Chile Sur

We cruise into Santiago on freeway-type roads, and the GPS leads us right to the hotel in a historic section of town with no problem...the easiest entry into a major metro ( 6 million pop.) area of the trip.  We must be doing something right, as we have big city karma tonight.  A cool, affordable, historic hotel on a cobblestone street, a good dinner in an Italian restaurant, a good nights sleep and we are on the road again by 9am.  We feel like long haul truckers, but we are determined to get to the end of the road without delay.  Chile seems to be a cut above any other South American country so far, in terms of economy, infrastructure, and development. We don't worry about police anymore...the three times we have been stopped, they have been nice, fair, and professional.  The road south is basically equivalent to a US Interstate highway, but with numerous toll booths.  We don't mind, as we are making good time, averaging between 400 and 500 miles per day.  

We make it as far as Temuco, through Chile's Central Valley wine and fruit country, and settle in by 6pm.  An uninspiring blue-collar town, Temuco has come through for us with good pizza, great wine, and a very helpful hotel clerk.  The power shut off in the morning, and we had a candle light type breakfast.  We met a young American family who has recently moved to Chile from the Seattle area.  They are looking for a new environment to raise their children, after selling their small business in Washington.  Southern Chile seems to do it for them.  It certainly looks like Washington State, with rolling hills, forests, and a Seattle type climate.

From Temuco, we head south, then east toward the Argentine frontier.  We expected a steep switchback climb over the Andes, but were surprised to cruise to the border in a forested valley.  Along the way in the rain, we were surprised to see lots green parrots flying between the trees.  We eventually did climb up a canyon, but it was gradual and casual.  The border crossing was an hour and a half of pleasant bureaucracy, far removed from our Central American experience.  These people just want to do their jobs, and get us through with the least amount of trouble...we certainly hit the Easy Button on the Argentine border.

First stop in Argentina:   Bariloche, a ski and tourist town on the banks of a huge lake, that reminds me of a combination of Lake Tahoe, Jackson Hole, and Sand Point, Idaho.  As we descend the Andes to Bariloche, it reminded me of leaving the east side of Glacier National Park.  

At this point, we are tired, restless, and homesick, and having decided not to take Chile's Careterra Austral route south, we just want to cruise through The Argentine side of Patagonia to Ushuaia with haste.  The Little Red Truck is doing well, but we know we are on borrowed time with it.  Duct tape is holding the rear shell window in place, and we are afraid to turn the engine off during the day without being on top of a hill so we can start by compression when the ignition goes on strike, which is often.