Trekking through Chilean Patagonia
A Patagonian road sign savvy to current trends in Latin American politics
After a tedious sixteen hour bus ride across bleak landscapes, dealing with border controls, a short ferry ride and stopping at every nowhere outpost en-route for food we finally made it into Puerto Natales, a very weird little port town on the Chilean side of Patagonia. It was not the best introduction to Chile, and when I went to find my mate Adam who I´d met back in Ushuaia, I found him on the verge of mental breakdown from arriving in the town a couple days earlier. Honestly, it was all a little bit too like Royston Vasey for my liking.
We made our plans for hiking in the Torres del Paine national park the very same day, got everything booked and ensured his mental well-being by heading off early the next morning. We had four beautul days of trekking and camping in one the most beautiful places I´ve ever been. We saw glaciers of blue ice, snow-capped mountains with the strangest formations and lakes of the brightest most unearthly blue. I can say little else right now as we only returned last night and got on a bus to get the hell out of Puerto Natales first thing this morning, so the brain is not firing on all cylinders right now.
We´re back on the Argentinian side again now in a place called Calafate, and should be here for close to a week, so my next objective (after getting thoroughly pissed for Adams birthday tonight) is to try to sort out getting photos back on here as they tell the story of these places so much better than I can.
At long last, some photos (more being added to previous entries in the coming week):
Day 1: The brooding beauty of Glacier Grey (Torres del Paine)
Day 2: The weird blue waters of Lake Pehoe (Torres del Paine)
Day 2: View of Valley Frances (Torres del Paine)
Day 2: View from Camp Italiano (Torres del Paine)
Day 3: Lake near the final campsite (Torres del Paine)
Day 4: View of the towers on the final day (Torres del Paine)
Tags: Chile, Patagonia, South America, Torres del Paine, Travel
Ed
enjoying the pictures no end, keep ’em coming. Where’re you off to next?
Yes, it`s altogether better with pictures, I finally sorted out my old Flickr account.
Just been to see a big glacier which was, well, big I guess. Hanging around now on the Argentinian side before getting a boat through Chile for 3 or 4 days through the ice fields and fjords – promises to be good.
Just caught up with your travels…the stones gig must have been something else!
Excellent pics…i’ll have to check back more regularly.
Cheers
Tan
that is some truly beutiful scenery ed
Cheers Tan and John, the scenery really is so good that it would be difficult to take a crap photo. I`m trying to go back and add some photos to previous entries,even if they`re just from other people`s ones on FLickr.com as I had some gaps, particularly in Brazil, so it will be worth trawling back through the previous few months soon for some photos.
WOW!!! all looks so beautiful. Far more interesting than the April Showers and grey skies that is currently my view!
Jenna returns for 6 months in Thailand in 2 weeks!! Seems like only yesterday that my travelling friends flew the nest, and now I get one of them back!! Whoo-hoo!
Hope all is physically and mentally well with you.
I’m off to London for a few days, bet you’re jealous huh? All that smog, tube delays, and yuppie wankers! Wish you were here doncha?
Exx
Well there´s certainly no smog, tube delays or yuppie wankers here, but grey skies and April showers are, but then it is autumn here in this upside-down world.
You bastard. Your pictures and travel log are making it harder than it already is to go to work…and not somewhere in Soth America.
Looks amazing
Love the Patagonian road sign
When are you back in Blighty?
Patagonia was a definite highlight of the trip.
I´m due back mid-august at the moment, but will extend it if I can afford to by a couple weeks more as I´ve spent too many weeks hanging around in the south of Peru and fucked my rough schedule up somewhat.
I hope all is good in your world. I´ll see you in a couple months.