Last year 2010 on 20th of september I started my travel from Czech Republic Prague when I lifted my thumb direction to Germany with the objective to hitchhike around the world. And till now I was lucky,I have got to south America trough whole Europe,bit of Africa,crossed the Atlantic Ocean hitching different boats to South America landing Norteast of Brazil, Recife. This is the Blog about my adventures! I hope u will like it!
Well,how many of u know,or even dont know as in some point I stopped writing,I am back home again.
I was trying to get some job in Santiago de Chile and when I got to know the conditions,with which they
Haluska party,Cooking with Pali -
Another slovakian which appeared
to be in Santiago at the same time :)
I thank a lot for Palis help
and support! (and as well
of other great people I met in Chile)
would be able to make me a contract - as I was there just on tourist visa,the conditions for the companies were highly unrentable - like paying a fine of 600 dolars plus buying a ticket back to my country before subscribing any contract with u and be able to make u work visa there. tried to do my best and did some events - like Haluska or Bramborak Praty,where who wanted could leave some contribution. And as well,I was trying to teach english,at the beginig I was offering as well french and portuguese and german,but when my phone was taken and many people had the number and promised to come for classes,couldnt reach me,I have just printed the annoucments with English teaching.
StrudelBeawer :D
The trouble in Chile is,that yes,many people call everyday,many people wants classes,but at the end,even though u have arranged something,and even regular students u have to run after them,with confirmations etc ...
It was highlytireing and at the end of all most of the people were just simply lying and I resigned on them,listening on the phone how they need urgently classes,the next day before leaving the house with eveything prepared they send email to tell u that they are not inerested anymore. Not even message on the phone,nor even call,but email - as its for free and u are obviously 24/7 online.
Well,I heared many lies and promises in Santiago, and this was one of the reasons why I decided to packed it over there from my financial part. That wouldnt be though and though the moving motor to make me come back. I got messages from my parents that my Grandma is very bad on it with health and during the time I was in Santiago,she ended up 3 times in hospital with different troubles. And it looked very bad.
She asked me to come back before ... And even though I was thinking about it billion times again and again,it was one of the moving motors,or at least the strongest one which made me to make a final decision.
As who knows a bit our culture,knows as well,that the grandparents are the people who rise u up at the end,as your parents never are there or doesnt have any interest to spend time with u.
Soy Chilena! :D
The third reason which made me to make a definite move and its the things which will decide what will be with me later on is that when I was still in Buenos Aires,was the highest time to apply for next year back in Czech Republic for University. And I was telling it many times,I would love to study again and different subject that I did and that is Diplomacy. Even though I wouldnt like to "play a ball" how we say,for any state,but I am highly interested in projects of development,human rights, spreading the education etc... U would say,for this u dont have to study again for a years,the things is there is an offer to study different languages as well during the time on university and there are lot of scholarships available for a students to go study the thing abroad and apply what they learnt. When I was somewhere outhere I as well realised that I need some base of economics and finance management,as that would be the thing which would make me to be financialy independent and do whatever I want.(met some people on my trip who did it and who are actually at this moment working on being absolutely independent and live their adventures).So... Lets see,how everything will go on. And I would like to learn Arabic as well :) The magical language - that I wouldnt be able to do in south,central or even north america. (I tried to got to some course in Buenos Aires,but it was the level intermediate and I was too in hurry to stay few weeks for a tests,I am crazy bum :P).
What else? Though this is an explanaition,I will write more about my travel later on. As on my was back I crossed Peru,Bolivia and Paraguay to get Back to Brazil to spend 24hours in Rio and get my ass back to Sao Paolo to catch my flight,all hitch-hiking. And after arrival to Barcelona get my ass nonstop running to Slovakia (as in Prague was raining when I was passing by and it was 2 am and I didnt have anything arranged there,without my phonenumbers,as they stayed in another phone,I would have to stay the night on the street waiting till the morning in rain). So I picked continuing till Slovakia :)
But thats another story I will tell u later on!
Yesterday 1.9.2011 - I appeared close to moneda , as I went to see how does it work free theatre workshop,where they at the entrance tried to ask me for 50 000 pesos. As I directly smiled and took my things and went. Being soooo tired of everytbody triing to charge for anything,like really anything in the world u can imagine. All wrong,all bad. So I was roaming around teh center,the streets which are just for pedestrians. I have seen some people marching with transparents and as its quite usual over here I just didnt pay almost any attention to them. Passed Plaza de Armas where were some religious fricks telling the word of god in the megaphone for loads of people,people playing chess (this one I like - I used to join the chess players on copacabana,especially the favela once as I was always invited to take
at least one or two rounds),people sitting eating,nice and calm more or less. I was roaming around the center more than one hour,taking pictures,as I finally have my cam,but its absolutely messed up - as they broke my zoom,flash etc in the service here in Santiago and havent solved anything with video. Oh yeah,welcome to south america! Thats what I was affraid with my technical stuff.
Anyway,as I was approaching down to main street called alameda,I have just noticed that more and more places are closed,even though they have written that they are closing at 10,so I asked the guard,behind a thinck cage,looking at me,whats happening here. U know,its because of the protests ...
La Moneda - Chilian Parliament
The protests when I have seen them last time were really calm. People shouting and marching :"Chile is not for Sale!" He didnt respond ... So I took it like well,they are affraid.The specialty of Chile is that they have closed
streets - like some neighbourhood says,that they would feel safer and for night they have gate at the
entrance of the street and at the end and just the person who has the key,can get in. I live in such street on 10 de julio (was really wierd to see it for the first time).
Anyway ... going down to Alameda and Universidad de Chile,as I am living close,was quite interesting for me.
No cars,buses,Alameda was in this point emtry. Just people on far marching - close to moneda and behind my back. So I started to investigate ...
As u can see from the video,in one moment the situation started to be interesting and I was trying to catch the police cars and panciert cars splashing the water to the demonstrants who havent been agresive,ride here and there,throwing bombs of gass. I got accidently in between runig crowd,but the police was throwing gass bombs everywhere to people who were just marching,they havent been throwing anything,not even doing mess,just marching with words: "Patagonia sin represas".
We got to street which is not for cars running being followed by one police pancierd car,who agresively followed the demonstrants in the streets throwing the gass bombs everywhere,the huge water spashing cars coundnt get in.
Later on at night I was talking to someone who was staying at Plaza de Italia and described the situation as the police gone crazy with the bombs. I am stil caughting and feeling sick,having bit troubles to breathe as they threw one just on front of us and had to pass it to get to some safer place. All night was possible to hear helicopters. I wouldnt like to know how many people ended up in hospital last night.
I was talking to people in the house and got afirmative that this behaviour of Chilian police is quite normal and its not good to mess up with them at the end.
Well the begining of the story u know already. I tried many times as my phone stayed swithced on to reach it and I was lucky. Everytime I got different answer of perso who took it,to bring me it back to Santiago and when I told him I could already had it back,if I would go south,he started to behave very stupid and bubelling.
Anyway,the last promise was on this friday and when I called to mark the meeting with the person,guess what:) He didnt picked up the phone,then when he picked up,behaved like he was stupid or deaf and then again put down the call. Then I asked some other people to call,as soon as they told my name,click. Bum... Goodbye my phone call list,my only funccional camera - as the bastards from to service even broke more the one I brought there. At least they didnt charge me anything,as I did their analyses,what they sent me before I came there and I told them right to the face that I dont want any tricks and messing up. Well this is one case.
Another thing is,when u are in Chile,most of the people lie. Naturaly... Promising the things that are not truth,telling or claiming the location to be better,metro to be closer etc,well bussiness its a bussiness,so u have to control them in anything. They are generaly very nice and great to have around on parties,but dont wait that this will be just like that. U are some value and the lucro is everywhere. In society,where they have been milked on absolute capitalism and the notion of social thinking has almost no base,there is no wonder.
So ayway,being in Chile,pay a lot of attention - robberies here has the size of real south american robberies with knives and guns and they wont be worry if u are native or foreigner. The main point is to take and whatever,eve if they would take a jacket or shoes. U will find lots of people who will try to guard u,treat u right,but still. Somehow there is something behind and be aware of that.
I have already mentioned that I have lost my phone in a traffic.
As I am almost always carring it in my back pocket of my trousers,this time I did the same as well.
I was comming from African dinner at Nousses place back to my official home in Santiago with the night bus from Providencia to Center(where I live now) and was listening to the music as well.
In that moment,as usual someone started to talk to me in the bus.
Chilians like to talk to foreigners on the bus and I always hand away my number in case that someone would like
some english,portuguese or frech or german classes. I started to talk to someone as I wasnt sure where to get out off the bus and somehow and I believe that how it happened,my phone stayed on the seat and I jumped out.
As the person stepped out with me talking talking talking,heading more or less partly my direction I kept being bussy finding out,what I dont really remeber what was it.
When I got home,I wanted to upload some video I made the other day and maybe put on some photos finally - as its very long time that I published something,as I was warn and some people got really worried. Where am I and what I am doing :) What a sweet thing of them :)
Anyway,I got home and someone who I used to be in contact trough net when before in argentina had in my mind that I would like to look for a job in Chile started to write. As I found out that I dont have my phone,I asked him to try to call the number... The phone was ringing,ringing,ringing ...
And finally someone picked it up,all sleepy,saying that its in San Pablo (end of the red line) and works somewhere else. And that he would like to give back the phone. And in that moment my battery over there on the other end of the line died (as I use my phone as well as mp3 player - in that momet I was bumping my head against the wall for doing that). Silence,my phone is dead,in San Pablo and my friend told me that the person is bit slow in thiking,yeah... well when u wake up someone at 2 am that could happen.
Waiting. Insecurity. Do I have to buy new number. In that day I have put some advertisements and some people already called me that they would like classes! And I have lost them :( What to do? Will he call tomorrow? Will he charge the phone? Is he really willing to give it back or just making fun of me?
This happened on tuesday night. The day after I had planned one Slovak travel charity dinner in my new place and many people were invited. Damn! Waited,but preparing what I meant to prepare.
Nothing,but as I was busy preparing,hosting and orgaizing the event,I just somehow didnt suffer with the lack of my phone. The next day still left a lot of ingredients and one friend suggested me to make continue - second day. So I kept my mind busy. On the second Slovak dinner party called Bramborak came the friend who I knew just from internet,who talked to the guy with my phone and told me the news!
My phone was charged! Thats the GOOD NEWS!
And my phone is in Puerto Montt! Opa,thinking why he didnt took me with silently in my head (alreayd planning,yeah yeah I wanna go to fetch it! Get out on the road,my brain screaming on one side,and on the other,shit shit shit,cold cold cold,Patagonia again nooooooooo way).
The event ended at 7 am (but thats another story) and I kept my brain busy with the question. Should I stay or should I go ... Should I stay or should I go? There is a long weekend,othing planned to do and I wouldnt be able to get a new number till monday. Puerto Montt from Santiago is about1100km.
Pure highway down. But as its feriado,no trucks,just smooth cars,going fast to meet their beloved once.
I could leave after classes on saturday and will be around Puerto Varas around midnight,sleep somewhere over there and get the phone next day,do some documentation fo Puerto varas and get back on Monday!
And distract my head a bit from this rushy metropole...
Temptation temptation ... Uuuuu... I got to Idea,that I will try to call myself.
Trying the phone at house,which I got to know that is blocked for calls on mobiles! Smart pull,Alex :)
In that moment the silent shouts of Alex,Suzann take this one,just made me believe once again that I have chosen quite an interesting place to stay. (Will write about it later).
I pushed rapidly the number and kept it ringing ... Ringing... ringing. Nothing,voice mail.
Again,ringing,riging and the slow tired voice with wierd accent replayed. Happyness,which was changed later to the anger and disappointment. The guys was really slow in answering and specifying where he exactly is and how all the thing happened and if I would be able to come to take the phone.
In the middle of conversation I ran out of credit and had to charge it again in the nearest gass station. Called again,got to know that my phone is probably in Fresia and that there is almost no buses going around (what the person didnt get that I am wouldnt be comming with bus). When I tried to ask for contact,other than my phone he just told me that he doesnt have one as they stole his phone. In that point I got into panic.
I always like to believe that the people are good,but somehow ... in some point,there is this small me saying be carefull,very very carefull. As he didnt wanted much that if I would come to pick it up that he would give it back. At the end of the conversation before the Alex's phone credits died again I just got an agreement that when someone would call for classes,he would just call to my home phone (question how he would do that if he doesnt have any other phone,is still eating my brain till now) and that he will come back to santiago till the end of the month,means some day next week as he is a buyer and seller of some things.
I am still in panic and nervosity. Will I ever get my phone back? - all the contacts which I dont have syncronized,only working camera at this moment and not telling that I somehow have emotional attachment to my things :(
Waiting continues ... And story as well! Wish me luck guys!
As I came to Santiago,I had to take some decisions.
And one of the dicisions which I was pushed to,was to try to settle down for a while.
Not that I would be that tired of traveling,but somehow my budget got dry and I didnt got much choices than use
somehow the rest of what have left and try to somehow multiply it.
I started to look for a room and look for a job.
I have made my profile on http://www.compartodepto.com/ what is the page where u can find a people who are offering the rooms and u can write something abot yourself as well.
Between getting to know the people I was getting to know the surrounding.
I couchsurfed at the begining and I wanted to write about these interesting people before.
My first cser in Santiago was Nouss. I dont know why,but Nouss from the first look I knew that we will indersteand. The young lady from Cote d' Ivore who at that moment as I was staying at her place,had a bit more serious problem and she almost never show it. At that moments I was at her place, the french army started to bombard the presidential palace in the biggest city of Cote d'Ivore Abijan where is Nouss originaly come from and her dad is still there. Messages like rebbels are running all around the city and they got forbidden to leave the house after midday,seeing forums where people were on twitter or facebook sending the messages where is it dangerous to walk and where not,were kind of normal. In between of all of that,Nouss was trying to help me to look for a job. As here in Chile u have to really walk with your CV prented out in your hand and try to hold it out to every boss of the Bar or whereever u would like to work. I didnt do it till now. As I am really worried about misusig so much paper. And I was told million times in the district of Bellavista,that they are not accepting more foreigners (too many illegals i could be very dangerous bussiness,as chile works in many ways quite alike europe). And furthermore I got to know yesteday that every bussiness should have some 85 percent of employees chilians. Damn!
And yeah,when I got printed out most of the things I have lost my phone in the traffic. But thats another story.
I woke up pretty late that day as in the house wasnt any heating and down in the part of Chile is quite cold already during the night. The house I was staying was very pictoresque and as well the inhabitants of it,which actually is called Hostel Latino in Valdivia. The girl did CS and somehow even though she looked like a nice person to meet up,we didnt match very well.And kind of absence of CS spirit was touchable in the air and I felt over there like an intruder. Though and though I got up at 10 and managed to leave about 12. I tried to buy some enthel card - the recommended phone operator by all chilians like the best (in coverage and services) and cheapest on in Chile,but wasnt successful.
As I found out yesterday,really everything is very comercial here in Chile and the prizes of different things and products from the same company could highly diverse even inside of the company and I bought the same type of card for 3500 pesos,when in Valdivia they offered me it for 5000 and in Punta Arenas for 7000. Sometimes my brain really stops how this could be possible.
Then I tried to change money,and as my strategy which I learnt in Puerto Natales is never go to Casa del Cambio or they will try to pull down the skin from u claiming whatsoever and even getting angry that u dont want to accpet their rate. I went to bank,where I have waited more than hour to get a little bit more (as I got tricked by not much educated guardian,who doesnt really understeand the charts written on a wall,but well,what happened happened). And I walked out of the city,well tried to do my best walking out and hitchhiking at the same time.
857km
When I got to some crossroads where one part of the cars were going north and other continued south I have just sit down tired (there was no place for cars to stop) and tried to lift my thumb. And u know what? In about 3 minutes one small van stopped and two guys jumped out with a huge smile if they can take me somewhere. So we went. Here in Chile I especially get a question,why I am traveling alone and how comes that the girl is travelling alone. Why I am not going with some other girl? Though I dont know any other girl who would be willing to do the same as me and even havent heared about any. Anyway,if u would know about some,let me know! :)
Anyway - I started about 3 pm from Valdivia and had more than 800 km ahead of me to the north... But as the road had to be just on highway,I just put the ticket on my fortune,that I will make it somehow...
Got out of the car full of funny guys at Loncoche with invitation to go to visit a family of one of them ,though then they had to go to Temuco and be there at maximaly 5 o clock.
I was quite aware of a time so,I just bet that I would be lucky and somehow I was and wasnt. Even on a exit to the Lancoche I lifted up my thumb walking toward main highway and the truck going on a main road stoped - first car. This easy it havent even been in England :)
Later on when the truck driver just had to go somewhere close to Chillan even loosing too much time,moving myself very slow being already 8 o clock and dark I stil had a hope and was runnign around one gasstation where they tried to charge me for going to check my sore eye in a mirror of bathroom. Leaving the place with words u had to tell it before me entering inside,slammed the door.
Anyway,people in these areas are very nice,and whoever I asked except of some guys who looked that they are too important to talk to me,everyone even in passing cars was really really nice. I got offers from different trucks,but none was going to santiago. In 10 minutes I took one of the offers and jumped in.
I really had a good time calking to this driver as he was originaly kind of emergency/ambulance driver,but he changed the job one month ago for driveing a truck. Money is money...
Well,but I have learnet how to labor a child in emergency ;)) As he was giving as well the courses of first aid in different situations. Good soul and family person with a lot of hope and the heart from gold :)
It got too dark and too late and I still had it 300 km when we stopped,almost midnight and I knew I would come about 3 am,not good for Nouss (my CS lady from Ivory Coast who speaks as well brazilain Portuguese :) who was waiting for me in Santiago. I managed to send a message and accpeted to spent the night in a truck on a lower bunk. Yeah,u would say,this is very dangerous situation,never stay down,but this person was really good guy and only reason why I couldnt sleep was,that he was snoring a lot.
I felt asleep one hour before we sterted to move on again and then when we stopped at 10 I had it like 80 km on to santiago,still with idea that I would have to wait till 7 till Nouss will get home from work.
Got offer to go to descarga and then can continue to Santiago,but u never know how long it takes to descargar something from a truck and I just jumped out with a wish of good day and good journey and crowled around gasstation where I found written on a door - Wifi :)
Ok,get in,ordered something to eat from the menu and opened my laptop. Did some stuff for a while almost sleeping,packed the things again and ran around the gasstation. It was absolutely empty and the cars were even comming different direction to the petrol stands. There had to be some way out on oposite direction. So I standed again on highway - hitchhiking on highways in Chile is absolutely normal and its not forbidden - obviously (I have seen many people hitchhiking especially on highway from all age cathegories in Chile).
Was nice sunny and warm day and everything around started to look like south of france of mid teritory of Spain. I have managed to stop a truck in half an hour. And the driver with question,do u know Santiago?
And me,so I look like I am Chilian? got really disappointed as he picked me up thinking of getting in some expert for Metropole of Santiago. As well fresher in truck driving especially to the huge city.
He spent quite a long time explaining me why Chilian man prefer or like chubby girls but well...
Everybody to his own taste,isnt that truth!
And we arrived. At about midday I found the metro station on some subburbs and got to the centre to try to do some things I had to do for a long time.
Notice that the highway looks like in Spain,is beacuse the spanish built this
chilian highway :) Even the marking is the same like in Spain! :)
Truly and sincerly it was quite easy. Ahead I had something like 340 km and as I already know from the south and from Argentina,chilians like to give a ride without any problems. But still.
I started from Bariloche,quite late,in about 2 pm,then I head to head for Villa Angostura. As its already happening in surroundings of Bariloche,noone ever gives u ride for longer than a few kilometers,2-18km and u will ve very lucky to get longer one,but if u are already in some adequate distance from Bariloche and it touristy areas (where especially over here u wouldnt have problem to find a ride from anywhere to anywhere),its getting faster.
The only trouble is that the most of Argentinians are staying on Argentinian side and noone is really interested to go to Chile. As the rivality between Chile and Argentina is very strong and hostility in the air as well (yeah the war on Malvinas/Falklands,Sarmiento and other historical things makes the situation between Chile and Argentina quite serious. But well,here we go. I got a long ride to Villa Angostura and then I got picked up with some girls on holidays,where on was a trainer of hockey played on grass (I have no idea which one is it),and anotherone was dreaming secretly when she will finish tourism to do the same thing as I am doing. Then I just got like 30 km from the border and no car was passing by to the border.
Already loosing hope stopped the car and the peson was going to Puerto Montt. The guy was polish decendency and was reporter for some sport channel making programs about fishing with a flyies or something like that. I am not the fisherman :D But was going from Puerto Montt directly with flight to Koyaike (the place which seems that magical and attractive,that it has just stuck in my head from the moment I met close to Rivadavia at sunrise few days ago,heading for Bariloche,2 german girls who let them self kick out on spot to hitch to Sarmiento .... From Sarmiento is possible to take a turn to Koyaike,national park,just 2 cities,rutas de ripio - the countryroads not paved on that small part of Chile which is all like a national park. Koyaike... Magic!Bum!
Ok.ok,hush,we got to argentinian border and me always trying to be funny started to talk to the guys over there(normally till the moment they stop having the face like from a stone and make a small smile :) what I have managed this time as well :)
That reminds me controls in Fry Bentos from Uruguay to Argenina and its international bridge crossing over river which then changes to river Plata. When my passport was taken by one officer and kept hostage for about half an hour or so,just because I was trying to be f..ing funny :P
We passed the Argentinian border without problems, and me with my crazy guesses where your face comes from guess good one bolivian killer on the wall of their office :) I havent seem much bolivians,but this looked pretty bolivianish :D
So we proceeded to Chilian border,which is about 20 km from Argentinian,huh?
But well,we came,all the billion small papers and forms,where u have to write when u are leaving Chile and others stuff (which I was explained once I hitched someone from Carabinieros - police in Torres del Paine with familiars on a vacation,that if I put there 10 days for example and they wouldnt find out that I left the country in 10 days they will start to look for me.Looks creepy,isnt it? As at that moment I was told that in Chile the people just simply dont get lost. They got lost all around the world,but just in Chile not! Great to hear that :)
And there is another very disturbing thing about crossing chilian border. Means whole luggade check up! Looking for anything eatable originated from any plant and animal or even bijuterie or artesanats from any kind of part,that cant be imported,because they could contaminate this beautiful country named Chile.
Salto de Novios,our pee stop :)
I got in a small fight with an officer,as he wanted to unpack my backpack. If u know my backpack,u as well know,that it takes a while to puut things back and as well to give them an order,though I just told him,if he takes it out, I want him to as well to tide it up back. On that Mr told me that he is going to give me fine.
Me: "And for what?"
Officer:"For not wanting to obbey the terms of entrance of the state."
Me:"I am not dinaying anything,I just want u to tide up the mess u will make."
and round and round,till he got pissed on and try to threaten me,that he will let me to get arrested. I am sometimes cabeza dura,but the argentinian who was there with me just got a bit unconfortable with me looking for a prove of ridiculusness of whatever the guy told me that at the end I unpacked and packed it again,with question where are toilets. On that I got answer that there and u would have to pay that and that. What? Its for services and keeping clean the enviroment etc. etc. etc.
Yeah,u know what? We went to forest then :D here u go with your absolute capitalism.
I got to crossroads when my way with Mr reporter were going each one to different direction,mine to Valdivia and his to Puerto Montt.
These interesting birds were
running close to entrance
of the highway -
look at the long beak
Reminded me darwins
studies
They are big like a chicken
I lifted my finger and second car stopped. God of the thumbing people,bless Chile! :)
Me looking inside seeing 4 guys - means full house frowning on them as looking if there would be any trouble. But I came closer. At the end guy jumped out and put my bag to the trunk and told me to hop in between the guys as they are just going from classes from university in Osorno. Uff,thanks god. And we went,they have been going to Valdivia. The guys got kicked out after 30km and I continued with driver about 30 absolute addict to bussiness. Changing bussniesses as socks,earning and loosing,not sleeping,rotating money as he could. Till the moment he started to telling me the thing like : Wouldnt u get bored looking at the same woman at the same clothes every day,u would for sure,so for me that was my bussness. When he named the girl he spent 7 years with name of mother of my daughter (sounds like incubator,and this was not the first time I heared something such ugly telling about women some chillian,as if the women was just some domestic utencil... Anyway,reminds me Ireland and Irish guys who has these expresions about Irish women as well),obviously any feelings for the lady. And I absolutely resigned on that type of person and trying to have some reasonable conversation with him,in the moment when he was trying to persuade me that the men has right to cheat on women and the cheating men is better than none and I should be happy to find some where I wouldnt find that he is cheating... Oh well,I prefer to be on my own,really than with someone who is abviously using and misusing me.
Thogh and though,here we go! We came to Valdivia and I got to the place where I had to be staying! :)
But there starts another story :)
P.S.: Waiting time in this area less than 20 minutes (on saturday - worst hh day)
Leaving from Puerto Madryn was bit hastle and complicated,as I was staying at the family of Miguel and they somehow forgot to warn me that there will come the cleaning lady,as she wasnt warned as well,that I am in the house and she moved my things all around the place,so I was kind of playing hide and seek with different kind of stuff I had out of my backpack at the time she arrived and I wasnt in.
Typical sight on countryside in Patagonia
The things I lost and havent found I had to buy again in Usuhaia :(Pity or maybe,thats the destiny,anyway :)) Nothing very important got lost. But to continue with the travel. I got out of the house about 3 pm,after saying goodbye to everybody,gave kisses and hugs and left one of the places and people who I really liked.
The manual how to get out of the city was easy - 3 bloks right and then just follow the avenue of 25th of may or whatever. I got to another avenue,which seemed to be going out of the city as well and started to hitch. Yes,I am lazy and started to hitch inside of the city,and guess what :) I was lucky and got a ride afeter walking about 3 bloks more from imigration officer,who used to lived in Ireland and hitched around the Europe in his young times as well. He was going to Trelew.
One of the thing what u will notice very easily in Patagonia,that u find a ride very easily,anywhere. The thing is,that the distances between the cities are tremendous and its freezing cold and very windy over there. No signal for most of the time on your phone (almost like in interior of brazil where u have to wait 400km to get one stripe of the signal of whatsoever on your phone to make a call). Just a bushy grass,lot of a wind and time to time one sheep.
Guanacos
In patagonia there is quite interesting rule. That if u get stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere for a show or whatsoever u can kill a sheep and eat it,but u have to leave the skin over there,just to let know the shepards/farmers that the sheep is missing. In this area are appearing as well Guanacos - which are something like smaller Llamas,they are protected. And cant be killed,but somehow got some echoes about delicous Milanesas from Guanacos in Rio Grande,where there is a hell loads of them everywhere running around the roads like deers in our latitudes,but guanacos are more more much more than deers.
Guanacos are very curious animals and many times if u are out of the vehicle they come to see and observe u,but be careful. They can spit on u :)) Anyway,enough of these gorgeus blackeyed,longlashed furry spitting beasts,continueing ....
I got with the guy from imigrations to Trelew what is about 80km from Puerto Madryn and they I just even havent managed to lift my thumb and there I had a ride,heh,even to wrong direction,the person came and asked me as I was staying on round about,if he can take me somewhere to Rawson. I am writing this,just to show u that people are extremely nice and helpful as soon as u get to Patagonia. (If they wouldnt,u would be already dead by cold,hunger and thirst and thats not their point ;).
Then in 5 minutes I got a ride by one Porteno going from Bahia Blanca from the morning and with the exit point in Comodoro Rivadavia,which is one of the biggest cities where the argentinians drill Petrol and where the YPF petrol stations starts more and more (no Petrobras anymore,but still some internet).
Bambi :)
On this ride I found out the amazingness of the Alfajor Bambi - I highly recommend this one. Alfajors are very tipical thing in Argentina and its something like 2 hard or fluffy biscuits with dulce de leche inside. Most common and famous are Havannas,but in my opinion they are too sweet,too hard and me personaly I cant even finish one to dont have the feeling that my teeth will decompose after it.
Bambi is really nice and smooth and u can find it generaly in the districts of Santa Cruz - La Provincia Santa Cruz and Chubut.
Back to Comodoro. Comodoro Rivadavia is quite a big town and with Catete Olivia and Rio Grande on Tierra del Fuego are the most important petrol places in whole Argentina,even though is said that there is Petrol all under the surfice around these almost not inhabited areas of Patagonia.
When we got to Comodoro,I got an offer to stay for a night over there as it was already 8pm and the nigh has fallen,but I pushed forward. Took my bag and went for los Banos in the Gasstation where I seemed to noticed some finish or norwegian people (never been to these places,still dont have the phisiologic phenotip in my eye,just a guess) ,they passed me by when I lifted the thumb back on the road. One truck driver started to talk to me and seemed to be nice person,got an invitation for mate,which I refused as I am alergic to,but I got a ride and we continued to Catete Olivia,which was like 80 km from Comodoro trough already bit mountiny countryside which I havent seen anything of as it was a night,but its very recommendable to see it in a day. As the road goes very close to the sea and wthe clifs I have seen in Comodoro were quite impressive.
In Catete Olivia already at 9something I got dropped on the as u would say the best place at the begining of teh city - I hate when the people who think they leave u on best place and never hitched they just put u on one of the worst once,but whatever. First truck stopped and the ride offered was to Perrito Moreno.
As I wrote before,I dont have a map and in 5 minutes as we talked I got to know that is quite a wrong direction,so I hopped off :D Yeah,but in the middle of the city and now what. Bit angry,swearing to my own idiocy I walked few blocks and then I tried to ask the staying car on the sidewalk,if this road is correct to the end of the city,to get to some exit.(The trucks inside of the citycenter are forbidden and last once I have seen were going to Perrito Moreno - so be careful in this place - Catete Olivia,where they put u,as the road for trucks going out to San Julian and further down is going near the sea! to Perrito Moreno - direction to inside of the city and then turnes). Anyway I somehow persuaded the person to take me to exit and I got offered a shelter,again. Waiting on exit I made a short video and few photos. As u know my camera doesnt film anymore with sound,so I hope u wouldnt mind having this made on my phone.
Anyway,I made a photo as well on my phone,which seems to have a ghoast on it ... Maybe publish someday later ... Bit scary place and it stated to drizzle a bit. No cars,no trucks,10 pm, just a roundabout and some bad neighbourhood just behind my back what I was warned not to cross trough walking. The guy who brough me there offered me that he will pass in midnight and collect me if I would be still there. Luckyly I wasnt. In half hour passed a van which looked like comercial one and stopped. I got a bit confused,but went to ask. The ride was till San Julian,middle of nowhere 400km further on south,so there we went :) I started to be bit sleepy as the cold is making me very tired and I have the feeling that I even fell asleep for a while. But before I got to know about amazing gold mines in that area etc. In Puerto San Julian as I found out later on are a loads of Pinguins and Sea Lions and Focas - Seals,Cormorans etc. For sure place to visit,if u havent go to Punta Tombo and the peninsula which is close to Puerto Madryn. For me the entrance fees were too high.
Anf I like to find some free running pinguins and not to pay to see them :)
At the moment I got to San Julian,we passed the Rain and there stayed just a drizzle and horrible wind. Me in 3 layers of trousars and 4 layers of jackets dying from cold! I belong to Carribean!!! :(
Anyway,there passed one truck which was heading to comodoro and even made a round to see what I am doing there and if he can take me somewhere,well comodoro wouldnt be the best option and I would be more than 500km back again,no no. Even if I would freeze to death I didnt gave up. And there came a solution in 10 minutes. The ride which promissed going to Rio Gallegos from some type of argentinian DHL. The guy was quite wierd and further on,there was too warm inside,that after half an hour of talking I fell asleep. He woke me up suddenly and said that he is too tired and would like to go sleep as well and that I have to get out. Luckily we were on some gasstation,which I found out was Comandante Piedra Buena,just about 100sth km from San Julian.
3 am,no cars,no truck,just a freezing cold,dead hours are even stronger in Patagonia. Noone goes,as if something would happen outside,no one would rescue u! No phone signal and the distances between cities longer than 200kms sometimes makes this road especially at night very inhospitable. I got to IPF and tried to take the things positively (even though I could be on my way to Rio Gallegos and I would save more than 4 hours,but well,fair play - I wasnt good company and I felt asleep,my fault).
On the gasstation I bought another bambi and a wam tea from the machine and there were 2 employees with mate watching the horror Saw 3 on a huge plasma. No customers,tranquilo... Too tranquilo and they told me that no internet was over there,but well,I got echo from truck driver later on that there was a net,anyway,I nejoyed watching Saw in spanish in the middle of the night,in the middle of nowhere,where the girl told me that there are loads of ukrainian imigrants in this area :) Anyway.
They will tell u that the dead hour in Patagonia ends at 6 am,what is truth. U can even try to hitch arounf 5:30,but I am not sure that u will be successful. At 6 there is already some traffic so u will be lucky for sure.
This photo I made on a ferry :)
If u meet this guy,just say him hi from me!
From there I caught another wierd truckdriver and I had a troubles to dont fall asleep,I was keeping me up all the time,but the need was stronger and he wanted to talk talk and talk. I asked for mate,which later on had it response on my body... In this area especially the drivers are more than bit paranoid,they dont like to take people further on as there are lot of police controls and porbably they think u are carriing drugs or whatever.
So I had to hide in police controls,as they are not even allowed to take hitchhikers,no problem with that if they would lie to u. This guy was going to Rio Grande,but I was falling asleep,so he kicked me out in Rio Gallegos with words that I will for sure find someone soon.
There I met another hitchhiker from La Plata,who I have been meeting and passing next 2 days further on. Very nice person,brought me some Croatian decendency truck driver who was waiting at La Duana to get released with the things he was carrying to Rio Grande. As the Tierra del Fuego is Tax Free Zone and there are made a loads of Electronics,especially plasma TVs.
Do u see the shumbs up sign :)
Everything will be all right,babe!
The Croatian as I think his name was Rodrigo told him,that I am probably Slovenian,and somehow the people from south america dont understeand much the difference that we dont understeand everything from other slavic languages I just tried to do best to addapt and remeber on what I learnt passing trough Serbia,Croatia and Slovenia more than one and half year ago hitchhiking. I got some tips about living Slovenians emigrants close to Rio Grande etc. So who would be interested in some info about them,let me know ;) Maybe I will remeber where it was exactly what he told me :) I jumped for a second online and then I continued. Lifted my thumb on the start of highway and they closed the road. And now what. Another one was going trough the city. They closed the road because of some maintenance and I am not sure if they are doing it normaly or just with this special occasion. At least the people in Rio gallegos are funny :)) When I wanted to die from sleep,they just made me smile all the time :)
Anyway,got to the point where I could walk and fall asleep walking or managed to catch someone on a sidewalk,which looked quite like uncatchable. But I managed to get a ride in half an hour with one chillian living in Puerto Gallegos for already 20 years to exit of the city,yei! When I dont sleep I feel bit paranoid,depressed and bit scared and this chillian was quite affraid of me,when he put me on a place,he offered me the place to stay over or a ride to the chilian border later on that day if I would be able to catch anything. Very nice person,indeed.
On the spot was already another hitchhiker,laying on the grass,seemed to be a vagabund or something,but when he lifted up to his legs it was a boy about 22 years old,with all eyes red and frozen lips with a story that he is waiting for a ride over there for already 2 days and that he is triing to get back to Punta Arenas home.
That he spent night sleeping outside. He looked more than miserable,I felt pity of him,but couldnt help. If I would take him with me,I wouldnt get a ride neither and there would be two ill people at the end,and me as european would have problems to get my expenses convered in hospital. I dont know what happened with him at the end,I went few meters further on and started to hitchhike. In like half an hours I got a ride directly to Rio Gallegos. Thanks god for Lucas,who looked and behaved like one of my Czech friends,originaly from Bahia Blanca. Very good person and nice to talk to as well. Anyway. If u are hitch-hiking to Island of Tierra del Fuego,catch a ride and u dont have to pay for ferry. Its for free if u are in a car or a truck. They just pay for a truck. So no in and out fees,nothing,smooth ride to the Island of Tierra Del Fuego.
Loads of paperwork on every border,but thats kind of normal in south america,I got used to have 4 papers showing entrance and exit of the country,billion stampings etc.
Look for the truck of company San Martin - they are bringing
TVs to Buenos Aires From Rio Grande and upside down. Their
LOGO is PINGUIN. So u can get 3 days nonstop ride from
Buenos Aires to Rio Grande if u are lucky :)
Then when u get to Chile,the paved road goes about 50kms to Ferry and then stops when u cross the ferry,exactly over there. And starts the country road,no asfalt. Forget the asfalt. Means that your speed goes down with truck to half- 40 km in good places and even less on places where there are huge holes. Take it for 5 hours to cross to Rio Grande,in best place 3 hours on that kind of road. So from crossing of the border in Argentina to Chile up to Rio Grande is 6 hours at least even though is just 380km. Count with it! And the ferry just goes till midnight and the fronties are opened till midnight and 30 minutes!!! Be careful about these dates! Or u will get stuck till 8 am or something like that waiting till they will let u in or out.
This video I made on Ferry - la lancha
This one already dark - in Rio Grande - Part of Argentina. The most funniest thing is that the pavement starts exactly on argentinian part of the road. The chilians made the road paved just the the highly habitat places. There are no paved roads to Provenir,if u would like to visit.
Yeah,from Rio Grande is next 220 km trough cordilleras,mountains mountains and more mountains,lakes etc. Means if u go with a truck it will take u a lot,try to catch a car,but that seems to be quite difficult. I got a truck ride and got to Usuhaia at midnight exactly. So starting at a 3:30 from Puerto Madryn,arriving next day at 12:00am makes 32 hours of long run to the end of the world and almost 2000km without real stop (except of 3 hours of dead hours in Comandante Piedra Buena :)
