Report of 22nd September
Report by Angela

In the morning Marjolein is always the first one up to make a fire in the wood stove. She actually does that all days we spend in Puerto Montt.

Marjolein, our fire maker

Everything is dedicated to finding the backpack of Arnaud. We are all ready for a new adventure and drive at 10:00 to the airport and to our surprise they know by Sky Airlines everything of the bag. Phone calls and e-mails bring no solution, just go to the airport.

on our way to the airport, searching for the backpack

If what they say is true the bag will arrive at 13.45 hours. To be sure the bag is not returned again or forwarded to the next airport, we waited these 2.5 hours.
After a few cups of coffee we go down and post ourselves for the counter. 45 minutes, then he is there, said the steward. And it’s true. Finally the backpack arrived correctly. But if we had not been there, he certainly was sent back to Santiago. As shown by the track and trace when we came home later and even went to see where he’d be.
There were important things for Watson, a spare alternator and specially annealed locking wire. Thank God everything is still there.

at last Arnauds backpack is found

We are very happy and can start packing our bags and heading to Chiloe Island, our first stop. We drink a couple, cooking healthy meals and went to bed early. Or is that still because of the jett lag?

Report of 21 September
Report by Angela

The first day in Spring time in Chili.
Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. Waiting for the backpack, Arnaud, who still has not arrived and flies somewhere between Panama and Puerto Montt. Track & Trace does not work at all. So just we have to wait and see. Dirk is working at the Model T, now officially named Watson, but because it is raining cats and dogs it’s no use to go on.

Dirk is working on the Model T, Watson

We’re going to practice driving in the land rover, high gearing, low gearing, when you use high en low gearing, how fast you need to switch.
On we went to Puerto Varas where we are stranded in a restaurant. We drank a glass of wine and ate delicious fish soup. The plan to go to the salt pans and the volcano fell apart so we then went home.

fish soup

fresh air after the soupe

boathouse in Puerto Varas

Report 20 September
Report by Angela

This morning we say goodbye to Team 4, Steef and Greetje and Trudy goes home for 3 weeks.

saying good bye of Trudy, Steef and Greetje 

At 08.00 they are picked up by Victor, the householder who brings them to the airport.
Then it’s just strange quiet in the house. We are taught how to make reports and upload photos  on the computer.

computer lessons 

Marjolein and I are asked to explore (on card and computer) and discover the next routes. We go to Chiloé to visit an SOS Children’s Village in Ancud. Furthermore, we look when the ferry from Quellon go to Chaiten departs. That is not until Thursday. The baggage of Arnaud has still not arrived.
When it is dry we can finely put the name stickers on the car and the key exchange takes place. A special moment for us. We toast with a glass of wine.

welcome to team 5 Arnaud 

Team 5 on the hood 

there we are 

key exchange 

Report 18 & 19 September
Report by Angela

After a journey of almost 30 hours due to the strike by Air France, we (Marjolein and I) finally arrived in Puerto Montt, Chile. To our surprise, Trudy, Dirk, Steef and Greetje arrived a day earlier at the cottage we rented. That was a very warm welcome. The stove was burning in the living room because it’s still winter here.
It is strange to be on the other side of the world and now finally to see the 2 famous cars. Nothing important happens the next days because team 4 travelled 6000 km. the last 2.5  weeks through the mountains and often unpaved roads.
There is much to discuss, but we go to bed early. Everyone is tired.
The next day we get up early. It was a cold night, three blankets, a down quilt and a jogging suit kept us warm. The stove lit and tea and coffee was put.
Arnaud, who joins team 5, arrives at 10.15 am at the airport however, without luggage. That is stabbed somewhere.
It rains a lot but we decide to go explore the city.

streets of Puerto Montt 

Electra 

grafitti of PM 

houses 1 

houses 2 

We go for a walk. Everywhere stray dogs in the street but they do nothing. It is a national holiday and it seems like we have reached a ghost town. Everything is closed, even most restaurants. We find a coffee shop that sells great pies. And we have something to celebrate because it is Dirk Jan’s birthday.

eating pie because of DirkJans birthday 

We drink tasty coffee with cake and walk back home. We got soaked.

raining in Puerto Montt 

Everything is dried by the stove and it takes a day before everything is really dry. My coat and boots no longer seem to be waterproof.
We cook at home because no one has sense even by walking to a restaurant again.
It was a fun evening and the last evening of Greetje, Steef and Trudy.

last evening with Steef, Greetje en Trudy 

night before Trudy flies back to Amsterdam

Report 15, 16 & 17 September.
Report by Dirk

We have 3 days to get to Puerto Montt.
These 3 days we have to drive more than 700 miles and go via Las Lajas and Villa Augostura and arrive 17 September early in the evening in Puerto Montt.
Below a photo impression of these 3 days.

Flamingo’s 

Still going on 

Still going strong 

Good view 

On the radio 

Welcome to Chile

Report 14 september
Report by Greetje and Steef.

Let’s see, what happened today. 2 x an over floating carburettor. Dirk loses and damages his spectacles, Trudy hurts her nose, a few hours off road and a failing alternator.

lubricate 

spectacles 

alternator 

censored 

off road 

visitors 

Andes 

old car 1 

old car 2 

old car 3 

However we have a bright day, a wonderful road through a slow rolling landscape with, on the right the imposing snow covered mountain peaks of the Andes. In Bargas Blanca we find a very simple Hosteria managed by an old man with a great collection of fossils

Bargas Blanca 3 

Bargas Blanca 2 

Bargas Blanca 1

This is our last report we have written for you during our 5 week traveling with Trudy and Dirk through Bolivia, Argentina and Chili.
We hope you have enjoyed our reports.
Steef and Greetje

Report 13 September
Report Greetje and Steef.

Rise at 7.00. Valves are o.k. and some bolds are checked. The breakfast is minimal so we take our own bread, coffee and tea.

Hotel Colonial 

9.45, we ride up road 27, yellow on the map and a nice rolling road along the Pampa and big herds of brown cows. For the first time it is cloudy and it will stay so the rest of the day. There is also a strong wind and now and then tumble weed rolls over the road.

tumble weed 1 

tumble weed 2 

Sometimes the landscape is collared by a light green underground with yellow blades of grass. Unfortunately the photo does not show the reality.

yellow grass 

Along the road we see one of the many altars devoted to a not acknowledged saint. Hundreds of them we have seen and they are all different.

altar 

When we drive into the province of San Luiz we are passing a check point but the police only wants to make a picture.

check point 

It is 17.30 when we stop in Alvear in Hotel Avenida. The Model T has performed outstanding with speeds around 48 miles p/h. and a distance of  270 miles.

Report 11 September
Report by Greetje en Steef.

Just one more morning of work and Dirk can start up the Model T again.

start 

congratulation 

The engine sounds like new. Now, the car is completed and in the meantime, Trudy and Greetje rearrange the Landrover. Daniel Bollo’s son brings a official birth certificate of the Model T who’s name now is “WATSON”. In the mean time he can give a hand.

document 

help 

garage team 

At 21.00 we are ready to travel, what an achievement. We are tired but greatly relieved we will ride again tomorrow. Now dinner is waiting at Guillermo,s house where Eliza prepares our “cena “. Peer joins us later.

diner 

They want us to sing again the “Watson song” so we raise our voices ones again.

song 

Guillermo shows us his “garden” loaded with cars and car parts.

garden 1 

garden 2 

garden 3