The adventure continues...

Christmas day sidewalk party with Canadian couple biking the continent. I moved on that afternoon while they had a gashed leg to be seen to. Found camp sites in dense wet bush. Average rainfall here is three meters and I am told it has been unusually wet. Four days of rain and totally soaked and my panniers also. Stretches of the road are under construction and mix of washouts and loose rock. A landslide blocked the road and caused a long back-up for vehicles. I manhandled the bike thru the mud and over a tree - adious amigos, I yelled back to the stranded trucks. High enegy food and steep climbs kept me more or less warm, but a fall for no reason and finger tips bone white had me concerned. Then the Bic lighter was too damp to spark. I pitched the tent in a look-out shelter. The next day found a place to stay and warm up, but could not dry the clothes. Biked 120km in 8 hours to the coast and was lucky to arrive an hour before the ferry left for Porto Montt. The train north no longer runs and the bus company wont take the bike, I peddle north. Cover over 500 km in four days, then get the runs from bad fruit juice. Small town bus terminal sells me ticket and I am en route to Santiago. Here for three days to get organizes and re-fuel. Tomorrow I leave to find campground on the coast.