In this update we don’t make too much forward progress because we are forced to wait out a many-day rain storm with cold temperatures. We do sneak in two days of almost-perfect riding in glorious scenery, and luckily we find a wonderful cabin in a lovely town to wait out the rain. To put the amount of rain in perspective, the forecast was for 3 inches (76 mm) of rain over 6 days.
Day 54: Coyhaique to Camping Las Torres del Simpson (45 km / 28 mi)
Leaving Coyhaique was not easy. We woke up and readied our things, then headed straight back to the bicycle shop for help with another issue on Jason’s bike. One of his front sprockets was loose and we didn’t have the tools needed to tighten it. Luckily our new friend Nestor was undaunted by the task. He flipped Jason’s bike upside down, pulled out a hammer and a screwdriver, and delicately tapped everything until it was right. Jason said it was ‘better’ and Nester said ‘No, it’s perfect.’ Then Nestor and his family took turns riding the tandems around town for a while.
By this time we were actually hungry for lunch, so we stopped at a burger place for American style burgers. YUM. Then we finally left town. Or tried to. Now it was Daisy’s turn to stop and adjust her brakes, which were rubbing something awful after getting new and thicker brake pads. We weren’t able to get it perfect, but good enough to ride. We finally left town in the early afternoon.
It was a substantial climb to leave the valley that houses Coyhaique, so we shifted into our low gears and got to it. By the time we reached the top we were hot in the sun. We stopped to admire some wind turbines then started the descent. For this section of road there are actually two choices: a shorter gravel route with more climbing that goes up and over a mountain valley, or a longer paved route that follows two rivers around the mountain. We are sick of gravel for now, so we chose the longer paved route. 11 years ago Jason and I took the gravel side, so we can definitively say that both options are spectacular.
The road went steeply down towards the river, including a fun tunnel. Once we reached the river it was excellent riding on a false flat downhill. We stopped to see a couple of beautiful waterfalls, and for the first time someone actually offered us a ride! Of course, we said no thank you and carried on. The driver was concerned about the traffic on the curvy road, but we found the traffic to be polite all day and had no issues.
At the end of the day we reached the Simpson Towers, an impressive series of steep mountains above the Simpson River. The girls, oblivious to the natural beauty surrounding them, ran off to play on a teeter totter. We rode 2km down a farm road to our campsite. The campground had excellent facilities – a beautiful common room with kitchen, a covered spot for the bikes, and a flat grassy area for the tent. It also came with ‘mate classes’ included.
What does this mean, you ask? It means that the extremely friendly campground host sat us down and explained the history and traditions of the mate drink. We learned that the cup that holds the herbs is called the mate, and the herbs are called, well, the herbs. The host brews the herbs and makes sure it is good, then passes the mate around to the members of the group. Yes, the straw is shared between everyone and in fact you are not allowed to move the straw around or else you’ll mess it up. Between people the host adds more hot water. When you are done with the mate and don’t want anymore you say gracias. You do not say gracias until you are ready to be excluded from the mate rotation. It was helpful to learn these small details, even if the girls were mortified about sharing a straw with a stranger.
Day 55: Camping to Villa Mañihuales (51 km / 32 mi)
After a peaceful night we returned to the main route and carried on down the rest of the Simpson River Valley. The best part of the day was when we turned to start riding back up the neighboring river valley on the River Mañihuales. The conditions were just about the best we could have: no wind, gentle sun, almost no traffic, and smooth pavement. We happily pedaled all morning. One highlight was getting cheered by a family sitting on their porch as they watched us pass.
Eventually some climbing came for us, but like all the other climbing we’ve done we just shifted down and kept going. We stopped for lunch at a covered bus stop, where A and I left Jason and H to prepare sandwiches while we walked down to the river for water. We walked all the way across a narrow suspension bridge, then followed a trail to the riverbank. We have grown used to the milky glacial rivers of the extreme south, but now we are far enough north that the rivers are clear and beautiful.
We rejoined the other route and finished out our ride into the village of Mañihuales. This town is a bit long and spread out on either side of the Carretera Austral. It has a beautiful wooded park in the middle and more mini markets than you could visit in a day. In theory it even has an ATM inside the gas station, but it wouldn’t work for us. No matter, we had enough cash to pay for the next four nights in a lovely little apartment. That’s right – we stayed in this town for four nights.
Rest days in Villa Mañihuales
The rain came to Mañihuales with a vengeance. For three full days it rained and the temperatures dropped. It would have been miserable if not dangerous riding, so we stayed put. We slept, made chicken stew, watched Survivor, and played video games. We did Spanish practice and video games, and we ventured out between the downpours to buy bread and groceries. A and Jason both filled their journals so we had to buy new notebooks for them. Jason got to put his new mate skills to use with our wonderfully friendly host Ignacio. We also visited a small local festival about a native berry called the maqui. The festival was in the local rodeo barn and was pretty subdued in the pouring rain. No matter, we bought and enjoyed some maqui juice anyhow. By the morning of the fourth day we were bouncing off the walls and ready to ride. Of course we woke up to… more rain!!!
