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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