I feel like I'm hemorrhaging money right now. I've been paying for special tours, bus tickets, and other extravagant things, and I hope they're all worth it! Today, I booked a spot on the Cruce del Lagos, which is a boat and bus trip that goes from Puerto Varas, where I am now, to the town of Bariloche in Argentina, crossing a few lakes that are otherwise fairly inaccessible. It costs $140, which seems a little ridiculous for what it is--just a 12-hour trip of buses and boats--but it's supposed to be really beautiful, and I'm slowing down a day in order to take the trip on Wednesday, when the weather is supposed to be better. Once I arrive in Bariloche, I'm signed up for a 4-day tour through a really isolated stretch of southern Argentine Patagonia that will cost just under $300.

I've also recently booked a bunch of accommodations online for the holidays, as well as a $60 hotel room in Panama City for my layover there on the way back to the States. None of it is really unreasonable or unexpected, but it's a lot of money to be spending all at once! To balance things out, I'm staying in hostels where I can use the kitchen, and I'm eating a lot of avocado sandwiches. I'm staying in a nice hostel right now, but in a shared room, which is a good thing, because that's where I met a girl from Canada that I'm hanging out with tonight!

I'm still stressed about fitting everything in between here and Ushuaia, but I really want to get all the way to Tierra del Fuego (where Ushuaia is), and I'm having a hard time cutting out anything else. I hope it'll all work out. Tomorrow I'm taking a bus/ferry to the island of Chiloe, where I'll spend two nights. It sounds like the culture there is pretty unique to this small area of Chile, and there are also some dramatic beaches along the west coast where I hope to do a little hiking. The seafood's also supposed to be great! I'm also really liking Puerto Varas, where I am now. It's set on a lake that I can't remember how to spell right now, and it's a beautiful spot--exactly how I pictured the Lake District, and it's nice to see that dream come to fruition. There are a few volcanoes across the lake, but I have yet to see them. It's finally clearing up a bit, so hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow. The trip here was really scenic as well, and the weather kept alternating between sun and pouring rain--seemed exactly as it should be as I get closer to Patagonia!