Patagonia day 42: Puerto Montt to Puerto Varas

February 8, 2020. 35km.

The real last day of biking. I got woken up by the ferry docking really early in the morning, went back to sleep for a bit, then actually got up to pack my things and put on biking gear for the last time this trip.

Getting off the boat was as weird a tangle as getting on. I got summoned to the cargo area to fetch my bike before the rest of the passengers got off, but then I had to wait for a pickup truck to come and drive me the few hundred yards the the entry point of the dock. Apparently it’s not allowed to ride, even though it would be perfectly easy to do so.

The biking route for the day took me into Puerto Montt proper, and then along a road that I was hoping was moderately bike-able to Puerto Varas. At least, it seemed more likely than the freeway. Turned out to be fine, but it wasn’t the most pleasant or interesting ride of the trip for sure. Way more traffic.

The first bit of Puerto Montt was mostly crowded streets of small shops, followed by a fairly park-lined waterfront, followed by actual city. Complete with all the US chains. Not my favorite, and I didn’t stop.

There was a bit of navigation through city, followed by a bit of bike path, followed by a straight shot to Puerto Varas.

As I approached Puerto Varas, I started seeing signs for Ensenada, which was the first city I headed toward when I started biking. Is it time to go again?

Puerto Varas was as touristy as I remembered, perhaps a bit more crowded. Lots of performers around, people juggling in intersection for coins from the stopped cars, nice views of the lake and volcano, and a busy bike rental. I also saw the only actual protest that I encountered since getting to Chile - a bunch of folks holding signs and playing music in the central square.

I’ll call arriving back at the hostel the end of the trip. The rest was packing up and shuttles and airplanes and lots of airports. Boring.