Day 23 – Saturday March 19: Manihuales yields to Puerto Aysen
Morning arrived and the rain persisted, but we headed gamely to a nearby café for breakfast. There we met a group of Italian cyclists from Modena, heading south like us. We spoke with one of their group, and he told a story of ambitious riding. What with the rush of coffee and early eats, it seemed inevitable that murmurs of international competition began to spread. Them or us. And still the rain persisted. We returned to our hostel, packed up and got ready to ride. And then, from our window, we caught sight of the Italians through the windows of their bus, their bikes tucked conveniently in the back. Jokes were made (of course!), but the question seemed well-resolved. Us. And with a happy cosmic nod the rain diminished as we set out, disappearing altogether within a few miles.
Perhaps because we were still tired from the long ride two days before, and certainly because of a nasty headwind, the ride to Puerto Aysen seemed longer than it was – about 60km. Still, as usual, each mile brought a new landscape to feast on. We passed through river valleys and finished with a long stretch of level road. Once in Puerto Aysen we repaired to our splendid digs – individual kitchens in each unit! – and we all got some washing done and enjoyed the rest of the day. Our guides catered another unbelievably good dinner and we slept, well. Tomorrow, Coyaique!
