Feb-21 Lago Ilon to Pampa Linda

We agreed to get up early and hike to Mirada El Doctor, a viewpoint that seemed close to camp.  However, there isn´t really a trail, or at least not one we could find.  Maybe this is why it is only shown in faint grey dotted lines on the newer version of the map (mine didn´t have it).  After an hour and a half of bushwhacking and feeling misplaced (note: I wouldn´t say lost, at least not completely, because I´m to proud to cop to that), we found are way back to camp.  We packed quickly and descended the final 2.5 hours and 800 crappy meters to Pampa Linda.  We were even treated to a river crossing.  This made Alexis a little nervous looking at the silty waters, but living in Alaska, this river was child´s play for me.   I rolled up my pants, put on my crocs and went for it.  In reality, it was very easy.

It was very hot and dusty in Pampa Linda and we had to wait five hours for the bus.  We had ice cream, thought about playing pingpong, but mostly, I just whined a lot about the heat.  The palabras nuevas del dia were ¨me pica¨ y ¨me rasca¨ = I itch and I scratch; there were a lot of bugs in camp.

I reached the cabin in back of Dick and Trish´s house at 8:15.  They are away in Rio Pico, so I didn´t have access to a shower.  I sponge bathed in the laundry room sink which had deliciously hot water.  I wanted to climb in, but knew I wouldn´t fit.  But was feeling generally good about my smart improvistation because there is only cold water in the cabin.

With a reasonably clean body and clean clothes, I met Alexis in town for a celeratory steak dinner and bottle of Malbec.

For more photos, go to Alexis´s blog by clicking here:.

One last good view before descending to Pampa Linda