Wednesday 20 March 2013

Stage 29 for some - El Calafate to Puerto Arenas for us!!

Early Start yet again..

The remaining rally cars are resting at front of hotel. Short day for them today and some are missing out the stage completely and skipping off to Rio Grande.

We are up and off to the National Park at Puerto Natales and maybe witness the last sunrise over South America - well at least from a Hillux anyway!!

We picked up Route 40 again once out El Calafate and then shot off onto the 70km dirt tracks cutting out the village of Esperanza.

Managed to get through the Dorotea border and into Chile without any problems. No queuing for us today..

The Green Guards were all out on parade when we arrived and we thought ah ha but then up sped a Gendarmes van and out leapt a 'General' with sword clad protectors and then a lot of heel clicking and hand shaking went on. I didn't dare raise my camera tho just in case!!

They disappeared just as quickly as they arrived and we were left with just the Fruit police with their faithful labradors sniffing out the vehicles.

Dropped off the Hillux in Puerto Natales and then managed to find a cosy wifi cafe (bit like the old woolworths cafe lol) to take a coffee break in..

We stopped for a photo shoot of yet another 'bottle bank' at the side of the road just on the outskirts of Puerto Natales.
Shrine del Evian methinks..

Now on 4th Hire Car but still well within the $16,000.00 budget!!

Spent the afternoon snapping away at Eagles, Flamingos, Rheas, Shy Grey Foxes Lakes and 'Rocks' lol in 'Torres del Paine' National Park wow :))

We took afternoon tea in the little border town of Cerro Castillo (nice little coffee shop/ souvenir/ wifi and currency exchange) and spent the left over Chilean Pesos (45,000.00 of them) and then made a sharp exit out of Chile and quickly hopped back into Argentina via Paso Rio Don Guillermo.
Only one bus load of 'Onion Pickers' to banter with and we were stamped back into Arg.

Roger just couldn't resist the 70km ROUGH short cut off Route 9 (poor little Golf took a hammering. We came through it this morn in the Hillux but returning in the Golf wasn't quite the same!!)

Sorry no pis of Rally cars today - well only one from 'The Collection' :)



















































































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