Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip (each photo is a thumbnail linked to a higher quality picture.):
36) Lago Mascardi (Mascardi Lake), Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - Water was the theme of the day. We got up early only to see overcast skies out the window. We hastily ate our (included) breakfast at the hotel and then returned to the room to layer up for another day outdoors. However, this one wouldn’t be a big hike but was instead an all day adventure on Lake Mascardi about 30 minutes to the south of Bariloche. Our guide Julian and driver/guide trainee Nico arrived right on time and loaded us into a van. As we drove out of town a light sprinkle began and, as it would turn out, was with us for the rest of the day. Sometimes a light rain, sometimes just a mist but even as we went to bed that night it was still sprinkling outside. Fortunately, our adventure for the day was a sea-kayaking trip so being wet wasn’t a big deal. The temperature being in the 40s started to become an issue in the afternoon but I’ll get to that in a future picture description. We drove into the national park entrance and had to pay a per person entrance fee ($6.50/each) and then we drove on a gravel road around the southern edge of the lake to a big campground about 4 miles in. Contrasting with the snow all around us were the gorgeous spring flowers that were popping out all around the campground.
37) Lago Mascardi (Mascardi Lake), Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - Here the guides had a stash of kayaks which we put into the lake on the campground shore. The late season snow and recent rain raised the water level in the lake about a meter which flooded out a lot of the shoreline. Bad for campgrounds but convenient for putting kayaks in the water. We had two double kayaks - one for Jonna and I and one for Jamie and Nico. Julian, the guide, had a solo. We loaded up with gear. I was already wearing a base layer, a shirt and a jacket. On top of that was a water-proof jacket, a spray skirt for the sit-in kayak and then a flotation vest on top of that. I wore a base layer on my legs and hiking pants. For shoes we had water booties. Finally, I topped it off with a wide brimmed rain hat and sunglasses. I also woke paddling gloves and we had mitts that fit over the paddle and went nearly up to the elbow. We were definitely equipped for the conditions.
38) Lago Mascardi (Mascardi Lake), Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - The great thing about the weather conditions is that it literally kept everyone else away. Lake Mascardi is huge and we had it to ourselves! As we paddled out we immediately started to see water fowl. Apparently this part of the park is home to something like 150 bird species and Julian also leads bird watching tours so he was quick to point out and describe the various species. Unfortunately, I can't remember any of them but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
39) Lago Mascardi (Mascardi Lake), Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - We paddled for a little over an hour out to Isla Corazon (Heart Island) which is part way up the northwestern arm of the lake. The "v" of the heart (when seen from above) is a gorgeous little bay - very shallow and the water is as blue and clear as tinted glass. We could see huge trout swimming by the boats as well as a variety of underwater plants. We glided along in silence enjoying all the beauty around us. Only the tap-tap of rain drops on my hat could be heard. It was so incredibly peaceful. What I haven’t described yet were the surroundings. Lake Mascardi is completely encircled by mountains and for 3/4 of the encirclement it is the snow-covered Andes. There is a glacier (Tronador) just 10 miles to the west but closer mountains (and clouds) obscured it. But the mountains that come right down to the shore of the lake are stunning - big hulking granite pyramids covered in snow looming over our heads. The lower portions of the mountains and the shoreline of the lake are a thick almost-jungle rainforest with granite shelves and cliffs in places. The trees hanging out over the like are covered in lichens and have stringy moss hanging from the branches. Truly a breathtaking environment. After visiting Heart Island we turned back and had another hour paddle back towards our put in point.
40) Lago Mascardi (Mascardi Lake), Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - There was a single pebble beach that protruded high enough to be partially out of the high water so we beached there to have lunch. Julian and Nico pulled out a table, chairs, cutlery, beer and wine (which we didn’t partake of), a bread basket, a selection of grilled meats, three different kinds of quiches, a green salad and much more. It was an impressive spread. We ate, in the light rain, while enjoying the most amazing scenery and with wild geese and ducks swimming 30 feet away. Periodically, some giant trout would surface in front of us showing off its dorsal and tail fins. It was natural splendor at its finest. The downside to resting rather than paddling was the cold temperature. My core body temperature plummeted when the very light breeze hit my wet clothes. By the time we finished our meal we were shivering and practically raced to get back into all the water-proof gear and back to paddling so we could generate some body heat. As a result we skipped most of the desert tray which had a variety of cake and cookie options. Fortunately, 15 minutes of paddling started to warm me back up. We got back to the campground about 30 minutes after lunch and were able to get changed into dry clothes and sit in a heated van to get us all back to proper body temperature.
41) Rio Manso, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - Julian said the day usually ends with a nature walk along the river that exits the lake. I think he expected us to pass on going back out in the rain but we all started to pull out our hiking rain jackets and said "Lets go". The walk wasn’t very long just a 1/2 mile to where the river empties into the next lake, Laguna Los Moscos. The trail normally makes a loop around Los Moscos but the high water had flooded it out meaning we had to turn back. However, the short hike along Rio Manso was stunning.
42) Rio Manso, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park), Bariloche, Argentina, November 6, 2023 - The water was a striking color of blue due to its glacial origin and the river bed contained granite shelves that was almost white which made the color of the water even brighter. It was like watching a river full of Listerine and the rapids sections were just surreal to see such blue water splashing and foaming. We retraced out track to the van and loaded up for the return drive to Bariloche. We got back late afternoon and practically collapsed into the hotel room. We spent about an hour before we had the energy to walk three blocks to pick up some laundry we’d dropped off after yesterday’s hike. Jonna and I immediately returned to the hotel room to pack our bags to prep for tomorrow’s travel while Jamie went for a walk around town. He’d gotten the heartbreaking news that his dog Bella, one of the sweetest dogs ever, had been diagnosed with a fast growing throat cancer back home and needed to be euthanized. It is such a sad situation and Jamie wanted some time to process his loss. We all gathered again to go out for a light dinner - something we found just half a block away at a natural food restaurant called Chimi. Delicious food and a fruit drink that I could easily get addicted to (kiwi, strawberry, mint, orange juice, grapefruit juice and a dried, spiced orange slice). After dinner we called it a night, returning to the hotel to shower and finish packing all the clothes we’d hung up to dry when we got back from the kayaking excursion.
43) Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass, Puyehue, Chile, November 7, 2023 - This write-up will be pretty boring because today was a long travel day so feel free to skip it. The plan when we booked our trip was to spend today doing a complex but supposedly incredibly scenic series of lake ferries and buses to go over the Andes from Argentina to Chile. Unfortunately, the same late season storms that covered the mountains with so much snow also washed out the remote Paso Pérez Rosales border crossing. With the Andean Lake Crossing no longer an option we had to re-route which meant taking a tourist bus over Paso Cardenal Antonio Samoré. This meant eight hours in a big coach bus. Bummer. Nonetheless, we were troopers. We got up early, grabbed our last breakfast at the hotel in Bariloche and then schlepped our bags the five blocks to the bus pick-up location. Being cautious travelers we got there 15 minutes early. The pick-up was in front of the company’s office but they were closed so we just piled our bags together and waited. At 8am, the scheduled departure time there was no bus but there was a light sprinkle of rain starting. We waited. About 10 after an employee showed up and confirmed that the bus would be arriving in a minute. Other travelers were arriving at this point and all the meager space under overhanging roofs and signs were taken. We waited. At 8:30 two buses arrived and most of the other people waiting were called onto those but no one had us listed. At 8:45 Jonna headed down the block to use the wifi at a McDonalds to try to call the tour company that arranged our last minute bus tickets. Finally, at 8:55am the bus pulled up and did a rush load. Jonna and Jamie were both away when it arrived but I was able to signal them to return quickly so we were all able to catch the bus. We settled into seats and the bus rolled out of town. For 2 hours we made a big loop around Lake Nahuel Huapi before arriving at the Argentinian border station. We were stamped out of Argentina and then started the one hour drive over the Andes. The scenery was immediately stunning - climbing up into the peaks. Unfortunately, as we neared Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass we went up into the clouds that had been dropping rain all morning which meant we didn’t get the supposedly amazing panoramic views when the bus stopped at the pass overlook. We braved the sleet and took a couple of quick photos before retreating back to the dry bus. The drop down on the Chilean side was even more beautiful as the west side of the mountains was dense jungle (technically called a Bolivian Jungle for a reason I never learned.) We then made another stop at the Chilean border where we were stamped into Chile and our luggage was thoroughly sniffed by very cute golden retriever.
44) Route-215, Puyehue, Chile, November 7, 2023 - Back into the bus we went down onto the Chilean coastal plain which is their lakes district. At first this area was gorgeous as well with giant waterfalls gushing down off the high plateau and into Lake Puyehue. We stopped in at a roadside restaurant in Entre Lagos for a mediocre lunch (a three option pre-ordered menu served to all 25 or so passengers) and then changed over to a new bus operated by a Chilean tour company. We then continued east and the landscape gradually changed into rolling lush green hills filled with farms and ranches. It was lovely and the traffic was light but after 7 hours I was checking out at this point. If I could sleep sitting upright I would have but instead I zombie’d out. We finally arrived in Puerto Varas at 5pm and then had to endure a little more chaos as the tour company had to figure out how to get all the bus passengers to different hotels spread all over town. I think the bus driver was refusing to deliver - maybe because it was a big bus on small roads or maybe because we were an hour late. A van was called and was going to make multiple runs. Fortunately, we were picked to go first so we didn’t have to sit around the tourist office for another hour which I suspect some of the other passengers had to do. Our hotel was cute but a little ways out of town. It was along a section of stone beach on the south shore of Lago Llanquihue. We checked in and then immediately went out to walk the neighborhood. About six blocks away we found a little burger restaurant where we grabbed a quick dinner. Then we had a nice long walk along the shore of the lake. There are two big volcanos to the west of the lake but both were covered in clouds tonight. We spent the next few days playing hide-and-seek with them.
45) Parque Nacional Alerce Andino (Alerce Andino National Park), Lenca, Chile, November 8, 2023 - Chile is a very narrow country in this region - with less than 100 miles spanning the Andes Mountains in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. In this area the Bolivian jungle merges with the coastal rainforest and runs right to the edge of the ocean. A rare, slow-growing, long-living tree - the Alerce - is found here. It is now believed that the Alerce is the oldest tree in the world surpassing the Bristlecone Pines of the western US. There are a few national parks in this region created to protect these trees and their environment and we visited one of them. We got up early, had a modest breakfast at the hotel and were picked up at 9am by Luis, a guide with LS Travel. We needed box lunches for our day long adventure so Luis gave us a driving tour of Puerto Varas while a deli whipped up our food. We picked up our bagged sandwiches and started the hour long drive south-west through Puerto Montt and then up into the rainforest that grows outside the fishing village of Lenca. The park is a humble recreation area with a small parking lot and only a single ranger on duty. When we pulled in and parked there was a tiny grey fox begging for food in the parking lot. Incredibly cute but heartbreaking that it is so accustomed, and probably dependent, on handouts from tourists. There was also a bus unloading a group of students so we hustled to get on the trail ahead of them. The rainforest was amazing from the first step out of the parking lot. It is a lot like the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. Just a massive organic sponge. Every living thing is growing on some other living thing and had other smaller living things growing on it. You step back to see the macro view and then go to a tree trunk to get the micro view and it looks basically the same. From trees to ferns to micro-algae it is a multi-layered world painted with every variation of green possible.
46) Parque Nacional Alerce Andino (Alerce Andino National Park), Lenca, Chile, November 8, 2023 - We hiked the Salto Río Chaicas trail which runs along the Chaicas River. There was a constant chatter or birds and the croak of frogs, mixed with the sounds of the rushing river and the drip-drip of water out of the forest. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining and the sun was threatening to break through the clouds as we hiked in. The same snow and rain that have been flooding Argentina on the other side of the Andes has also fallen here so in places the trail was covered by pools of water and in many places had been turned into soft, squishy mud.
47) Parque Nacional Alerce Andino (Alerce Andino National Park), Lenca, Chile, November 8, 2023 - After a brief photo stop along the side of the river we hiked all the way to Salto Río Chaicas - a decent waterfall that was crashing through a narrow gap in some hard rock. Luis, the guide, said he hadn’t seen it rushing with this much water in at least 20 years! At the waterfall the trail turned into a wooden boardwalk with a long flight of stairs climbing up the hillside out of the river valley.
48) Parque Nacional Alerce Andino (Alerce Andino National Park), Lenca, Chile, November 8, 2023 - At the top of the stairs was an Alerce tree - Alerce Milenario. This particular tree is a little over 3.000 years old. It is similar to a Giant Sequoia but smaller. It is still a big tree but more the size of a Coastal Redwood while having the distinctive shape of the Sequoia. It was a beautiful tree and Luis explained that the wood of these trees was prized by European settlers because it is such a dense grain making it a very hard wood and mostly water proof. As a result most of them were cut down at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries which is why they are protected today. Literally as we were looking up at this majestic giant the clouds separated and the sun shown down lighting up the whole tree. Stunning! We had our lunch at the base of the tree and then headed back as the school kids caught up to us. Thankfully, the sun stayed out so for our hike back to the trailhead we got to see the rainforest with rays of sunshine spearing down through the canopy. We got back in Luis’ car and then he gave us a quick driving tour of Puerto Montt including a stop at a viewpoint up on a hill overlooking the city.
49) Roadside market, Puerto Montt, Chile, November 8, 2023 - Strawberries are a speciality of this area so as we started back to Puerto Varas we stopped at a farm-stand to buy a kilo of fresh berries for a snack. Delicious! Luis dropped us off at our hotel and we took some time to relax, shower and check email. Jamie went our for a run and when he got back we headed to a combo Thai-Middle Eastern restaurant, Zaatar, that we had spotted on last night’s walk. It turned out to be excellent with a nice ambiance, good food and killer music. We opted not to partake in the hookahs. There are two tall, snow-covered volcanos just to the northeast of Puerto Varas - Volcán Osorno and Volcán Calbuco. Both were completely covered by clouds yesterday but as we walked back from dinner, with the sun setting to the west, the clouds parted and we got a glimpse of them both. A fine way to end our day!
50) Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - After going, going, going we finally had a day off. Technically, this was a travel day but our flight was at 9pm so we had the bulk of the day to do whatever we wanted. ...and what do we do when we are in a new city? We walk! We got up early, again had the meager breakfast at the hotel and then laced up our walking shoes. We checked out of our room and put our luggage in their storage room. We had a transfer to the airport scheduled for 6pm which meant we had a long day to explore the area. Our hotel in Puerto Varas was just a couple of blocks from the shore of Lake Llanquihue so our first direction was to get over to the path that runs along the lake. For the previous day the two big volcanos across the lake were covered by clouds but this morning there were few clouds and we could get glimpses of the whole shape of the mountains but there were still scattered clouds floating by. We decided to start by walking along the lake path into the town of Puertos Varas.
51) Museo Pablo Fierro, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - Along the way we passed Museo Pablo Fierro which looked interesting but didn’t open until 11am (and, we’d read online, is rather unpredictable whether it is open at all on any given day.)
52) La Puntilla, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - We continued along the lake to a scenic overlook with a somewhat haphazard memorial to the streamship Santa Rosa which sank in the lake in 1958. The remains were dredged up and deposited on the shore of the lake along with a plaque to explain the pile of rusted steel. We walked past the main tourist plaza and continued on the lake path to another park on the other side of town which has a huge statue of a woman looking out on the volcanoes.
53) Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - From there we walked back to the plaza and then walked up and down the grid of streets downtown checking out the buildings, a handicraft market and some of the stores. After an hour we started to work our way back to the lake path. On the edge of downtown we stopped at a hotel cafe to enjoy a cup of tea and admire the view of the volcanoes. The clouds were thinning as the day progressed which provided a more and more splendid view each hour. We headed back to the funky museum but it was still closed despite being after 11. We chose to go past the hotel and continue along the lake to the end of a long, narrow beach.
54) Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - It was warm enough locals were sun bathing and a few brave souls were playing in the water. Brrrr.
55) Galería Bosque Nativo, Puerto Varas, Chile, November 9, 2023 - We also stopped in at a small art gallery which focues on indigenous artists. Some interesting work and a cute gallery space. It was afternoon so we backtracked to the hotel and paid for lunch at their cafe. My veggie burger was mediocre but Jonna and Jamie enjoyed their food. Jonna and Jamie had gotten online and scheduled massages at a nearby spa so after lunch they took off while I hung out in the hotel’s lounge listening to podcasts, using wifi and recharging my various devices. Jonna got back after a couple of hours so she and I walked back over to the nearby museum and were surprised to find it open. It was free and funky but I was still a little disappointed with it. The architecture was amazing - homemade, Escher-esque and creative. But the cluttered decoration inside lacked either the aesthetic appeal of individual items or the interesting chaos of an overwhelming collection. Still, better than sitting at the hotel. We got back, Jamie returned from his massage and the driver arrived all in quick succession. The drive to the airport, which was halfway in between Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, was smooth. We got checked in, got through security and then grabbed food at the one restaurant that was open in the airport (but only had a few items available off their menu.) The flight was on-time but 9pm is a late flight even when on schedule. The sun sets late in the southern hemisphere so once we were up in the air we had a colorful sky over the Pacific Ocean to the west and spectacular sunlit snow-covered mountains to the east. It was a 2 hour flight and we had great views for over half of it. The wheels hit the runway in Punta Arenas at 11:30pm but our hotel for the night was in Puerto Natales - two and a half hours drive north. We got our luggage found our driver and then went full zombie in the back of his van. Jonna and Jamie dozed while I stared out the window at the incredible starry night. It is always a surprise to see familiar constellations but upside down! The driver kept his foot on the accelerator and we pulled up at the hotel a little before 2am. The hotel clerk had stayed up to check us in - that’s dedication. I couldn’t even stay awake long enough to set out my clothes for the next day.
56) Mirador Lago Sarmiento, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - What a visually spectacular day! The scenery in Torres del Paine is just splendid and we spent most of the day right in the middle of it. However, let’s start with the bad news. After our 2am arrival at the hotel we hurried to go to sleep but it was still 2:30 or 3 am before we were actually dozing off. The alarm that went off at 6am was definitely not appreciated but it gave us enough time to get dressed, grab a quick bite at the hotel breakfast and get to the lobby just as our 7am ride arrived. Nearly everything on this trip is a private tour but going into the most popular national park in Chile requires doing so on an organized tour so we were the first aboard a bus that was eventually a group of 14. Normally, we would all be disappointed to be on a group bus tour but after only a few hours sleep just veg’ing out while the scenery rolled past the window seemed like a pretty appealing option. Our tour guide and the bus driver from Planet Patagonia were experienced guides and did a good job for the whole day. The north-eastern entrance to the national park is about 2 hours from Puerto Natales and the scenery is nice the whole drive. First through big, lush ranches and then driving north with the spectacular Paines Range to the west. These are young, jagged mountains covered with snow and glaciers. They look similar to the Canadian Rockies for folks who have been to Banff or Jasper.
57) Route Y-150, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - What is different are the animals. Almost immediately we started seeing Guanacos - they are as common in this area as antelope are in the western basin of the US. We also started seeing Andean Condors flying over the lower hills. Such huge birds which look very graceful as they glide on the thermals rising off the hills.
58) Mirador Lago Amarga, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - The next distinctive feature were all the lakes. Even before we entered the park we stopped at two different scenic overlooks above lakes with the Paine Range as a backdrop. Gorgeous! One of these lakes has a high pH level and evaporation leaves a rim of dissolved minerals around the shore - kind of like Mono Lake in California.
59) Mirador Lago Amarga, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - There was a flock of Pink Flamingoes wading in the shallows which made for a very pretty sight.
60) Mirador Lago Nordenskjold, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - When we got to the park boundary we had to stop and pay a per-person entry fee. Thankfully, the entry ticket is good for three days so this would also cover our coming back into the park the next day. (The fee was around $28/each.) The route through the park ran along the southern edge of the core mountains of the park where a series of lakes have formed along the river that forms as the five glaciers in the park melt. The Rio Paine drops through these lakes before flowing out of the park to the south. The main road is the park basically follows this drainage and this was the bulk of our trip. The area to the south east is Puma habitat but sadly we didn’t spot any of the elusive cats. We stopped at a half dozen different overlooks as we moved west and then south along the lakes.
61) Mirador Salto Grande, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - We stopped along the stunning Lago Nordenskjöld where we did a short hike to the Salto Grande (waterfall).
62) Mirador Salto Grande, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - This glacial water is perfect turquoise blue and it tumbles down a series of cascades before reaching the proper drop of the waterfall. It is so blue it is surreal. And the mountains are equally striking looming overhead. I hate to keep using the word spectacular but here the shoe fits!
63) Route Y-150, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - While we didn't spot any pumas while in the park we were constantly seeing guanacos, as well as lots of different species of birds.
64) Mirador Lago Grey, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - Our next major stop was at Lago Grey which offers a distant view of the Grey Glacier on the opposite side of the lake. Some big (like 3 story high!) chunks of ice that had calved off the glacier had floated across the lake and beached themselves on our side of the lake. As with all glacial ice it was a beautiful color of blue as well. We went into Hotel Grey and got a table near the glass wall of their cafe where we could eat lunch while staring out at the ice, the lake and the distant wall of the glacier face. The food wasn’t special but the view was fantastic. After lunch we were back on the bus and headed south to eventually leave the park. We stopped a few more times at lake overlooks and each was as … yup, say it with me … spectacular as the previous ones.
65) Mirador Rio Serrano, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Torres del Paine National Park), Villa Serrano, Chile, November 10, 2023 - Perhaps the best was one of the last. The southern entrance/exit of the park is at the little village of Serrano. There is a scenic overlook that, uh, overlooks the village. It was breathtaking! The river snaking through the valley and with big beautiful mountains ringing the horizon from our left all the way around to the magnificent peaks at the core of the park on our far right. Wow! This was basically the end of the park tour but the guide had another stop planned for the way back.
66) Monumento Natural Cueva Del Milodon, Puerto Bories, Chile, November 10, 2023 - After a one and a half hour drive we pulled into the parking lot of Monumento Natural Cueva del Milodón (Mylodon Cave Natural Monument.) This is a cave but not a subterranean cave. Instead, about 18,000 years ago as the massive glacier that carved this valley was melting a lake formed on top of the glacier and eroded softer stone out from under a cap of hard rock. This formed a gigantic hole in a mountainside that is almost like being inside a modern covered amphitheater. The park has a loop trail that goes along the front of the mountain and into a series of caves including into the highlight which is the Cueva del Milodón.
67) Monumento Natural Cueva Del Milodon, Puerto Bories, Chile, November 10, 2023 - In addition to being a natural wonder the cave has also been a significant archeological site where the bones of four different mega-mammals have been excavated including the Mylodon - a giant sloth that lived in this area between 14,000 and 10,000 years ago. Some recreated Mylodon statues around the park show how celebrated these discoveries are. Best of all entry to this park was only $4/each so definitely worth the stop. By now we were nearly back to being sleep deprived zombies so we were happy the bus was beelining it back to Puerto Natales. We got dropped off at our hotel a little after 4pm and, after a short break in the room, decided to head out for dinner before we collapsed into a long sleep. We found a Texas-style street tacos restaurant about five blocks from hotel and all of us went light with our dinner order. The food was meticulously prepared - so much so that it took An Hour!?! to get a few tacos and a bowl of soup delivered to our table. The food was good and the staff all seemed like really cool people but an hour to slap together some tacos? We were so braindead we just waited and then gulped down our food so we could get back to the room. We have a big hike scheduled for tomorrow and the weather is forecast to change from today’s 70s down to 40s (and maybe snow!) tomorrow so we pulled out all our layers of gear to be ready tomorrow.
68) Base Las Torres Trail, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - Wow! Today was filled with so much "Wow". We spent the entire day doing a long hike in Torres del Paine National Park. The destination was "Base Las Torres" which is the base of the granite towers that are the namesake of the park. The weather was a challenge all day, starting with fresh snow that had fallen over night and continuing as we encounted on-and-off snow the whole hike up. Among the "wow factors" were the El Calefate bushes which were flowering and added a beautiful splash of color all along the trail.
69) Base Las Torres Trail, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - The middle section of the hike was through a rainforest. The overnight snow was piled into the higher branches of the tall trees so we got to experience the interesting phenomenon of having snow fall on us as we hiked under the forest canopy.
70) Base Las Torres Trail, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - The views as we climbed up out of the rainforest and onto the peaks was epic.
71) Base Las Torres Trail, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - The hike was 15 miles roundtrip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain so it was a big one. The top section of the trail was a mix of ice and mud. However, we all did great as evidenced by Jonna giving the big "thumb's up" as we neared the top.
72) Mirador Base Las Torres, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - ...and that challenging hike was well worth it! Just as we reached the lake underneath the towers the clouds parted and we had a gorgeous view of the sunlit peaks.
73) Mirador Base Las Torres, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - Our guide was kind enough to take some photos of us posing. It was a hike I think I'll remember for the rest of my life!
74) Base Las Torres Trail, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Cerro Castillo, Chile, November 11, 2023 - We took an "after" photo as we neared the trailhead. Proof that we'd completed the hike but also to show the contrast between the clouds in the morning and the glorious sunshine in the afternoon. After the hike we had a two hour drive back to town and got dropped off in front of our hotel at 7:30pm. I was slow going up the two flights of stairs to our second floor room. We all grabbed quick showers and were back out the door in under an hour to find dinner. I swerved and stumbled like a drunken sailor but managed to make it two blocks to an Italian place that had an empty table and a decent menu. The food was delicious and I think that was because it was actually delicious and not just that we were so hungry that even the napkins would have tasted like gourmet treats. We staggered back to the hotel at 9:30pm and collapsed into bed.
75) Route 40, Estancia Tapi Aike, Argentina, November 12, 2023 - This was a rather boring day as it was primarily a travel day. We had three goals for the day - First, to get from Puerto Natales in Chile across the border to El Calafate, Argentina. Second, to get some errands taken care of with the most urgent being laundry. Third, to recover from our big hike yesterday. Fortunately, we were successful with all three! Our first order of business was getting another early start. We had a narrow window between when breakfast was served at the hotel and when we needed to leave for the bus station so we started out being rushed. We got packed, lugged all our luggage down two flights of stairs (nothing reminds you that did a big hike the previous day quite like trying to go down stairs while wearing a fully loaded backpack and carrying a big gear duffle. Good morning knees, it is time to wake up!) We slammed a few bites of food and then called for an Uber. Sadly, no one was interested in driving our trip so after a 5 minute wait we cancelled and had the hotel clerk call us a taxi. Now we were behind schedule which added some stress figuring out a busy bus terminal that was simultaneously loading about 10 different buses. We managed to find the right ticket counter, get our pre-purchased receipt converted to boarding passes, find the right bus, get all our luggage loaded and find our seats despite the chaos and language barrier. The bus pulled out and we all collapsed into a sleepy stupor. That couldn’t last too long though because less than an hour later we were at the Chilean border in line with three other buses. Each one emptied out all its passengers who formed a long line to go through the immigration office to get stamped out of Chile. Then everyone loaded back onto that bus which drove off while the next bus pulled forward and repeated the process. Once we were finished the bus drove about 20 minutes to the Argentina border where we did it all again - only this time the immigration office was a tiny thing which meant the waiting line was mostly outside in a howling, cold wind. Brrrr... The road through the no-man's land is a bumpy gravel trail - I guess neither country wants to pay to pave it - so it was nice when our two-story bus pulled onto Route 40 which was smooth relatively fresh pavement. At this point Jonna and Jamie nodded off so I passed the time listening to podcasts and music on my phone, then watching some motorcycle races on my tablet.
76) Route 40, Estancia Tapi Aike, Argentina, November 12, 2023 - What surprised me was that this trip didn’t go over any high mountain passes. The Andes range runs east-west in this area so we basically made an end run around them. There were tall, snow-covered mountains to the north but the route was through the steppe-like pampas. After about two hours driving in Argentina the bus pulled in at a bus stop and once again disgorged all the passengers. Folks bought coffee and snacks, stood outside soaking in the sunshine (while wearing jackets to stay warm when a gust of wind blew through the parking lot) and queued up for the bathrooms. After about 20 minutes, the time it took the driver to drink a coffee and eat a sweet roll, we re-loaded and took off. It was another two hours before we arrived in El Calafate getting us into town around 1pm. There was an interesting thing at the bus terminal I hadn’t seen before. Rather than having an employee of the transport company or of the bus terminal unload the luggage from the bus someone local basically jumps in to do it. Our guy had a sign explaining he isn’t paid to do this but does it for tips. He was also eagle-eyed so if someone had money in their hand he would have them point out their bag and pass those out first. He was also savvy about pushing the bag almost within reach for the passenger but not all the way until the tip was handed over. It was interesting to see the Argentinian passengers who navigated this system smoothly and compare that with the foreign travelers. Some of us picked up on this quickly but some others got angry or frustrated. I actually enjoyed watching it. In a bad economy people will find a way to make a buck and, in my view, the guy earned it because he was working hard crawling around in the cramped storage area under the bus. After we retrieved our bags (and tipped the unloader!) we went out the front of the station and grabbed a taxi from the line of waiting cars. Our hotel was maybe 5 minutes away down a main road but lugging all our bags would have been a cold and dusty enterprise. The hotel is a bit out of town and we needed to get laundry in process so we checked in and immediately called for another taxi. We drove across town to a well reviewed place but when we got to the address there wasn’t an obvious business just a neighborhood of older houses. The taxi driver said he knew of a laundry so off we went. The one he drove to was clearly a laundry service but was closed on Sunday. So was his second choice. At this point he pulled out his phone and called the number of the place we started out looking for. Yup, it is a laundry. Yup, the address is correct. Yup, they are open on Sunday. So back went. Jamie and I somewhat hesitantly approached the door of a house and knocked. A man answered and confirmed this was the place. We walked into his living room and spread around were bags of laundry. He produced a handheld scale, weighed our bags and gave us a price. He wasn’t wearing fancy American hiking clothes so we figured it must be legit. We left our clothes - mine alone being stinky enough to deter outright theft if it wasn’t legit - and got back in the taxi. We got a ride to a restaurant Jonna had found online with a buffet. The taxi fee for all of this was $2.50. After a week in Chile it was a reminder of just how much the Argentinian economy has suffered recently. The food at the buffet was so-so, at least for a vegetarian (there is a translation of the word vegetarian in Argentina but it doesn’t get used much!) For Jonna the meat-eater there were three whole lambs splayed out over a wood fire - inside the restaurant! - so her choices were more authentic. (I tried to avert my eyes and not to think about Shaun The Sheep…) After lunch we found a mini-market to pick a few food items and then walked the 15 minutes back to the hotel. Jamie wanted to stretch his legs some more so he took off while Jonna and I napped. Jonna had been fighting a oncoming cold all day so rest was what she needed. I listened to more music and eventually the lack of sleep over the past two nights caught up with me and I snoozed too. When Jamie got back he and I went out to grab dinner while Jonna stayed behind and drank bone broth. It turned out there is a nature reserve one block from the hotel with a very nice restaurant on the edge. Jamie and I had a delicious meal while watching pink flamingos, ducks, sea gulls and other birds that nest and/or feed in the marsh. Oh, and the price of a plate of ravioli, a walnut & pear salad, a bread basket, a pear cider, a lemonade and two sparkling waters at a fancy dinner place? $22. After dinner Jamie wanted to walk some more so I headed straight back to catch up on some Internet.
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