Around Lago General Carrera

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We spent several weeks in the area around Lago General Carrera, the second largest lake in South America after Lake Titicaca. Our first crossing was a rough three hour ride. The winds blowing off the northern ice fields had whipped the waves in the lake to heights of 6 feet. We watched in anticipation as our ferry approached where the water was blowing right out of the lake.

Waves like this crashed against our ferry for the second half of the ride. We are still wondering how that boat held together through the pummelling.

On the north side of the lake is Cerro Castillo - which looks like a castle. We stopped here on our way south to Cochrane where we were going to ride horses to San Lorenzo.

Rio Tranquillo is the next town south of Cerro Castillo.

Heading back around the south shore after our visit to Cochrane we stayed in the town of Puerto Guadal. There was a great sunrise on Mt Valentine to the northwest through the fog.

Hitchhiking along the south shore was a great adventure and included rides with an Avon salesman, a dump truck and a pickup truck on its last limbs.

The pickup eventually died and they tried to tow start it with a backhoe (unsucessfully).

Our last ride was the most successful as we met a family returning from vacation who could take us the last 200 miles. They invited us to dinner at their restaraunt when we arrived back in Coyhaique. The second time we crossed the lake was much smoother too!

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