Yes, issues of the rear end. Alan has had no problems but I am still getting it sorted. Luckily because we are not doing mega long days and having rest days I am able to keep on top of it – figuratively! I have gone from my mega padded shorts to my less padded shorts and a skirt, back to my mega padded shorts and now am wearing both pairs of shorts together! A bigger bottomed girl now than when I started. Luckily Lucy (at Racers Edge) convinced me to take Butt Cream and between that and Paw Paw (and 2 pair shorts) the insistant rash is receding. Any further advise from anyone is bienvenido (welcome!)

With little sleep, and on Christmas day, we rattled our way up the nasty ripio towards Chile. Actually we were heading slightly downhill so we couldn´t fault the negative gradient or the views. We thought we would be climbing up to the Frontier (International Border) but it is part way down the Rio Grande or Futalefu River. This river is famous for it´s mega multi day rafting and kayaking options and the town of F. is a Murchison of a place. Not super flash and touristy but small and friendly.

We found a great campsite by a tributary river and it was heaven after our night in Trevalin. Today we have rested legs and bottoms and looked around the town, yes and found the empanada shop, and swum and used the solar shower for the first time. Holidays are good.

Tomorrow we aim to be on our bikes by 7 as by early afternoon it is getting pretty hot. The tourist office told us we have good weather all week coming up. We head west to join Ruta 7 which is the route south in Chile. The paving stops in Futalefu but the ripio out of town looks fine. The worst is just after they lay and grade new metal. Hasta luego till my next post…