I wanted to make this post to spit some things out after being 2 months on the road. I have to say, that I have been having fun most of the time. There have been ups and downs, but for every bad things that has happened, several good things showed up on the way and made the bad things disappear quite fast.
People on the road has been fantastic, despite the fact that every person I meet warns me about being careful and not to trust anyone, because everybody else is bad. Experience has shown that the first approach that I have had with people has been positive. So, so far, people is good and not bad. Trust in mankind partially restored for me.
After couple of days I left santiago, my body started to change and to adapt to the road. On the way between Temuco and Metri (Puerto Montt) I didn't take a shower in 10 days, despite this, I didn't stink at all! It's fantastic to have a neutral smell. Compared to other people I've met on the road, who start smelling after a couple of days, I think I can spend several days without taking a shower and not have to worry about bad smells, because there are none. It's like my body was made for being on the road.
After realizing my knee pain I started working on it. Several days after I started working on it the pain disappeared, and little after Temuco, I forgot at some point I had pain in the knee. Now all is ok with my legs and I'm ready for what's next.
I can not say how happy I am when I realize I don't have to go to the office and spend the day in front of the computer. I am really happy because I get to drink pure water from coming straight from some spring up in the mountains. I'm breathing fresh and nice air everyday. I'm eating well and lots of food too. It's awesome to experience everyday as a different day, not knowing what will happen, where I will sleep or if I will manage to reach the goal for the day. Not knowing if I will encounter people on the road or if I will spend it on my own. Not knowing what lays ahead and get surprised every time I find a marvelous landscape or good people on the way. Everyday is a different day and an unknown day. At some point, someone asked me what would be a thing I missed from Santiago. Besides some people, I don't really miss anything from Santiago. I'm really happy I took the decision to leave that polluted city and the lifestyle I fell into in the past years for something different and that I get the vibe will get much better with time.
I have enjoyed the company I got on the road. It was nice to start alone from Santiago because then I got used to ride on my own and made a small routine for some things during my lonely days. Days that weren't really lonely, there was always someone around, be it a person or be it an animal. Then the company was nice because I got to explore another side of bicycle touring. Company was nice and I enjoyed it. I have to give my thanks to Daniel and Camila for joining me between Temuco and Puerto Montt and between Puerto Montt and Quellón.
So far, I always had clear destiny in mind, it was either to reach Talca and visit my old time friends. Or it was Temuco where I would visit Pancho and meet Daniel. It was Puerto Montt to see more friends and meet Camila who would be with me through Chiloe, or finally, it was Quellón where I would visit my friend Yovi. Now, I have no clear destination at all. I am entering the carretera austral and I know I have to reach Coyhaique but there is no one on the route that I have to visit, so from now on, all is new and I have no destination at all. I may take a parallel roads to visit hidden places, I may take a direct route towards some cities. I really don't know, I will just follow what my instinct says and will try to reach the southernmost point before winter arrives.
About the southernmost point, couple of weeks ago I started picturing Punta Arenas as a nice destination and for some reason, a lot of people I have met this past days has some relationship with that city. I decided that I will not come back from Coyhaique to enter Argentina and make my way towards Buenos Aires. Instead, I will head towards Punta Arenas and will try to reach it before extreme weather hits. What will happen there I can not really tell. I may get on time to then keep on towards Ushuaia I may not. I may get trapped in a storm before Punta Arenas or I may pay a visit to the Torres del Paine National park. Time will tell, but the goal is to reach Punta Arenas or get as close to it as possible. Once I reach the place I will decide what's next. For now, Coyhaique should be my next long stop, then Punta Arenas. The rest, just ideas of the mind.
So far I have not had any flat tires! The only problem with the bike has been the broken chain I quickly fixed. Bike has behaved fantastic despite having such a load over it. This has won the bike her name which I will not tell but it's related to the latter experiences I have had with the horses.
I'm really excited to see what's on the so famous carretera austral. I hope I get nice pictures and nice experiences. I think I will have to get wild and use all of the knowledge I've gathered in the past years about living in the outdoors. I have no idea when the next post will be and have no idea if I will get internet at all at some point. The spot that I got thanks to Fraunhofer hasn't been working properly, it hasn't logged my positions in the last days. According to their webpage it may be related to poor satellite coverage on this part of the world. It doesn't worry me but people has been asking me why I haven't been spotting. Well, the little thing doesn't work, still, I will be spotting from time to time in the hope the map gets updated.
Thanks to the ones reading the blog I'll keep on with the posts as long as I get internet.
Life starts at the end of your comfort zone and for reaching this end, there is just to let go.
Also, winter is coming.
Until then.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment