November 4, 2018 | Leave a comment Ask and you shall receive. Sometimes, as you attempt to accomplish a small life task, the universe steps in to drop the answer into your arms. Atacama Desert, shot by Fritz. Delfina drove Antonella and I in her 2016 Renault Clio to Fritz and his 1997 Dodge Ram Vanagon 3500 5.9L V8 Benzina. Bariloche, Argentina to Pucón, Chile. Fritz towed me 2,410 kilometers up the Pan-American highway, including 1,150 kilometers in a single day, all in the name of catching my flight to the Galápagos. Each day we blew past countless roadside signs advertising “queso” and “pan amasado” for sale. I met Fritz while hiking the ‘O’ Circuit in Torres del Paine. His house on wheels had everything, so I got used to sleeping in gas station parking lots. Contentment meant having access to a toilet bowl each night. While the road trip and all of its stops were rushed, it was one of the most beautiful times of my life. I could not ask for it to have gone any other way. San Pedro de Atacama, shot by Fritz. Bob the Vansion One day, Fritz was caught in a tight spot on the road, and when he made it through, he caught himself telling his van “Good job Bob!” And Bob, along with the good vibes he brings wherever he may go, is home. His tank of cooking fuel and stocked kitchen provided hot meals, his box of trekking snacks got us through remote wilderness. His fuzzy blanket kept me warm. My favorite part was the solar-powered lights strung across the elephants. Bob the Vansion. The Route Pucón Days 81-82 30 April 2018-1 May 2018 The most remarkable activity was making Goulasch based on a recipe from Fritz’s mother. Delfi got a break from driving as we all piled into Bob to hike to the muddy base of the Salto del Claro waterfall. The following morning I ate a classic Chilean-sized empanada right after my first plate of Kaiserschmarren. Circuito Los Cóndores, shot by Fritz. Circuito Los Cóndores Days 83-87 2 May 2018-6 May 2018 A couple hundred kilometers underneath Santiago lies the most remote trek we ever did do. We hiked the majority of an off-the-grid loop, circling around thermal creeks and icy volcanoes for five days. At some point along the way, the graduation ceremony which I never attended took place back home. Apparently. Empanadas de pino @ Molina, Chile. Molina Days 87-88 6 May 2018-7 May 2018 Day 87 Hitchhike: 45 km | Trip total: 2,708 km Coming off the late from the above-mentioned trail, we were forced to stay overnight in this random little town. It now holds a special place in my travel memories. After a quick beer run at the lone Unimarc, Señora Carmen took us into her pension. We needed stuff for oatmeal. Ask and you shall receive. A nice man had a health store where we pointed and nodded at dozens of dried fruits. I even found real coconut oil on the back shelf. We left with more food-weight on our backs than we had at the start of our trek. Few things exist in the world that can make Fritz happier than a slice of dried kiwi. San Pedro de Atacama. San Clemente Day 88 7 May 2018 I looked out the window of the San Clemente colectivo, again feeling so in love with my life. Chickens and geese were free-roaming outside of the house with a “SE REGALAN PERROS” sign. What was I holding against Chile? Yeah, a bunch of strange nonsense seems to happen here. And a personal grudge from years ago. But the hitchhiking of the last two days brought me to my knees with my newfound gratitude for the Chileans. A friend named Fritz and a van named Bob. Talca Day 88 7 May 2018 Day 88 Hitchhike: 48 km | Trip total: 2,756 km Hitchhiking and buses finally reunited us with Bob. We returned to the Copec we had parked at prior to the trek. Those Copec showers were the best thing money could buy in that moment. And after that moment, the best thing became the hot sandwich at the Copec restaurant. When I talk about these gas stations, think wifi, big lights, and tons of overpriced snacks. Also, lots of truck drivers make for one big pavement slumber party. Gracias Copec. Pan-American sweating. Rancagua Day 89 8 May 2018 Fritz desperately needed to send a car part from the bottom of Chile to the top. He couldn’t have picked a lengthier country. The post office could do nothing to help us because the package was held hostage by border control, even though it had somehow moved from Santiago to Punta Arenas. Frustrated, we sat by the trees with perfectly yellow leaves in front of a perfectly pink church, and lowered our faces into hot empanadas. Snacking among pigeons, under the watch of a cathedral, in the open space of a plaza, is the essence of a Latin American afternoon. I am so glad I got to share it with someone. Viña del Mar Day 89 8 May 2018 Black people in Chile. Something one wouldn’t really see until recently. Two years ago the Chilean government opened its doors to Haitian refugees. When asked, the refugees will tell you life is certainly better, and safer, here. Yet I never saw a black person and a white person walk side-by-side. Concón Day 90 9 May 2018 My heart was tugged by the sight of the giant post of Concón that flashed by the window as I lay in bed. Tara. My most popular blog post. The skies were foggy and gray like before. We stopped for breakfast at a viewpoint by the sea. The largest cities were now behind us, and we had yet to refill the water tank, or to obtain a GPS mount. But, ask and you shall receive. A water tank delivery truck driven by a couple of stoners pulled up next to us while we were washing our dishes. I nudged Fritz. I watched him interrupt their smoke break with his broken Spanish, pass some cash and handshakes, and return holding a full tank of fresh agua potable. While the gas station wouldn’t allow me access to their restroom, a restaurant owner across the street was more than happy to. After I returned to the van I sent Fritz to get some fried empanadas de pino from the kind señor. At the same time, someone rolled by with a cart full of electronic accessories. To this day, Bob’s GPS mount has not budged from the spot on the dashboard it was initially suctioned onto. Commencement @ Concón. We—or should I say Fritz—picked up a hitchhiker. One second we were driving, the next second I was opening the door to let in a backpacker while holding the mug of poorly made mate I had struggled so hard with. Asking if he was a mate drinker was the first thing that came out of my mouth to this stranger, to which he responded, “I’m Uruguayan so I certainly do.” We dumped out my embarrassing mess of flooded yerba and I was quickly taught how to make a proper brew. Later, I learned his name was the same as my Uruguayan host whom I’d just said farewell to, back in Bariloche. Diego. And that this Diego is from Florida, Uruguay. And that he was also headed for San Pedro. And that we could probably park Bob at the house of his friend when we got there. Ask and you shall receive. Mate in Bob. La Serena Day 90 9 May 2018 Just outside the city, we parked by some random pier. Diego disappeared into the darkness with his tent. I would never spend the night in such a parking lot, had I been by myself. While we had tried in vain to break through traffic and catch the sunset, we still got to enjoy the last glows of the day. Complete with artisanal beers and seagull droppings splattered along the metal railing of the fishing dock. San Pedro de Atacama San Pedro de Atacama Days 91-94 10 May 2018-3 May 2018 So tweezing one’s eyebrows in a camper van moving at 90 kph along the Pan-American is as hard as it sounds. I also had time to write a nice letter to my girlfriends. Then I made us avocado-cream-cheese sandwiches. Then I made banana-Nutella sandwiches. Then Diego took a in our bed nap without asking for permission. Then we drove for another six hours. Avocado sandwiches @ Pan-American highway. Eduardo’s casa. Four roommates. Cheap wines and random household pets continuously flowing in and out. Showing up with our thoroughly bloodshot eyes, we were welcomed to use the bathroom and stove as we needed. The only thing I wanted to do in San Pedro was to go stargazing in the openness of the desert. I was too cheap two years ago, and any time you are too cheap to do something you truly desire, it will nag you until come all the way back, causing you to spend more than you would have in the first place. Except when Eduardo has is own tour agency, Orion Astronomía. And when Fritz had just learned out to photograph the night sky photos. And when Eduardo needs a photographer, and you get drafted to be the model for the trial photos, and when the starry excursion was on the house. Remember, just ask, and notice what you shall receive. San Pedro de Atacama Afterward Fritz and Bob stayed outside Eduardo’s casa for one month. I went north, then reunited with them for the months of July and August, before I flew to Turkey. Fritz and Bob happily explored Ecuador and Colombia. When the time came to pass Bob on, the closest buyers were waiting in San Pedro. Fritz drove from the north coast of Colombia back to the starry Chilean dessert, including the entire coast of Ecuador in 36 hours, because Austrians are mad like that.