[Above: Colin rides the whitewater of the Rio Maiten in Chile.]

Journal by Colin McAuliffe

Well, the last few days were extremely interesting and I don't even know where to start so I just will. I spent some time in Pucon, a few days in fact, and I had a fun time, except (and as you know there is always an except with me) the last night there, someone broke into room and stole my laptop. So anyway, we left Pucon, Chile and drove south to a town called Puerto Montt, where we ate some snails and then boarded a ferry with our cars for Patagonia and the Carretera Austral, or the Southern Highway. The next morning we arrived in beautiful Patagonia, which really reminded me of the South Island of New Zealand. Anyway, its ridiculously beautiful there -- I mean, bright blue lakes, snow-covered mountains, all that stuff. We drove and camped and in beautiful riverside spot and did the same the next day, and the next, and on that next day we found a really cool campsite right on the river Maiten.

Rolf and I were feeling rather adventurous that day so we decided to do something crazy. We suited up in Adam and Neil's wetsuits, I grabbed my boogie board and Rolf grabbed a spare empty water can and we jumped into the river. I guess we were inspired by our rafting trip from last week and we just wanted to hit some rapids again. Anyway, the river was ridiculously cold at first. The first set of rapids we hit were really shallow, knee banging shallow. Rolf and I made it through all right and floated through a nice mellow patch to the second rapids, which were a little deeper. The speed of the water picked up fast and before we knew it Rolf and I were hurtling breakneck straight for a wall. We hit and my board was sucked under, I tread water frantically until my board reappeared and then looked around for Rolf, but he was nowhere to be seen, I only saw his floating water can, eventually he popped up, looking a little haggard.

We made it though that alive and floated down river a little. You see, about a mile down river was a huge lake (Lago General Carrera), and that was out target. We decided to keep going for it and were rewarded with some great rapids. Rolf continually was bumping into rocks due to his lack of a boogie board, although I was making it through unscathed. It was pretty funny to look back and see him floundering with the water container in his hand. Anyway, at one point we decided it was going to take too long to get to the lake, so we got out and walked back and did two of the fun rapids again. After that we once again emerged from the river and hiked the half mile or so back to the campsite, where the team had prepared a giant bonfire.

The bonfire was great. Huge even, and a lot of fun, although two unfortunate events did occur. First, I left my new spiffy sandals too close to the raging inferno and they shrunk a size and second, after it was all done, I was looking through the 190 or so pictures I had taken in the last couple of days and the memory card on my camera farted out and I lost all of them, which really sucked. Anyway, we rose the next morning and headed for Argentina, on our way to the beautiful glaciers of southern Patagonia. Hopefully the pictures I take there will make it so you can all see how awe inspiring this place is.

Rock on,

Colin
colin@drivearoundtheworld.com

Logbook for February 6th, Day 98
Start: Lago Elizalda, Chile
Time: 8:00 a.m.
S: 45*46.296
W: 72*43.079
Finish: Lago General Carrera, Chile
Time: 8:00 p.m.
S: 46*44.751
W: 72* 31.163
Mileage: 117
Notes: We drove all day through unbelieveable countryside and along dusty roads. There's salmon and trout in the rivers and lakes we pass, and Nick and I cannot wait to catch 'em. Soon. I feel it wil happen soon. We camped on Rio El Maiten this evening, an icy cold, fast-moving river flowing into a lake. Colin, on his boogie board, and Rolf, on a gerry can, hopped into the river upstream (in wetsuits) and floated out to the lake. It was hilarious to watch, and we have photos. The evening was capped off with one of the biggest bonfires I've ever seen. I'm not saying the boys are pyromaniacs or anything, but they are. (N.O.)

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