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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Lifestyle (page 1 of 46)

The Last Six Weeks in Our Truck Camper, “Thirsty Bella”, in Central Chile

December 22, 2025 / / 17 Comments

In October, Mark, Maya, and I swapped Paraguay for Chile for two reasons: to pursue a Vario van for our next adventure and to be able to sell our own Thirsty Bella easier, since Central Chile is the starting point for many overlanders. Flights to Santiago are more affordable than elsewhere in South America, gear is easily available in a plethora of well-equipped stores, and there are companies selling cars to foreigners. Since our car was registered in the US, the transfer to a new owner would be easy, regardless.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Back in Chile for the seventh or so time
Los Caracoles is a famously winding mountain road
Looking down Los Caracoles with little traffic

After long days of driving across Argentina, we arrived in Santiago, Chile’s capital, for the second time. We had fond memories of urban camping by Parque Metropolitano, which we’d hoped would become our base soon. We only stayed one night, to confirm if this was still an attractive overnight spot (it was), to fix our back window before the next rain, and to visit Suzie Santiago CTW’s office within walking distance. We would hire them to do the paperwork if we were to buy a Chilean Vario. It was all part of our months of research, gathering data, and interacting with potential service providers.

Camped for one night by the biggest park of Santiago on a cloudy day
Resealing the small back window of our camper
Hello Maya!
Climbing the hill for better views
Exploring the park with Maya
Cable cars go up and down the mountain
Can you spot Thirsty Bella?
A viewpoint in the park
The Costanera building – the tallest one of the city – is visible from many places.
This is the Jumbo grocery store on the ground level of the Costanera building. It is the best supermarket in all of South America!

We also checked out Suzie Santiago’s workshop on the outskirts of the city and spent one night at a noisy truck stop before heading south towards Pichilemu, where we would set eyes on a Vario van that had a horrible conversion done to it.

Visiting Noam’s workshop
Chatting about the work Suzie Santiago CTW does
One short night at a truck stop

The idea was to confirm everything we were told by the owner—the vehicle was supposed to be in “perfect condition”—and make an offer. Then, we’d start the registration process in our name, bring the van to Paraguay to have it built out by a factory we’d visited and agreed on a quote with, and eventually ship it to Europe for the next chapter in our lives.

Since we couldn’t visit this Vario until Monday, we spent the weekend at a nice wild camping spot on a bluff in Navidad, with a pretty view over the ocean and good walks for Maya. Despite this being our favorite spot in a while, we didn’t return because of the strong onshore breezes, covering our camper with salt water. Since Mark had recently repainted our ladder and jacks, he didn’t want corrosion to return before the sale of our camper.

View over the river basin
Back at the Chilean coast!
Sunset by the sea
View of the Pacific Ocean
Walking along the bluff
Maya enjoys this calmer pool in the sea
A cool hike with views
Our camping spot on the bluff in Navidad
It’s always chillier on the coast than inland.
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Homeless at Fifty – Our Truck Camper, Thirsty Bella, Has Sold!

December 7, 2025 / / 48 Comments

It is official, our home on wheels for three-and-a-half years (three of which in South America) has been sold to a Dutch couple, ready for their own adventures on this continent.

Old and new owners of the Cow Camper

About five weeks ago, they contacted us after seeing the paid ad for our camper on an international website for overlanding rigs. It turned out to be the best $40 we spent this year!

Max and Marjolein had been looking for the perfect camper in which to travel the world after quitting their successful careers. When they spotted Bella on the Expedition Meister platform, they knew it was meant to be. They love cows!

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Pichilemu, a fun and easy coastal town in Chile
The spot in Pichilemu where we had our enthusiastic video call with M&M

A two-hour video call in Pichilemu followed and – to our surprise – by the end of that virtual tour they made us an offer and we accepted. After waiting for a buyer for three months, things turned positive and imminent all of a sudden. They paid a deposit to hold the camper for them (we did have another interested party soon after) and excitedly updated us of their prep and plans to come to South America for the foreseeable future.

Time to remove our website – Before photo
Time to remove our website – Intermediate photo (letters gone, stubborn glue present)
Time to remove our website – After photo
Fixing one of the pesky blinds
Spending hours in the shade on super hot days in Santiago

For us, those last five weeks were a waiting, researching, preparing, planning, pursuing local Vario vans, fixing, packing, cleaning, and stressing game.

Our campground spot in the hills surrounding Santiago
Cleaning the grill
Cleaning cupboards and closets
Maya doesn’t care about cleaning.
Separating the truck and camper for better and easier cleaning
Sparkling Thirsty Bella, ready to change owners
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A Whirlwind Drive through Argentina 

November 15, 2025 / / 23 Comments

In the middle of September, Mark, Maya, and I returned to Paraguay without a deadline. We would use this landlocked country as a base during the spring until it turned unbearably hot or until we found a buyer for our camper. Neither had happened when we decided to leave.

Yes, two days each week were miserably hot, but it was still manageable. No buyer had appeared, but we felt Chile would be a better location for any prospective buyer to start their journey on this continent. The other reason we changed countries has to do with a concept that’s been emerging over the last few months. I can’t elaborate on that (yet) since all our attempts to reach this goal have been failing so far. But, if you’ve read our previous expense report “between the lines,” you might have gotten a hint about this idea.

Leaving Paraguay at night

Once we decided to head back to Chile — on the opposite side of the continent — we felt an urge to do this as quickly as possible. Like I mentioned in a previous blog: first, we wanted to eat sushi one more time. Over dinner, skipping an alcoholic drink, we decided to cross the border into Argentina that very same evening. We knew of a good camp spot in Posadas on the other side and hoped for a quick and easy crossing that late in the day. It was the middle of October.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Driving in the “wrong lane” and having to back up all the way – The height limit (about 3m?) had not been stated.
Entering Argentina in the good lane
Bella is ready to be scanned. Maya probably not…

Border officials were friendly, passports were checked, our Paraguayan TIP (temporary import permit) for the truck was returned and an Argentinian one obtained, and we had to back out of a narrow lane, because no height limit was indicated for a low arch up ahead…

Then, just when we thought all was fine and nobody had asked about Maya, we were told to exit the car and our camper was scanned by a massive machine! It was loud and intimidating.

Afterwards, the official stepped out of the giant scanner with our paperwork with only one question: “Do you have a dog?” Our “yes” was answered with only a nod. There’s no hiding from this futuristic machine! Luckily, people had told us earlier that nobody checks dog paperwork at this particular post.

A new country, a new truck wreck…
Maya was a bit more at ease on these long rides.
Narrow and bumpy lanes in towns
Lots of road obstacles in South America
Like umpteen potholes
Or poorly filled potholes
Or never-ending patched roads
Or police checkpoints

After one short night in Posadas, we hit the road in an attempt to spend as little time as possible in Argentina. There are a few reasons why we don’t like this country, but I won’t get into that now. Our first day was productive, despite the rain and the mix of road conditions with smooth pavement in the morning and uneven patches, dips, grooves, and bumps in the afternoon. We ended up at a familiar camp spot but had to navigate slippery mud to get there.

Leaving a trail upon arrival at the free campground
Messy arrival and exit in Sauce de Luna
A great overnight spot for a road trip!
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Returning to Paraguay – The Interlude

October 31, 2025 / / 20 Comments

This is more of a status update than an exciting blog post…

When we discovered that I couldn’t get a 90-day extension to stay the full six months in Brazil as a Belgian—hoping we’d sell our camper by then—we needed a new plan. The closest border was Paraguay. Having great memories from our previous visit, we decided to make it our South American base for a while, at least until the heat chased us off or a buyer popped up for Bella.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Back in Paraguay to deal with the entry requirements
Getting our hand-written TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for the car at the border in Paraguay.

Tacuru Pucu, Hernandarias

After crossing the border in hectic Ciudad del Este on September 11, Mark, Maya, and I returned to the free Tacuru Pucu campground, managed by the Itaipu Dam organization. Just like five months earlier, we stayed the allowed 14 days, but the grounds and facilities had deteriorated further.

Bella at the free campground of Tacuru Pucu
Our palapa is the best place to find shade and a little breeze.

Some of the electricity and water hookups were broken, the WiFi worked intermittently, and none of the hot showers functioned anymore. Most days, it was hot enough to shower with cold water anyway—or we could use our own shower and refill the tank with potable water. Maya was only allowed in a restricted area, so long walks were out of the question.

Doing tricks with Maya
One of the many giant termite hills

Despite the bugs and the heat, we enjoyed a much-needed break. Our favorite amenity remained the covered palapa, where we could do hand laundry, eat at the picnic table, chat with new and familiar faces (including Larry, who stopped by briefly), and swing in our hammock. I even started reading a book again!

Reading a book again
Sharing the hammock with Maya
Laundry day!

Those two weeks filled up fast with cleaning nearly everything in and on the camper, cooking delicious meals, writing, catching up on Brazil blog posts, and setting up a new computer after more files got corrupted on my ancient laptop. Now, I’m getting used to two new-to-me devices.

The hammock is everyone’s favorite spot!
Eggplant parmesan dinner with friends
Homemade eggplant parmesan dinner with friends (Photo courtesy of Larry Tofler)

I also gave my published book some long-overdue attention and started experimenting with a virtual audiobook. After a few chapters, I abandoned the idea—Amazon’s beta version wasn’t ready for prime time. Meanwhile, Mark repaired our water pump after an entertaining ride to the free zone with a Colombian, a Cuban, and a Paraguayan.

Fixing our water pump
Maya’s favorite spot in the palapa to stay cool
Ice cubes to cool everyone off
Unbearably hot in the camper
An anticipated and happily expected storm arrives!

Nights were restless. Each blistering, humid day seemed to culminate in a violent storm, leaving us with a couple of chilly mornings before the heat built again. Maya was terrified of the thunder and lightning, and fireworks or gunfire from a nearby military base didn’t help either.

Panting Maya in the heat
Antsy Maya on the bed

Mark was sick for a few days as well; a bummer. When it was too hot to do anything but sit in the shade of our palapa, we fantasized and talked about the next chapter in our lives, after our camper sells.

Ñacunday Falls

On our way to Hohenau to revisit Manantial Campground, we stopped for a night at Ñacunday Falls. Reaching the campsite deep in the jungle required trimming branches, brushing past foliage, and careful maneuvering to get level, but the peace was worth it.

They allowed Maya to enter this national park.
The best view of Ñacunday Falls
Powerful Ñacunday Falls
Ñacunday Falls from above
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The Brazilian Coast – Driving North from Bertioga to Rio de Janeiro

August 31, 2025 / / 26 Comments

Our coastal route from Bertioga to Rio

Bertioga

On July 7th, 2025, Mark took a cab to São Paulo’s airport for his annual visit to Massachusetts, our official state of residence in the US. For almost three weeks, he visited doctors, family, and friends, while Maya and I stayed at the Jorai Campground in Bertioga.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Mark is ready for his ride to the airport.
The employees of the campground installed these lights just for us.
Home for three weeks

My illusion of a three-week beach vacation—just my dog and me—quickly evaporated. The weather was chilly and rainy, the environment basic, I had to be extremely careful with our fresh water since Bertioga’s city water isn’t potable, ultralights took off multiple times a day creating frequent noise, and paid work arrived almost daily.

One of the ultralights
Laundry facilities at the campground
Basic shower block for women
One of the ultralights on the beach
Weed whacking around Thirsty Bella – Maya hates it!
Doing laundry at the campground

Still, I made the best of it and settled into a routine: morning exercises, laundry, shopping, cleaning, working, long beach walks with Maya, chatting with my fellow UK camper, hot showers, cooking and cleaning, nightly phone calls with Mark, and catching up on writing, Portuguese practice, and online interactions. I also prepped the camper and took photos for our upcoming “camper for sale” ad.

The gate from Jorai campground to the beach
You can walk on Bertioga Beach for miles!
Big, flat, and wide Bertioga Beach
My daily beach walk with Maya
One of the rivers entering the sea in Bertioga
My beach for three weeks
Comfy Maya
On the one sunny, warm day, Maya ran in the waves.
Lots of time spent on the computer
My dog and me
Trying to calm down our anxious dog
Lots of organizing and cleaning going on
Morning exercises with Maya
Swinging by British Mark and his dog, Fran, and van
Going out for one drink on the beach with British Mark and Fran

Mark eventually returned with a clean bill of health (yay!), and the three of us looked forward to driving north along the coast while checking out Brazil’s sights and beaches. A slower pace awaited—or so we thought.

City sign
Whale statue along the seaside
Nice walking path along the beaches
Long beach walk with Maya to the southern end of the beach
Our destination was this fort.
Mark returned with goodies for people, dog, and camper

Jureia Beach

Before leaving Bertioga, we washed the car. Near Jureia, we filled the tanks with fresh water and settled in at our favorite beach spot. We repaired a few things with parts Mark had brought back from the US and enjoyed slower days.

Filling our water tank with potable water
Installing a new kitchen faucet
Enjoying happy hour at a grassy “beach”
Our camping spot in Jureia
Pretty Jureia Beach
Not a bad view of our backyard
Sunrise at Jureia Beach
One one side the ocean and on the other side the mountains
Our little family at Jureia Beach

A storm soon swept through, toppling trees and wires across the pretty neighborhood, cutting off electricity and internet. Sometimes it’s good to be self-contained!

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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 2: Friends, Cities, and Eastern Explorations)

July 3, 2025 / / 29 Comments

In Part 1, we shared our first impressions of Paraguay and explored its historic Jesuit missions. Now, our journey continues with reunions, big cities, muddy roads, and a deeper look at life in this underrated country.

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Back to Encarnación: Reunion Time

On May 19th, we reunited with our American friends Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Apeman, who’d just finished backpacking South America for a year. They had booked two Airbnbs — one in Encarnación, the other near Areguá, an hour from the capital — and invited us to stay.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our first apartment and its small yard
Using the car as transportation device
Doing heaps of laundry
Yay! The Airbnb has a washing machine!

We quickly separated the camper from the truck, parked on a concrete pad, and shut down our fridge to enjoy house life for a change. The next few days were cozy and productive: we took turns cooking dinners, I did heaps of laundry in the available machine, Mark and I ran errands and caught up on work, and our group explored the city and waterfront with Maya.

Stack near the waterfront
Walking along the river with our friends
Happy hour at the beach bar

We also followed a boardwalk to the colorful city “letters” and strolled past Encarnación’s cathedral and central plaza.

Sunset over “the letters” of Encarnación
The cathedral of Encarnación

Sapucai: An Old Train Yard

As our friends stayed behind for another night, we hit the road towards Asunción, because we required two days of driving to reach the capital area. We stopped in Sapucai, known for its old train yard.

Potholed roads of Paraguay
Old train in Supacay
Camped for the night in Supacay
Sapucay along the old railroad tracks

Unfortunately, the train museum closed earlier than indicated (we managed to visit in the morning), our fresh water tank ran dry (so we struggled with the little bit of drinking water we had left), and loud traffic and fireworks made sleep impossible (we should be getting used to this.)

Visit to the railroad workshop
The old railyard is now a museum
Old train engine
Part of the museum: old office equipment
Railway museum
A walk on the grounds of the museum

Still, we walked Maya on a bike path and tried to stay flexible, adjusting our plans due to impending rain and muddy red dirt roads.

This cat stayed with us the entire time.
The railway bed is now a walking and biking trail
Persistent cat

Yaguarón: The Wooden Church

Before reaching the capital region, we visited Templo de San Buenaventura in Yaguarón, known for its ornate wooden interior. A local guide explained the church’s intricate design for a tip.

The interesting church of Yaguarón
Interior of the church
Intricate altar
View from the interior of the church towards the outside
The old bell tower with the antique bell in the foreground
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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 1: First Impressions and Jesuit Missions)

June 28, 2025 / / 31 Comments

Paraguay is a country often skipped by overlanders and tourists alike. With no world-famous attractions and sandwiched between popular Brazil and Argentina, it remains overlooked. But after traveling through increasingly expensive countries, Mark and I were more than ready for a change. Paraguay promised affordability, authenticity, and, according to our friends — sushi!

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Encarnación: Entering Paraguay

We crossed into Encarnación on May 11th without any issues — unless you count Mark knocking over the customs officer’s mate cup. That moment confirmed a fun fact: in Paraguay, mate is served cold, unlike in Argentina. Another surprise? The now soaked and hand-written vehicle permit had to be recreated.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Crossing the international bridge between Posadas, Argentina and Encarnacion, Paraguay
We have arrived in a new country!
Filling out the car permit for a second time
Paraguayan license plate

The city gave us a place to run long-delayed errands, save on gas prices, and visit a grocery store that had many items we couldn’t find or afford for a year. We loaded up, grabbed BBQ from a Sunday street stand, and sat by the river feeling like we’d finally entered another budget-travel paradise.

Our first meal in Paraguay is take-out asado
A friendly face and friendly prices at the gas station
Well-stocked grocery store Super Seis
Celebrating our arrival with a drink
Our first (free) boondocking spot in Paraguay
Sunset over the river

But reality hit that night: loud motorcycles, thumping music, and little chance of sleep reminded us that we were still very much in Latin America.

Waterfront boardwalk
The main beach in Encarnacion
Old warehouse
Old silo
Lifeguard station on the main beach
A pretty river beach in Encarnacion
Beach sign with the skyline of Posadas in Argentina in the background

Life on the Waterfront (and a Sushi Dream)

Knowing Paraguay would be cheaper than Argentina or Chile, we’d saved up chores and repairs. In Encarnación, we tackled a camper ladder repaint, installed a mirror, and found transmission parts — choosing to do the work ourselves to save $400 in labor. The waterfront became our “work station.”

A new mirror
Picking up and installing our freshly painted ladder

Despite the chaos, one night stood out: Mark and I finally went out for cocktails and indulged in a sushi boat at Hiroshima, a Japanese restaurant. We hadn’t felt that luxurious in years.

Cocktail time!
The Japanese restaurant in Encarnacion
Sushi for dinner!
A pretty and tasty sushi boat

Jesuit Mission #1: San Cosme and Damián

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The Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile

April 21, 2025 / / 25 Comments

Leaving Chile

It was a bit tricky, but Mark and I managed to get a vet check-up and international dog permit for Maya in Futaleufú over the span of three hours and for a total cost of $28. Unfortunately, unlike her other permits, this one was only valid for 30 instead of 60 days. It would keep us moving!

Location of the Lake Districts in both countries
Lake District in Argentina
Lake District in Chile

The same afternoon, we left the country and crossed into Argentina on washboard roads, aiming for six things in one week: sunnier weather on the other side of the Andes Mountains, better roads, cheaper fuel, no ferry schedules/costs that were mandatory on the Carretera Austral, an affordable laundromat, and a full propane tank. After accomplishing those goals, we’d return to Chile for about three weeks.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Back to Argentina
More potholed, gravel roads on the Argentinian side

In Esquel, our first town in Argentina, we failed dropping off our laundry and it took multiple attempts to find a decent camping spot. We did manage to fill our fuel and water tanks for almost half the price than in Chile!

This was a problem… We couldn’t enter our intended camping area in Esquel this way.
After a big and bumpy detour, we reached the camping spot a different way.
Another victim from the uneven roads – We are down to two cereal bowls now (from four).
Pretty and peaceful park for the night
A nice park to walk with Maya

The next stop was Rio Azul, where we planned to take a mini-break from the road for a few days and sit out bad weather. We did have to move once, because it rained so much that the river rose rapidly and we worried about being flooded.

Can you believe this track crosses the river?
We enjoyed this spot, before it started pouring!
Nice camping spot for a few nights
Cleaning our pee container in the river
And then the river rose! Mark put a stack of rocks on the edge to monitor the flood level.
Walk to the other side of the river with Maya
Our walking destination was this pretty waterfall.
Crossing the suspension bridge
We had to move to a higher spot when the river kept rising.

Bariloche, Argentina

The idea was to – urgently – fill our propane tank at a depot on the way north to Bariloche. We were now on paved roads, the sun had returned, and progress was smooth. We had confirmed this depot was open on a Saturday morning, but when we arrived, desperate for gas to cook, shower, and heat Bella, the people capable of filling international tanks didn’t work during the weekend. The facility was only open to swap Argentinian tanks… Right.

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The Carretera Austral – Chile’s Famous & Scenic Road through Patagonia

March 25, 2025 / / 32 Comments

Paso Roballos Border

After a quick clearing out process at the remote Paso Roballos border in Argentina – and receiving a rare exit stamp – entering Chile was supposed to be easy. Fast. Straightforward. Uneventful. Well…

First, about twenty people were waiting to clear out of Chile, filling out forms and not having applied for the right paperwork online. Mark and I were the only ones entering, but we couldn’t cut the line in front of the one window. So, we waited for over an hour.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Driving to Chile in the rain
The remote border crossing at Paso Raballos, Chile, is manned by police officers.

When we finally approached the booth, the officials seemed to be surprised we were actually arriving in Chile. I guess they hadn’t seen our giant cow-like camper through the window, on the Argentinian side?

Since this is a police-manned post instead of the usual offices of immigration, customs, and agriculture, reports of 5-minute crossings abound. What we found, however, was a team of unhelpful and inefficient cops. Our paperwork was in order, yet, we were told to wait in our car until “Interpol confirmed our identities.” How long would that take? What about them keeping our passports and original car title? Oh, and it was raining as well.

After another hour of sitting in the cab of our truck, one of the uniformed men opened the gate and motioned us to drive forward. He handed us back our important, now water-stained documents. Because it was after 5pm already and too late to make it to our next destination of Cochrane, we spent the night by a historic building in Patagonia National Park.

At 1am, when the relentless wind shook the camper violently, preventing us from sleeping, we moved behind the protection of trees. Our neighbors did the same.

The heavy winds at night created blue skies in the morning.
Entering Patagonia NP

Patagonia National Park

Usually, dogs are not allowed in national parks and there are steep entrance fees, but because pretty Patagonia NP envelops the bouncy dirt road to the border, anyone can drive through. So, that’s what we did. We kept Maya in the car and skipped the trails. Instead, we observed this special and somewhat spiritual park through our car windows.

Driving through Patagonia NP
Scenery along the route
Immense mountains along our route through the park
The scenery was super enjoyable.
Snowy mountains not too far away

We stopped by the visitor center to pay our respects at the grave of Douglas Tompkins, an American philanthropist and conservationist, who was responsible for founding this park and preserving millions of acres of land in Chile and Argentina.

Wild guanacos in close proximity
Douglas Tompkins’s gravel in his favorite part of the world
The most docile guanacos we ever encountered
Grazing guanacos with a spectacular background
Unfortunately, we didn’t’ spot any pumas

Cochrane

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The Real Patagonia – Welcome to the Mountains of Southern Chile and Argentina

March 19, 2025 / / 34 Comments

Ushuaia, the southern-most city of the South American continent, was a pleasant surprise with its excellent free camping, well-developed trails, and beautiful mountain scenery. But, by the time we left in our camper, Mark and Maya had been there for five weeks and I for over three, due to my 10-day trip to Antarctica.

Topping up our propane tank once more at Sartini Propane in Ushuaia – the best place ever!
Leaving Argentina on my first day back to shore
Back to Chile!

Needless to say, Mark was more than ready to head north again, especially since the weather had turned rainy. So, from the moment I disembarked the MV Ushuaia, we topped up our propane tank, received copies of our dog paperwork from the friendly attendant after asking for this favor, and left. Mark had taken care of groceries, fuel, and drinking water during my absence.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Still driving at the end of the world.
Monument of the wind

We made decent progress that first day I was home, but I felt like I was thrown right back into our challenging lifestyle. Extremely strong headwinds made the drive dangerous and ruined our fuel economy. We lost an hour at a fuel station near the border with Chile, because they were out of gas. We waited for the tanker to supply the station and filled up our truck and a jerrycan. This container travelled at my feet and was leaking profusely, spilling liquid and fumes. At the border in Chile, officials took all our beans and lentils, which had never been a problem before. And, the next morning, we woke up to a flat tire!

Quiet night along a dirt road in Tierra del Fuego
We woke up to this. Ooops.
Before the relentless wind started, Mark put our spare tire on.

Day two started with a tire repair kit that didn’t work, us installing the spare tire before the relentless wind picked up, and Mark discovering that the flat was caused by the car reversing onto a screw that had fallen off our own camper due to all the bumpy, gravel roads! Irony is ever a big part of our lives. We left Tierra del Fuego on a ferry and continued our journey north to the real Patagonia, covering a chunk of miles every day.

A guanaco jumping over a fence: we hated watching this as some of them get caught this way and die a horrible death.
Taking the same ferry off Tierra del Fuego from two months prior
It was a tight fit!

That day ended unexpectedly as well. We had parked at the only level spot, in front of a small, seemingly abandoned boat that rested on the grass, not on a trailer. At 10:30pm, commotion outside had us up and about. You guessed it. Exactly on this particular Sunday evening, someone needed to pick up this particular boat! So, we moved. This one had us laugh out loud…

Camped in front of what appeared to be an unused boat…
Right! At 10:30pm, someone decided to pick up this boat, so we moved.

A detour to Punta Arenas was necessary to get our tire fixed with the last local cash we had and to stock up on groceries, Chilean pesos, alcohol, and Maya’s dogfood. You have no idea how much Mark and I had been looking forward to visiting these decent, affordable stores. We could finally splurge on a few items that are unavailable or unaffordable in Argentina!

Getting our punctured tire fixed in Punta Arenas, Chile
One more time, Mark installs a tire on our truck. It was cheaper this way, especially since we only had so much Chilean pesos in cash left.
Splurging on some favorite booze
Mushrooms are affordable in Chile. Yay!
And another massive bag of dogfood for Maya, which we have only been able to buy in Colombia and Chile thus far.

The next town in Chile, Puerto Natales, also required a stop for more errands. We dropped off our dirty sheets, towels, and jeans, made dentist appointments for teeth cleanings, topped up with potable water, took Maya for a walk, and did work and research while waiting for our laundry to be done. I started to feel sicker and realized I must have picked up a bug on the expedition ship.

Welcome to Puerto Natales!
Old train engine in Puerto Natales, Chile
Church in Puerto Natales
Another historic building in town
Taking Maya for a walk in this clean and attractive town
Decent camping spot, despite being in a city
The harbor is full of fishing boats
Now this is a much cooler monument to commemorate the wind!
And we found another “Hand” sculpture by artist Mario Irarrázabal. We spotted two before, in Chile and Uruguay.

One of the main attractions in this part of Patagonia is Torres del Paine National Park. We had found an amazing free camping spot in iOverlander, one that friends had recommended, and looked forward to resting up and working in this pretty location, across from a river and the incredible park.

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