In an effort to learn and understand
mist consumption in cloud forest plants such as bromeliads and
orchids, the significant impact of frequent mist on highland
dessert plants such as cacti, as well as the preferred conditions
and environment of terrestrial orchids, I travel to Chile
and
Argentina. The aim is to gain an understanding of the mechanisms in
micron hydration as well as some data related to this very little
studied subject. However, this present diary does not deal with this
subject; it merely describes the adventures I encored along with the
studies, which took me from the edge of Andean glaziers through bone
dry deserts to high fog-forests and lowland
tropical rainforests. The scientific work will be published
elsewhere, and
used in my daily work. Some facts about Chile. (Jump to the diary) This South American country covers 756,950 square kilometres and stretches for 4630 kilometres between the Pacific Ocean and the mighty Andes mountains. It offers all from sterile, bone dry highland deserts over glaziers through alpine tundra, temperate fog forests and tropical rain forests to rich farmland and active volcanoes. Although it have an average wide of 175 kilometres, many parts are hard to reach. The most southern part is reach either by weekly ferry or passing the Andes into Argentina and back again. The Mapuche rule was interrupted by the arrival of the Spanish in 1616, and they dominated the land until the independence from Spain on 12 February 1818. The 16,500,000 citizens are mainly Catholic. I hope I get through Christmas without too many problems! Due to the waste aria covered, and the extreme climates, there are a waste variety of mammals (152), birds (479 species) and plants (5282 species). Many are shared with Argentina and the northern neighbours, but half of the plants are endemic. The more interesting mammals might be the Andean hairy armadillos, chinchillas, common vampire bats, cougars, the lama-like vicuña/guanacos and a lot of whales. The birds include rheas; an ostrich like, flightless bird, penguins, condors, tropicbirds, hummingbirds and many more. The plant kingdom are well represented, although not relatively that numerous as animals, but not surprisingly; endemism is higher than among animals. As the map on the right shows, the northern part is dominated by dessert. The middle part is farmland and grassing although some parts are rather hot. The southern part is in general forest. I hope to be able to see quite some of
both animal and plant species while I make my main studies. The
master plan is to
start Santiago in central Chile, drive south as fare the road goes,
head into Argentina and go a bit further south. Turn around, heading
north in western Argentina, all the way to the Bolivian border.
The local money: Peso, might be a challenge: CH$ 1000 = DKK 12,5 = € 1,7 Hoover the photos to see the text, click to enlarge. 12/12 '12. While
the frost, snow, darkness, misery and An afternoon flight with Iberia to Madrid,
and only one flight out of 40+ is delayed - guess which! Five hours of impatience
turns into eight hours of desperation and the midnight flight directly to
Santiago
is a morning flight. That means I can't do the first track of the
tour this afternoon, and I'm one day delayed.
13/12. Arrivals at two in the afternoon, clear blue sky, 33C - I'm in the right place! Pick-up my car and despite it have only done 10.000 Km, I find some critical errors. An hour later, I'm on the road in a slightly older but bigger and better car. Get the six turn-offs right out to Ruta 5, but I sure could use a GPS! Well, I go south: Sun in my back - or actually: Right above my head. The compass can show whatever I like it to, inside the car. I can feel the 30 hours on the road, but it is only around five hours drive to my first site, and I am running late. Somehow,
I drive through a vide valley with lots
of fruits, vine
It is a great drive, but when I meet a
toll-box, problems starts. They do not accept Visa, but I eventually
get a free ride. I keep looking for a ATM possibility, but haven't
found one yet, when I meet the next toll-box. They can use Visa at
the central office. At one of the many gas-stations, they finally
have an ATM which accept Visa. I get what I can from two
cards, and with 300,000 pesetas in my pocket, I feel ready. I make the turn in the right city, but
have to ask for directions once. In a larger village, I find all the
supplies I remember I needed. I make a single stop for a giant
beetle; six centimetres and tentacles on top of that. The road turns into rough gravel, and
on that 25 kilometre stretch, I pick-up three girls, whom have been
swimming in Rio Bianca. I drop them at a hostel, and continues to
Reserva Nacional Altosde Lircay, which should have a campsite. I reaches it at half pass eight, only to
find the gates closed: Boomer! I have passed many signs to campsites
and cabanas on the road, but they turn out to all be closed. It
seems like everyone who have a private,
After an awesome, red evening sky, it turns dark a bit passed nine, and I decides to camp at the gates. One of the last, scattered houses, is a tiny restaurant. I buy a dish of bread, cheese, tomatoes and avocados, and they offers me a madras in their living room. Lovely people! I've been driving up-hill quite some, and the temperature have dropped significantly. I try to organise my gear from flight to daily use, and I try to write diary, but I'm just too tied! Crashes around eleven. 14/12. Wake up at six ,to loads of birdsong. Not a single dog have been barking during the night - I think. It is really chilled, and I sure hope the offered shower include hot water! I get my gear roughly sorted. I noticed the park opens at 8;30, and I got plenty of time - for now. It is around 10C and the shower turns out to be around 5C. Showers are so over-rated! I get a good
breakfast, and I'm at the
park entrance at 8:30 - alone.
It should be 9,8 Km, and I guess it is a
round trip. It starts at 800 meters and parts of it, like the "UFO
landing site"; Enladrillado is at 2200 meters height. It starts
rather soft. Here are familiar plants like giant heather, but I'm a
bit puzzled about the bamboo, fuchsia and giant, spiny rhubarb:
Thought they were Japanese. The trees are giant Coihue; Nothofagus
dombeyi, with black stems
and tiny leaves. Some have a parasitic fungus, which have large,
truffle-like fruits.
The path is hard to negotiate: It very
loose sand or fist-large rocks, and as the ascent starts, it is a
struggle! I have to stop time after time, for new flowers or an
even better view of the mountains, on the other side of the canyon.
The forest is a bit like a Danish, except for the rocks and
topography. In more open areas, new plants are constantly found.
Many familiar families like Oxalidaceae, Fabaceae, In the dense forest, almost black
lizards are found. In the more open areas, bright green ones, sit on
rocks. Some larger agamas hide faster than my camera. Several small
waterfalls crosses the track, and each new corner reveals a new
scenery. Here are quite some birds of which I recognises some
flycatchers, and finches and especially the giant woodpecker;
Carpintero negro and the
Andean Condor; Vultur gryphus is a kick.
The trees are changing from "oak" into
"beech", and the assent really starts. I start to have my doubts
about this being a circular track, and I wished I had a map. Then
the forest opens, and I reach the highlands. A brand new stock of
plants and some new views of mountains and lava sculptures. The
first sign since I started say: 1hr to Enladrillado. The temperature
passed 30C around noon, but at this altitude and with the fresh wind, I'm
back in my fleece jacket. And my soft, white skin have probably
gotten the amount of radiation it can stand for one day! What I at first thought to be my private guardian angle above my head, turns out to be an impatience Andean Condor. On the ground, a specific species of beetle are numerous - guess it taste real bad! Giant cushions of slow-growing plants add to the altiplano feeling. After four hours of real hard tracking,
I reach the plateau, which is said to be an UFO landing site. It
sure seems strange in A sign points back towards
I guess it is the less photo, rather
than the decent that make up the time. Anyway, I return to the now
open office in two hours. At first, the girl don't believe I have
made the entire tour in six hours. Normally, people camp on the way,
or; if they are fast, spend eight hours.
Just outside the gate, I pick-up an absolutely gorgeous, Austrian girl. She is on her way back to Talca, on the highway. We stop for a coffee/Fanta at the lovely couple, which she also visited op her way up. She works as a volunteer with organic farming, and I almost find it scary to hear so many of my ideas, from someone else. After having dropped her of, I find the
highway and head further south. I had decided to skip Chillan and
its market, but I have to confess: I need my first Chilean shower
and some time to sort photos and write diary. It is around 150 Km,
most with 120 Km/t. A short break at a gas station, and it turns out
I only do 15 Km/l. The petrol is 750-789 pesos a litre, so it sums up to
be rather expensive. The landscape is general farmland
with maize, wheat and rice, as the most common plants.
I reach Chillan, and find the Canadian Hotel at first go,
pay 10,000 pesos. Despite it is one hour after the alleged
closing time for the market, I give it a go. Behold; it is still
open. Meat, fish, carved wood and all the usual stuff in Latin
American markets. I pass the central square on the way, and it is
actually an arboretum. The hotel has internet, and I catch up on emails. One is a request for the use of a page on my internet site for a intaglio - that is a first! Quarter pass ten, I have to give in: The photos will be yet another day. But I still have to figure where to go tomorrow and not least: Get a shower! 15/12. An early start, breakfast
in the car, and I'm off to Salto del Laja; a 50 meter waterfall.
After having driven 650 kilometres, I have to
Miraculous, I drive straight to the
waterfall, and besides from two friendly dogs, I have it to my
selves. Even the souvenir shops and the
Back at the highway, I start passing
pine plantations, but here are still quite some farmland. I have to
negotiate Los Angles, which apparently have another layout than my
rough map. I end up fumbling around its centre. Next stop is Parque
National Laguna del Laja, which is a well over 100 Km drive, mainly
on a smaller road. It follows a valley, straight into the Andes.
What starts as a slight ascent, end up serpentine through a moon
landscape. The mist still prevents The park is situated around the mighty
Vulcan Antuco, a perfect cone of 2985 metres. A recently eruption
blocked the valley, and the large Laguna Laja was formed. The lover
part is dominated be conifers, including the Monkey Puzzle Tree;
Araucaria araucana and the I take a few short trails, but the 28 Km
gravel road lures me in. As I break through the mist, the trees
cripples away, and the lunar landscape takes over. A few groups of
plants are scatted around in the gravel, some found in clusters of a
tiny
The road seems to continue forever, but
I feel I have seen the best part, and turn back. As I decent into
the mist once again, I spot a few Araucaria. The lava flow,
creating the lake, is now clear, Although is early afternoon, I head for
the hotel in Angol. On the way, I stop at a hut selling some form of
stuffed bagels, which are delightful. Once again, I have to
It is tempting to drive through the city straight for Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta, but I restrict my selves, and find a nice hotel. 25,000 pesos seems to be the standard around here, but I will more than sleep, and I treat my self. It is time to catch up with the photos! I get through them, and upload 150 from the temporarily "first two days of the tour slide-show". While they uploads, I grab some dinner. Considering the transfer speed, I can get breakfast as well... A short stroll through the centre of town reveals nothing of interest, and I call it a day a ten. 16/12. Breakfast in the room, and
then off to Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta. After a bit asking around, I
find the right road. It starts being gravel, even within the city!
It is a misty I declare it a "wet race", and suits up
accordantly with Wellingtons and raincoat. It might only be a light
drizzle, but you never know. The last bit of road is like the park
it selves: Massive old trees, covered in lichen, indicating frequent
rain. Pretty soon, the dominant tree is the Araucaria. The
biggest ones are around two and a half meter in diameter, and estimated
to be around 2000 years old. Some
I start on a five hour track, first ascending through the dense forest, leaving little room for the orchids and carnivorous plants I was expecting. In the openings, a few flowering plants are found. Some bulbs, Asteraceaes and Fabaceaes. The mist and drizzle I hear the calls of many birds, among
them parrots; Engicognathus minor and the larger
Cyanoliseus patagonus - I think. A female giant woodpecker;
Carpintero negro cry out with a distinctive sound. A large
bamboo reveals near the peak - I still think of it as Asian.
Strawberries are flowering too, and I have no clue to where they
originates from.
The other side of the mountain is slightly more open, and more flowers are found on the ground. I even spot three different orchids, but it is not the habitat for carnivorous plants. The sun peeks through for time to time, but it is only in glimpses. I find the flowers of a interesting, semi-parasitic plant. It is attached in the the bark of the host, but it grow thick, rhizome-like roots as well. Underneath, anemones are flowering.
The sun finally break through, and the
views from the road is awesome. Dense forest on steep mountain
sides, green
In Angol, I find the road to the
highway, and passes through Collipulli. I have it almost to my self,
and make a single stop, to photo an old railroad bridge, crossing a
deep valley. I only enjoy the smoothness for a few kilometres,
before I turn onto a new gravelroad. I am not really sure, it is the
right one. 20 kilometres more, and I leave the
mixed farmland and pine or eucalyptus plantations, for some wilder
nature. Additionally ten kilometres, and I reach the park.
Accordantly to my research, it should be rather tropical and display
some fine waterfalls. Well, it is only 20C, and it resembles quite a
Danish forest - just with other species like the Araucaria.
There is no one it the ticket shelter, nor in the information
office.
I try to find a specific trail, but
without a map or directions, I fail. I take a stroll partly around
the lake, look for carnivorous plants in the swamps, but here are no
new plants to be found. Only interesting plant
While filling up the car once again, I
ask for
I get some advises on the next stretch of my tour, and directions to a possible open restaurant. So many I have seen, have been closed. I'm in luck, and get a nice steak with salad for 5000 pesos. Back to write and sort photos. 17/12. The first stop of the day
is Reserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas, which allegedly should
I reach the wild part, where first Roble, Nothofagus obliqua, then Coihue comun; Nothofagus
dombeyi, followed by Lenga; Nothofagus pumilio and as the
last before the tree line; Aucucaria araucaria are
dominating.
After a
Before I find the station, I try my
luck, and behold: I actually find the road! The centrepiece of
Parque Nacional Conguillo is Vulcan Llaima. The last bit of its
3125 metres is up in the sky, and the biotope different not from the
last four parks. Two things speaks for it though: I stop at a
beautiful laguna and have a second breakfast for lunch at its shore. The views
are absolutely breathtaking, but due to the significantly lack of
sun; hard to catch with the camera. I continues on a narrow
gravelroad, stopping shortly from
The roads leads around the mighty
volcano, but I simply can't get a proper
photo of it - and believe me: I tried. I reach the other half of the
park, where the trees have been buried under lava in the 1988
eruption. First, Lago Arcoiris is a blue diamond, then the dark,
fresh lava dominates.
A few pioneering plants have found a
foothold, but it is generally a lunar landscape.
I originally planned to visit yet
one more park in this area, but considering the similar vegetation I
have experienced in the last four parks, and greyish weather, I
decides to head for the coast. It is around 300 Km south-west to Valdivia, which is the access to Parque Punta Curinanco. As I leave the foothills of the Andes,
the weather changes - to the worse. Real light rain and darker. Never the less, I have to make a
few stops to investigate some orchids along the Valdivia turns out to be a rather large
city, and the entire road leading into it, is one, huge road work. 100s
of yellow and orange men stands around, and I desperately try to
find a place to sleep in my notes. This is not a planned stop, but I
find the central area, which should host A combination of hunger and boredom forces me out in the surprisingly cold city; 15C and light rain. Wished I could remember where I parked: Could use some shoes and a raincoat! The rain continues, although softly, makes me consider alternately route. It is just a bit hard, Chile's shape taken in consideration. I did consider taking the boat to Chiloe Island, but if the weather is this cold and rainy along the coast, I find the eastern side of the Andes more appealing. Then I start the hard work; deleting photos. I ought to take less! It turns out something went wrong with the upload of the first, and I upload the missing ones. A few observations: The locals hardly speak any English, but they are extremely helpful, and easy to communicate with. The parks along with the roadsides are without any trash. It is a rather expensive country; around the prices of Germany. 18/12. The rain have stopped, and I head for Parque Punta
Curinanco. After a bit of fumbling around, I get the right road out
of the city (my map does not show Valdivia on an peninsular, nor Curinanco
is not an island). The road soon turns into gravel, and passes
through shrub and open fields. In the fare side of the island, tiny
huts are scattered around in the hills.
The entrance to the Reserva (not Parque), is hidden behind two of these tiny shelters, and I have to go through a closed gate, further down the path. Then I reach a gate, which not only is closed, is so entangled in barbwire, pointy sticks and a 50 meter fall to the sea, it actually able to keep me out. Here should be an officer and I call out, and do a round in the vicinity. Only living things I can find is hens, cows and a dog - none seem to be willing to open the gate for me. Well, I haven't driven this fare to just look at a gate, The first interesting flower I find, is a white terrestrial
orchid, quite similar to the one I saw yesterday, but the flower is
smaller. Giant terrestrial bromeliads, some a meter and a half in diameter sits
in tiny openings in the dense bush. The vegetation in generally
"new", and I find wild vine; Vitaceae, Berberidaceae and
other spiny plants.
A couple of entangled snails, some birds and some metallic
stick beetles make up the wild life. Most of the tracks are The view it selves is great: The waves are white in the entire lagoon, 50 to 100 metres down. It would be great to see it a sunny day, but I'm here on a real greyish morning. I find a few beautiful flowers and some orchids with loads of fruits. When I turn a corner, I meet a friendly dog. I have done a circle and as I approach the real entrance, I
hear voices. The gatekeeper is explaining things As I close the car-door, it starts to drizzle.
I
head down to the other end of the island, passing a ox carriage with
the man talking in his cell phone. The I reach a big pool on the
road. A fox crosses the road, right in front of me, rabbits hides as I approaches and the rain continues, although light. I'm a bit ahead my original schedule, and decides to do the full tour down to Chiloe island. It is a 300 Km tour through bush and grazing country, first with quite some agriculture. The rain comes and go, but the temperature keeps between 15 and 20C. Even inland, the wind is strong. Plenty of branches and even some trees lies on the road. I am a bit in doubt: Down through Chiloe to se the As I pass the huge city; Puerto Montt, I see 1000s of tiny huts, all alike, in huge clusters. Around 30m2 on a 40m2 lot. Scary! The road passes around the city, and I avoid it. Seems like the cities I have been through, have no major roads, and even only a few passes through: They are only connected by minor roads in the centre. There are signs, but not at every turn. I have not idea to when, or how often the Chiloe ferry operates, but they have begun loading, when I reach it, and I'm the last to board it. The voyage is 45 minutes, and despite the wind, I glance over the sea. That is rewarded with the glimpses of a pelican, several jumping seals and penguins. In the fare distance, a sunny island appears. Photos from this
part of the tour is on: Central Chile. |
Euphorbiaceae, Labiataceae, Bromeliaceae, Liliaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, ferns,
Solanaceae, Geraniaceae along with some I'm not familiar with.
shift
map. I got eight Chilean maps plus Argentina and Bolivia, and I get a feeling of, I might be
doing some driving the next two months. 
ticket
office are empty. It is a misty morning, but I enjoy the aria and
the many birds. 
field
of flowering lupines, along some rich meadows with red spotted cows on.
Then the path turns into a Oregon Pine; Pseudotsuga menziesii
plantation, which is rather dull.
It is a drive-through park, and it is a short cut. Where the first
Reserva was 1000 pesos, this one is 4500 - but there are none to
sell the ticket.
