Cunco to Villarrica - 85km, 2 punctures,1 dog chase

Still suffering from a dose of ‘travellers trots’ we left hoping to get as far as we felt able to. It was another cloudy day with drizzle and a strong gusty wind. The wind turned out to be our ally as it blew on our backs pushing us up hills and allowing us to freewheel along flat sections. The scenery was getting wilder with views of snowy mountains across a choppy lake which looked like the sea (a 1 m swell with white capped waves and blowing spray!) After 60 easy going km we reached the R40 road and found ourselves battling an incredibly strong cross wind which literally pushed us across the road. I decided it would be safer to ride in the hard shoulder of gravel where, although hard work, the effects of sudden gusts would be less dramatic! Despite a good road and gentle gradients the last 27km were hard and pretty scary at times so we were relieved to arrive in the town centre where there was some respite from the wind. Until the last 10km there had not been a single place to buy food or drinks, unlike a lot of the roads further north where little ‘Coke’ kiosks would pop up in the most unlikely and seemingly remote places. Barialoche has not been designed or planned in accordance with any sort of masterplan. So, despite a stunning setting with fantastic views across the lake, there are no places to eat or drink along the waterfront and very few street cafes, pedestrianised streets or public open spaces such as the usual plazas. It basically seemed to lack any character or charm, despite its standing as a major holiday destination. We hunted out a place to drink coffee and found a restaurant which sold empanadas….so we ended up having a 3 course meal. The temptation is always too much! Then we cycled up some incredibly steep streets ( ala Valparaiso ) and found a Hosteria to continue our recovery. In the evening we tried to get some money out at three separate banks but John’s card wasn’t working. Need to ring the bank in the morning.