Pos: here
Loc: Caleta Quedal
Acc: tent
Dist: 0 km

Forecast for today was 15-20 knots wnw, then 19-25 knots wnw with seas of 4,50 to 6,50 m – a clear no go. Though again, like yesterday, the sea and weather all morning and midday looked quite reasonable…but I trust Karel it should be better to stay in. The afternoon became ugly, strog wind and rain all the time.

But I had a date with Cecilio today, and as usual with dates I couldn’t wait :-). I was actually not quite sure if he’d pick me up or if he’d be waiting for me at the lighthouse. At 11 am, I decided to walk up by myself, it was dry weather and I saw the path where he was riding uphill yesterday. I had the lighthouse position in my GPS, just follow more or less the coast line, can’t miss it…

I packed a small backpack with GPS, satphone and dry clothes, as I was expecting to get wet. I was only wearing my Gore Tex Paclite pants with bike shorts, t-shirt and had my Gore Tex Paclite handy. I found the uphill path easy, and enjoyed a amgnificent view over the whole valley with the river. The path was muddy and wet though…I eventually reached a house, and called out for Cecilio, but as my GPS showed me it was still more than 2 km away to the light house, I thought this may be just his second house or such, as he said there are only two people living in the valley, and the other one on the other side.

I kept on searching for the path continuing to the light house, the direction was obvious, still I couldn’t find it. I was following always some cow path, as there were many cows and horses free running all over the hills.

I was walking back to the house twice and strted allover again, but eventually after three hours I decided to walk back downhill with no problem. In case, I had my GPS running for a track back.

From half way I saw a person at my tent down there at the river – Cecilio was waiting to pick me up! I was waving and shouting at him, and he saw me coming. Obviously, he must have taken another path.

I told him I was at the house, but he made clear this was not his main house – and vamos!? Not that I had just walked three hours up and downhill and was just looking forward to fall on my sleeping pad… :-))

But no weakness to show, and he thought probably I was just at the house which is about 1/2 hr and walked back…so I followed him uphill again, now after the house he took a complete different path to the light house, sure!

If I’d seen this one…there are no sign post up here… 🙂 One full hour walking a muddy rough path mostly uphill, through wet bushes and forest, over meadows and many cow pads and horse apples. I had my walking stick from yesterday, thank goodness, and managed not to slip greatly. My shoes were supposed to be some waterproof TEX, but they were soon soaking wet, including my woolen socks. Cecilio had gum boots on, reasonable…and no talking about riding today! Though we were passing a few free running horses, and he made clear a certain one was his own one. He is using this as well to get back to the close by small village of San Pedro where his family lives. No road access here!

After 1 hrs and 10 min, he pointed out a path to the light house for another ten minutes, but his house was just around the corner! Yahoo! A small wooden hut, like all locals have them here, with a wooden stove, which he fired on soon. Nice to get dry again! It was raining already once we arrived.

I took off my Gore Tex stuff, which for sure was as well wet from inside as outside in tis weather. Cecilio had a poncho on, which traditional gear was probably quite useful!

It seemed he had already prepared some flour in a pot to bake some fresh bread, and became busy making the dough soon. All with simple, but reasonable clean means, including freshly washed hands! 🙂

I was looking forward to the fresh buns, baked on the wooden stove in a huge pot serving as an oven. He fried two eggs as well, served hot tea, and lunch couldn’t be better! Cecilio enjoyed his mate tea with plenty of sugar, about a spoon full for each new brewing of maybe 0,1 l water…not good for the teeth…

Though we couldn’t talk much, some “conversation” was going on. I will have to learn more Spanish! He was kind of a funny smiling chap, friendly, and singing to the radio.

The VHF radio for the Faro San Pedro was switched on channel 16 with a few talking going on, but I think he hasn’t much to do up there with that job. On going down again, he was advising to a lady on the other end he was leaving. But no mobile VHF in his back pack, just a small revolver in a belt pack…on the way down close to the next hut we found an arm without corpus…well, 10 cm long, from a baby doll! The revolver was against pumas, he said…ok…

It was raining all the time now, and I was not really looking forward to the way downhill again. But it went faster than uphill, and though being soaking wet eventually, it was a nice experience! We were passing another hut on the way, seemingly his house as well, where this baby doll arm was lying. It had another local “resident” – a huge fat pig! Not sure about how many huts, cows, horses and other animals around he is owning besides his light house VHF radio job, but he seemed to know each tiny path up and down and to have lived for quite a while here in the area. If I only could talk more Spanish…

Cecilio advised me to move the tent for tonight’s higher water as usual, and helped me to do. Thanks for inviting me and to introduce me to the life of a local here! It was a great experience!

I soon became dry and warm again in my tent, though back pack, shoes and socks, jacket and pants were soaking wet. My t-short stayed dry though, but not my bike pants. Maybe I should get a poncho…he offered me one!