Watching the sunset over our campsite in Punta de Choros, Chile is one of the most nostalgic moments I’ve experienced so far on the travels. Looking out at the beautiful islands, Isla Goviota – Protected National Park and Pinguino de Humboldt (Isla Damas) that are in the distant and the best diving in Chile so we are told? Our campsite, “Camping Titus” was the only site open and not the one we had chosen to go with originally but what a great location it is. We are right on the beachfront, the only ones here and we scored a Cabanas (an alcove area which is mostly enclosed with shade cloth and covered with a roof) so no tent needed tonight… We are starting to get used to the fact that campsites here don’t always come with hot or even warm water, shower facilities and toilet paper!! And I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that used toilet paper doesn’t go in the toilet but in a little bin provided next to the toilet… David just laughs at me…
So, after a great dinner of chicken noodle packet soup, vino tinto, toast and an avocado with onion mix I’m getting good at making we are happy to tidy up and call it a night. Looking forward to the beachside camping experience and saying goodnight to the million and one dogs we have attracted throughout the night off we go into our cosy warm sleeping bags.
As the night progresses I wake to the itchiest feelings on my hands, fingers, face and neck. Midges or sand flies as they may be called here. To us in Australia we know them as bloody midges……. I wake David who is already awake and having the same itchy feelings. No tent = no protection against these insect critters I had no idea they would be here in South America. Call me naive, silly or whatever but I didn’t even think of them as being a problem. I think I was so caught up in the whole camping on the beach with no tent thing it just slipped my mind… So, for the remainder of the night David and I slept (well-tried to sleep anyway) in a cocoon with our sleeping bag liners over our entire bodies and heads.
Waking early the next morning for the big day riding we had ahead of us I was covered in welted red itchy marks on my face, neck and arms from these damn sand flies. I think David came off best… So, Feeling like the Elephant Man I get dressed, have my morning coffee and off we go to Bahia Inglesa….
