April 13,

We were up by 0700. We readied and went down to the hotel restaurant for our included breakfast. It was a decent spread. I had their coffee with some hot chocolate mix, so it was not so bitter. We finished and Jeff left. He went to catch a city bus to get our rental car and an Esim for his phone. I had another cup of coffee and went back up to our room to pack. We don’t have to check out until noon. So I took my time, read some and started this blog.

Jeff came back by 1045, and he looked up a place to stay tonight, and a ferry for tomorrow. We checked out by 1130; loaded into our white, rental car – a Suzuki; and were going by 1150. Jeff said it cost him 4000 CLP ($4.47) to get the bus to get to the car rental place at the airport. The parking cost us 2,500 CLP ($2.79). Anyway, we drove on Hwy 7 (Carretera Austral) south along the coast to Caleta la Arena and arrived at 1245 to board a 30 minute ferry. We were second in line to board. It came at 1254. We paid 11,510 CLP, or $12.89 to board with the car. Just as we went to start the car…it would not start. What? A dead battery?? Uh oh – Our lights had been on. I pushed us out of line. Then an attendant pushed Jeff in the car down the slope and it started by him popping the clutch! Jeff got the car boarded on the ferry. I walked on. We left the car running, hopefully it will be fine now.🤞🏻 It was a nice ride and awesome scenery of a few snow capped mountains around the inlet of the Pacific Ocean we were in.

By 1340 we pulled off the ferry and headed south and east on the same, Hwy 7, to Hornopiren. It was 33 miles. We arrived by 1430, and checked into our small 2 bedroom home for the night. The hostess met us and showed us about the place – including a potbelly fireplace that is our heating for the night. We unloaded, started a load of laundry, and then went in search of food. We found the Morchello Restaurant. The waitress, who spoke English, said it was a fusion of Mexican and Chilean food, and gave us the ins and outs of the menu. We ordered two entrees: Pesca Austral- Southern Fish, slow-cooked Hake on bed of veggies and lemon cream sauce, topped with black quinoa and seasonal aromas; and Rosa Patagonico- Patagonian Rose, Chicken breast with Calafte mole and roasted veggies. We also had a plate of toasted baguette pieces and a bottle of Montes Carmenre wine. Very good meals. We paid 51,480CLP ($57.49), and went back to our place to get our laundry hung up to dry with the woodburning stove going.

Around 1745, we went back out to check out about our ferry tomorrow (one comes in at 1800). We have to be there at 08-09 for the 1000 AM one. That taken care of, we went to a “supermercado” and found a few items – then back to our place for the night, and stoked up the fire. It was toasty, as it was pretty nippy outside. Later we were able to video chat with Jeff’s sister.