Torres del Paine, Chile

So while I was in Punta Arenas, I wanted to go check out the penguin colonies I read about. Like most things around Punta Arenas, you pretty much need a tour if you don’t have a car. So I went to the agency, which I loathe doing, but anyways, they told me most of the penguins had left the area by the end of March. The alternative tours were to go to an old fort on the coast 30 mi away or take a full day tour of Torres del Paine national park. Originally I never planned to go the park cause I figured I can’t see everything (and every gringo I met went there), but it just worked out. In the end, although pricey, it was worth it as usual.

Anyways, they picked me up at 6am, and we drove 3 hours first to the town of Puerto Natales, set on a beautiful lake in the mountains. The town isn't much, though. Then, after another hour of driving, we arrived at the park, with a whopping entrance fee of $30 for non Chileans. It was dirt roads for the next 10 hours or so.

The view from the waterfront in Puerto Natales:


First we went to this huge cave that had been created by the recession of a glacier and subsequent crashing of waves when the lake formed, thousands of years ago. There was lots of fossilized evidence of this giant prehistoric creature there. Humans probably didn’t inhabit it that much because they liked smaller caves.

The cave:


We proceeded for a few hours, stopping here and there, and went to a beach, where we broke and were able to walk independently finally. First we walked along the beach, bordering a lake with a glacier in the distance (and the torres del paine mountains in the foreground) and large ice cubes floating around. Then, through a small hilly island peninsula that gave us some more cool views. It was pretty cold and windy, but nothing like a Chicago winter. I guess Patagonia can’t compete with that.

Spend the rest of the day driving amongst the dirt roads, stopping, seeing incredible views of mountains and lakes, catching some wild llamas here and there, large wild birds occasionally, waterfalls, and in general pretty impressive scenery. Got back at midnight, crashed promptly, and woke up the next morning to the guy in the room next door dying (the outcome to that was not discovered before I left Punta Arenas).


The beach:


Some nice ice cubes:


The towers in torres del paine:


Plenty of these guys grazing in the mountains:

Punta Arenas, Part 2 (Partly not a pleasant blog)

So when I arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, on Saturday evening, I showed up at the hostel I had booked, which actually ended up being a B & B, and they said I didn’t have a reservation…Great. I pulled up my email to show her my confirmation, and suprisingly I was atually correct. She then told me her internet was down the past few days…duh that must be why you didnt get my reservation. Anyways, I booked 1 person for a ‘shared double’ which I thought was just a dorm room. She told me that normally I would have to double the price if I was taking the room alone, but I think since there was nobody else there, she agreed to the original price.

Anyways, it was nice to finally have a real bed. Not a 4 or 6 person bunk room, not a mattress, couch, or air mattress, but my own room with a really nice bed. I booked a tour to Torres del Paine the next day. I’ll talk about that some other time. Came back Sunday night from the tour at 1130 dead, fell asleep. Woke up at 7am to moans and grunts from the room next door through the paper thin walls. After 5 minutes, I deduced it was the grandpa of the house (as the whole dang family lives here, it’s really like I’m living with them), and he was in pain.

This proceeded for 20 minutes, with a few people going in and out, at which point I should have got up and left. Then, I heard the footsteps and voices of even more people, mostly family I figured. Then I began to hear the more official voices of a man and woman in the room telling him what to do. So at this point, I figured this guy was dying or he was in surgery. I heard what I thought were plastic wrapped bags of tools opened, and tool bags being set down. So then it got pretty chaotic, and here I am, awkwardly listening to it all from my room next door, with everyone outside the room. I put my earplugs in and hoped it would end soon.…certainly did not want to walk out into a frantic group of family members and say hello in my pjs. They must have given him some morphine because his painful grunts started to subside. Finally, at 745, the shuffling of all the feet at once passed by the room, coupled with phrases like ‘Zapatillos, zapatillos!’ and I concluded they were carrying him out. Thankfully, for me, I did not have to sit awkwardly in my room awaiting a good time to leave for hours upon end.

Later, I was talking to the grandma (while she chopped up a lamb with a hack saw at about 9am), and she said he had a terminal cancerous tumor...

Anyways, I actually like Punta Arenas, contrary to what I heard about it before. It's on the Straight of Magellan. All the houses & roofs are different colors, very bright. There aren't really any tall building, its just kind of a port town. Plus, I saw some wild emu's on the bus ride into here, and you can't beat wild Emu/Ostrich sightings.

Straight of Magellan:


Punta Arenas house:


Overlooking Punta Arenas & the Straight:


Pink house Green Trimming, Red house red roof:


Punta Arenas, Chile, Again:


Part of the bus ride to Punta Arenas, following the Patagonian Peninsula:

Punta Arenas, Part 1

Here in Punta Arenas, Chile, since Saturday. Heading to Ushuaia (Argentina) tomorrow (Tuesday), for a bit. There I´ll have to make the executive decision to fly back to Buenos Aires or take busses and stop along they way. Patagonia, you are very beautiful and impressive, but my wallet does not like you at all.

Huzzah for couchsurfing in Ushuaia for the next few days with a 55 year old mom and her family! Who says you have to be in your 20s to be on couchsurfing!