(note: just click on an image to see a full-screen slide show of the whole collection)
After considerable preparations (detailed in future posts) we finally hit the road on April 17th, 2014. Leaving is never easy and after 10 months in Concepción we had many friends to say goodbye to and many possessions to return or cast away to friends and neighbors.
Though we had the best intentions to leave early in the morning, we did not finish cleaning the apartment and filling the van until 8:30pm enabling us to escape town under the cover of darkness. On our way out we followed a guy surfing atop a heavily loaded horse drawn carriage. I hope to collect more pictures like this under the subject heading 'strange freight.'
As our departure date is driven by research obligations over a thousand kilometers to the south near Coyhaique and the voyage involves numerous crossings of the Andes in and out of Argentina, we did the best to make time. Supported by a steady stream of Coke Cero and Frank Ocean, Cana powered through the night, driving the van for the first time. The Pan American highway in dotted with Copec gas stations and we stopped occasionally to refuel, swap drivers and chow down on empenadas or hot dogs smothered in mayo, avocado and tomatoes. We gradually drifted south among semis trucks carrying fruit crates and all-night double decker busses.
The kids made the most of the space in the back. At 3am we arrived in the resort town of Villarrica and decided stay here and gather groceries in the morning. We tucked into the unused driveway of a lakeside barn, popped the top, shifted suitcases and collapsed into an uncelebrated but well-deserved first night in the van.
