I drove out of camp
towards the ocean but the ocean road was closed so drove on ruta 5 until
we found a track across the dunes to the ocean. Stopped just short of
Bahai Inglesie and John checked to see where the Lodge Piedras Bayas was as
there is a guy that may be able to help with sourcing tyres. Although
the lodge address is Bahai Inglesie it is actually 70k’s south, we
passed it yesterday. John rang the lodge and got another number for
an English speaker. John rang Jose and got email contact so wrote
a note about our tyre requirement. We decided, as we were asking for
help, we’d head back to his lodge. Going south on this closed road we
passed some very long beautiful beaches pity its not summer.
Just as we got to
the blockage on road, Jose called back and we discovered he was in
Santiago. So back north again. Stopped at Bahai Inglesa and filled up
with fuel food and water
Time for mountains.
East and then North. Not many vehicles around here. Mountains are
wonderful colors that change all the time. Some pretty neat ones had
stripes through them. Because we are in the desert with no or very
little vegetation the colors of the sand and rock shine forth.
Past a disused
railway tunnel which John was very keen to drive through but it was
very short so he lost interest.
These tracks are really just a
bulldozed track through the sand. Lots of washouts from recent rain
which I believe is rare. Some of the passes up here have been closed
with snow which only happens every couple of years.
Pulled off the road
onto a small hill top for a camp. Washed and hung up the washing.
Some truckies tooting us. One started a long way off and kept
tooting...Nearly dry when we went to bed.
Woke to the sound of
dripping and told John it was raining. He went to get the washing off
the line but it was just thick fog. Didn’t expect that here in the desert
