Hello mighty readers! How are you? We are back to the Travel Stories after a small break. What happened now?
It's been a while, my friends, but another chapter of the insane and crazy Travel Stories is rock and loaded. What happened to ol' Mr.P this time?
If you are new to the series, this is the Travel Stories, a place where I share my past adventures on this world of ours. Most of my past crazyness, before I've purchased my bicycle, were hitchhiking trips - the biggest one being a 10.000 km journey in Patagonia.
This time we'll go back to Patagonia, precisely to a small town called Puerto Cisnes, where I lived for 5 days inside a lended small shed. You'll read about how I got there, managed to find the shed and we'll go through my days working as gardener. Enjoy the reading!
Click any of the images to enlarge!.
Obs.: This story is part of a bigger journey that I plan to tell you one day. Since it would be incredibly long I've decided to release parts of it, featuring the most crazy bits. It'll not follow an order of events, but I'll put it in a way that you can read as parts of a book. Hope you enjoy.
This happened when I was hitchhiking Argentina and Chile in summer 2017. Carrying only the essentials and little money for the journey. I had left Buenos Aires in early January with the main goal to reach Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the Americas. Plan was plain an simple: Work if needed, camp, hitchhike all the way, have loads of fun and let my desire guide the way.
February 11th, 2017. Excrutiating day near the Parque Nacional Queulat in Chile, a park that frustratingly I could not enter due to lack of money. That's how the life of a broke backpacker is, sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Learning to accept defeats is a gift.
At the time, my friends Louis and Juliet were traveling with me down the Carretera Austral from Puyuhuapi to Puerto Cisnes, where 5 days later, would be our departure point to a 10 hour boat trip to Chiloé. While they were visiting the park, I was trying to hitchhike further down to where later we would all meet again. And by trying to hitchhike, I mean laying by the road - the whole afternoon!
The Carretera Austral is one of the most beautiful roads in the world; green fields, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, mountains, curves, asphalt and dirt - it has everything. Going from Villa O'Higgins to Puerto Montt, this Chilean road, also known as Ruta 7, features one of the most amazing landscapes, a gigantic scar that cuts the Andes.
Carretera Austral near Villa Mañihuales.
Carretera Austral between Villa Mañihuales and Puerto Cisnes
As many parts are wild and still uncovered, many others are covered in asphalt, howerver, it was a work in progress at the time - for my misfortune. There was nothing I could do to get a ride on a road that was blocked from 1 pm to 5 pm, no cars were passing... that's how I spent that afternoon, doing nothing but eating crackers and reading by a dirt road.
After many hours Rodrigo, a firefighter traveling with his elderly parents, lifted me. Hitchhiking conversations tend to follow the same old script, but this one diverged to some interesting topics, such as craft wine production, an all time curiosity of mine.
- You know, I'd love to know how to make wine... - I said.
- But it's so simple... I make every year... - the elderly man said.
- Oh really? Let me take my notes! - I said.
- Listen... - He said.
All my attention turned to Rodrigo's father, that's how it is; when an old man tell you to listen, you stop and listen.
- You are going to need a bath, or similar thing, that's where you'll smash the grapes, ok? It also needs an opening at the botton to collect the juice. The smashing process you can do by stepping on the grapes, wash your feet! Those smashed grapes you'll leave, in the summer, below some shadow for 2 weeks. Are you taking the notes? Ok, so, the top you'll cover so it's protected. The flavour will vary with the time you leave. Ah, don't forget to mix the grapes from time to time! - He said.
- That's it? I just needto smash the grapes and wait? - I curiously asked.
- Si, señor. Of course, this is the simplest process out there, not a fine wine! But you can do for fun. - He said.
And just like that the old man of slow and calm voice, with his mustache and wearing a fedora hat passed so much wisdom in his speech. We continued talking about any subject, he knew them all, until they dropped me near Puerto Cisnes.
A couple more photos from our trip through the Carretera Austral.
Hitchhiking Carretera Austral
Click any of the images to enlarge!.
It was late afternoon, tiredness wais giving me headaches, rain starting; there I was with no money in a strange city again. I socialized without success trying to find a place to stay. Worried about the night I decided to go to the city outskirts and place my tent anywhere, I didn't care anymore, all I wanted was a good night of sleep. It was terrible.
Fortunately the other day, besides the rain, I had a plan. If I was going to stay there until the boat departure, I'd better find a good place to sleep and also find some work. In a situation like that you have to be as socializing as possible, talk to everyone, smile to people, explain who you are but also be curious about people lives. Offer help, ask if they have a job, move, be active, be alive!
I must have talked to every single citizen of that small city when I met Teresa, a woman in her 60's of easy smile and super generous. I talked to her about my boat journey 4 days later and how I wanted to find a job for the mean time, and at first she was sorry for not being able to help.
- I can do anything, paint, gardening, home repairs... - I said.
No success until I decided to give a break and simply go read below a tree in the center park.
- Psss.. hey! Ok... I talked to my husband, we may have a space for you to put your tent in our garden. - She said.
Oh man, happiness went through my body and I immediately jumped from the green grass to follow her .
- All you have to do is help with some minor gardening tasks, ok? - She said.
- No problem at all! Some distraction will be great. - I said.
Her garden was big and divided into different wodden houses that she had for rental, 5 in total with grass in between them. The local she had for my tent was right in the corner near one of the houses, a place full of rocks and dirt. Of course I was feeling bad for refusing that bad place, it would be impossible to sleep in there. But there was a small shed full of tools.
- Do you think you can put your tent in there? - She asked.
- I feel bad, but I don't think so... - I said.
- Yeah, I thought it was cleaner here, let's find another place, wait a second. - She said.
- Teresa, how about this shed? I can organize everything inside, you'll have a clean and organized shed as soon as I leave. - I proposed.
- Do you think so? That's not a bad idea! - She said.
The small shed, full of tools turned into a small and cozy hut once I moved everything out and reorganized. I had a table and chair where I could prepare my meals, read and write my diaries. On the floor I placed a rug to make it a cozier platform to my sleeping mat and sleeping bag. Bathroom I had to use the public one near the park, a 3 blocks walk from my small hut - better not need the bathroom in a hurry.
Click any of the images to enlarge!.
Click any of the images to enlarge!.
That cozy place became my base and after a day I had all my stuff organized in there, I was even calling it home. Sweet little home, I was glad to live in there and I could've stayed for a month.
After a day Teresa and her husband became my close friends, she would drop some fruits on my table so I could eat after work. Slowly I gained access to the main house where I could take a shower and later on the week they invited me to have lunch and breakfast with them. What a great and generous couple!
Days in Puerto Cisnes were spent between my work as gardener, I used to walk by the beach with my friends Louis and Juliet, or going up the mountains the enjoy the view. If was too sunny Teresa didn't let me work on the garden.
- Go, go visit the city! Later you finish this. - She would say.
Can you imagine living 5 days inside a hut? Or receiving so much love from strangers? Makes me wonder if this world is indeed rotten and full of mean intensions.
To be continued...
On the next post we'll walk and visit some beautiful places in Puerto Cisnes. Did you like this post? Drop a message down below, it'll be awesome to exchange idas.
If you liked this post, please, consider leaving your upvote for a hot coffee.
~Love ya all,
Disclaimer: The author of this post is a convict broke backpacker, who has travelled more than 10.000 km hitchhiking. Following him may cause severe problems of wanderlust and inquietud. You've been warned.
I'm Arthur. I blog about Adventure Stories, Brazil, Travel, Camping & Life Experiences.
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