The day of turn
backs.
John drove to the
end of the map and as advertised the end of the road. Lots of vehicle
tracks and looked like most go along the beach. We were not too keen
on that idea so followed the original track and yes it disappears
into the sand dunes.
Followed another
track but it ended at a very step sandy decline into a river bed. We knew
we would not climb out again, and with what we’d seen with the
recent washouts, it could take us the rest of the day finding a way
across the 1km of rocky river bed. So backtrack the 5km to the
beach.
We drove along the 4km of beach with no problems what so ever, but we did exit at the
first opportunity.
We wanted to take
the white road north instead of the Ruta 5 but got turned back at EL
Morado. The road was still being repaired after the rains. A guy in a
red covered ute was there with the front end loader driver, we tried to ask about alternatives but seems there are none but the Ruta 5 unless we want extreme 4x4.
Lots of mining up this river bed, so we
stopped and walked into one of the tunnels. We walked for about 100
meters. They had dug from the top here too. Also boards on the floor
so we backed out.
New high tension
power lines were being erected and wires tensioned. We had lunch
under one of them which still had the wires running through the
wheels.
Our friend in the
covered red ute, who had turned us back at El Morado, beeped loudly
on his way past.
Just before we got to Ruta 5 the power-lines were just being put up.
We drove for a short
while on Ruta 5 then headed back to the coast and to Huasco.
It is amazing here
you just don't know what you’ll see around the next corner. Driving
into Huasco we saw some sort of industry with 2 smoke stacks and two
tankers anchored offshore
We drove a little
further north and out to the coast on a dotted track. Lots of little
humpies but found a secluded spot out of sight and between two of them
231km today but not all northerly!!