In this stretch of five days we ride 150km between the ‘big city’ of Cochrane and the tiny hamlet of Bahía Murta. We follow the mighty Baker River upstream until it becomes the massive General Carrera Lake. In the journey we do an unexpectedly long day through a huge construction zone, camp on bucolic farms, and experience a beehive of tourism in Puerto Río Tranquílo. The reason for such a long stretch of riding (we prefer to ride 3 days then rest 1 day) was an approaching cold rain storm. We are currently waiting out the storm in a cozy cabin enjoying a wood fire and roof.

This covers five action-packed days of riding, so pace yourself. It’s long. I made the decision to include so many photos, but if everyone hates it I can scale back.

Day 40: Cochrane to Puerto Bertrand (50km / 31mi)

Today was accidentally much longer than we had planned! Our intention was to camp 18km into our day, before a 17-kilometer stretch of construction. Unfortunately the visitor center’s information about where the construction started was off by five kilometers! Instead of being before the construction, our intended campsite was inside the construction zone! Anyways, back to the beginning.

Because we planned a very short day, we were slow and lazy getting out of our cabin. We rode a kilometer back to town to buy groceries. We were not in a hurry. The smooth pavement extended several kilometers north of Cochrane as we descended down to a river valley and then started the many steep climbs and descents along the Baker river. The pavement came and went, but the scenery was dramatic and the traffic was sparse. This road is completely closed to vehicle traffic from 11:30 to 3:30 each day due to the construction blasting, so our ride that started at 11 was very quiet. Honestly, it felt pretty dreamy.

Around lunchtime we descended to where we planned to camp, thinking it was still 5km more to the construction zone. OOPS – the visitor center gave us wrong information! There was a line of cars waiting right before our intended camp area, and a flagger informing us that there was no way we could camp in the area. It was a dispiriting moment, as we had all been looking forward to a lazy afternoon in camp.

The flagger informed us that the blasting was done for the day, so it was safe for cyclists to pass and climb slowly and carefully through the construction. We passed the cars then sat down for a lunch near the river before a long, steep climb. It took a bit, but we rallied and recalibrated our day’s expectations. Then we got on the bikes and climbed.

After a kilometer of climbing we realized H had left her helmet at lunch. OH NO! I had H hop off and walk uphill with Jason and A, then I rode all the way back to the river to retrieve the helmet. By the time I caught up to them they had walked another kilometer! The climbing was very steep (which at this point is the defining characteristic of this route), but at least it was also traffic free! That is, until the line of 43 cars was allowed to go! Then it was dust city.

The road undulated up and down through the construction zone. The surface was good for riding, but there were no water sources. We asked for water bottle refills from construction workers and they were happy to help out. Everyone was friendly and encouraging to us, but we were still very happy to leave the construction behind.

Immediately after the construction zone we reached the confluence of the Baker and Neff rivers. Both rivers are impressive, so we left the bikes in the care of a very friendly couple selling handicrafts at the trailhead and hiked down to see the sight. At this time we were only 13km from town and I had enough service on my phone to confirm that we had a room waiting for us. We made the decision to power through!

It was up and down along the river to town, of course, but the road was once again magically paved (or close to it). We were able to fly on the downhills and power over the following uphills. We rolled into Puerto Bertrand at 6:30pm and were immensely pleased with ourselves.

We stayed in the lower portion of town in a room behind a restaurant and next to the minimarket. It was actually pretty ideal for our family. We met a very friendly and chatty Chilean woman in the shared kitchen who shared information about the next section after the Carretera Austral. She seemed very displeased about the cold nights in the area! Honestly, she’s not wrong. The nights have been very cold (in the 30s), but the days heat up quickly!

Day 41: Puerto Bertrand to Camping Cerro Color (15km / 9mi)

Finally, an actually short day! We had a lazy start in the hotel and then walked down to the river for some pictures. The higher part of this town is waaaaay higher. We pushed the bikes up the steep curvy road to the central square, where the girls found a playground.

While the girls played Jason and I noticed that part of his bicycle drivetrain seemed a little loose/wiggly. We decided to try and tighten it, but didn’t have the correct tool. There were three local guys sitting and chatting nearby, so we asked them where we might find a tool. They directed us to ask ‘Angelo,’ who works on cars and lives in a green house nearby. So we did! I knocked on door and asked for Angelo. He was eating breakfast, but was happy enough to come out and show us his toolbox full of random tools. He reached in and took out one handful at a time, laying the tools on the grass for us to dig through. We didn’t find exactly what we needed, but we found something close, and in the process we realized we didn’t really need to make the adjustment we were trying to make.

We thanked Angelo very sincerely, then headed back to the main plaza where we adjusted something else. By that time it was lunch! We got sandwiches from a food truck, but there were too many yellowjackets trying to share our meal. We ate quickly then got on the bikes and headed out. It was steep uphill from town.

At the top of the climb we stopped on a river to collect some water. That’s when we realized that I had left my safety vest at lunch! It made H downright gleeful to see that I also forget things. There was no way I wanted to ride back down this time though, not for a faded old safety vest. We will simply buy one in the next bigger city.

We cycled along a gorgeous blue lake, then climbed out of that basin and into the next. That’s where our intended destination was – Camping Cerro Color. It was tucked away 300m off the road and at the end of a lake. There was a cabin, camping, and simple rooms. We chose to camp, with access to an indoor kitchen and dining area. A German couple was there with the same drivetrain as Jason! We were able to compare notes with them and were very reassured with our own. This was an incredible stroke of luck, as Jason’s bicycle uses a Pinion gear box – perhaps the most niche and specialized (but also maintenance free) way to change gears on a bicycle. It’s not common to see them, and most folks we meet have never seen any in person.

We had a relaxing afternoon in camp, chatting with other campers and enjoying the day. I saw the woman who runs the place setting up the dining room for maaaaaany people. I asked her if she was planning for a party and she replied: “The party started when your family arrived!” It turns out that the dining area was for everyone camping to use. That night there were seven cyclists and four overlanders in camping vans.

Day 42: Camping Cerro Color to Camping Los Ciogues (28km / 17mi)

Despite the dust and somewhat heavier traffic on this stretch of road, today was a gorgeous and fun day. Shortly after leaving the campground we descended down to the immense Lago General Carrera – a startingly blue lake shared by Chile and Argentina. It is the largest lake in Chile and the second largest in South America. We spent the vast majority of the next three days riding up and down along its shores.

Not long into the day we saw a sign advertising an upcoming restaurant/resort.  Among many other things, it promised ‘Cakes and Juices.’  Intrigued, we decided to stop.  Well it turns out that to even visit this restaurant you have to register at the reception of this fancy resort, so after several false attempts to get food we ended up at the front desk where we learned the restaurant didn’t open until after noon!  Disappointed, we carried on.

The road surface was good, so we had a good day dipping up and down along the lake.  In the early afternoon we reached the turn-off for our intended destination.  It was 4km up a side road along the glacial Lion River.  The map did not do justice to the size and force of this river.  It was immense!  The road was a poorly maintained track that would have been very difficult in a car, but was actually very fun for us to ride. 

The farm offering camping was perfect.  Huge shade trees surrounded the camping area, two dozen chickens wandered the area, and a field of sheep and cows was right across a fence.  There was a small creek running through the property that provided water and dishwashing facilities, and even a nice building with bathrooms and electricity. We had such a lovely afternoon relaxing.

Day 43: Camping Los Ciogues to Puerto Río Tranquílo (37km / 23mi)

As expected, it was a perfectly peaceful night on the farm.  The side road was fast and fun to ride out then we were back on the Carretera Austral, dust and all.  We all have wool neck warmers that doubled as effective dust filters today.  We wore them over our noses and mouths to keep the worst of the dust away. 

For the first time in a long time we had a bit of a tailwind for about 3km.  We were all shocked to be blasting along the gravel at 20km!  It didn’t last long, of course, but wow was it great while it lasted. 

There was one main climb today, but the road surface was good so we were at the top by lunch.  On our map the top was marked as a ‘viewpoint’ so we expected something somewhat formal.  Nope.  It was a tiny pull off and very sketchy overlook with no infrastructure.  (And no fence to protect you from falling off the cliff!) Oh well, still gorgeous so we stopped for lunch despite the wind blasting through. 

From there it was a bumpy, dusty descent to the tourist town of Río Tranquílo.  It had been very difficult to secure a place to stay here, but we had supposedly gotten a room in a hostel.  Problem: the owner hadn’t told us the name of the hostel.  Problem: our phone didn’t work in town.  Problem: the tourist office was closed and the tourist wifi required a password.  Uh oh!  We spent some time trying to guess the password, going to the library (also closed), and finally ended up going to the gas station for wifi.  That worked!

In the end the hostel couldn’t accommodate us after all, so we spent an hour wandering town looking for a place.  We ended up in a rundown campground behind a small shop where we knew some other cyclists were staying.  It ended up having everything we needed: a flat tent site, wifi and power, and a place to wash and dry clothes.  There were also a dozen young chickens for the girls to herd around. 

Day 44: Puerto Río Tranquílo to Puerto Murta (30km / 19mi)

A fifth consecutive day riding is not typical for our family, but a big two-day storm was coming and we wanted a cabin to weather it.  Since nothing was available in Río Tranquílo, we had looked up the road to a small hamlet off the main route.  The owner of the village minimarket offered us a cabin for three nights, so off we set to reach the cabin before the storm.

Before leaving town we hit up the grocery store for a few items for lunch and dinner. It is important to be prepared when heading to small towns on Sunday afternoons when every store (really, everything) is closed. While chatting with some cyclists that have lived in Daisy’s hometown (yay Bellingham!), a strong gust of wind blew over Jason’s bicycle. The handlebar hit A in the head (oh, no!). Jason ran in to buy a bag of ice while I comforted A. Luckily there was no lasting damage and A quickly recovered.

We thought it would be a quick 30km ride along the lake but we were wrong.  The incoming storm was blowing in with a mighty headwind, and we spend the entire day climbing the same 200 feet over and over again.  Also, the road was horrible and at times unrideable.  Unlike earlier sections of rough road, this time the problem wasn’t washboarding.  The problem was large, loose gravel.  The bikes were slipping all over.  We had to walk several sections… but we made it.

The girls were such troopers.  When we turned off the Carretera Austral to head the 4km off route to town we found the route to be gloriously smooth pavement.  We zoomed along deeply relieved.  It was so fun!

In town my phone didn’t work again, but we were able to ask around and find our cabin.  It’s a paradise.  Three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, wifi and a wood stove.  Even better – this town has three different playgrounds!  The storms are rolling in and it’s been raining huge amounts.  But, we are warm, snug, and dry in this cabin.

The Carretera Austral, or southern highway, is among the most famous of all roads for cyclists. Jason and I rode it eleven years ago when it was almost completely unpaved and relatively quiet, at least on the southern end. Now it’s halfway paved and even more popular with cycletourists, hitchhikers, overlanders, and adventurers in rented SUVs. This entry will cover our first three days on the famous highway, which down this far south is actually still a dirt road with barely enough space for two cars to pass each other.

Day 36: Caleta Tortel to Camping Patagon Baucha (56km / 35mi)

We’ve been told that the stairs of Tortel are “character-building” for cyclists, and those folks weren’t wrong. To reach the road from our cabin we needed to traverse 204 steps. We walked up with the girls and all the bags (split between the four of us), and left the girls to guard the bags while we went bag for the bikes. (Guard is likely too strong of a word here as really they just sat next to the bags while reading their Kindles, oblivious to the world around them.) Each tandem required us both, and by the end of it we were tired before pedaling a single stroke!

Leaving town we were shocked to find that the first 2km were paved. I had assumed that there would be zero pavement for the next several weeks, so even a couple kilometers here and there feels like a gift. The road leaving Tortel was pretty indicative of the next 100 kilometers: spectacular scenery on a poor road surface. We were torn between annoyance at the washboard and marvel at the mountains.

You’ll have to forgive the many photos; hard to describe today without them.

We bumped along slowly (8-10km/hr) all day. In the afternoon it got surprisingly hot and we were flagging when something miraculous happened: a food truck appeared! We ate hot dogs, French fries, soda, and coffee. Not exactly the healthiest ‘first dinner’ but exactly what we needed.

We bumped along to our intended destination, a campground run by a small family. The family had an 8-year-old girl that was so sweet and outgoing. She invited our girls to play and they spent well over an hour kicking a soccer ball around and laughing delightedly. Our girls were completely exhausted by the time we called them in for dinner and bed.

Day 37: Camping Patagon Baucha to Wild camp in a field (36km / 22 mi)

Today the Carretera Austral showed its true character: STEEP CLIMBS! We spent the morning riding along a river valley with some steep climbs but about the same amount of descents. The washboard of the gravel was bad. Even on the flats we couldn’t find a decent bit of road and our speed stayed very low. We stopped for lunch at a lovely spot along the river.

In the afternoon we hit our main climb for the day. We had heard it was 7km of climbing, so when it was extremely steep for the first 0.5 kilometer we thought it was going to be wildly difficult. We were glad to find that the road got a little less steep and there were several flats and even downhills in that 7km that were actually only 6km! There was some walking near the end when our legs were too tired to continue, but we made it!

After we finished the climb our plan was to camp at the first spot we found. It was a glorious first stop too! A side track led us to a huge open field nestled against a steep hill. It was raining at this time so we ran to assemble the tent and get the girls snuggled in and warm. Of course, we failed to notice there was no water source! Oh well, I jumped back on the bike and continued on the road to find the nearest water source. We need about 6-7 liters for an overnight camp. I brought back 8 because I hate the thought of running low on water.

No one else joined us in our meadow paradise, except for small horde of goatheads that tried to hitch a ride on our clothes. It was a peaceful night in the drizzle.

Day 38: Wild camp to Cochrane (38km / 24mi)

The rain was gone by the time we woke, and sadly so was its effect on the road dust. We bumped mostly downhill for a while, but a few medium climbs were on the route too – very characteristic of the Carretera Austral. Steep steep ups and downs, over and over again with almost no flat.

It’s almost boring to say that the scenery was spectacular at this point, so I’ll just let you know that at our snack we ate an entire bag of cheddar flavored potato chips. And some cookies.

There was a whole lot of whooping and hollering when we reached pavement 15km from the town of Cochrane. It was actually just a thin layer of blacktop but wow did it feel amazing! It felt so good to race down one hill and power up the next that we didn’t even stop for lunch until we reached town.

Cochrane is one of the biggest towns on the Carretera Austral. It has a large, beautiful central square where the girls first chased and then fed pigeons. We visited several grocery stores for fresh bread, jam, and butter for lunch. It had been very difficult to find a cabin in town, so I had rented one about a mile from the central square. We loaded up supplies for dinner and rode to our cabin.

I regretted not being in town, since Cochrane is fun to walk around, but our cabin was extremely nice. We particularly enjoyed the small herd of sheep wandering around the property. We settled in for a calm evening doing absolutely nothing but reading and video games.

In this section we ride some small days, some big days, some windy days, and some rainy days from the big city of Punta Arenas to the tourist outpost of Puerto Natales.  Jason and I rode this stretch 11 years ago in a quick 3 days, but this time we lingered in the tiny hamlets and spent time in isolated refugios.  We saw an incredible amount and variety of wildlife, we battled overwhelming sidewinds, and we ate so many potato chips.  We also achieved our first 500 km of riding and took a celebratory photo. This is another long entry, so pace yourself. 

A wants us to use her writings again here, and H also asked to be included. To really round out the story, I also include a parental note each day.

Day 19: Punta Arenas to Chabunco Camping (27km / 17 mi)

A: Today was a very hard day.  We left early but the wind was *way* too strong.  We made it halfway before the wind kicked up and became dangerous.  We tried to wait it out on the beach, but when we went back up the wind was the same, or worse.  Then we actually went back two kilometers to a safe but dirty place to camp. 

Papa took an Uber back to a minimart to get water while me, Mama, and H got the tent set up.  Well, tried anyway.  We were forced to take the tent down because it was too windy.  Then when Papa came back we managed to set the tent up. 

For dinner we had eggs and pasta and we accidentally spilled some on the sleeping pad. 

Today I have now told you about all the rudely disappointing things that happened today.  Bye!  See you later!

H:  I played video games.  It was awesome.  When we were riding the wind blew us over.  It was scary.  We walked around our campground.  It was tiring.

Parental note:  Today was what we called ‘full of pickles’.   Similar to our very first day of riding way back in Ushuaia, we left our lodging a day early to catch a weather window, but the first day wasn’t great.  At first the wind was at our backs as we flew out of the city, but after lunch it became a raging, unsafe sidewind. 

We stopped for a rest on the side of the road. A boat operator docked nearby and came to speak with us.  He shared that just over the fence there was a sheltered spot on the beach where we could rest.  He showed us how to walk through the gate and past the small pier that the penguin tour company uses.  When we asked if we were going to get trapped there by someone closing the gate he told us not to worry because ‘todos somos hermanos aqui.’  We are all brothers here.  It was such a nice thing for him to do, to help us. 

We spent the next couple hours sitting in the sun on the sheltered beach, playing in the sand and skipping rocks.  A nice tour bus driver gave the girls some fresh bread filled with savory ham.  The wind continued to blow.  It was over 30mph all afternoon.  Reluctantly we looked at our options and decided we had to turn back. 

A free camping place 2km back had enough shelter to spend the night, but no water.  We walked the two kilometers back up the hill. 

In the end we spent a free, peaceful night overlooking the Strait of Magellan.  It was a good lesson in making the right decision, even if that meant turning around and walking back.  We called it a day full of pickles.  We got ourselves into many a pickle (raging sidewinds, no water, nearly broken tent), but we also got out of them all.

Day 20: Chabunco Camping to Sheep-herding refugio (53 km / 33 mi)

A:  Today was long and hard.  For breakfast I had 3 breakfast cookies.  We got on the road by 7:30 o’clock.  There were tons of cars and trucks but almost no wind.  For lunch we stopped at a gas station and got empanadas and sandwiches.  I got chocolate milk, and both me and H got ice cream sandwiches.  Then we got toilet paper and left.  You had to pay to use the bathroom here!

After lunch we kept riding except the wind was worse, but again the traffic was also better.  Before lunch there was a big gravel stretch and I think we all hoped there wasn’t another one. 

Finally we made it to the refugio and it was pretty/super clean and didn’t smell at all.  We set up the sleeping pads and then me and H played while Mama and Papa cooked dinner.  Dinner was lentil, carrot, and rice.  It was okay.  I also had a Nutella and cheese sandwich.  That’s all for today!  Bye!  See you later!

H: I woke up really early.  It felt bad.  I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Getaway.  It was amazingly awesome.  We started riding into a NorthWest wind.  It was awesomely hard.  We rode into a 23 mph headwind for 20km and got to this amazing refugio.  It was super hard.  I played Stardew Valley video games.  It was so awesome.  I had to hand it to A. 

Parental note:  Overnight the wind stopped completely, and when I woke at 6am it was incredibly peaceful.  The sun was up already, but the waters of the strait were still.  It was tough to get the girls up and moving, but we were on the road by 7:15am to take advantage of the calm before the wind picked up again.

Unfortunately, there was a long stretch of roadworks that slowed us down.  For about 10km we bumped slowly along a dirt side track, uphill, into the headwind.  We were covered in dust and exhausted by the time it was over.  Our dreams of a fast morning road were well and truly squashed.

We rolled into a highway rest area after 30km and immediately purchased everything we saw.  We also saw some of our first rheas:  a flightless bird that lives here on the Patagonian steppe.  The males raise the young in large groups, and we watched such a family wander past the rest area. 

It was only 20km to the next opportunity for rest, but it was almost entirely uphill and of course the wind was raging.  It was safe to ride however, so off we went.  As the girls noted, it was really tough riding.  Our destination was a small refugio built by the Chilean government.  We think its main purpose is to shelter sheep herders on long sheep drives, but cyclists use it in the summer months.  It was in perfect shape: clean and cozy.  It made for a perfect and peaceful night.

Day 21: Refugio to Morro Chico (75km / 47 mi)

A:  Today was hard.  We had breakfast cookies for breakfast then got on the road.  Soon we made it to Villa Tehuelches.  It was nice there.  Me and H played on the giant playground and then we all had empanadas. There was a cute black and blanco cat that really wanted to eat some of our empanadas. 

Since the wind was going to be strong tomorrow we had to go forty more kilometers.  That was hard and boring.  Near the end we saw a giant lump of land that looked like there was supposed to be a castle on it.  We rented out a room in a restaurant to stay the night.  There were only 3 beds so H and Mama had to sleep together.  Before the person cleaned the room there were a bunch of dead flies on the floor.  Gross. 

That’s all for today!  Bye!  See you later!

H: Today we biked 30km to a town, played on a playground, but it turned out we had 47 more km.  It was hard that the next day mama had leg pain.

Parental note:  Obviously this was a hard day, but it was also an excellent day.  We saw a lot of wildlife (rheas, flamingos, guanacos), we chatted with a lot of cyclists, and we took advantage of a weather window to get past the worst of the windy places. 

As the kids said, we rode 30km to a small village before lunch.  There was a lovely playground where the kids played while we ate large quantities of empanadas from a nearby food stand.  It was a popular stopping spot, and we chatted with motorcyclists from the US, a lone cycletourist from San Francisco riding south, and another from France riding the same direction as us. 

We also were able to check the wind forecasts.  The afternoon had ok wind and the next day had positively awful, unsafe wind.  There was no choice for us but to ride the remaining 47 kilometers to the next place with indoor lodging.  You see, we really require a strong windshield for our tent to survive, and in these barren pampas no such thing exists.  We knew from another cyclist’s blog that the lone business 47km to the north had a room for rent.  A quick message to the owners confirmed it was available and off we went.

The 47km were challenging but safe riding.  The restaurant owner showed us the rental rooms that hadn’t been used in some time, so there were many dead flies on the floor and it was generally unkept.  She spent an hour cleaning it and making the beds for us.  The girls were very mature to recognize that despite the dead flies that were there originally, this was a good place to sleep after a clean up.  In the end it was very comfortable and we even took hot showers and recharged our devices. 

Day 22: Morro Chico to Villa Renoval (35km / 22 mi)

A: Today was pretty good.  We had breakfast cookies for breakfast then got on the road around 8.  We were only going 35 km today!  Yay!  Mama’s legs hurt.  She was slower than usual.  We had to stop 5km away from town for our snack, oh gosh!  We rented a little cabin and got lunch at the restaurant while they were cleaning it.  For lunch at the restaurant Mama and Papa got Menu, which was soup with beef and fried potatoes.  H got a giant ham and cheese sandwich, and I got eggs with fries.  It was yummy. 

Next we relaxed in our cabin since they had finished cleaning it and eventually went out to get fry bread and muffin.  Me and H also tried ice cream but I’m pretty sure mama and papa actually ate most of it. 

Me and H played on the playground a bit and me and H never really had a real dinner.  But for dinner mama and papa had lentils.  That’s all for today!  Bye!  See you later!

H: Today I woke up the second Mama was about to wake me up, eat breakfast, and started riding.  For the first 20km it was pretty easy, but the last 15 were harder.  We got there, ate lunch, and got our cabin.

Parental note:  After yesterday’s hard push, my legs felt like ground meat.  I was also exhausted, so we limped the 35km to the tiny hamlet of Villa Renoval.  The hamlet is built around a central grassy park with a small playground.  The entire area was extremely overgrown with tall grass.  A crew of workers spent the day (it was Saturday) weed-whacking the entire thing minus the playground area, which of course delighted the children.

The hamlet has only two businesses:  A mini-market that rents rooms and a cabin, and a restaurant.  We of course spent time at both!  Our cabin was a rustic little two bedroom with a gas stove that sheltered us from the afternoon wind that came through with huge gusts, and from the rain that came overnight. I took a two-hour afternoon nap, then slept a long night too.

Day 23: Villa Renoval to Puerto Natales (66km / 41 mi)

A:  Today we made it to Puerto Natales.  We went 65 km today.  For breakfast we had French toast.  I also had chocolate milk cold.  We started riding and zoomed past the first half of the day.  We stopped for snack around 30 km in.  I had Cheetos and fake oreos and a chocolate coconut bar.  Then we stopped in the grounds of a fancy hotel to filter water.  Then we biked some more of the gradual hill and eventually stopped at a border station for lunch.  For lunch I had two canned tuna and mayo sandwiches.  They fueled me just enough to get to town and our place.  By the time we made it down the rest of the hill it was raining so hard it felt like hail on my cheeks.  It was frozen out.  But when we made it to town the rain stopped!  Uhhhggrr!!! 

Our place is nice but the view out the window is horrible.  Me and H played videogames while mama and papa went to the store and made dinner.  Dinner was meat mushroom sauce with pasta.  The meal was okay.

Now I’m done writing, bye!  See you later! 

PS me and H practiced washing the dishes.

H:  I woke up at 8:00, ate breakfast, and started riding.  We had a lot of downhill, then uphill, then it started raining.  It was a false flat uphill with a headwind with rain for 10km.  Then there was downhill.  We made it to town, got our hotel, and I played videogames.

Parental note:  We made a family decision to push all the way to Puerto Natales today instead of splitting the distance over two short days.  The morning was glorious:  we slept in until after a rainstorm had finished, then rode mostly downhill in calm conditions through an interesting landscape.  There were trees and hills and fields with horses. 

Halfway through the riding day we got water from a small stream at an extremely fancy hotel called ‘Llanuras de Diana’.  We enjoyed the climb into the hills afterwards until the afternoon.  That’s when the wind started up, then the rain.  We descended to town (a port town) with pouring rain and of course, a headwind. 

Because we had waited until the last minute to secure lodging, our choices were pretty slim.  We could have wandered around town looking for a room in a hostel, but I chose to book a small apartment during lunch to give us a destination.  It was the right choice, since we arrived cold and wet, but as A mentioned the views out the window are pretty abysmal.  Just a gravel parking lot with a house under construction.  But hey! It’s warm, safe, clean, and just a few blocks from a grocery store.

Tomorrow we will try and get on a ferry heading north.  We have reservations for the same ferry a week from today (it only goes every six days), but cyclists are often able to travel on standby.  Since we are here early, we are going to try!