Sometime toward the end of this crazy adventure, I made the decision that I would not leave the region without having done at least one of two things: visit Machu Picchu or visit Patagonia. Patagonia quickly became the likely candidate while considering the state of my finances. Unfortunately, it also meant that I was invariably going to be visiting toward the beginning of winter. If Patagonia is known for anything, it's the inhospitable climate that people have inexplicably endured for many, many years. Every website and forum I looked through mentioned the freight train wind, the deluges of rain, and the piles of snow. In fact, I was fairly anxious prior to my trip due not only to my typical pre-trip jitters, but also to the images of the apocalyptic weather I thought I was going to have to suffer through.
I had a conversation with my friend, Boris, a couple months before I left for Patagonia. He had just returned from Patagonia and I asked, "Will I be able to camp and hike when I go at the end of May?" He replied, "If you want to die!" Then he started laughing maniacally. "Well," I said to myself, "I guess that's not an option."
Luckily, it didn't turn out nearly as bad as I thought it would. However, the first two days I was there it did not stop raining. I flew into Punta Arenas early in the morning and soon fell asleep after arriving at my hostel. The first day I spent exploring the city with my umbrella in hand. From the multitude of restaurants and bars, I was able to get a sense of how bustling the city must be during high season between November and March. Since it was raining and low season, though, the city was practically a ghost town. I stepped into one of the only local restaurants that looked open on that rainy Sunday and had my favorite Chilean dish (cazuela) along with a beer.
Afterwards, I walked along the coast and looked towards the ocean. It was hard to believe how "close" I was to Antarctica. It did feel like the end of the world...in a way.
The next day, I took a bus to Puerto Natales which is farther north. My hostel was practically empty except for one other visitor and the owner. The next day there was drizzle and I walked around the town and along the coast. The next day it snowed all day long. Finally realizing there is not much to do in Puerto Natales itself, I scheduled myself in for a day-long tour for Torres del Paine National Park. Torres del Paine is the sine qua non of Patagonia. It's a gigantic national park and without a doubt one of the biggest tourist draws in South America. Any descriptions would not do it justice so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves (above). The snow made everything seem so serene and majestic, but I would have really liked to have been able to camp and hike there.
The day after I returned to Punta Arenas and decided to take a ferry across the strait to Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire). Unfortunately, because of the ferry schedule, I only had a little time to spend in Porvenir, a little town on the coast of Tierra Del Fuego. The wind was bitingly cold - even colder than Punta Arenas for God knows what reason. I could tell why they call it the land of fire from looking at the outlying land of the city. It looked like all the hills had been scorched by fire. Very desolate in a beautiful kind of way (which is also an apt description for much of what I saw of Patagonia.)
Afterwards, I spent one more night in Punta Arenas and the next morning took my flight back to Santiago. As a result of the weather and it being low season, I don't think I got the full Patagonian experience, but I am sure glad I went. Torres del Paine was the worth the entire trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment