Melissa recently wrote a more objective point of view about the devastation left behind by the Chaitén volcano. More simply and more personally, all of us agree that this is one of the most devastating things we have ever witnessed firsthand. Just looking at photos or the video we will have up soon can only paint a small picture to the feeling that comes over you when entering a town that has been abandoned for all practical purposes. While residents are slowly returning to the town, it is hard to see any future in sight for this place and, for us, the fear of temporarily parking our trucks on streets that have the foundation washed out from underneath them can only mean that the citizens must feel even more afraid of returning permanently without the basic necessities like water and electricity.
Upon talking to the police that guard the town from looters that come to steal the little that was left behind by the volcano’s power, we found that they are only allowed to guard the town in two week shifts out of fear that the toxic ash will permanently damage their lungs. Right now the season is providing a lot of rain, so the ash is very hard to move as it is thick like wet concrete, but when the rain stops, the ash will dry and pollute the air making it toxic to even breathe.
There is no FEMA here and the citizens don’t have the systems in place to quickly recover from this kind of devastation. It seems so trivial to think about how much we all complained about hurricane Katrina and the management of that disaster, however, for us a recovery plan was in the works as soon as the disaster happened (as poor as we all might believe it was…at least there was one). People returned to New Orleans soon after the disaster, but six months later, not even electricity has returned here. As I said in a previous blog, if there is one way you can help these people and any area that relies on tourism for its livelihood, don’t let disasters scare you away. All of the people here need tourism to resume quickly or they will have no reason to return to their homes. Although it may not be the place it was before, a trip here can teach you a lot and certainly give you an opportunity lend a hand repairing the damage that has been done. It is a much more rewarding experience than a simple trip to the beach drinking Mai Tai’s, and the best part is, this area is still able to provide diversions from the disaster…the rafting season in nearby Futaleufú has already begun and is world renowned.
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After camping in the outskirts of Futaleufú for the night we were able to get the idea (or so we thought) of living and dealing with all things volcanic ash…it is everywhere and its light powdery consistency permeates anything it comes in contact with. We were absolutely crazy to even entertain a complaint regarding the ash once we finally made the 4 hour drive east to Chaitén. I don’t think any newscast or local tale could’ve prepared us for witnessing the epicenter of the devastation. The town was reminiscent of a filming location for a movie detailing the apocalypse. Our first vantage point happened to be from the cemetery on the way into town, too, so that added to the creepy value just a little bit. As you may be able to tell from the pictures the ash has completely changed the topography of Chaitén absolutely burying some areas by up to 10 meters, as was the case in and around the graveyard. Although the ash pours down as a dust-like consistency, if it does it for hours and days on end it can build upon itself to form what might be misconstrued as cement packed hard and tight. It is this 
effect that caused yet another reeling catastrophe for the town. If the initial events of May 2 weren’t bad enough the mass of volcanic ash formed a dam in the town’s river causing it to flood before carving a path to sea all while severly damaging countless homes and properties. Redirecting the river is the first major task to restoring the once bustling tourist hub. There were only two industrial construction vehicles attempting this while we were there so all that can really be said is that it is coming along extraordinarily slowly, but nevertheless surely. It’s easy to believe that most of the former residents have simply given up as the damage proves to be beyond daunting. Apparently the government has provided what they can, but without the privatized monies and aid of insurance agencies to return to people what was once theirs, most people went ahead and have started over in surrounding areas. Even livable structures are useless as basic utilities have yet to be restored.
The answer is simple when you reach places like this where the lack of your own transportation makes the journey nearly impossible. We were drawn to this area specifically by an organization called 
It could not have worked out better for us though and a visit to this area is a must…sooner, rather than later. We had to stop in Esquel in Argentina on our way. It is a reasonably sized town that had a Toyota dealership to get some work done. We stayed the night there in a Christian couple’s back yard that we randomly met while trying to find a place to camp. The next morning we were all woken up to fresh pastries and a devout Christian woman that was happy to tell us, in Spanish of course, all about the glory of the Lord. Although I am not a very religious person, it was a quite pleasant morning of reading a couple of bible verses with the requirement that all of us had to come in and wash our faces. I was the first one up that morning and spent about a half of an hour talking with her myself to find that her main concern was how the dirty six of us find places to shower while we are on the road. Our departure from their yard required a short prayer, and of course a photo with our kind hosts.
area is worth the sticky ash invading the trucks, tents and our clothes. It is a shame to think that many people will skip this destination because of the news. After spending time with the locals and seeing what has happened to them, the sooner you can get to this area and go rafting and stay in the hostels and hotels, the sooner these people can repair the damage. And the best part is that you will have the whole area that is normally full of tourists all to yourself. Just outside of Chaitén we stayed at a campground with hot springs right on the river, and of course we had all the facilities to ourselves. The hot geothermal baths were a great way to soothe our stiff joints from sleeping on the ground and sitting in the car for so long.
peaks, and even a stunning glacier that hangs thousands of feet above a lake. Over and over we all made comments back to each other about Peter Jackson mistake of doing Lord of the Rings in New Zealand instead of here. This is certainly a perfect stage for a fantasy movie about a mythical land full of magical creatures. I suppose that the logistics of producing a movie in a place only accessible by sea or miles of curvy potholed roads is probably not the most sound business decision, but for a crew of adventuring overlanders, we could not be more happy.
Well, folks, the zig-zagging of the southern cone of South America has officially begun! Saying that we have covered some serious ground since leaving Bahia Blanca, Argentina would be an understatement. Over the dizzying 1,300+ miles that we have driven in 10 days, we have toured the East coast of Argentina all the way to the West coast of Chile. The two coasts of the continent, as well as areas pocketing the international border are where most of our designated targets have been so far. 
Since the main concern of the alpha male is to protect his harem, a row can occur as often as any other male attempts to compete for a female and, considering their size they certainly know how to throw their weight around. If any of the initial warning signs go unheeded by the alpha male, the end result is all 3,500kgs standing 5 meters upright to pummel the subordinate. So, although you may be welcome to get as close as you like, it’s best to watch them from a safe 10 meters back.
hours and you’ll pretty much be guaranteed to witness one of the worlds largest mammals just a few feet away…so close that it’s not uncommon to feel their breath spray your face every so often. **On a completely semi-unrelated side note, TWBR feels compelled to make mention of the fact that we got to spend those 3 hours with starlet 
We thoroughly enjoyed the use of their weekend home about 30 minutes outside of Bahia Blanca on their 150 hectare farm. It was such a welcome change from the ridiculously loud and toxic downtown corner of Maipu and Juan D. Peron where most of our time in Buenos Aires was spent. There really is nothing like some good ol’ fashioned clichéd peace and quiet! It also didn’t hurt that they had a hammock to help take in the impeccable spring weather.
Their Parilla is right inside their Food Network style kitchen instead of out in the garden like most homes and they also have a 20 person dining table as the next major focal point of the house. Both Nicolas and Sofia invited over some friends, so including TWBR crew we totaled around 15…see if you can imagine all the beer and wine you can drink + all the different cuts of meat you can imagine and multiply that by 15…and that was just the first night.
