diary week 2 [10.04.2006-16.04.2006]

don't forget to take a look at the related albums in the  photo gallery. click  here to go to the  main page of this journey report or  here to see  my other journey reports.

day 08 [10.04.2006] - chillan, it gets colder

recuperated from the shorter stage to linares, we were ready to cycle a longer distance today. this days journey brought us from linares to  chillán on about 115 km. we felt that it got colder this day...but also greener. there were a lot of timber plantations. every tree grows exactly in a row with the other. chillán is a small town, not touristic. there es not much to see, except the thermae.

- 115 km -

day 09 [11.04.2006] - to los angeles, the long trip

the target destination of today wasn't so clear. there weren't many villages along the panamericana to los angeles. we decided then to cycle all the way to  los angeles, even if it would be hard. almost in the end, christians trailer had a flat tire. this was the first flat tire at all. we have repared it and resumed our journey. it got already darker, because of the sunset. it began to rain. we were about 15 kms before the city, when we had to stop again. the repared tire of christians trailer got flat again. it was already night, when we were able to go on. the rain was stronger now. so we had to cycle in the darkness and middle strong rain fall on the panamericana to los angeles. i didn't feel very secure. it wasn't that easy to find a hostal this time. we've found a room in the "hostal el angelino". this was really the worst and ugliest i have ever seen! the walls were wet inside, it rained into the kitchen. thousands of ants saved themselves from the rain and took refuge in the kitchen were used dishes waited to be cleaned. a really ugly place. i remember how tired a was after these two long distances.

- 127 km -

day 10 [12.04.2006] - day of rest in los angeles

we decided to have a day of rest today. we have cycled almost 250 km in two days. so it was allowed to have a break. i really can't recommend to visit los angeles. the city is really ugly and dirty. the air smells the same way. so do yourself a good thing, ride through and stop there. even the food was ugly. in the evening we decided to have some "safer food" in mc donalds, before we had to go to the ugly hostal where our clothes were still wet after almost two days.

day 11 [13.04.2006] - camp near mulchén

i was quite happy this morning, when we got on our bicycles and out of the hostal. we decided very early to sleep in our tent that night and to cook by our own. the panamericana wasn't flat anymore. from that day on there should be many hills to climb. that's why we weren't able to do such a long trip like the three days before. even if there was less distance, my legs felt heavy. the ongoing up and down cycling is really hard with lugagge. near mulchén we have found a nice place in the forest, where we camped this night. it is really much cleaner and more comfortable in the tent, than in a ugly hostal! and cheaper by the way.

- 55 km -

day 12 [14.04.2006] - victoria, "la colonia suiza"

today we had our first "in-the-nature-breakfast". it was really nice to wake up surrounded by trees and with good quality air to breathe. today it got colder again. while cycling it was only about 14°c, but sunny. the ideal cycling weather! like yesterday it went up and down today. the street went mostly down because of a bridge. the heavy legs felt heavier. this day was easter ("la pascua"). many restaurants and shops were closed. we have found a place to be in the "hotel victoria". that sounds nicer than it is. a shop owner has about six beds in three rooms. that's the hotel. we cooked by our own again, outside the "hotel".

- 60 km -

day 13 [15.04.2006] - camp near los nogales

this day we left the  panamericana in direction of  curacautin on the street 181. the road went up and down like the days before. it was harder again, because of the muscle ache from the days before.

but we got paid by the incredible view of the nice landscape and the three volcanos "tolcagua", "conguimay" and "conguillio". it was really nice and we knew, that we will get into impressive nature the next days. about 15 km before curacautin, we decided to camp. 

- 41 km -

day 14 [16.04.2006] - curacautin, "la piedra de reunión"

"curacautin" is mapuche and means "stone of reunion" (cura=stone).

after 15 km we arrived in this small and not too much touristic city. we recovered the restof the day, to be prepared for the ride of the next days. it was quite cold that day.

- 15 km -