Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: First Day in Junin de los Andes

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

In my previous post, I was labeling each post, i.e. Day 13 and 145 Days left.  When I decided to do this, I realized that once I got to Patagonia, I would probably lose track of days-time-weeks, etc.  For the reader, this may be an issue, but for me, it's a sign that my life now revolves around fishing and the daily cycle of Patagonia living...something that feels very natural to me.  So, regarding this subject, days in, or days before leaving Patagonia,  I am no longer going to bother myself with such details.

Listening to the occasional dog bark, and the melodies of the Rio Chimehuin, we awoke at 8:30am.  I noticed immediately that the skies were clear and it was going to be a hot, dry day in Junin de los Andes.  I also noticed a decent hatch and watched wild torut began to rise.  I could probably watch such poetry all day, but like the feeding fish, it was time for me to find my morning hatch (desayuno).  After a breakfast of media lunas (croissants) and tea, Nico and I were in the Officina de Tourismo, buying my fishing license (notice the order of priority = 1) Food 2) Fish).  If you're not from Argentina, the cost to fish in Patagonia is as followed:

• Full Season = $480 Pesos or $95 USD
• One Week = $360 Pesos or $72 USD
• One Day = $120 Pesos or $24 USD
• Full Season Boca de Rio Chimehuin (the mouth of Chimehuin) = $100 Peson or $20 USD
• Per Day, Boca de Rio Chimehuin = $20 Pesos or $4 USD
• License Plastic Lamination = $5 Peson or $1 USD (highly recommend for long term)

To purchase a license, all you need is your passport, and if you arrive on a busy holiday, lots of patience, while waiting line.  Many times, to avoid lines, and for FCFF clients, we can purchase your license in advance (see welcome brochure).  Once you purchase is complete, you will be given a fishing regulation handbook.  The handbook is both in Spanish and English.  But to save you time here are the general fishing rules:

• In all rivers = catch and release trout and salmon, only.
• In all rivers and lakes = you can keep two Percas, a native fish, known to tip the scales at 15lbs or less; and pretty tasty on the BBQ.
• In lakes = 2 fish per species.
• Rio Malleo is fly fishing ONLY.
• The Boca de Chimehuin is fly fishing ONLY.

Pre-Trout Stocking, Perca was one of two native fishes in all Patagonia waters!

OK, I have a funny little thought to share with you.  Since August of 2012, I have only caught 2 fish!  Why? between buying a new apartment building, teaching/guiding, and preparing for my trip, I did not have much time to fish for myself (even with all the great fall stocking done by www.3riversstocking.blogspot.com  So, as you can imagine I was eager to get on the water ASAP; however, Nico suddenly stated that he wanted to buy a fishing license and asked me if I could teach him how to fish.  I thought about his request for a few seconds.  I realized that he helped pay for half the gas from Santiago to Junin de los Andes, so I quickly said, "yes, of course, but I think it's best to teach you how to fish using a standard rod/reel set-up."  He said, "no problem, but can you help me buy the proper equipment."  Within 15 minutes, for the grand total of $300 Pesos or $60 USD, Nico  owned his first rod/reel (6.6ft telescopic, w/12lb line) and 4 lures (cucharas = spoons).  Add another 15 minutes, and I  found myself guiding, yet another beginner fisherman, on the middle section of Rio Chimehuin. It's official folks, FCFF is now a global fishing school!  

Nico is a city boy form Athens, Greece.  Back in 2000, he graduated from college in England and found himself working for Andersen Consulting.  Now days, as the result of several economic crisis, he finds himself workng as a cook, on a small Greek Island.  My point...as easy as using a conventional rod/reel can be, I assumed I would have my work cut out for me.  But the blessing, a very good blessing, Nico showed tremendous patience. For example, when he got his lure stuck in a tree or rock, which was not often, he would stop, think, and then proceed to gently remove the lure (he had a little help from me, as well).  The lure that Nico was using was a standard 02 Mepps Spinner, with a treble hook.  I pinched the barbs down and as I did so, he ask me why would I do such a thing.  After explaining barb vs. barb-less hooks, he fully understood, but he still found it odd that humans would do such a thing (catch and eat is an unmistakable part of our human DNA).  The next question from Nico..."how long does it take catch a fish."  Within 40 minutes Nico had his first fish on and as he reeled the fish in, I said, "about 40 minutes!"  The fish was small and during the epic battle (not) the fish broke free and swam off.  Immediately, Nico showed both elation and disappointment.  It's at these moments, after only catching 2 fish in the last five months for myself, is why love to guide...I love the real/raw emotion that fishing brings out of people, I love being able to watch this in real-time.  We continued fishing for the rest of the day, putting in about 5-6 hours.  We were tired and hungry, plus it was freaking hot (+90 degrees).  So, as the locals were doing, we went swimming and then headed back to the truck for a siesta.  Once we got back to the truck, as you see in the photo below, our camping spot was over-run with locals and tourist (it's all about the shade, not the truck). 

Nico, now the Greecian Fisherman, resting in the Sombra...with half of Junin.

La Cena

Day light passed and night temps cooled down to the low 80's. The time was 10pm or in Patagonia, time for La Cena (dinner).  Compared to other places such as San Martin and Bariloche, Junin has limited eating establishments.  But what it lacks in touristic quantity, it offers real Patagonia quality!  I mention this because we at FCFF go out of way to bring our friends/family/clients real Patagonian experiences.  In other words, most of the time, we eat where the locals eat.  So, as you can see from the picture above, Nico and I dined on home made empanadas, made by a mother/daughter team.  We ordered 2.5 dozens empanadas of meat (carne), chicken (pollo) and ham-cheese-basil (jamon-queso-albahaca) and the bill came to $100,000 Pesos or $20 USD. The bonus, you can bring your own beverage.  Nico and I polished of a bottle of Malbec, called Postales- Fin Del Mundo, a decent everyday wine for $30,000 Pesos or $6 USD.  Not a bad deal for $13 USD each.  

The next day, we awoke to over-cast/clouds and on/off showers.  Nico was anxious to go fishing again and to learn more. Why?  He is riding his mountain bike to Tierra del Fuego and along the way, he wants to catch som fish for food (FYI, this journey is over 1,000 miles and will take him through the Andes and then into wind swept plains of Patagonia...it's an amazing trip and will test his mental and physical endurance, like never before).  So, off we went to fish the Collon Cura, when I decided to take a left turn and head for Rio Cantan Lil.  Why?  This is a small river, easy to walk and fish, and I have never-ever seen another fisherman there.  I would not tell you to travel 22 hours to come fish the Cantan Lil, but if you're in the neighborhood, and want to be entirely alone, and catch rainbows on a dry fly, then this river is only one hour from Junin. 

Nico's first fish, ever!.  First Patagonia Rainbow. 

I caught a fish on a dry fly and then handed the rod to Nico.  I did this so he could understand the difference between fly fishing and conventional fishing.  He got it and said he could see himself fly fishing in the future.  I am happy to teach anyone, anywhere, anytime, anyway...even conventional fishing!

Not a world record, but my first 2013 fish in Patagonia. Caught on a Yellow Humpy

Our guest for Almuerzo (lunch).

Cute little Bugger

Desert Rivers = Ants! Bottom left, you can barely see the ant highway, leading back to the mothership.  Don't forget to pack a few ant and hopper patterns.

We finished the day by having a late stream side lunch, and as you can see from the above photo, we had a guest stop by.  Overall, the fishing was excellent for Nico; however, I was really concerned how low and warm the water was (wet wading in January, in Patagonia, is not a good sign).  Typically, we don't wet wade the Catan Lil till the end of March.  We left the river, and now back in town, I ran into a friend and he said most rivers water levels and temperatures were low.  As a result, fishing has been tough in most rivers, with the exception of the upper Chimehuin.  This brings me to an important point...if you book a week at a lodge, you live and die by the local conditions (rain, wind, snow, temps, etc).  By no means am I trying to scare you off, on the contrary, I am just being realistic.  The one advantage of being a small outfitter, with a very mobile truck that can comfortable seat 3 anglers; we can travel and find cold water/good fishing conditions!  Many lodges simply do not have the resources to split groups and provide transportation to and from a variety of destination...this is one of many reasons, why lodges call their home waters,  exclusive.

Nico, suerte con su viaje hasta Tierra Del Fuego

It's now Sunday, January 20, 2013.  I helped Nico prepare his bags and he was off on his two month,  +1,000 mile adventure.  Being a former cyclist/tri-athlete, a part of me was very jealous.  I love traveling by bike; for me it's more real and keeps me close to nature, but at age 44, my days on the bike are long gone. Another part of me, the part that knows fully where he is heading, thinks he is crazy.  When and if he get's through the mountains, he'll be faced with gail force winds, 24/7.  The winds in southern Patagonia could easily blow a biker off the road...I have seen it happen (oh, the roads are 99% dirt, and bumpy).  But in the spirit of good will, William Wallace once said, "every man dies, but not every man truly lives."  Good luck friend!

It' also the AFC Championship game day, between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.  I am currently sitting in a Confiterria- Resto Bar.  Guess what is on TV?  Yup, Futbol/Soccer...I doubt they will put the game one, but ya never know.  I'll have to come back because the game starts at 6:30pm, or 8:30pm my time, in Patagonia.

Well, for those of you who are following my daily adventures, I am all caught up.

Hasta los Campiones de Futbol Americano = New England Patriots!

PS. I am not a professional photographer, but many people ask me about the camera I use.  Within the first 2 weeks the LCD screen died, but Pentax fixed it, without charge, and since then (2 years ago), I have had no problems.   There are lots of water-proof camera, but for the time being, the Pentax W90 is my go to, on the river camera.
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/pentax-optio-w90-black/4505-6501_7-33980429.html

Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Finally, I am in Argentina

Day 14: 137 days left.
Day 15: 136 days left

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

It seems like a year ago since my last entry. A lot has happened and as usual, life has a funny of way of happening in South America.  Here is what has happened in the last 2-3 days.

Just before I left Santiago, I had my last and final encounter with Alex.  All I can say is that I don't remember how it happened, but I picked him up and slammed him to the floor.  If you recall, he borrowed $40 USD from me and promised to pay me back.  He was supposed to pay me back on Monday and he failed to do so.  As a result, I decided to keep his prized chef knife, that he left in my truck.  It's a large carving knife from Ikea, so I figured it was of equal value.  He did not like this one bit and demanded that I give him back his cherished knife, immediately.  My reply, when you pay me my money, you'll get your knife; otherwise we are done.  The next day, Tuesday, just before my departure, he approached me and offered to give me two silver coins...the kind that is minted in the USA and sold late night on the Home Shopping Network.  Despite his claims, telling me that both coins were worth hundreds of dollars, I said NO THANKS...WE ARE DONE!  Again, he didn't not like this and said something that obviously set me off.  He soon was airborne, on the ground, and as I stood above him like an MMA fighter, with my hands grasped just below his neck, I picked him up again and slammed him to the floor.  This technique; brute force vs. his verbal bullshit (he said he did not have the $$$), seemed to work because he then came to his senses, paid me my money, and it was over.  Now, days later, on the same day my UFC-Santiago match with Alex was held, I have been told he was kicked out of the hostel for not paying for 3-4 nights.  Further, we have learned that he was kicked out of another hostel for not paying.  So, for any of you who may think I am a vicious beast, sometimes people need to understand that there are rules, values and morals in life and some people do not like to be F'd with..  Enough said, time to leave Santiago.

Joining me on my trip to Argentina was Nico, from Greece.  He plans to ride his bike all the way to Tierra del Fuego! (you can see his mnt. bike strapped to the roof rack).  We knew the border crossing would be a long wait.  Why?  There is summer road construction going on and traffic is one-way in the A.M. and one-way in the P.M.  What this means, we arrived four hours early and waited till the police allowed us to pass into Argentina. The total time of waiting, going through customs and then finally arriving in Argentina, took eight hours!  That's a big downer for anyone, anywhere.  But, the best thing about this process was the crossing over a 10,000 foot, Andean Mountain pass.

We arrived 4 hours early to ensure that we would cross into Argentina.  Watched Condors fly above us!

Despite being allowed to move forward, we had several stops, before making the 10,000ft cross.

For some reason, Nico loves my license plate.  His mountain bike, easily fits atop the handmade, marine wood, Mark Seymour roof rack.

So, once we started moving, I decided to put the pedal to the metal, and ended up blowing by dozens of cars, struggling to get over the pass (love the 7.3 Diesel Power-Stroke).  Atop the pass is a lake and ski resort, called Lago Portillo (Google for Pics, it's pretty amazing); and a thought...who puts a ski resort atop a 10,000ft mountain pass?  Must be pretty cold and difficult to drive up and down the road, during the winter.  The final leg of the border crossing entailed the need/requirement for me to buy seguro (auto insurance).  This is how it works:

If you import your 'used-private' car to Chile or Argentina, and if you and your vehicle are traveling under a 90 day tourist visa, you are not 'technically' required to buy auto insurance (at least that is what I have been told, thus far); and, you avoid importation tax (this why I shipped my own vehicle...again, to avoid the tax).  Why? Auto insurance sold via an intra-Chilean or Argentina company, is not available for foreigners; in this case, a person like me who imports a used vehicle for their own personal use.  However, I have been recently informed that you can buy auto insurance via an international agency that offers insurance via the MercoSur  agreement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercosur)  The company to contact for such insurance is http://www.allianz.com.ar  I will be contacting them soon to explore long term auto insurance options.  Why?  In the below photo, I am buying auto insurance, which by law, allows me to cross the border; and the insurance is good for 30 days only. An idea for future travelers...one way around the need to buy long term insurance is too simply keep crossing borders and buying 30 days seguro (seguro = auto insurance).  I can't imagine the insurance being worth much because it only cost $18,000 Cl Pesos, or $40 USD.  The last step in this process was receiving a document that states that I can keep my truck in Argentina for up to eight months.  This piece of the puzzle was new information for me, and I was quite happy.  So, if you do the math, I have a standard 90 day tourist visa and an 8 month permit to keep my truck in Argentina (if I don't take my truck out of Argentina, before the eight permit expires, I will have to pay the importation tax and local tariffs).  What does this mean?  It means that in 90 days or less,  because I physically need to leave Argentina, I will have to travel to Chile for one day, return to Argentina that same day or at least spend one day in Chile, and  upon my return to Argentina, I will receive another 90 days travel visa.  In this process, I am hopeful that my truck will receive another eight months permit.  The other way to drive your own personal vehicles in Chile or Argentina, and have the ability to obtain a local title, registration, plates and insurance, and most importantly avoid the need to make border crossing every 90 days...

1. Buy a 'new' vehicle in the USA, with less than 500 Kilometers on it.  Any vehicle with more than 500 kilometers, will be considered used.  
2. Ship it to your desire destination, either Ro-Ro service or Container (container is the safest because it is locked)
3. Pay the importation tax:  in Chile it is 19% of the value and in Argentina, is 21.5%, plus local tariffs, adding up to 50%.  If you really want to know more info, you can Google or visit  http://trade.gov/static/autos_report_tradebarriers2011.pdf
4. Note: you do not have to hire a lawyer to complete this process.  If you are resourceful and speak, at the very least a little spanish, it can be done.  Allow 2 weeks for legal documents to process.

The other way:

1. Buy a new or used vehicle in the country.  From my experience, buy in Chile.  Why? It's more expensive than the USA, but much less than Argentina; and the bureaucracy in Argentina will fry your mind and wallet!
2. By buying a new or used vehicle in the country, you will be entitled to a legal title, registration, plates, auto-insurance, etc.  
3. Note: you do not have to hire a lawyer to complete this process.  If you are resourceful and speak, at the very least a little spanish, it can be done.  Allow 2 weeks for legal documents to process.

The bottom line, there are essentially three options on how to go about driving your vehicle in Chile and Argentina; and perhaps other countries, around the globe.  Much of what I have written here comes from the combination of personal experience and visiting many ExPat websites (the amount of info on Google is truly amazing).

Never thought I would buy auto insurance at 10,000 feet.

Last photo in Chile...dam that beard is ugly!

Moving along...we drove for a few miles and ended up sleeping in a ski resort parking lot, at about 9,000 ft.   It was not the ideal spot, as trucks drove by all night.  But, with earplugs, I slept from 1am till about 7am.  We were on the road at 7am and I drove for 12 hours, till just outside of Neuquen, Argentina. Leaving the Andes, looking back, and with a clear morning, I could see the 22,841 ft, Mt. Aconcagua (I never get tired of seeing this mountain).  As we approached Neuquen, Nico was asking me questions about my truck.  The discussion centered upon pre-trip preparations, or in other words, fixing everything that needed to be fixed.  I kid you not, about 5 minutes after we finished the discussion, my left front tire began making an awful noise.  The noise sounded like a rock was stuck in the brake calipers, thus making a grinding noise upon each revolution of the tire. We pulled over and did a quick look see, but nothing could be found wrong...please no more problems! We drove for another 10 miles, and some how, with luck, happened upon a diesel truck mechanic (as it turns out, he is the best in the area...Tengo Suerte!).  The mechanic, Alfredo, took the truck for a spin and came back to the shop within a few minutes.  He lifted the truck, and with his hands only, he could tilt the tire...not a good sign.  He then grabbed the brake rotor, and once again, only with his hands, he could easily tilt the entire rotor...a worse sign. He then poked around the back of the brake drum and immediately showed me a gooey substance and miniature metal shavings.  At this point, prior to sending my truck to Chile, I remembered telling my USA mechanic to check the truck from bumper to bumper, and then do it again...making sure there would be nothing wrong when I arrive in Chile (beter luck next time, I guess).  Alfredo said he could fix the problem, but it would have to be fix the next morning (it was 8pm, closing time).  So, Nico and I stayed a the closest hotel, treated ourselves to a swim, hot shower and complimentary full breakfast, the next morning.  I will spare you the details, but the next day, after spending $605 USD for the new brake drum, and $300 USD for labor, I was back on the road, heading to Juin de los Andes (remind me to thank my mechanic when I get home; or this could have been due to the trucks age, 10 years old with less than 75K miles).  Six hours later, we arrived in Junin de los Andes at 10pm, and parked/camped next to the middle section of the Rio Chimehuin.

Before Shot: Alfredo Jr. looks just like the main character in the movie "Office Space."

New vs. Old.  FYI, Ford is a global company = cars/truck engines are different, but the parts are all the same.

99% complete

Rio Alumine...40 minutes from Junin de los Andes.

As we drove the last hour, following Rio Collon Cura and before entering Junin de los Andes, we could see European Reg Stag, wild boar, flamingos, and various ducks/geese along the road...it felt good to be back!

Hasta Luego Amigos.

PS. There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; There is rapture on the lonely shore; There is society, where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but nature more. -Lord Byron

In plain language...can't wait to go fishing and can't wait to listen to the river...both are my religion and always will be. 

Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Day 12/13 Chile

Day 12: 139 days left.
Day 13: 138 days left

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

On Sunday, I decided to take a short trip north, about 2.5 hours, to a place called Horcon, Chile.  Why?  I was told this place had nice beaches and was not a major tourist trap, like Vina del Mar or Valparasio.  I invited several people from the hostel and we were off.  The other reasons why I wanted to do this trip, to test my truck (new tire, and brake line, etc) before passing over the 10,000ft Andes, into Argentina.  I figured 2 more days could not kill me and what more could go wrong?

During the previous night, we agreed to leave the hostel at 9am.   I also informed everyone that I would require them to help pay for the gas.  Everyone agreed.  The following day, as usual, I was up early and ready to go by 8:30am.  Roger and Renata were on time and Nico, was trying to keep Alex on schedule.  I was packing the truck, and while doing so, I noticed a hostel employee cleaning the sidewalk and street.  Being a fisherman, I really hate seeing people doing this (see photo below).  Obviously, this is a global human habit (tough times for broom salesman).

An interesting fact that may make people appreciate how precious water is.  Water is the only element on earth that change form from a solid (ice), to a liquid (water), to a gas (air) and back to liquid and solid; and maintain 100% of its molecular form.  In other words, take another element and change it in some way, shape, or form, and that it's; it will never be the same.  Not to mention, that without water, we would not exist.

Seems that we Americans are not the only ones who clean the streets with water...what a waste of H2O.

True to his habit, Alex the Hungarian, was 30 minutes late.  With Alex, coffee and cigarettes come first and keeping three people waiting, is of no concern to him.  Looking back, I should have left without him.  To spare you most of the drama/details, Alex had no money to help pay for gas, yet he said he would pay me back on Monday (FYI, he failed to do so).  On top of this, I paid for his hostel room the night before (evidently his ATM card was not working).  In all, I gave this kids $40 USD, which may not seem like a whole bunch, but when someone gives me their word, I assume they mean what they say, whether based on $1.00 or $1,000 (when will I ever learn!)

We arrived at Horcon, without any travel issues...Robert from Brasi,l had a Samsung smartphone with GPS.  We discovered  a tiny fisherman's village, now a summer vacation town.  Upon arriving, and after not eating since the previous night, I asked Alex to go to the store to buy me food and water (while I watch the truck).  I gave him about $20 USD and when he took my money, he asked me if he could buy cigarettes with the money. I failed to mention that as he entered the truck 3 hours before, he asked if we could stop to buy cigarettes and smoke inside the truck.  To both of his questions, the answer was NO!  By the second time I said NO to his questions, he got upset at my reply and immediately started to challenge me.  At this moment,  I should have take back the money and gone to get the food myself.  But, watching my truck took first priority, over my hunger.  I really could not believe that after 44 years of my life, and after all that has happened to me/my truck in the past week, that I was now in the this situation, with an obvious nut-ball of a kid (maybe I should have given the opportunity to self-medicate with cigarrettes).   I was not going to kick him to the curb, but I decided right then to no longer give him anything, not even an inch (time to move on).

Robert's smartphone service ended as soon as we hit the edge of town.  So, finding the camp ground that we had seen on the internet became a challenge.  In the end, after driving around this little fishing village several times, on jammed packed streets, we ended up finding a free camping area.  The camping area was just outside of town and the below picture is the very first view as we approached the edge between land and ocean.

El Mar, Pacifico

1/2 fishing village, 1/2 summer vacation destination

Our camping spot was just above the cliff, behing the tree's.  Low tide allowed both man/boy and animals to search  things in the tidal pools.

Estrella del Mar = Starfish

Nutrea = Sea Otter Eating Lunch.

Unfortunately, both in the camping area and on the beach there was lots of trash.  A distinct contrast between natural beauty and man's ugliness.

The second picture above shows how Robert, Renata, and I made our way down to the beach.  The sun was very hot, so we made our way to a shaded spot, which you can see in the third photo.  Based on the long stares, I  don't think the locals see many Americans here...tall, bald headed, bearded Americans, to boot. Anyway, I was soon swimming south of the equator, in the Pacific Ocean (It's been more than a decade). Chilean waters are known to be cold, but the water was comfortable, and considering how intense the sun was, it was extremely refreshing.  You can also notice, like the little boy in the third picture, I was exploring the tidal pools.  The tidal pools were loaded with a rainbow of colorful things...crabs, anemones and a few starfish.   Then a lady started yelling at me and pointing towards one of the rocks.  Amongst people, houses, condo's, and trash, I could not believe that I was now staring at a sea otter.  I watched him chomp down his lunch in a matter of minutes, much like the otters back on the Cocheco River, in Dover, New Hampshire.

As the sun started to set, the shade became a little cold, so we headed back to set up camp.   We soon found that one of the beach dogs, and there were many on the beach, followed us back.  She stayed the entire night with us and was a good camp dog.  In return for her protection, we gave her a few treats, but rather than eating them, she selectively dug holes and buried the food with her nose.  Truth be told, I don't think I have every seen this...our dogs in America are a bit spoiled to be doing such things.

My travel partners had little camping experience and my new friends from Brasil did not have a tent or sleeping bags.  So, I gave them the back of my truck and my two sleeping bags.  Where did I sleep?  I slept inside my tent and I slept in my insulated fishing clothes (wool & fleece).  Dinner was served at sundown; a fusion of one left over empanada from lunch, watermelon, salted almonds, wine and cookies...hardly a meal for five people and a dog.  But, we managed and any hunger that persisted, faded away as the warm flames of the fire filled our tummies.

From L to R: Renata, Alex, Nico, Roger and beach dog.

Despite being close to the ocean, our tinder was extremely dry

Day 13, Monday, was a travel day back to Santiago.  Once again, Alex was not functional without his coffee and cigarettes, and his only 25 years old.  Specifically, it took him almost an hour to pack his bag and tent!  We watched and I believe we all wanted to leave him.  Back in Santiago, I traveled to the Mall, with the hopes of buying Seguro (auto insurance needed to cross the border, into Argentina).  All Chileans or Argentines, and even myself, despite having personal auto insurance must buy another type of seguro, specifically for crossing the border.  Long story short, I went to several companies and they said it is impossible for a foreigner to buy seguro, in Santiago.  Instead, I have to travel to the border and buy it there ( I hope...getting good info can be challenging).  The below photo is of a very large mall in Santiago.  One of the insurance companies was located inside.  The mall had five floors and it was jammed packed with American retail businesses: Adidas,  Nike, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and lots more (see caption below photo)

Warning: South America is a very dangerous place!

The remaining day was spent washing my truck and doing a few errands.  Since this was too be my last night in Santiago, I wanted to treat myself to a nice meal.  Oh boy, what a meal!  I had a bowl of small lamb chops, a glass a wine and a salad of carrots, avacado and tomatos.  The lamb was incredible...some of the best I have ever had.

Off to Argentina.

Ciao Amigos

Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Day 11 in Chile

Day 11: 140 days left.

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

Next to Live Free or Die, I would like to add: Good Luck Mo-Fo

Imagine that you bought a super fish mobile and shipped to South America.  Now imagine that your license plates were stolen, one tire is destroyed and your brake line ruptured...how's that for a start!  Now think about how would you never want your license plates to to be stolen again.  What ideas would you come up with?

As you can see from the photo above, I have created a new security system for my LFD license plate.  I went to the Home Center (the Chilean equivalent of Home Depot) and browsed the isle's with locks, cable and chains. I saw the above product and immediately came up with this idea.  I think the next step, to completely ensure that my plate will never be stolen again, is to have a welder pin down the corners, if possible.  I give full credit for this idea to Jamie Millar, a fellow NH fishing buddy who has been following my blog.  The other plate will sit on top of the dashboard, inside the truck, and too never leave the truck.  

The rest of my day?  

I spent the rest of the day putzing around my truck...cleaning,  loading up the truck with my fishing/camp gear and clothes.  What I learned, I have tons of room for gear/equipment and then some.  I also had to tighten the bolts on the rear roof rack.  

Mi Casa, Su Casa

Already for luggage, kayaks and more

All clean and ready to go

Tomorrow is Sunday (Sabado) and as much as I want to get to the rivers in Argentina, I have decided to drive to the Pacific ocean.  Why?  The coastline in/around Santiago is beautiful; actually stunning. In past trips, I have seen a little bit of the coastline, but almost 90% of what I have seen has been a good 20 hours south (Patagonia).  I will be taking Roger and Renata from Brazil, and Alex from Hungary. We plan to stay at least one night and come back the next day.  I can't wait to go for a swim in the Pacific ocean and then break out my travel hammock  http://www.treklightgear.com/  and take a nice long snooze under the palm trees.  

That's it for now folks.  

Hasta  Luego Amigos.

PS. Thule Aero Bars is holding the roof rack system together.  They are light and strong, clip on and off easily, and lock.  The wooden rack on the back is custom designed and hand made of marine plywood and walnut. The purpose of the oval holes are to tie down equipment. The front, black colored cargo rack is made by Surco www.surcoinc.com  It is light, but I have to test it, so at this point, I can't say if it's a good product, or not.

  

  

Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentina: Day 10 - Chile

Day 10: 141 days left.

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

Roberto was supposed to be at my hostel at 9am, sharp.  Thirty minutes late, which seems to be the standard here in Santiago, Roberto and I were on our way to San Antonio.  The drive is about 1.5 hours and takes you through a vertile valley of farms and vineyards.  Along the way, people were selling fruits and veggies...yes, on the side of the highway!  I noticed a sign that read, Brevas.  This is a new word for me and it means figs.  So, some of the farms that I was seeing, were fig tree's, and there were a lot of them.  Other than a good conversation with Roberto, the remaining part of the tip was scenic, but uneventful.

To the day, we arrived at the customs office, a week later.  I received my papers and we were out the door.  By now, my radar was on and before leaving, I doubled check the documents.  As it turned out the documents had the old New Hampshire license plate numbers on them.  This would have been a major problem, crossing the border.  Not to throw Roberto under the bus, he's a nice guy, but a bit forgetful (I told him 2 hours before that we need to change the plate number on the documents).  Add another ten minutes, waiting for the new documents, and we were out the door and at my truck.  She started immediately, but we still had the semi-flat tire and the brake issue.

Ruptured Brake Line...better at sea level than 10,000ft in the Andes!

Tire = Neumatico.  My truck is a little bigger than the truck behing mine.

Balancing my tire...just like the USA, except 1/2 the cost.

The tire had just enough air in it to drive a short distance (no problem, there a gazzillion tire shops, just a short walk from the port...San Antonio is a major shipping port for new cars/trucks).  Oh, before I forget the tire had a nail/screw in it.  Now about them brakes?  In the past 6 days, I spent a lot of time researching brakes, and how to fix them.  I used Google and Youtube, and was amazed with the amount of info; very helpful info.  I also used Yahoo Answers, and received a fair amount of replies that confirmed what I read on Goolge and watched on Youtube.  I also reached out to friends back home and got much of the same info.  In the end this is what I did:

• At the port authority, I put two cans of DOT 3 brake fluid in the reservoir.
• I pumped the brakes pedal several times.  The purpose of doing this = if there is a leak in the brake line, you'll see fluid.
• I first looked in the area where the tire was semi-flat and hit pay dirt.  Holy shit...there was fluid every where!
• I then drove to the tire shop and had my tire mounted and balanced for a whopping $15 USD
• I then drove to the brake specialist, which was a two miles away.  Have you ever driven a car without brakes?  The process is a delicate balance between shifting the transmission into drive and neutral, while keeping your foot on the emergency brake (easier with a clutch).  The last challenge to this process is that other cars are darting in front of you, quickly stopping (a bit nerve racking). 
• I successfully reached the brake specialist, but it was closed for lunch, till 3pm (shit, am I stuck in San Antonio for the weekend, was my immediate thought).  Speaking of, it was 2pm, so Roberto and I decided to grab some almuerzo (lunch).  We ate at a local restaurant, and we dined on roasted chicken and french fries, all while watching a 007 James Bond flick.   
• After lunch, we went back to the brake specialist, only to be told that he was too busy, and maybe he could do it on Saturday.  Fortunately, we asked if he knew of another specialist and he said yes, just a around the corner.

San Antonio Brake Specialist Shop

Within seconds, the mechanic was diagnosing the problem...notice all the expensive equipment and auto bay complete with hydraulic lift

Diagnosis = Broeken, rusted, 10 year old steel brake line. Also, you are viewing the customer waiting area.

Back to the 1st brake specialist to buy the material needed to make a new brake line.  Notice the scientific process of determining the length of the line.  Total cost $15 USD

A litte team work, cutting the copper tubing. Roberto is on the left.

White brake reservoir, seen in far right hand corner. Once the new line is installed, fill up the reservoir, pump the pedal, bleed each line = new brakes. 

If you were paying attention above,  you noticed that I mentioned that the new brake line needed to be made. Specifically, the mechanic made the new line with his hands (hecho con manos).  Perhaps, this is an easy process, but I was pretty impressed, and at the same time, a bit worried with the ability of human to build a new brake line with their hands.  Evidently, making brake lines with only your hands, in South America, is like you and me buying milk at the store (it's common).  Throughout the process of fixing the brake line, what caught my attention the most was that the mechanic did not wear gloves and eye protection.  You see, DOT 3 brake fluid is highly corrosive.  As I watch this young kid work, I could see brake fluid spilling all over his hands and on occasion, falling into his eyes.  The brake fluid on his hands did not bother him a bit.  Perhaps the thick layer of oil and grease provides a protective barrier.  But, when the break fluid got into his eyes, he paused for a few seconds, shook it off, and got back to work.  Now to close this story, here is what amazes me the most; the bill cam to $20 USD ONLY.   My thoughts?  I did not force him to do anything that he would not do for his fellow countrymen.  But, this kids bathed in brake fluid for $20 USD...just crazy.  Think about this entire proces and now think about how USA mechanics charge about $80.00 per hour.  I can't imagine how much this would have cost in the USA....$150.00?

Next on the agenda?  Head back to Santiago!  But, true to the ways of South America, I was soon in another unexpected experience.  Roberto asked me if I wanted to get my truck washed...it was a bit filthy from the three weeks voyage at sea.  At this point, I mentally said to myself,  sure...why not.

We drove one block down the street to the local car wash.  Upon meeting the owner, he told me to pull my truck into bay #1 (as seen in the photo below).  Within seconds, he had a team of young kids washing my truck, both outside and inside.

Boy's...don't forget the white walls.

I love this photo...real life experience with real people!  

As I watched these guys wash my truck, I counted seven people, including me and Roberto. This triggered my brain to think and I  soon came up with an idea.  You see I had two roof racks in the back of the truck that need to be attached.  I had plan to drive the truck back to Santiago and recrute a few fellow travelers at the hostel, to help me attach the roof racks.  But, then I remembered the type of people staying at the hostel.  Not that they're bad people, but I quickly realized they are not the physical, get your hands dirty type.  So, plan B went into immediate effect: hire the wash crew to help me put the roof racks on the truck.  Twenty minutes later, as you can see from the picture above, the roof racks were attached, without scratching the paint.  On the contrary, Mark Seymour (all 6'5" ft) and I did this in the USA...it took longer and we scratched the paint.

Before I end the wash and roof rack story, if you notice the boy standing on the bumper, I have a brief note, worth mentioning.  During washing the car, he approached me and asked me if I was from the USA and if I spoke English.  Naturally, I  answered yes to both questions. He then spoke a few words in English.  I was impressed and thought it was very cool that he wanted to speak to me in English.  Unfortunately, we spoke but two sentiences in English and that was the end.  He then asked me for a propina (a tip).  I told him in Spanish that you must finish the work first before asking for a tip (kids...it's a global issue...everyone wants $$$ first, and work last).  I then told him that I would give him a propina grande (big tip) if he could ask the same question in English.  He said he could not, so I said, back to work and we'll talk about it when we finish.   When we finished, I paid the owner $5 Cl Pesos or $10 USD, and I gave the boys a $20 USD tip for doing a great job. That may seem like a small tip,  but they were all very happy.

Finally, I am off and driving back to Santiago, when it hit me...I am driving my truck in a foreign country, other than Canada!  What a strange feeling.  Not a bad feeling, but a good one, definitely a good one!   I approached my first toll booth, paid the fee and passed through successfully.  I soon found myself in Santiago and lost.  I guess I missed a turn or two.  My truck computer said I was driving south.  I knew I had to drive north-east (to the east is the mountains, and a good reference for my hostel location).  So,  I was on a heavily congested one way street.  It took me about 20 minutes of driving to get into the right lane, so I could turn around and head in the other direction (I could not turn left because it was prohibited, due to the bus lines in the middle of the road). So, I turned around, a few lefts and rights later, I was at my hostel.

More interesting tid-bits:  while driving my truck in San Antonia and Santiago, I got many, many looks.  Why? My truck, a F350 Diesel, may be the only truck of its kind in Chile.  The bottom line, even in the USA, this truck sticks out...it's all white and feak'n huge!  Back to our story in Chile;  on occasion, while stuck in traffic and few men ask me if I would like to trade cars.  I kindly declined and said thanks for the gesture.   It's nice to have a truck that people admire; hopefully my clients will appreciate the time and effort it took to get it here.  And for friends/family who said they may come visit, what are you waiting for...your bus awaits you.

I will be heading to Mendoza, Argentina soon.  The border pass is 10,000 ft, high in the Andes.  I also hear that there is summer road construction,  which now only allows people to pass into Argentina from 8pm till 7am (night crossing).  Good to have new brakes!

Hasta Argentina (yo espero).  Until Argentina, I hope!

Fly Fishing Patagonia Argentian: Day 09 Chile

Day 09: 142 days left.

Before I start, I would like to mention that you may experience a few format and grammatical errors.  I am doing my best to put my best English forward, but I simply do not have the time to thoroughly edit/review everything I type...it would take too much time.  In advance, thanks for understanding.

How long can you wait?  In total,  have been waiting for 6 days for my New Hampshire license plates to arrive in Santiago, Chile.  Late Tuesday, day 04 of waiting, I could start to feel that I was getting bored and anxious. Day 05 has arrived, the final day of delivery.  I have been told the FedEx package won't be delivered until 6pm.  This seems late, but I have no choice but to be patient, or at least continue to try. It's now 6:15pm, on Wednesday, the final day of delivery, and no package.  I check the status via the FedEx tracking number system.  The information tells me that the package is in Santiago at the sorting facility.  I am disappointed, but people tell me that there is a strong chance that the package will be delivered early morning,  the next day.  Immediately, this worries me because early could mean 9am, or who truly knows what time.  The next morning, day 06, I awake, have breakfast and notice that the package has been released and is in transit...yeah!  I waited till 2:00pm, checking the tracking number on the hour.  Shortly after 2:00pm, the FedEx web page now stated that I had to pick up the package in person.  At this moment, any amount of patience evacuated my body!  I was pissed off and quickly found myself on the Metro, another bus ride and two hours later, at the FedEx Office.

Taking the Santiago Metro-Line was once again, a piece of cake.  However, finding the J-10 green line bus to the airport, turned out to be more challenging than I thought.  Actually, it would have been a lot easy and faster, if I had gotten on the correct bus.  Though I was on the J-10 bus, after about 10 minutes, I began to feel something was wrong.  I asked the bus driver and he said I was going in the other direction...fudge!. So,  he explained to me that my best option was to stay on the bus and complete the entire route.  The benefit of this, I got a great tour of 'old Santiago,' the original city center.  The downside of the miss-adventure, my watch read 4pm, and I was concerned that my mistake might prevent me from arriving at FedEx, before they closed.  Did I mention it was hot.  I think I was on the bus for an hour, and by the time I stepped off, I was cooked and well done.  I said thanks to bus driver, a man who was very kind and spoke very good slow Spanish.  As I was turning/walking into the FedEx parking lot, a car out of know where, beeped and I heard, " hey Mark."  As I turned, I saw a white Toyota 4Runner that had a striking resemblance to my lawyers. After a brief moment of confusion, I realized it was my lawyer.  I immediately thought, "WTF is this guy doing here?"  I got into his car and he handed me the FedEx package.  My jaw dropped and I sat there wonder just what the hell happened. Don't get me wrong, either way, I was glad to see this package, but I truly did not understand the events preceding this moment.

Eduardo explained to me why the package was not delivered to his office in the early A.M.  He cancelled the delivery because he felt it would faster if he picked it up, in person (by doing this, he thought we might be able to go to my truck that day).  As he made this decision, several hours before,  I also made the decision to pick up the package.  The disconnect; he did not tell me fast enough.  In other words, at the same time he cancelled the delivery, I was on the FedEx website reading the information that the delivery had been cancelled (the Internet is very fast in Chile...thanks Al Gore).  Before he could get to my hostel to inform me that 'we' had to go pick up the package, I was already out the door.  FYI, when I am pissed and angry, I don't waste time and I get shit done!  What truly blows me away is the following:  The package was sent in Eduardo's name.  It should have been sent in my name, but to the attention of Eduardo and his physical address. What does this mean?  If had gone inside the FedEx office and requested a package for Mark Foley, they would not know what to do. Furthermore, even with the tracking number in hand, and given the package was in Eduardo's name, there was no way in hell that FedEx would release the package to me.  So, in the end things worked out, albeit a bit mentally uncomfortable and serendipitously.

As we drove back to my hostel, Eduardo and I talked about the next phase of project LFD (Live Free or Die). He explained to me that he could not take me to my truck the following day, Friday.  Still being in a state of mind of disbelief and uneasiness, I thought..."oh no, I'll have to wait till Monday...another 3 days of waiting."  His reasoning for not being to help me to my truck, his wife was having a minor surgical procedure.  As much as I wanted to say "ya but I paid you $2,000 USD to make sure I would not have any problems," I could not come to say a word.  I sat there thinking of my options to get to San Antonio on my own, then Eduardo began to explain that Roberto, the shipping agent, was in Santiago and could take me.  Wow, all I can say..."what a emotional roller-coaster of a ride."

Old Santiago is not quite what one would expect.

Arguably some of the best looking plates in the USA...World?

Great meal in a great backyard filled with plum and peach trees, and grape vines.

At the end of the day, I was tired and hungry, yet I was happy to receive my plates, so I wanted to celebrate with a nice meal.  A quick walk to the super-mercado (super market) and I was in prepared to cook my meal, and drink my wine.  The fish on the plate is Chilean, farm raised Chinook/King Salmon.  This may blow you away, the Chinook fillets only cost me $4.50 USD.  The bottle of wine cost me $4.00 USD!  Any-hoo, I polished off the entire meal and called it a day.  Six days later, LFD  project was complete, and I was ready to get my truck in San Antonio.

Hasta La Viernes, Dia Diaz (see u on Friday, day 10)