Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes us from Pucon in the very early morning around the shore of Lake Villarrica to head northward along a very long plain between the Andes and another mountain range running parallel to it. After six hours on the road, we stop at the Balduzzi Winery to explore the factory, do some wine tasting and have a picnic lunch before continuing northward. We reach Santiago at around sunset where our tour through Patagonia officially ends.
Today's Journey
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Departing Pucon at 4:30 in the morning for a long drive up to Santiago. |
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The first of many toll gates as we approach Temuco along the highway heading north. The fog this morning is very thick but the sky is now lightening for the coming sunrise. |
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Passing farmland in a long valley between the Andes and the coastal mountains. The fog has lifted to be replaced with a dusty haze trapped over the arid farmland between the mountain ranges. |
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The farmland contines as the climate becomes more arid and the valley widens often losing sight of any mountains in the dust haze. |
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Heading north the pastoral farmland slowly changes to vineyards. We stop for a tour of the Balduzzi Winery factory near San Javier 275 kilometres short of Santiago. |
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Here we do a lot of wine tasting - perhaps a bit much as there is a camera crew filming a promotional video. |
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From San Gavier we continue following the valley farmland towards Santiago. Here is a vineyard near Curico. |
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The haze continues to thicken as we approach Santiago. Here we get stuck in heavy traffic still some distance away from the city. This is something we have not seen at all in Patagonia. |
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Arriving in the city of Santiago, with a population of 5.6 million people - double the number in all of Patagnia. This is going to be a bit of a cultural shock after our travels so far in some of the remotest regions of the world. |
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Here I part ways with the amazing group I have travelled with all the way up from Ushuaia. |
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