[puranjay]

One of the great things about reading articles like this is to open up Google Earth in another tab and follow the geography. I'm always amazed by the land of South America. From the southernmost tips to the Amazonian basin, the entire continent feels so desolate, so stark, so lonely. The geography of Chile's land below the Maule river is stunning to follow - at least on Google Earth.

[kmundnic]

The continental side of Chile, from Chiloé to the south, feels like land of no one. Aysén region has a population density of about 1 person per squared kilometer. The Carretera Austral (Highway 7) has thousand of kilometers of dirt roads, that connect one town to the next. There's a saying in Patagonia: "The one who rushes in Patagonia, wastes his time".

Aysén has some of the most naturally breathtaking views I've seen in my life. Traveling around General Carrera Lake (the biggest in Chile) feels almost surreal. On the far west you have thick forests, followed by the Northern Ice Fields, close to where the Andes Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. To the west, on the border with Argentina, you have a desert, with temperatures up to about 38ºC in summer. All of this with the view of the emerald-colored waters of the lake.

I highly recommend backpacking from Lake Llanquihue (northern border of Patagonia in the Chilean side) towards the south. If you do, take your time, and travel during summer (December through March). Hitchhiking in Aysén is quite safe, and can be the most efficient way of traveling at times. Talk to the locals, and discover the true natural wonders that require time and patience to be discovered (you might even find someone willing to barbeque a Patagonian lamb for you). Cochamó is for me one of those hidden treasures on the northern side, although not so hidden anymore. Who knows how many more there are.