After leaving Ushuaia with a heavy heart (this city is very endearing), I made a stop in Rio Grande by “couchsurfing” at Desyz’s flat, before continuing to Punta Arenas in Chile.
We were 6 people to sleep in the same apartment and to go to Punta Arena. All the 5 others were gooing hitchhiking! I thought to myself:” I might try as well and discover this new mode of transport on long distances!”
I left the apartment at 8am, arriving at the exit of Rio Grande at 9am.
It was 7°C and there was a wind of 20 to 30 km/h, apart from the currents of wind that hit when cars and especially trucks pass at high speed!
I’m here with my Brazilian friend Robson whom I met the day before and who was going to Rio Gallegos in Argentina (via Chile!).
We encouraged each other as we could with Robson, it didn’t look good, very few cars passing, much less than we thought for a Monday morning!
Robson told me that my cardboard was too small, and that the writing was not visible for a car passing at a high speed.
I found a communication station or what I thought was a communication station, I asked for a bigger cardboard and they delivered!
I tried to occupy all the width and wrote from right to left to exploit all of it … I tried so hard, I didn’t leave enough space for the “A”!!
The next attempt was the good one; I hoped that my new “ARENAS” would take me quicker to my destination!
After 1:30 of waiting, Robson found a car and left. I was happy for him; I wished him good luck and told him “See you soon!”, our roads will certainly meet again!
15 to 20 minutes later, a car finally stopped to take me.
Leo and his wife Claudia offered to take me to the border crossing of San Sebastian, 70 km away.
I sat at the back with a couple of blond people, Pawel and Gosia. We started to talk and they turned out to be friends with the band I met in Ushuaia! It really is a small world!!
They were going to Puerto Natales, beyond Punta Arenas.
We seized the opportunity to send some pictures and a voice message on the discussion of backpackers, which Jhonatan would cast on his “Radio Couchsurfing”!
At the border, we met an elderly man traveling alone but with the trunk loaded, who agreed to take the 3 of us if we carry our luggage in our arms. We left the Argentinean border and entered the Chilean border on foot each time, and then Norberto took us back.
We rode with him in the ferry out of the island Tierra Del Fuego and there we found a young blue whale stranded on the shore, dead, belly cut open. What a horrendous sight!
We approached the animal; the Chilean agent told us that it is a natural death according to the autopsy, the whale was probably sick or weakened. They opened her stomach so that it doesn’t explode with the gas it contained. They would wait for it to disintegrate naturally to bring its bones to the museum; since no museum in the country had bones of this kind.
We continued until the junction Rio Gallegos – Punta Arenas where the Norberto left us to go to Rio Gallegos.
At the junction, there was a closed cabin / station with a bench and a trash bin, probably our dorm for the night!
We encouraged each other, and we wished ourselves good luck to find a car that would take us. Gosia stood hitchhiking while Pawel and I hid in the cabin; a lone girl being more efficient for getting a car. iPad and JBL were there to put some loud music, to party and warm the hearts.
The deal was simple: depending on the number of places available:
– 1 place: I go up
– 2 places: they go
– 3 places: we ride together.
Pawel and I were marking the number of cars passing as prisoners mark in jail.
59 min and 36 cars later, a road truck finally stopped by! Gosia spoke with them for a long time but we made it! There was enough space for everyone; let the party go on!
130 km later, the truck stopped at a junction to let Gosia and Pawel go to Puerto Natales, and I continued with them to the free zone of Punta Arenas, without any means of communication, without a single Chilean peso with me, and no place to sleep.
At the free zone, Mauricio told me to walk to a mall. There I withdrawed money, bought a SIM card, and looked for WI-FI.
All my requests for couchsurfing made the eve remained unanswered or with a negative reply.
I took a colectivo – a taxi by the seat – for the city center and walked the streets to find a bed in a hostel.
The second attempt was successful; I had a hot shower and a bed to spend the night. We’ll see for tomorrow …
Pura vida!
PS: If you’ve read this article until the end, thank you for visiting the blog of my friends (Google will help you for translation) and liking their Facebook page, it will help them to be sponsored and extend their adventure!