[start] Update from the road: 30 October 2012 “Cascadas Escondidas” Campsite, Parque Pumalin, Carretera Austral, Chile. Puerto Montt: 150km north. Nearing the end of the Carretera Austral. Arrived into Chaiten, a town on the Pacific coast, a couple of days ago. In 2008, Volcan Chaiten erupted spewing ash all over the town and surrounding forest and rivers. No one knew it was a volcano; just another large lump in the spine of the Andes. Ash inundated the community and four years later it still piles up inside and outside abandoned houses. But the residents are coming back. We asked if we could camp somewhere; people just cast their eyes around suggesting anywhere! So we found an abandoned garden and set up. Not much sleep as it was local election day and cars hooted and loudspeakers screeched. Streams of wolfy looking dogs investigated us. A little girl did a wee infront of our tent in the dark and had the shock of her life, “Mama hay una senora aqui!” “Mum there’s a lady here!” I had my head light on writing an article in the tent. Poor girl, must have looked very odd! We spoke to the headmistress, had a brief couple of hours of the best internet reception of the expedition so far, before it collapsed entirely, re-provisioned for five day’s feeding and spoke to some local people, a Santiagan lady and two North American and Panamian 21 year old Mormon missionaries before setting off. Beautiful day. Great plumes of dust rose from the gravel surface of the Carretera road as lorries and pickups sped past. It was as if Dave was in a “Bat Man” film, emerging through a smoke effect scene! It’s now sheeting with rain but we’ve found a stunning campsite with pagodas to shelter in with a table to tap from; high luxury! Along the way, we halted the day’s running, on seeing steam rising from a hidden pool beneath tree ferms and giant umbrella like Gunnera leaves the roadside. We wallowed in the sulphurous, bubly, warmish mud of the “termas”. Marvellous! Before putting on wet clothes and running on! Tomorrow Caletta Gonzalas….. [end]