Parque Queulat
Claudia:
17 de marco de 2011.
Pensamento negativos invadiram minha mente antes de sair ao Parque Queulat, pois estava chovendo muito. Pensei que seria um dia em que nao veriamos nada e ainda passariamos as horas dentro do carro. Mas adoro surpresas e a primeira delas aconteceu a mais ou menos um km de Puyuhuapi quando nos pararam no caminho e tivemos que pegar um pequeno Ferry para cortar o caminho que estava interrompido por barreira. Algo diferente, vista diferente, do jeito que gosto. Economizar disel que esta carissimo pela crise no oriente medio…Desembarcamos ja perto do Ventisqueiro no Parque e Gerry decidiu entrar poque eu estava cetica com a chova e o frio. E valeu a pena, que maravilha. Forrando todo o chao com musgo amarelinho (nao sei porque o amarelo, talvez pelo outono) junto a Coigues e a outras pequenas plantas com as montanhas nos envolvendo e o Ventisqueiro ao fundo com o glaciar azualado. Resolvemos fazer a caminhada na chuva mesmo, que por sinal nao estava frio nem incomodo, mas uma delicia. Atravessamos uma ponte pensil e o rio passando por baixo estava super cheio e grande corrente. Muitos jovens de outros paises acampando, me senti mais um deles ou mais ou menos, porque nao fui tao corajosa a dormir em camping ainda que tenho tudo no carro. Quem sabe qualquer hora saio de meu comodismo e ….Valeu o passeio, hora de subir o Parque e descobrir que a chuva trouxe neve em quase todos os picos e pelas montanhas desciam descomunalmente, nunca vi daquilo, agua e mais agua em forma de fios ou grandes cascatas. Que espetaculo!!! A vegetacao do Parque é ainda mais bonita que de outros locais, ainda mais plantas diferentes dividem o mesmo espaco. Esqueci toda minha vida e so admirei aquilo tudo. A parte do Parque ainda esta em estrada de terra, mas depois comeca asfalto e estao arrumando e fazendo quiosques confortaveis com mirantes. A unica coisa que nao gosto é que quando vc faz estas rodovias, afasta toda a vegetacao da vista e só se pode admirar de muito longe e nao da para sentir o local. Mas desenvolvimento, o que fazer? No caminho fomos conhecer Puerto Cisnes e depois dormimos em cabana em Puerto Aysén, onde o disel é mais barato e amanha enchemos o tanque e um conteiner. Os locais de dormir estao caros, mas encontrei uma cabana por 30.000 p boa. A dona da cabana me contou que a maioria dos turistas que dormem em Puerto Aysén vao por causa do passeio até a laguna San Rafael. Como é um passeio muito caro resolvi nao faze-lo pois pretendemos fazer outras coisas e ja iremos visitar glaciares na volta no Navimag.
O turismo esta entrando com tudo nesta regiao pois as casas estao se transformando em Hosterias, Cabanas, hoteis, restaurantes, o povo esta realmente investindo nisto.
Alem de serem super simpaticos e estarem mais preparados para receber turistas que na regiao em que vivo. O Chileno nao só te da a informacao mas te leva até o local.
Gerry:
Thursday, 17 March
Rain on and off all day but a truly magnificent and exciting day for us
despite travelling through mostly “old” country. Started off before 10
and drove only a few miles down the road before we found the road closed
and had to take to a landing craft on the fjord. This part of the road
follows along the steep-sided cliffs above the fjord which had obviously
fallen away at one section. We could see the excavators working further
along and, through binoculars, the men working above them – presumably
hacking away at vegetations - on the steep slopes. More and more am I
impressed with the hard work these road people do – so often in day-long
pouring rain - and the engineers who design these roads through the most
difficult terrain. After some twenty minutes we were landed again and
heading into this wonderful Queulat Park
As before, we find this park most stunning and fascinating both at the
viewpoint for the hanging glacier and the rest of the winding road which
goes well up into the mountains. We arrived at the former with the rain
easing and had a slightly longer walk having parked wrongly but the air
is so bracing we didn’t mind. Quite a big and lovely campsite with
several hardy characters staying there. Crossed over the swinging bridge
and along to the lake where we could look on the glacier but this time
we had no luck in seeing it calve as we so fortunately did the time
before. Such lovely country and once again amazed at the power of the
water that roared beneath the bridge. Also, quite different from last
time, was this amazingly yellow grass or moss which adorned the ground
in many places making beautiful pictures.
And so on up the mountain with stunning views and this time, although
raining quite a bit, we had great views of the snowy mountain tops.
Waterfalls just everywhere yesterday with torrents falling down these
cliffs and rivers roaring wildly. (I suddenly think of how we, as young
kids, used to announce the stream at the Downs was “roaring” after heavy
rain.) Down the other side remembering where we had lunched before but
realising that big landslides had changed some things quite a lot,
having obliterated trees that hid the sights before.
Getting down we suddenly arrived at the smart tar road and turned right
this time to visit another port, Puerto Cisnes. Again spectacular
mountains and this fine road heading along precariously until it gave
out to dirt again but here they are constructing a new route which will
make life for the motorist easier. We drove down to Cisnes and had a
look around. A pleasant little town which I reckon we should have stayed
at for the night but it was only 3.30 so we felt we must push on. These
days though, I find that after the odd six hours of gawping at this
amazing scenery, I can’t really properly absorb much more. However, we
went on back and then southwards expecting to find a cabana in the next
village some two hours ahead. There was only one there and no one around
to offer it to us so we had to head onwards ending up in Puerto Aysen
which is the major port in the area. Here too the fuel should be less
expensive than we have come across. It was quite late before we found a
reasonable cabana which the woman had to clean up. In the meantime we
walked a considerable way in pouring rain having left ‘Scamp’ there. We
were soaked once again and actually took a taxi back again. Nice though
to be able to enjoy the fire in the cabana and dry things out while Mon
Lady cooked us a fine meal. Today to dig out our “wet clothing” and
hopefully a short drive.