Love is Shield (slightly dubious euro pop...)


Brett from South Africa Sorry, it was a bit windy and I forgot to use the windshield... Made in the campsite in Cochrane. Brett is a lively character with lots of stories up his sleeve.


Monika and Thorsten from Germany Thorsten and Moni are a very friendly and generous couple who played leap-frog with me for a while. We camped in El Blanco at the confluence of two rivers, 30km before Coyhaique. Thorsten is a journalist who writes for cycling magazines about his tours. He takes fantastic photgraphs.


Graham from Cumbria in the UK Graham is riding a Dawes Audax, a fast tourer, with very minimal equipment tucked into 2 panniers. He's cycled from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. We met on new year's eve and shared a few drinks in a bus shelter not far from La Junta.

Chaiten

(Note for Facebookers: There is a flickr slideshow of my photos from Chaiten that can be seen on the blog or here.)

From the 30th April 2008, Chaiten, a port town towards the north of Patagonia (and for me the end of the Carretera Austral), was hit by a series of low and medium intensity earthquakes. The 7000, or so, people of the town began to worry. At half past midnight on the 2nd May 2008, their worries were validated. A loud bang jolted them awake and they felt, and saw against the night sky, Volcan Chaiten erupt. The volcano, thought to be extinct, was 10km from the town and the plume could be seen 180km away. The water supply to the town was soon cut off to prevent poisoning. The largest evacuation in Chilean history, involving navy ships, left about 1000 people in the town that night. On the 6th May there was a secondary erruption and by that night there were only 20. The rivers filled with ash and the town was flooded. A new branch of the river formed and wiped away hundreds of houses. Of the houses left, many are severly damaged by the mounds of ash.

Now, 20 months later, Chaiten is a ghost town. But people do live there. About 150. A few supermarkets are open. A few hospedajes and a few restuarants. A man I spoke to said, for the first 6 months after coming back he had not unpacked, just in case he had to go again at short notice. The government have now decided that Chaiten will not be rebuilt and instead Santa Barbara, about 6km away, will be expanded to replace the town. As yet no new houses have been built in the region.

On a miserable grey morning exploring the town, feeling self-conscious, I took photos of the destruction and graffiti. Here are some examples with my attempts at translations. (Spanish speakers, please help or correct me as necessary.)

EL GOBIERNO NOS NIEGA LA LUZ Y EL AGUA. AQUI ESTAMOS HACIENDO PATRIA.
The government refuses us light and water. We are making our homeland here.
CHAITEN NO MORIDA. VOLVEREMOS.
Chaiten is not dead. We will return.
ZONA 0. CERO LUZ. CERO AGUA. CERO APOYO.
Zero Zone. Zero light. Zero water. Zero support.
SI EL GOBIERNO STANARVAEZ HUBIESE PUESTO AGUA!!! MI HOGAR EXISTIRIA 30 ANOS BE ESFLERZO
[Sorry, this is beyond my translations skills.]
ESTA PROPIEDAD NO SE VENDE AL FISCO NI A PARTICULARES
This property is not for sale [not sure about the "al fisco" bit.]
CHAITEN NO MORIA SEGURIREMOS CONSTRUYENDO. PATRIA AL SUR DEL MUNDO, POR ESO EXIGIMOS. CAMINO CHILE, AHORA!!!
Chaiten will not die, we will keep rebuilding. Our homeland is in the south of the world and for this we demand a Road of Chile now. [This refers to a proposed extention of the Carretera Austral through Pulmin Park which has shelved since it gained sanctuary status.]
RECONSTRUCCION CHAITEN VIVE!!
Reconstruction. Chaiten lives.
VIEJO PASCUERO: EN ESTA NAVIDAD TE PIDO LA LUZ Y EL AGUA. CHAITEN VIVE!
Fater Christmas: for this christmas I ask for light and water. Chaiten lives.
NO ROBEN. Don't rob us.
LADRON: ERES UN HIJO DE PERRA
Thief: you are a son of a female dog.
OYE LADRON ERES UN ZANGANO Y CANALLA. AHORA ESPERA EL CASTIGO DE DIOS. PUTRETE!
Listen thief. you are a [not in my dictionary] and a swine. now wait for the punishment from God. Rot in hell! [literally: putrify]
Finally, I saw this at the Church, on the banner the "malos politicos" bit has been cut out. Maybe by the police :
SENOR, PROTEGENOS DEL VOLCAN, DEL RIO Y DE LOS MALOS POLITICOS. AMEN.
Lord, protect us from the volcano, from the river and from the bad politicians. Amen.

As it lashed down with rain I headed towards the sound of a generator, and sure enough, found a supermarket. I bought a packet of biscuits and was munching away when a minibus came along. They were heading up to visit the Volcano and wondered if I wanted to come along. I said I didn't really have the money and the tour guide asked, "What else are you going to do? Sulk around here?"

So we drove along the last section of the CA and into Pumalin Park (officially trespassing as it is now closed to the public). We drove across a part of the road that has been widened as a makeshift airstrip. A cartoony cherry-picker control tower, made everyone chuckle. As we drove, the sky cleared up a bit and we had a sight of the decimated forrests. Our guide pointed out that the giant rubarb plant I have seen everywhere is edible, even raw. We came to a point were the road is destroyed and stopped. From here we had to walk. The first thing I did was get some giant rubarb and eat it. Its disgusting just so you know. The road was split into several sections by landslides and rivers was strewn with volcanic rocks. Lumps of glassy black Obsidian were everywhere along with the solidifyed white frothy lava: pumice stones. After crossing and recrossing the newly appeared river, we reached a view point for the volcano and waited patiently for the clouds to part.

While we waited, I asked our guide about the Pumalin Park. The area, which has a unique ecology, has abundant mineral wealth and so industrialists wish to exploit this and also develop forrestry. This is one of the primary reasons to extend the Carretera Austral: to better facilitate the industrialisation. The granting of sanctuary status has forestalled this threat for the moment. I also asked about Chaiten and tried to peice together the events of the eruption. I asked about insurance. People were fighting in the courts but many companies refused to pay out. Many people did not have home insurance. Also many complex issues. The town people had to fight in the courts to have the river properly levvied. On the way back from the volcano we stopped off at Santa Barbara which is a lovely little secluded beach, over shaddowed by a forrested hill called Vilcun. I tried to imagine it growing to the size of Chaiten. The guide, Nicolas, pulled out a charango and played a few songs, including one he had written about the beach, and "Don't worry about a thing" the Bob Marley tune. Later, in the back of his van, I made a lovely recording of a traditional andean song called "Dos Palomas".

I went for dinner in a place called Turco, one of the few open. Miranda and Pete, who'd also come up to the volcano, were there so I joined them for a good chat, a few beers (luke warm as fridges don't work) and a big plate of fried salmon. They are a pair of teachers working in Columbia and very friendly. Despite my protest, they paid for dinner. (Thankyou very much guys!) Feeling very happy and content (full stomach, faith in human kindness) I walked back to the Don Carlos Hospedaje in starlight (street lights don't work).

Coyhaique to Puyuhuapi

Off to work with a chainsaw and some bulls.

From one barely pronoucably named town to the next, eh? Having said goodbyes to the Christmas crowd, I headed out into the rain and, climbing uphill out of Coyhaique, Brett wizzed by in a pickup truck he'd hitched a ride with. I pushed on. Endless rain and cloud obscured the mountian views but fortunately the waterfalls, which are incredible, were full to bursting with vast quantities of the wet stuff. It almost made me want to strip off and film a rudimentry Timotei shampoo advert.

I failed to reach Manihuales because the lights went off and I camped by the side of the road. In the morning, as I was packing my tent up a couple from Switzerland cycled by and had a chat. They've been on the road for 2 and a half years crossing europe and asia to reach Japan and then flew to Mexico and cycled down here. Epic. In Manihuales I had some coffee and cake and in a few hours time caught up with Moni and Thorsten. We got wet together as the weather continued to throw water down on us. Eventually we stayed in a lovely Hospedaje in Villa Armengual. But first we watched a man off to work with a chainsaw over his shoulder and two giant bulls harnessed together.

In the morning it was still raining and I decided to put in a big day and reach Puyuhuapi. The first obstacle was a mountain pass on a narrow and steep gravel road. Through what looked like forests of giant rhubarb, I hairpinned my way upward and then, in a crazily dangerous way, spiralled my way down. I reached Puyuhuapi and set up in a lovely campsite with canopies for the rain and a wood burning stove to cook on (if you have infinite patience) or dry your socks.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Brett and I woke up at 5:30am, in the pouring rain, to get to the ferry port at Chile Chico in time. We waited, getting soggier, whilst everyone else got on the ferry but we were made to wait till last. Cycle prejudice is rife. Inside the ferry was crazily crowded so we squeezed ourselves in to a cafeteria to eat breakfast of oats and yoghurt and coffee. I headed off from Puerto Ibanez with the rain still lashing down, selected a low gear and started climbing. I left Brett faffing about with getting warmer clothes out of his panniers.

I bumped into Monica and Thorsten again at the junction with Ruta 7, where the tarred road snakes its way up to a 1100m pass. We had a bit of lunch sat in a bus stop shelter and continued up the hairpins. Thorsten and I had a good chat and, once we got to the top, took some photos in the snow. (White xmas!) When Monica caught up we continued in sleet and then snow.

As we sped down hill the sky cleared and huge mountains loomed over the road. Fantastic views waited around each bend of forests, lakes and fast flowing rivers. Probably some of the most dramatic scenery of the trip so far. Another uphill bump and the scenery changed again turning into rolling green hills and farmland. Not unlike Hampshire believe it or not. However, a headwind picked up and, after I stopped for a few biscuits, M&T caught up. We camped in El Blanco beside the confluence of two rivers and ate pasta, cheese, chocolate, walnuts and cake (not all together (or necessarily in that order)).

Today, Christmas Eve, began with filthy wet weather and a biting cold headwind. The big mittens made their first outing of the trip. Fortunately it was only a short 33kms to Coyhaique, where I soon found Brett, the campsite and, later, Michael. So there is quite a crowd of us now. I think Monika plans to cook a traditional German xmas dinner tonight which should be nice. Crimbo Vino is bubbling much slower so fingers crossed it will be drinkable tomorrow. Planning to have Boxing Day here too (to recuperate).

Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas time and all the best for 2010!!! Stay tuned for my New Year's Resolutions...

Cochrane to Chile Chico: Salchicha the dog

Rolled out of Cochrane and put in a shortish day to Puerto Bertrand. Rear tyre blewout and I had to bodge a fix with duct tape. There I met a dog that looked suprisingly similar to one I had seen in Cochrane. But I thought nothing of it. However, as I attempted to make chapatis and read my book the crazy little dog kept pestering me. She followed me when I moved up to a campsite and met up with Bret for a dinner containing both rice and pasta. Bret gave me his spare tyre which looks excellent. After a good dinner, good hot shower, good coffee I hit the sack. The dog slept next to my tent.

In the morning, we breakfasted on porridge, coffee, leftovers and stupid jokes. Then I left before Brett as he was buggering around packing and he wanted to take it slow because he's picked up a little knee problem. As I rode out of town (I love saying that, it feels like I'm a cowboy!!) the dog followed me. I call her Salchicha - stupid name for stupid animal. I tried my best to persuade her to go away but she followed me for 65kms. She could run up hills faster than me and could catch up in a few minutes after I had nailed downhill. She had a great time chasing after other dogs, rabbits and birds. Eventually she decided that a campsite where there were people cooking on a bbq was a better chance of finding a generous human (I refused to feed her).

Today I met up with the German couple Monica and Thorsen who told me that Salchicha followed them from Cochrane to Puerto Bertrand. So in the last 3 days she has covered over 115kms!! Cycled on with M&T to Chile Chico a delightful little lake side town.

Only a 1100m pass between me and Christmas in Coyaique. Strawberry wine is coming along nicely fermenting all over the place. I have to unscrew the cap every hour to let the gas out. Will meet up with M&T and Brett. Not sure if Michael (nick named by Brett as "Iron Mike") will make it as he's still in Cochrane, but should be a good crowd anyway.

Tortel to Cochrane

At Tortel I loaded up on supplies. This involved knocking politely on what looked just like someones house, only I had spied shelves of food through the window, and then asking in my finest spanish for oats, chocolate and one of each flavour of biscuits. To get bread I had to go to another house and knock on the window. The woman inside delved into a huge sack and brought out 6 homemade rolls for 10p each.

Biscuits and chocolate have a short shelf-life in my panniers and were, of course, devoured before the end of the day. As is the usual fashion hereabouts the road was in a dire pot-holed, washboarded, gravely and hilly state and there was a head wind. Nevertheless the sun shone all day and as the light faded I found a nice spot off the road and under some trees to pitch the tent with a mountain veiw and a river nearby.

The next day I set off hoping to make it to Cochrane and when I passed a lovely cycling couple from Belgium they confirmed it was 65kms so I had a sporting chance of getting there before nightfall. Being about the time of day we decided to retire to the dining room for lunchoen together. By which I mean we sat on the dirt and ate cheese sandwiches.

After a good chat and feed I hit the road again but changed my plan when, 15kms outside Cochrane, I chanced upon Lago Ezmeralda. It was a beautiful spot so I decided to camp there and save a nights camping fee in Cochrane.

Cochrane is a little bigger than Villa O'Higgins, the internet a fraction faster, and it has a nice feel about it. There is a supermarket which is ideal if you need to pop out and pick up some cereal, milk, an outboard motor, a chainsaw and some plastic toys. Truely everything you might ever need is on sale.

Brett arrived and we bought some steaks to bbq. Also, led astray, I bought some lavadura and some strawberry juice with which I intend to concoct a "special" christmas vino. Wish me luck!

Chalten to Caleta Tortel

I have been through quite a bit since I last posted but not come across a decent internet connection. Incredibly, it seems to be quite good in this tiny village, Caleta Tortel, in a seaside cove, made entirely of wooden houses with boardwalks and wooden staircases connecting them. extrodinary. Its been tough going getting here. From Chalten to Lago Desierto was a nice enough gravel track and on the way I met up with a South African guy called Bret who likes to eat and drink. After getting the ferry across Lago Desierto we camped with a Switz guy called Michael. The next day was a grueling one. If you wanted you could hire a horse for US$30 but us Hubbards are made of sterner stuff. The bike had to be pushed up steep and deeply rutted horse tracks for 10km before coming down a heavily potholed and steep gravel track.

The campsite was stunning, looking out over the turquoise waters of Lago O'Higgins and the surrounding mountains. We spent a day looking at it, reading books and tinkering with bikes while we waited for the ferry to turn up. The 4pm ferry arrived at 8pm and took us across Lago O'Higgins (bit Irish sounding,eh?). By the time we got to the other side, after watching a great sunset, it was dark and the 7km in to Villa O'Higgins had to be made by head torch.

I decided to get going after stocking up on supplies in VOH. Not many shops open as it was a Sunday and election weekend, and I couldn't face another day sat around scratching my bum. It was good to get moving on the bike, but hard work. The gravel road here is tough going with many potholes and washboard tracks, not to mention the hills and winds (they're normal now!). Scenery is stunning to the point that there is no need to listen to ipod, or even think much, you just look around and soak it all in.

El Calafate to El Chalten

After listening to a folk band in the campsite bar, and sampling (yet more) litres of Quilmes, our trusty pedal-powered hero woke fairly late and drank several cups of coffee and ate lots of toast and alfajor (yummy chocolate/ducle leche things). He then spent what seemed like an eternity trying to reorganise his panniers to be a) more convienient for commonly used items and b) with more weight at the front of the bike (who shall henceforth be known as Foxy Lady). Neither of these objectives were achieved and so the mission was abandoned in favour of cycling.
Weather was nice but reasonably windy. Lunch was ducle de leche and bananas on crackers and some turron.

Soon after Lago Argentina had slid behind a hill I came across a house in the middle of knowhere with "Bar" written on it. I headed in chased my barking dogs and it turned out to be a campsite too. So I gave in and ordered some food. On asking what he had on offer I was offered some piddling sandwiches and cakes, and then he offered a plate of beef steak. My eyes lit up and no more communication was required. Then dead cow was served with grated carrot and tomato and washed down by a black beer called Antares.

The next day was the sunniest and least windy day I have had yet so much so that my jacket stayed off all day and my arms got a touch of sunburn. I put in 120km to reach El Chalten just as it was getting dark. The whole day I was heading closer and closer to the mind boggling peaks of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. I installed myself at the campsite and got a pizza. Disappointment ensued as I was unable to manage the entire pizza. The first time such a fate has befallen me. I think my stomach is getting smaller. Either that or it is the enormous quantity of cheese they use here.

Today the weather is much the same: balmy. I walked up to the Laguna Torre which is an excellent viewpoint for Cerro Torre, a crazily steep and magestic tower. I wore shorts (but long sleeves because of sun burned arms) and carried a very light pack with water, biscuits and not much else. Quite a relaxing walk through delightful countryside. I may have to stay here some time as my timing for the ferry to Villa O´Higgins is a little muddled. In fact I still can´t work out if it goes on Fridays or Saturdays such is the quality of the infomation. Well, tomorrow I plan to hike to the Mount Fitz Roy viewpoint and then we´ll see. If I miss the Friday/Saturday ferry there is one on Tuesday (or maybe its Wednesday). All a little confusing.

Torres del Paine to El Calafate

Took a rest day at Hosteria des Torres campsite which consisted of reading, eating and composing hillarious poems. Then built giant bonfire to cook my pasta with peas and salami and warm my weary body.

Yesterday I took to the road on my bike again and it feels good. There was a section of gravel road that was the worst yet but I had a tailwind so pressed on racking up a good 120kms or so. Then when I was packing up my tent this morning a guacho (kind of a cowboy) rode up to have a chinwag and stare into the distance looking menacing. I patted his horse which look round and stared at me as if to say, "Do I look like the kind of horse who gets patted. Do me a favour..."

Then I breakfasted on crackers and peanut butter and rode 100kms into a head wind. On the way I got back to the paved road, finished all the crackers and ran out of water. I then had to try out the "Dave Technique" taught to me by the guy I met cycling the other way.

Step 1: Stand by side of the road with an empty water bottle and point to it.
Step 2: Hope someone stops.
Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 as necessary.

It worked pretty well. I got 300ml the first car and then as I was cycling along later someone rolled down the window and threw a 1 litre bottle at me. I think they´d been phoned up by the first car. How cool is that. Now I have a "support team".

Things went steadily up hill (literally) with the headwind continuing, and then steadily downhill (in both respects). My back tyre has seen better days and gave me another puncture. I patched the puncture but then split the valve somehow and had to change the tube. I was just looking forward to hitting the headwind when a bus offered me a free ride to El Calafate. How could I refuse! It would have taken me another day I think as it was 66kms to go when he picked me up.

Here in El Calafate I have been on a spending spree buying a new camera, a new tyre and now spending a fortune in the internet cafe. Tomorrow I will go check out the Perito Moreno Glacier (probably by bus) and maybe have another rest day too as I have just spotted that there is a Folk Music concert on in town.

Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales

A few miles out of Punta Arenas I crossed paths with Dave (note the machete) who has cycled here from Seatle and is nearly at the end of his journey.

Yesterday was the day of things breaking. This began in the morning when my plastic spork decided it would rather be a uselessly small fork and spoon instead. Then the button on my trousers broke and just as I was looking for a place to put the tent up I got my first puncture.

Puerto Natales is beautiful. It is set on the water with mountains all around. I´m looking forward to scenery becoming more dramatic and also to spending a week or so hiking in Torres del Paine national park. Right, I´m off to explore