When we asked our friends what places should we visit in Chile, the town of Tortel was often mentioned. We put it on the to see list and then figured out how we could get there. It is located about 90 miles from the town that we were staying in and we could take public Transportation there. Tortel is made up of a small group of houses that are built along the shores of the ocean and along the cliffs. It is quite unique because there are no streets in the town only cypress boardwalks. The town has about 500 residents year round, but increases quite a lot in the summer.. When you arrive to Tortel there is a parking lot above the town and then one must walk down a flight of stairs to connect to the town itself.
March 9
After listening to the man who was in the room next to us snoring, I was ready to get up at first light. It is getting colder at night and instead of turning on any heat, a lot of blankets are given. We headed to the bus station and eventually figured out which bus we should get on. It was a regular sized bus and since there was only 10 passengers, we had a lot of room. We pulled out on time and headed down the dirt road to the town of Tortel. The bus driver seemed quite familiar with the route. He would honk at houses as we passed by them or stop and talk to people in their yards. This stretch of road had very few houses. At one point he stopped the bus at a house and said if you want to buy some sopapillas, here is your chance. Most folks got off and bought some including Don.
Another stop was for a man who had quite a load of baggage. His boat was docked on the river and he was taking supplies to his ranch. We stopped once for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs. we were the only Americans on the bus. Finally made it to the town and the driver stopped in the parking lot and let us out.
No English translations, on their information sign.
We headed down a long flight of wooden stairs to get to the main part of town. Some reports say there are 7 km of boardwalks, other say 15km, regardless we were impressed. The maintenance people carry boards to repair the boardwalks.
The people that first explored this area came by boat so there was no need for roads.
Everything is made of wood, including the playground.
Before the road was built, the only way to get here was by boat. Now there is a dirt road that connects to the towns north of here. It is becoming more of a tourist destination. We hadn’t made any reservations so when Don saw a sign for a hotel, he went to check it out. Since he had to go up a steep flight of stairs, I stayed down below with our gear. He came back down with the news that they were full, but nearby was a newly opened bed and breakfast. We checked it out and were happy to say it was a great fit for us. The couple that owned it had just moved from Santiago to change their lifestyle. They were still cleaning the apartment from previous guests so we left our luggage there and headed to a nearby restaurant. The meal was good but the cake was supreme.
We still had some extra time before checking in so we decided to explore the town some more. There is a lot of carved wooden sculptures throughout the boardwalks.
Telling early history and
the importance of logging to the area.
The Chilean govt. has put a lot of money into this town to develop it into a tourist destination. Several wooden pavilions are along the boardwalks with information about the area.
The board walk along the coast.
This afternoon we decide to go and try to find the NOLS course that were dropped off yesterday. We found where NOLS stores their kayaks, but no one was there. A man who lived next to the storage area, told us that they are probably camped on the other side of a fenced in area near the river. We continued our walk and then saw the familiar tents. As we approached our friend Dave came out. He introduced us to the group that were preparing for their kayaking expedition.
Notice the jacket. So fun to meet familiar faces in different places.
We said our good-boys and then it was time to go back to our lodging. First we had to go up the staris
and then back down
Pretty easy to get your steps in for exercise!
March 10
It was another night of being smothered in blankets and a down comforter. There was no heat in the room but a pellet stove in the living room warmed that area up. Our hosts cooked us a good breakfast of homemade bread, cheese, meat and scrambled eggs. In the morning we tried to find a trail that goes behind the town, but alas that wasn’t to be. Later we encountered a couple of hikers who told us where to look. We stopped at a grocery store, but the only thing we got was some crackers. We were glad that we had brought some food from Cochrane . After a lunch of quesadillas we headed back to the trail and tried it again. This time we were successful.
At one point we say the NOLS group practicing their kayaking strokes.
There were some good view points from the trail above.
The trail started out as a boardwalk but soon became a muddy trail. We finally gave up trying to stay out of the mud and just embraced it. Back to our hostel and all those blankets.
March 11
After taking showers to warm up, we had another good breakfast. We are heading down to camp with the NOLS group tonight. Another NOLS group is arriving tonight and we want to catch the bus back to Coyhaique with the NOLS bus tomorrow. Don tries to buy some sopapillas but once again the stores are closed. And once again we are glad for the extra food we brought. We were all walked out of boardwalk walking so had a leisurely day by our tent. I had fun taking photos of a young turkey vulture.
March 12
If all goes as planned, we are hoping to hop on the NOLS bus today and catch a ride back to the branch. We had stayed up a little later than usual last night to see if we could talk to the driver. I guess they came about 11:00pm. (long after we were in bed) We make contact with the driver and our friend Oscar in the morning.We helped them move their gear and boats to the dock.
Lots of memories with students, trying to keep everything organized.
A boat is coming to take the boats to another location where they will meet a larger boat that will eventually get them to their starting point. When we see the boat coming we are talking to Oscar and are thinking that it will take 3 trips to get these kayaks to the bigger boat. Well to our amazement it only took one!
I guess the boat driver knew what he was doing! Away they go
We say goodby to Oscar,
And get ready for a 13 hour bus ride.
We arrive back to the branch about 11:00pm. Thankful for this opportunity .
March 13 We sleep in and then reorganize for our next adventure. Raul, had invited us to dinner, but his son was sick so thought that it was best if we did not meet up tonight.