0183 Colonia Suiza to San Martin de los Andes

18^th Jan

Once again, virtually no one stirred in the camp site until 9 pm !!  One almost feels guilty starting the car engine at 9 am to leave, in case you wake people up !  Once again, when I woke up a couple of those Chimango eagle type birds were fossicking around next to my car – They seem to be the local garbage scavengers !  Fernando and Max were just getting up as I was about to leave, so at least I got to say goodbye to them – Cecelia and Juan were still asleep ! I had checked the map and it seemed that there was a longer alternative around the shores of the lake, and when I checked with the camp host, he confirmed it was a road I should take.

0182 Lago Nahuel Huapi to Colonia Suiza

17^th Jan  

As usual I woke up at about 6 am, and no one else in the whole campsite was stirring.  I went for a walk around the campsite, and down on the beach, and the early morning views over the lake were just superb.  And down on the beach I found another one of those ground-walking eagles fossicking in the sand – He found something as I caught him with it in his beak as he waddled away !!  I think the bird might be a Chimango, and these was also confirmed by someone I spoke to, even thought it doesn’t quite look the same !  It will do for now, anyway !

0181 Lago Puyehue Chile to Lago Nahuel Huapi, Argentina

16^th Jan 2015 

The campsite in Entre Lagos had filled up after I arrived, and when I woke up this morning there were only a couple of spare spots !  All Chilean.  I am not used to the locals all getting out and going camping – So far from the Mexican border south, it has only been “foreign travellers” doing the camping.  One couple next to me, about my age, were obviously first timers – They struggled with the tent and I think it took them about ½ an hour to blow up their new (still in a box) air mattress ! Their tent was smaller than my Alaska one !!  Anyway, when I woke up at 6.30 am after a great night’s sleep, not a soul was moving.  Normally campers are early risers, but not ro here – it was about 8 am before any one stirred !  No one even rushing up to the loo for an early morning pee !  So I was showered and breakfasted before anyone else was up.  Maybe it was because it was suddenly totally overcast – A complete contrast to the last few days with not a cloud in the sky. 

0180 Chillan to Lago Puyehue

15^th Jan 2015

Well, that was a busy night !!  Although they didn’t keep me awake too much, there were some trucks that were obviously having trouble getting round the corner where I was parked, and because they had to keep reversing, it was their reversing bleepers that woke me up !!  I finally got up to check what was going on (this was about midnight), and found that the problem was not me, but another truck that had parked in a no parking area, thus making it hard for other trucks to get round the corner.  So I decided to make sure none of them came any closer to me, and I jumped into the drivers seat and drove up onto the grass verge – Now there was no way they could blame me !!  No more truck problems, but at 2 am there was a knocking on Troopie’s door, and when I peered out of the curtains, it was the Carabinieri de Chile, with the lights on their van flashing !!  Uh oh – What now ?

0179 Santiago to Chillan

14^th Jan 2015 

Slept late, and then when I got to the showers for a cold shower, there wasn’t even any water !! Grr.   Went hunting, and managed to get it turned back on, but just as I was about to get in the shower (well, sprinkle a bit on me more like – It was very cold water !) it went off again.  Not willing to end up all soapy and the water going off again, I gave up, filled the car water tank up (yes, the water to the normal taps was working OK !!), and set off.  Hardy is a young lad in the camp site and speaks very good English, and has been very helpful to me in translating for me.  I also learned a new word from him – Manguera means Hose !!  Thanks for your help Hardy – Keep the English going – You are doing so well. 

0178 Back on the road again.....

0178  Back on the road again…..  13^th Jan 2015

Damien dropped Janet and I at the airport on Sunday night – Janet to catch the midnight horror to Queensland, and me to Sydney and then on to Santiago.  I tried to get into Premium Economy for the long Sydney to Santiago sector, but the flight was fully booked.  So instead I upgraded both Janet and I to Business Class on our respective flights to the east coast because……Why not ?  I got a just -renovated plane with full lie flat seats, so slept the whole way to Sydney !! We had all been out for a very good hamburger in Scarborough on Sunday evening  before we went to the airport, so I didn’t need more food while on the plane !

0177 Christmas in Perth, Australia

19^th Dec – 11^th Jan 2015

Well this has been a great 3 week break  - After 8 months on the road, a break from travelling, a break from speaking Spanish, a break from driving, and a rare chance to catch up with the entire family and of course to meet Olivia for the first time, the latest addition.