I absolutely agree....check it 2-3 times a day just in case
unURBAN Adventures - Alaska to Argentina to AFRICA!
- Thread starter unURBAN
- Start date
I absolutely agree....check it 2-3 times a day just in case
Fiambala to Mendoza
.
After one of the nicest and most relaxed border crossings at Paso San Francisco we had now entered the last country we would visit on our travel from Alaska to Ushuaia. We wondered why not all border crossings can be like this with polite and friendly officers. Maybe it has to do with the work load... We crossed the border late in the afternoon and in the book (the immigration officers wrote everything into a big book by hand) we could see that we were car number three and four crossing into Argentina this day.
.
.
After entering Argentina we were driving through landscape that looked like it was painted. Descending as far as we could before dark we got to about 3000 meters and found a place off the road somewhere to camp for the night.
.
Next day we followed again some coordinates in our GPS… Toyotours.com had the coordinates from some other travellers that had camped there earlier. About 200 km from the border in a narrow valley was Termas de Fiambala. We had no expectations to this place, because we have seen many different kind of hot springs on this trip. We paid 40 Argentinian Pesos (about 10 usd) per car to camp at the parking lot of the Termes, and we would then have free access to the hot spring 24 hours a day. Our intention was to spend one night here and then keep on driving to Mendoza, but it was such a great place to relax so we spent three days soaking in the springs and reading books.
.
.
Before arriving in Fiambala we had driven every day for 13 days, since Sucre in Bolivia, and it was time to stay in one place for more than one night. We would definitely have stayed longer if they had internet. After nine days offline Espen felt the need to find internet and see if the world was still the way it used to be.
.
Before leaving Chile we had filled up our fuel tank and the jerry can with diesel because we had heard reports from other travelers that northern Argentina was rationing out fuel. One couple had spent 5 days filling up their limit of 20 liters of fuel per day to get enough fuel to get to the next gas station in Bolivia. We were also travelling in less populated areas, and from the last gas station in Chile to the first in Argentina, if driving over Paso San Francisco, it is about 460 km. When we got to the first gas station in Tinogasta the line of cars and motorbikes that waited to fill up went around the block. Still good on fuel we drove another 130 km to Chilecito. Here we found a gas station with just a short line up, but first we were told they could only fill up for 150 pesos (27 liters). We said ok and were ready to continue our search for more gas stations afterwards when the guy just fill up the tank for us. We don’t really know how this works or is supposed to work, but we didn’t get as receipt so we think the guy was just being nice to us. Anyway, now we had enough fuel to get to Mendoza.
.
.
Up on Ruta 40 we saw this sign saying 4000 km to Ushuaia if you follow the road straight south. We will make some detours into Chile so we have some more kilometers to go. A grim reminder, though, of the end of the road getting closer…
.
.
.
A couple of photos from the drive to Mendoza. Andean sunset and a small arch on an island in the lake near Rodeo.
.
Since starting this trip we have talked about Mendoza and its fantastic beef and wine. In 2006 we had a few days in Mendoza and we remembered it as a really nice city, and it still is, only this time it is spring and a bit colder. Espen found internet again, and we had some relaxing days in town with good food and red wine.
.
.
With full bellies it was time to cross back into Chile, this time at Frontera Los Libertadores. The road from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile, takes you across the Andes, and a few kilometers from the natural bridge at Punta del Inca..
.
.
you can get a glimpse of Americas highest mountain and the highest mountain outside the Himalayas, Aconcagua.
.
.
This time we just looked at the mountain from the road (Aconcagua summit just over Espen's head),
.
.
but in 2006 Espen stood on the summit 6962 meters above sea level. I turned around after base camp with a lung infection, and the doctor told me it was either antibiotics for 6 days in base camp or leave the mountain. It would have been great to give it another go, but we are a bit too early and the season on Aconcagua has not started yet.
.
So with a glimpse of Aconcagua it was time to say goodbye to Argentina for a few days, and dip into Chile again.
.
E&M
.
After one of the nicest and most relaxed border crossings at Paso San Francisco we had now entered the last country we would visit on our travel from Alaska to Ushuaia. We wondered why not all border crossings can be like this with polite and friendly officers. Maybe it has to do with the work load... We crossed the border late in the afternoon and in the book (the immigration officers wrote everything into a big book by hand) we could see that we were car number three and four crossing into Argentina this day.
.
.
After entering Argentina we were driving through landscape that looked like it was painted. Descending as far as we could before dark we got to about 3000 meters and found a place off the road somewhere to camp for the night.
.
Next day we followed again some coordinates in our GPS… Toyotours.com had the coordinates from some other travellers that had camped there earlier. About 200 km from the border in a narrow valley was Termas de Fiambala. We had no expectations to this place, because we have seen many different kind of hot springs on this trip. We paid 40 Argentinian Pesos (about 10 usd) per car to camp at the parking lot of the Termes, and we would then have free access to the hot spring 24 hours a day. Our intention was to spend one night here and then keep on driving to Mendoza, but it was such a great place to relax so we spent three days soaking in the springs and reading books.
.
.
Before arriving in Fiambala we had driven every day for 13 days, since Sucre in Bolivia, and it was time to stay in one place for more than one night. We would definitely have stayed longer if they had internet. After nine days offline Espen felt the need to find internet and see if the world was still the way it used to be.
.
Before leaving Chile we had filled up our fuel tank and the jerry can with diesel because we had heard reports from other travelers that northern Argentina was rationing out fuel. One couple had spent 5 days filling up their limit of 20 liters of fuel per day to get enough fuel to get to the next gas station in Bolivia. We were also travelling in less populated areas, and from the last gas station in Chile to the first in Argentina, if driving over Paso San Francisco, it is about 460 km. When we got to the first gas station in Tinogasta the line of cars and motorbikes that waited to fill up went around the block. Still good on fuel we drove another 130 km to Chilecito. Here we found a gas station with just a short line up, but first we were told they could only fill up for 150 pesos (27 liters). We said ok and were ready to continue our search for more gas stations afterwards when the guy just fill up the tank for us. We don’t really know how this works or is supposed to work, but we didn’t get as receipt so we think the guy was just being nice to us. Anyway, now we had enough fuel to get to Mendoza.
.
.
Up on Ruta 40 we saw this sign saying 4000 km to Ushuaia if you follow the road straight south. We will make some detours into Chile so we have some more kilometers to go. A grim reminder, though, of the end of the road getting closer…
.
.
.
A couple of photos from the drive to Mendoza. Andean sunset and a small arch on an island in the lake near Rodeo.
.
Since starting this trip we have talked about Mendoza and its fantastic beef and wine. In 2006 we had a few days in Mendoza and we remembered it as a really nice city, and it still is, only this time it is spring and a bit colder. Espen found internet again, and we had some relaxing days in town with good food and red wine.
.
.
With full bellies it was time to cross back into Chile, this time at Frontera Los Libertadores. The road from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile, takes you across the Andes, and a few kilometers from the natural bridge at Punta del Inca..
.
.
you can get a glimpse of Americas highest mountain and the highest mountain outside the Himalayas, Aconcagua.
.
.
This time we just looked at the mountain from the road (Aconcagua summit just over Espen's head),
.
.
but in 2006 Espen stood on the summit 6962 meters above sea level. I turned around after base camp with a lung infection, and the doctor told me it was either antibiotics for 6 days in base camp or leave the mountain. It would have been great to give it another go, but we are a bit too early and the season on Aconcagua has not started yet.
.
So with a glimpse of Aconcagua it was time to say goodbye to Argentina for a few days, and dip into Chile again.
.
E&M
Last edited:
Argentina to Chile over Paso Cristo Redentor
Hey!
Back online for a day or two, so we'll try to get out a couple of updates. First, the second border crossing between Chile and Argentina, this time from Argentina to Chile on the main border between the cities Santiago and Mendoza.
First time anyone actually wanted to have a look in the car! Interesting
Story and pics on unURBAN.no
E&M
Hey!
Back online for a day or two, so we'll try to get out a couple of updates. First, the second border crossing between Chile and Argentina, this time from Argentina to Chile on the main border between the cities Santiago and Mendoza.
First time anyone actually wanted to have a look in the car! Interesting
Story and pics on unURBAN.no
E&M
jpvm
Explorer
Dude , you owe us your full covergage of Chile (my country), I've heard you guys have visited Santiago, Viña , Matanzas and then drove to the south to the lake district , even Villarrica, Pucon, paso Mahuil Malal (Pucon to the mountains) I speculate you drove back into Argentina (to be under the Puyehue Volacano ashes on the Argentinian side)... try to enter to Chile again south of El Bolson , Argentina to Futaleufu, Chile and then continue driving south in Chile via the Carretera Austral , till you reach Lago General Carrera.
these pics are from those parts : http://www.twistedandes.com/foro/showthread.php?t=32172&page=3&highlight=carretera+austral
these pics are from those parts : http://www.twistedandes.com/foro/showthread.php?t=32172&page=3&highlight=carretera+austral
Don't worry, JP! Chile is beautiful, and we'll definitely be posting a couple of the 876 pictures we have saved so far (we go through our pics regularly and delete about 30% of what we upload from the camera to the hardrives)
And you are of course right about our route - except from the bordercrossing! We took the ferry (yes, its running) from Puerto Fuy to Pirihueico, and then across at Paso Hua Hum. Fantastic scenery in this area, and actually not very different from Norway!
E&M
If I had a million dollars..
….I would NOT have bought an exotic pet like a lama or an emu. I would have stayed at the hotel in Portillo, rented Telemark skis and skied most of the day and then spent the afternoon by the swimming pool.
.
.
From the Andes mountains and skiing next stop would have been Olas de Matanzas at the Pacific coast where I would have rented one of these cabañas.
.
.
.
Espen could spend the days windsurfing and I could have walked on the beach or read a book.
.
.
Lunch, dinners and drinks would have been consumed in this restaurant before the late evening would have been spent in the wood fired hot tub.
.
.
I do not have a million dollars, but I am still better off than most people in the world since I can travel overland from Alaska to Ushuaia in my own vehicle. And because I do not have a million dollars, I just looked at the skiers in Portillo and hope that one day I will be able to come back with my own Telemark skis. I have a friend working in the Portillo ski resort, so we had a BBQ and spent the evening in front of the fire place. Not bad at all.
.
Since we are UN-urban we had decided to drive around the city of Santiago with its 7,2 million inhabitants. But when I checked Facebook in the morning, I saw that another friend and colleague had posted that he was flying from Oslo to Punta Arenas that same day. When we drove towards Santiago I wrote him an SMS asking if he by coincidence was sitting in the airport in Santiago waiting for the connecting flight, and he was. It is a small world. So we ended up having dinner together in the Airport in Santiago.
.
When we got to Olas de Matanzas on the Pacific Coast they did not only rent out those great looking cabins, but they also had a campground… We had internet, hot showers, a fantastic view, good lunches with cheese, salami and wine, and dinners outside in the sunset.
.
Life is pretty good even if we do not have a million dollars. But we will continue to drive towards the pot full of gold at the end of the rainbow. You never now….
.
.
M&E
….I would NOT have bought an exotic pet like a lama or an emu. I would have stayed at the hotel in Portillo, rented Telemark skis and skied most of the day and then spent the afternoon by the swimming pool.
.
.
From the Andes mountains and skiing next stop would have been Olas de Matanzas at the Pacific coast where I would have rented one of these cabañas.
.
.
.
Espen could spend the days windsurfing and I could have walked on the beach or read a book.
.
.
Lunch, dinners and drinks would have been consumed in this restaurant before the late evening would have been spent in the wood fired hot tub.
.
.
I do not have a million dollars, but I am still better off than most people in the world since I can travel overland from Alaska to Ushuaia in my own vehicle. And because I do not have a million dollars, I just looked at the skiers in Portillo and hope that one day I will be able to come back with my own Telemark skis. I have a friend working in the Portillo ski resort, so we had a BBQ and spent the evening in front of the fire place. Not bad at all.
.
Since we are UN-urban we had decided to drive around the city of Santiago with its 7,2 million inhabitants. But when I checked Facebook in the morning, I saw that another friend and colleague had posted that he was flying from Oslo to Punta Arenas that same day. When we drove towards Santiago I wrote him an SMS asking if he by coincidence was sitting in the airport in Santiago waiting for the connecting flight, and he was. It is a small world. So we ended up having dinner together in the Airport in Santiago.
.
When we got to Olas de Matanzas on the Pacific Coast they did not only rent out those great looking cabins, but they also had a campground… We had internet, hot showers, a fantastic view, good lunches with cheese, salami and wine, and dinners outside in the sunset.
.
Life is pretty good even if we do not have a million dollars. But we will continue to drive towards the pot full of gold at the end of the rainbow. You never now….
.
.
M&E
jpvm
Explorer
Oh yes great coverage, I know all those places too !!! Thanks a lot for the great cover up , good choice of crossing to Argentina via Hua Hum pass after sailing the Pirihueico Lake (hope it was a sunny day). I once drove a 4x4 road along this lake , a private road, marvelous scenery , and sailed back with the barge back to Puerto Pirihueico. That lake is beautiful , cristal clear waters, you'll see many more if you drive the Carretera Austral after Futaleufu pass.
PS: I Windsurfed for almost 20 years , know all spots (been 4 times to Hawaii , south Pacific, etc) , Matanzas and the Roca Cuadrada spot is a great spot, visitec by PWA windrusfers every year, sadly the Pacific is so cool !!!
Thanks a lot for keeping us updated !! :drool:
PS: I Windsurfed for almost 20 years , know all spots (been 4 times to Hawaii , south Pacific, etc) , Matanzas and the Roca Cuadrada spot is a great spot, visitec by PWA windrusfers every year, sadly the Pacific is so cool !!!
Thanks a lot for keeping us updated !! :drool:
Thanks for comments!!
And JP,
We knew about the road. Found it in a couple of older maps showing up as a "normal" road. When they go missing in new maps, that is when I get interested.... Problem was they would not let us through the gate :-( We also checked the option of driving south to Futrono, but they didn't let us through that gate either... And as that wasn't enough, we also had to turn back on the road going through Park Nacional Villarica. It was just too much snow, and when I walked up for scouting, I found a sign up in the snow (at the "park entrance") saying that it was not allowed to keep on driving because the road was "too bad"????? I think we have to get back to Bolivia....
.
And regarding the weather for the day of the ferry crossing, here is a report!
.
.
More pics soon!
E&M
And JP,
We knew about the road. Found it in a couple of older maps showing up as a "normal" road. When they go missing in new maps, that is when I get interested.... Problem was they would not let us through the gate :-( We also checked the option of driving south to Futrono, but they didn't let us through that gate either... And as that wasn't enough, we also had to turn back on the road going through Park Nacional Villarica. It was just too much snow, and when I walked up for scouting, I found a sign up in the snow (at the "park entrance") saying that it was not allowed to keep on driving because the road was "too bad"????? I think we have to get back to Bolivia....
.
And regarding the weather for the day of the ferry crossing, here is a report!
.
.
More pics soon!
E&M
Last edited:
Portillo to Matanzas in Chile - part 2
Also thought I should put in some pics from the road after crossing into Chile from Mendoza in Argentina (as Malin only posted pics from what she would WANT to do...) After Portillo you have to go down these switchbacks. Engineering made pretty..
.
.
We had talked about taking the old road over Paso Cristo Redentor. There is a huge statue up there, and Malin was up there several years ago when she was waiting in Puente del Inca for me to get back down from Aconcagua. Unfortunately, the road was still closed for the season, but when we had crossed the border we saw that the road going up from the Chilean side had been cleared for snow.
.
.
We started driving up, but realized pretty soon that thay had given up on the attempt. We drove up to where thay had turned around (a meter and a half of snow blocking the road), and had to go back down. And the face of that "gravel mountain" didn't really look too safe....
.
.
After driving past Santiago, we arrived at the coast quite late, and in the dark. Found a campsite in the forrest south of Valparaiso, and we kept driving south the next day. This is a view point over a town called La Boca.
.
.
We also drove down to the beach not far from here. Lots of people down there fishing.
.
.
There was a camp ground in La Boca, but we didn't stay. We kept going south another half an hour, and then found Matanzas where we settled for a few days.
.
And JP, we didn't stay in the same cabin as you... Olas de Matanzas also has a few camp sites, and we went for the cheaper option. VERY tempting, though...
.
.
In the next post we go to check out the lakes!
E&M
Also thought I should put in some pics from the road after crossing into Chile from Mendoza in Argentina (as Malin only posted pics from what she would WANT to do...)
After Portillo you have to go down these switchbacks. Engineering made pretty...
.
We had talked about taking the old road over Paso Cristo Redentor. There is a huge statue up there, and Malin was up there several years ago when she was waiting in Puente del Inca for me to get back down from Aconcagua. Unfortunately, the road was still closed for the season, but when we had crossed the border we saw that the road going up from the Chilean side had been cleared for snow.
.
.
We started driving up, but realized pretty soon that thay had given up on the attempt. We drove up to where thay had turned around (a meter and a half of snow blocking the road), and had to go back down. And the face of that "gravel mountain" didn't really look too safe....
.
.
After driving past Santiago, we arrived at the coast quite late, and in the dark. Found a campsite in the forrest south of Valparaiso, and we kept driving south the next day. This is a view point over a town called La Boca.
.
.
We also drove down to the beach not far from here. Lots of people down there fishing.
.
.
There was a camp ground in La Boca, but we didn't stay. We kept going south another half an hour, and then found Matanzas where we settled for a few days.
.
And JP, we didn't stay in the same cabin as you... Olas de Matanzas also has a few camp sites, and we went for the cheaper option.
VERY tempting, though....
.
In the next post we go to check out the lakes!
E&M
Ruined Adventures
Brenton Cooper
That campsite looks about as good as it gets! Wow, hope you weren't spoiled too much while you were there.And JP, we didn't stay in the same cabin as you... Olas de Matanzas also has a few camp sites, and we went for the cheaper option.
.
:coffeedrink:
Lots of people in the weekend (we arrived on a Saturday), but when we went down to the fancy restaurant (from Malins post) on Monday for a couple of Mojitos, they were CLOSED! F.##"! Too early in the season still.... But down here we ARE getting seriously used to red wine for at least one of the day's meals. (see also last tweet...) Spoiled would be a good description, I guess...
E ;-)
jpvm
Explorer
Nice pics Espen & Malin , well if you ask me , I was invited to that cabin (I am also a cheapo pos ahahahah, those cabins are a little overpriced) , I love camping and have stayed many times at the Olas de Matanzas camping.
Hope you guys get used to the nice local meals, a fine Merlot and friendly athmosphere.
PS: Those pics of Portillo's old trail were scary !!!
Hope you guys get used to the nice local meals, a fine Merlot and friendly athmosphere.
PS: Those pics of Portillo's old trail were scary !!!
vivithemage
Observer
Wow, finally got done reading, and catching up! Great read ... can I ask how much you budgeted for food/fuel/hotels-lodging/repairs/emergency?
Did you have a lot saved up, did you know it would take 1-1.5 years to do this? Did you guys just up and quit your jobs?
Have you guys done this big of a trip before?
How many miles/km could you do on a tank + jerry?
I noticed you were reading a lot of books, do you wish you had a kindle instead of all the books? I mean ... hundreds of books in one, right?
Will definitely keep following..stay safe!
Did you have a lot saved up, did you know it would take 1-1.5 years to do this? Did you guys just up and quit your jobs?
Have you guys done this big of a trip before?
How many miles/km could you do on a tank + jerry?
I noticed you were reading a lot of books, do you wish you had a kindle instead of all the books? I mean ... hundreds of books in one, right?
Will definitely keep following..stay safe!