Jay's Trek To Tierra del Fuego

Day 80, January 20, 1997 - Conception to Pucon, Chile

Another georgous stretch of highway, although it was hamppered by my incesive sneezing and allergies. My nose was red and raw from being wiped by my worn leather glove. Arrival to "Pucon", what a spectacular place! It`s a meca for adventure travellers. Sky diving, white water rafting ect.

A small town of 7000 nestled at the foot of huge "Volcano Villarica!" Its active too! Like, this baby has smoke pouring out the top! Set up me carpa (tent) and camped for 3 nights. The first was a comfortable sleep, but I awoke a little damp. Mabey it rained last night? No, my Camel Back water container had leaked its peach juice contents all over the place. Nice. Spent all morning cleaning up the sticky mess.

I«ve only been travelling alone for a week now, but already I can see an improovement in my Spanish. Jim or Alex had always done the speaking for us in the past so this is a new obstical in its self.

Beautiful weather, warm clear blue lake, and lots of young travellers. Cooking 2 meals a day on the stove, and fruit for lunch, I`m loving it. Ran into 3 dirtbike racers that were going for a ride up the volcano. I treated my KLR with no respect at all, but managed to stay in front of em all day. It easily held up to the touture test as usual. Hill climbs and all. Made it up to the snow line, but no further. You can hike the rest, look in and see the bubbling lava, but I didnt go for it. Met 2 young back packers from Whitehorse Yukon, they were shocked to heard of some of our wilder adventures.

Spent many hours in Pucon sitting on the crowded beach with 5 friendly Argentinian hitch hickers. They were the ones who first introduced me to, "mate" (Jims also speaks of it in his entries). A strange thing, raw tea leaves in a shinny silver cup, you drink it through a fancey metal straw with a filter on the end. Upon finishing, you add more hot water and pass it to the next person. It goes all around the group, even with people you`ve just met. At first I thought it was some kind of drug and refused it. They eased my worries and I tryed it, and yea, it`s fantastic.