Blue lake and marble Buenos Aires - General Carrera Province

• Azure lake and marble Buenos Aires - General Carrera Province

This is one of the largest lakes in South America. Its turquoise expanse spread to nearly two thousand square kilometers. The wide and spacious in the east, and squeezed between the rocky ridges of the Andes in the west, the lake is divided between the two countries is about half and double name. Slightly more than half lies on the Chilean territory, and called after one of the founding fathers of Chile, General José Miguel Carrera. Slightly less same half belongs Argentina and is called lake Buenos Aires.

See the smooth surface of the Patagonian lakes, probably almost impossible. The excitement is always there, Patagonia - edge windy. A lake Buenos Aires inhabiting these places Tehuelche Indians even called "chelengk" which means "Lake of the Storm."

The border between Argentina and Chile is held here on Heynemini river. A little further along the road to the east lies the settlement Chile Chico. And just outside the village - the road, for the umpteenth time becomes dirt and begins to climb in the mountains, offering to go and meander with high gradients.

The road number 275 along Lake General Carrera Province, probably one of the worst roads that I had to drive the car. This, of course, the classic mountain road when the left the mountain, on the right break. But on the edge of the cliff no hint of a fence, sometimes it does not even create the illusion of a barrier of bushes, and the track width is often not imply the possibility of siding with a counter.

Plus primer, together with minibus loaded with a high center of gravity and rear-wheel drive self-confidence is not added. And although the Chileans are driven here quite vigorously, to check their driving and car technical capabilities in such circumstances, the desire not to occur, so the traffic was slow and stop.

A stop was for what. Impressions from the surrounding landscape, no less than by driving on a local road.

In twenty kilometers from Chile Chico on the shore of Lake General Carrera Province lies melenko lake Laguna Verde.

Along the road there are freely grazing horses.

Tiny estancia, which hosts the herds of horses, and probably belong.

The wind over the lake walks strongest.

Such that knocks down, and does not allow to open the car door.

A 275-I road more and more terrible winds along the lake.

But where it does not stop, is a kind of one is better than another.

Finally, after 115 kilometers, the road leads to the intersection of El Maite. Here 275th road meets with the famous Carretera Austral.

Carretera Austral or national highway №7 - is a grand construction project era of Augusto Pinochet, designed to connect the central regions of Chile with Southern without crossing the border with Argentina. The road was built by the Chilean Army. Chile's territory is difficult to master, rugged terrain is not conducive to simplification of road construction, the price of the construction was very high, and after the departure of Pinochet construction withered. Now the road connects the town of Puerto Montt to the village of Villa O'Higgins, and to extend it through the mountains, fjords and glaciers in the province of Magallanes is very difficult and expensive. Although they say that the design is carried out and, perhaps, by the middle of this century Carretera Austral connects Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. In the meantime, even on the final stretch of highway sites unfinished, and the road surface on the greater part of it is still the same ground.

On the eastern shore of Lake General Carrera Province, near the village of Puerto Rio Tranquilo located peninsula, which rocks consist entirely of marble.

Century water erosion created a crystalline carbonate rocks standing in the water of calcium what is today called the Marble Cathedral.

Marble Cathedral is accessible only from the water, a boat, and from a distance it looks a bit shabby cliffs - simple gray rocks jutting out over the azure surface of the lake.

But it is necessary to come closer, and gaze opened dozens of caverns, caves and passages, washed with water in the interior of blue and pink marble.

Some of the caverns allow boat vplyt inside.

Marble rocks and caves can be seen in Russia, in Karelia, in Ruskeala, but there they are in a straight line, the artificial and the natural beauty here.

No architect talented nature.

Passing Puerto Río Tranquilo, Carretera Austral some time leads to the north of the lake, then starts to wind through the valley of one of the many rivers flowing down from the icecap of the surrounding peaks, and turning to the east, winds along the river Baker, connecting Lake General Carrera Province with the Pacific ocean. Dead trees along the river, apparently the consequences of what happened in 1991 eruption, which sits near the Hudson volcano. That eruption was considered the second largest in the twentieth century.

Carretera Austral leads to another national park Cerro Castillo and finally becomes asphalt. Sun wane and gold mountain tops. Park will pass without stopping, night falls, and to warm the bed in Coihaique another hundred kilometers.