Just a few days after my trip to Buenos Aires, my Mom came down to see me in Santiago! She spent about ten days with me and we returned together to the States.
We had a good time seeing the sites of Santiago and eating at some great restaurants. We visited museums, Santiago's general cemetery (interesting but not as well-maintained as BA's Recoleta cemetery), shopped in the Patronato garment district near my apartment, and got caught in a downpour in Valparaiso.
We had also planned to go to Machu Picchu during her visit, but had to cancel our trip when I became violently ill with food poisoning just two days before we were scheduled to fly to Peru. The culprit? Some undercooked eggs at the expat-run Cafe Melba, right around the corner from the British Embassy in Santiago's Las Condes neighborhood. I've never been so sick in my life. It was definitely disappointing, but we felt like adding high altitude to a weak immune system was a bad idea. So we made the most of our remaining time in Santiago instead. I took my Mom to Cafe Ona, my favorite little place in Lastarria, we had fish and cazuela at La Vega Chica, and one day we took a trip out of town to the Undurraga Vineyard. They make great wine. Unfortunately, they're not yet selling their stuff in Texas. But they're working on it!
It was really difficult to leave all my friends in Santiago. I had a goodbye party at a salsa club a couple of nights before my Mom came down, and the night we left we went out to dinner with my housemates and my friend Linda. I didn't want to come back to Houston, honestly. But being back has been pretty good--I've gotten to see friends and family, attend weddings, relax, etc. And I'm definitely not sad to be missing the nasty Santiago winter. But there are other things I do miss: the people I knew, Lastarria, speaking Spanish all the time, my little corner store, the sense of being somewhere different and yet feeling at home there.
There's a chance I may go back. We'll see. I'm looking into a lot of different options right now, in a lot of different places. I've also found a summer job with a staffing agency, so I'll be working offices around town on various assignments.
So I guess this marks the end (for now) of my adventure blogging...sad! But stay tuned. I might turn this into a more personal blog at some point, so check back for updates whenever you feel like it.
Thanks for reading!
Adios, mis amores.
Helen
Pictures of the past month: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Buenos Aires
Hello everyone...
Long time, no update.
As promised, I am finally posting about my trip to Buenos Aires that I took in May.
I went with my friend Cathy from Glasgow and we had a great time. We stayed at a hostel in the neighborhood of San Telmo, near the center of the city. It reminded me a bit of Santiago's Lastarria neighborhood except it was a lot bigger.
Buenos Aires (or BA, as the foreigners refer to it) is a really amazing place. It has a completely different feel from Santiago--more open, more laid-back, more European. The architecture is really beautiful, although many of the buildings are not well-maintained. There is also a conspicuous lack of stray dogs. Interestingly, though, I noticed far more dog poop on the sidewalks in BA. I think it's because so many people walk their dogs (or get professional dog walkers to do it) and don't clean up after them. The professional dog walkers are definitely fun to watch. The ones I saw had about ten dogs with their leashes all looped together, happily trotting along and wagging their tails.
As for pollution, I'm sure the air in BA is just as contaminated as it is in Santiago, especially since the population is about 2.5 times the size of Chile's capital. But it doesn't feel (or look) that way because the city is located near the sea instead of in a narrow valley between two mountain ranges. This also makes for a much milder climate. Cathy and I were frequently cool in the morning, but quite warm by the time the afternoon arrived.
We spent our days doing lots of walking, eating, and shopping. We probably spent about half of our time in the Palermo neighborhood, wandering around the different shops and boutiques. We also traversed the famous Calle Santa Fe, which supposedly has the best shopping in the city, but were a bit disappointed (although I did score a great pair of platform wedge heels). All in all, we had far better luck in Palermo. Both of us conducted an exhaustive search for the perfect pair of leather boots and our persistence finally paid off. Sadly, I won't be able to wear mine for a few more months because it's currently summer in Texas...
One night we headed over to to the Armenian Cultural Association for a tango class (random location, I know). The place was packed with older, more experienced dancers, younger Argentines, and foreign tourists. After learning the basic steps we paired off with other people there and occasionally switched partners. The best guy I danced with was an elderly Argentine gentleman who, despite the giant cataract in one of his eyes, guided me around the dance floor with the greatest of ease--that is, once I got over my tendency to back-lead.
Cathy left after the weekend because she had to work in Santiago, but I stayed on for another few days to finish out my week. More shopping and walking ensued. I also went down to Puerto Madero and toured an old frigate that was retired in the 1960s, and got to hook up with a couple of friends from my Navimag boat trip (Paula and Kevin) who happened to be in BA at the same time. It was great to see them. I met a few fun people in my hostel, too: A girl from Alaska, two sisters from Northern Ireland, an Irish guy, a Chilean guy, a Canadian guy, a Welsh doctor, and a few Americans. BA is full of expats and foreign kids, just like Santiago.
One of the most interesting sites I saw was the cemetery in Recoleta, BA's old money neighborhood. There's nothing quite like this place. It's beautiful, eerie, and slightly absurd all at the same time. The city's upper crust has been laid to rest there for generations, and they may be dead but they're still showing off. Think ostentatious displays of wealth in marble and granite form. Despite that, it's still a rather lovely place in a strange way. It's well kept-up and the inscriptions on the tombs had me wondering about the people who were buried in them. And not all of the mausoleums are ridiculously huge. Some of them were actually quite moving. The weirdest thing about it to me, though, was the enormous McDonald's just across the street from the cemetery. That sight was definitely a bit jarring.
Other observations: judging by the restaurants, Argentines are obsessed with steak and pizza; milongas (informal tango get-togethers) are fun but awkward if you don't know what you're doing; and the rumors are true--the men in BA really are taller and better-looking than the men in Santiago. Sorry, Chilenos.
Also, a bit of advice: do not schedule your return flight on the night of a major soccer match. You'll have a difficult time getting to the airport.
I loved Buenos Aires...hopefully I'll get to go back someday!
Much love,
Helen
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Long time, no update.
As promised, I am finally posting about my trip to Buenos Aires that I took in May.
I went with my friend Cathy from Glasgow and we had a great time. We stayed at a hostel in the neighborhood of San Telmo, near the center of the city. It reminded me a bit of Santiago's Lastarria neighborhood except it was a lot bigger.
Buenos Aires (or BA, as the foreigners refer to it) is a really amazing place. It has a completely different feel from Santiago--more open, more laid-back, more European. The architecture is really beautiful, although many of the buildings are not well-maintained. There is also a conspicuous lack of stray dogs. Interestingly, though, I noticed far more dog poop on the sidewalks in BA. I think it's because so many people walk their dogs (or get professional dog walkers to do it) and don't clean up after them. The professional dog walkers are definitely fun to watch. The ones I saw had about ten dogs with their leashes all looped together, happily trotting along and wagging their tails.
As for pollution, I'm sure the air in BA is just as contaminated as it is in Santiago, especially since the population is about 2.5 times the size of Chile's capital. But it doesn't feel (or look) that way because the city is located near the sea instead of in a narrow valley between two mountain ranges. This also makes for a much milder climate. Cathy and I were frequently cool in the morning, but quite warm by the time the afternoon arrived.
We spent our days doing lots of walking, eating, and shopping. We probably spent about half of our time in the Palermo neighborhood, wandering around the different shops and boutiques. We also traversed the famous Calle Santa Fe, which supposedly has the best shopping in the city, but were a bit disappointed (although I did score a great pair of platform wedge heels). All in all, we had far better luck in Palermo. Both of us conducted an exhaustive search for the perfect pair of leather boots and our persistence finally paid off. Sadly, I won't be able to wear mine for a few more months because it's currently summer in Texas...
One night we headed over to to the Armenian Cultural Association for a tango class (random location, I know). The place was packed with older, more experienced dancers, younger Argentines, and foreign tourists. After learning the basic steps we paired off with other people there and occasionally switched partners. The best guy I danced with was an elderly Argentine gentleman who, despite the giant cataract in one of his eyes, guided me around the dance floor with the greatest of ease--that is, once I got over my tendency to back-lead.
Cathy left after the weekend because she had to work in Santiago, but I stayed on for another few days to finish out my week. More shopping and walking ensued. I also went down to Puerto Madero and toured an old frigate that was retired in the 1960s, and got to hook up with a couple of friends from my Navimag boat trip (Paula and Kevin) who happened to be in BA at the same time. It was great to see them. I met a few fun people in my hostel, too: A girl from Alaska, two sisters from Northern Ireland, an Irish guy, a Chilean guy, a Canadian guy, a Welsh doctor, and a few Americans. BA is full of expats and foreign kids, just like Santiago.
One of the most interesting sites I saw was the cemetery in Recoleta, BA's old money neighborhood. There's nothing quite like this place. It's beautiful, eerie, and slightly absurd all at the same time. The city's upper crust has been laid to rest there for generations, and they may be dead but they're still showing off. Think ostentatious displays of wealth in marble and granite form. Despite that, it's still a rather lovely place in a strange way. It's well kept-up and the inscriptions on the tombs had me wondering about the people who were buried in them. And not all of the mausoleums are ridiculously huge. Some of them were actually quite moving. The weirdest thing about it to me, though, was the enormous McDonald's just across the street from the cemetery. That sight was definitely a bit jarring.
Other observations: judging by the restaurants, Argentines are obsessed with steak and pizza; milongas (informal tango get-togethers) are fun but awkward if you don't know what you're doing; and the rumors are true--the men in BA really are taller and better-looking than the men in Santiago. Sorry, Chilenos.
Also, a bit of advice: do not schedule your return flight on the night of a major soccer match. You'll have a difficult time getting to the airport.
I loved Buenos Aires...hopefully I'll get to go back someday!
Much love,
Helen
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Friday, May 30, 2008
Crudo, Nature, and Beer
I'd heard a lot about Valdivia. People told me it was beautiful, almost like a Venice of South America. Or maybe that's what the guidebooks said. Anyway, it's a nice place. But it's not quite the dazzling wonder I expected.
Perhaps it was the near-constant drizzle, but I was not particularly taken with the city itself. Sure, the center is nice and the people are pretty friendly. And yeah, the sea lions that hang out at the docks are awesome. But there were really only three things about Valdivia that stood out to me: the beer (the city is home to the Kuntsmann Cerveceria), the food at Cafe Hausmann, and the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Valdivia is in Chile's Region de los Lagos, or Lake District. Hence, lots of water and trees. I can imagine that the area is gorgeous in the summer. It's also what I imagine the English countryside to be like, but of course I'm mostly basing that assumption on the two most recent film versions of Pride and Prejudice. Anyway, it's beautiful.
Cafe Hausmann, near downtown, is a true gem. It's packed with locals too, which is always a good sign. It's a family-owned place with a homey vibe. They serve up delicious cakes, burgers, the local Kuntsmann brew, and the area specialty, crudo. Crudo is basically a thin meat paste spread on a slice of bread. It sounds weird but I actually really like it, especially with mustard or spicy relish. Not normally the kind of thing I eat but it was so good.
Kuntsmann, the German artisan brewery in Valdivia, makes some of the best beer I've ever tasted: their "Miel," or honey-flavored beer. The brewery itself is more of a restaurant than a museum. You don't really get to see any of the brewing process like you do at the Austral factory in Punta Arenas. But the food and beer make up for it. They serve sandwiches literally the size of your head. And since it's out of town a bit, you can easily go for a nice walk after your meal to see some of the countryside.
I'd definitely like to go back to the Lake District someday, perhaps during the South American summer. And I suspect that Valdivia gets more exciting then as well. The city plays host to an international film festival every year during the spring.
And that, my friends, is the end of my southern Chile travelogue. I will try to post about my trip to Buenos Aires as soon as I can.
To view photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Much love,
Helen
P.S. I just killed a cockroach. I am mostly definitely back in Texas.
Perhaps it was the near-constant drizzle, but I was not particularly taken with the city itself. Sure, the center is nice and the people are pretty friendly. And yeah, the sea lions that hang out at the docks are awesome. But there were really only three things about Valdivia that stood out to me: the beer (the city is home to the Kuntsmann Cerveceria), the food at Cafe Hausmann, and the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Valdivia is in Chile's Region de los Lagos, or Lake District. Hence, lots of water and trees. I can imagine that the area is gorgeous in the summer. It's also what I imagine the English countryside to be like, but of course I'm mostly basing that assumption on the two most recent film versions of Pride and Prejudice. Anyway, it's beautiful.
Cafe Hausmann, near downtown, is a true gem. It's packed with locals too, which is always a good sign. It's a family-owned place with a homey vibe. They serve up delicious cakes, burgers, the local Kuntsmann brew, and the area specialty, crudo. Crudo is basically a thin meat paste spread on a slice of bread. It sounds weird but I actually really like it, especially with mustard or spicy relish. Not normally the kind of thing I eat but it was so good.
Kuntsmann, the German artisan brewery in Valdivia, makes some of the best beer I've ever tasted: their "Miel," or honey-flavored beer. The brewery itself is more of a restaurant than a museum. You don't really get to see any of the brewing process like you do at the Austral factory in Punta Arenas. But the food and beer make up for it. They serve sandwiches literally the size of your head. And since it's out of town a bit, you can easily go for a nice walk after your meal to see some of the countryside.
I'd definitely like to go back to the Lake District someday, perhaps during the South American summer. And I suspect that Valdivia gets more exciting then as well. The city plays host to an international film festival every year during the spring.
And that, my friends, is the end of my southern Chile travelogue. I will try to post about my trip to Buenos Aires as soon as I can.
To view photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Much love,
Helen
P.S. I just killed a cockroach. I am mostly definitely back in Texas.
Bliss
Most people I've met who've been to Puerto Montt don't think it's the most exciting place. And I'd have to agree--it's really not bad, but it's not fantastic, either.
However: When your boss has a holiday home 25km outside the city, and he has no problem with two of your friends staying there for several weeks to take care of the place, nor does he mind if you join them for a few days...well, that changes things.
Such was my luck after disembarking from the Navimag. I had already planned to visit Alex and Mark for a night or so before continuing on north to Valdivia. I spent the day piddling around town with a couple of friends from the boat and then met up with Alex and Mark that night to go to Steve's house. The place is gorgeous. Big windows, wood beams and floors, a fireplace, a lovely view. There's even a little tower on top that's accessible from the second loft-like floor by a ladder. The place is on a nice piece of land with a work-in-progress blueberry patch and some of the coolest pets ever: Toby the dog, and sister and brother kitties Romeo and Juliet. There is a path that runs from the house through some woods and down a hill to a pebble beach, where plenty of delicious mussels (and a few clams) await collection and cooking.
The place is really incredible. So it's no small surprise that I ended up spending about four days there instead of one. At the beginning I still thought I was going meet my friend, this time in Pucon, but at some point those plans fell through for good. So I decided not to hurry. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. We spent our days cooking, drinking coffee, reading, admiring the view, hitchhiking into town when we needed something, and just generally soaking up the tranquility of the place. It was wonderful.
Next stop: Valdivia.
However: When your boss has a holiday home 25km outside the city, and he has no problem with two of your friends staying there for several weeks to take care of the place, nor does he mind if you join them for a few days...well, that changes things.
Such was my luck after disembarking from the Navimag. I had already planned to visit Alex and Mark for a night or so before continuing on north to Valdivia. I spent the day piddling around town with a couple of friends from the boat and then met up with Alex and Mark that night to go to Steve's house. The place is gorgeous. Big windows, wood beams and floors, a fireplace, a lovely view. There's even a little tower on top that's accessible from the second loft-like floor by a ladder. The place is on a nice piece of land with a work-in-progress blueberry patch and some of the coolest pets ever: Toby the dog, and sister and brother kitties Romeo and Juliet. There is a path that runs from the house through some woods and down a hill to a pebble beach, where plenty of delicious mussels (and a few clams) await collection and cooking.
The place is really incredible. So it's no small surprise that I ended up spending about four days there instead of one. At the beginning I still thought I was going meet my friend, this time in Pucon, but at some point those plans fell through for good. So I decided not to hurry. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. We spent our days cooking, drinking coffee, reading, admiring the view, hitchhiking into town when we needed something, and just generally soaking up the tranquility of the place. It was wonderful.
Next stop: Valdivia.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
More trip updates
Hola a todos!
Well...I'm back in Texas. My mom and I arrived this afternoon. The last few weeks have been really nuts. But I want to go ahead and finish out the posts about my travels.
So without further ado: THE NAVIMAG!
I was never supposed to take the Navimag. It wasn't part of my original plan. But then, when you're traveling, sometimes things just don't go the way you think they will. I left Torres del Paine thinking that I would take a bus back to Punta Arenas and fly to Puerto Montt to meet up with a friend. But when those plans fell through, I thought what the heck, maybe the Navimag still has space. Several friends I'd met in the Park were taking the boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt and I had been somewhat disappointed that I wouldn't get to go with them. So when the chance came up to go, I jumped at it.
We boarded the boat on the night of my 24th birthday, after I'd spent the day kicking around Puerto Natales (not the most exciting birthday, believe me). But that first night on the boat was great. Those of us who'd met in the Park (and a few others) spent the night talking, drinking and playing silly games. By the time we finally left port the next day--they were trying to fix the hot water on the boat and it took a while--we had become quite a jolly little group of friends. We spent most of our time on the deck, gawking at the stunning scenery (channels, fjords, etc), sitting in the sun, or playing each other at "Extreme" chess and checkers. Nights were spent in the cafeteria, just hanging out and passing around the boxed wine (three cheers for Gato Negro!). The only "bad" part about the whole 5-day trip was the 12-hour period we spent in the open ocean, when everyone got sea sick. But even then it was really lovely to sit on deck in the fresh air and look at the water lit up by the moon.
One other slight annoyance: the over-enthusiastic guide on the trip, who, while a very nice person, interrupted us on the loudspeaker every hour or so with announcements about a) group activities; b) meals; or c) whatever point of geographic interest we happened to be passing. The phrase, "Passengers? Your attention please!" is forever ingrained in my mind.
Also: Does anyone know how I could start a translation service for the tourism industry in Chile? There were signs posted everywhere on the boat in Spanish and English, but the English was often somewhat awkward because the Spanish had been translated literally, when a general interpretation of the sentence would have been better. I did a lot of article translations for the paper and at the beginning it was really hard for that reason. I was trying to translate each phrase directly into English, and it wasn't until my Spanish improved that I was able to move away from that. But yeah, my inner writer/editor (control freak?) kept wanting to fix all the signs.
We were all really sad to get off the boat in Puerto Montt. A couple of us are already planning a Navimag reunion, probably in the UK somewhere, since four people from our little group are from there.
Next up: the house by the sea. Or, what perfection looks like.
Well...I'm back in Texas. My mom and I arrived this afternoon. The last few weeks have been really nuts. But I want to go ahead and finish out the posts about my travels.
So without further ado: THE NAVIMAG!
I was never supposed to take the Navimag. It wasn't part of my original plan. But then, when you're traveling, sometimes things just don't go the way you think they will. I left Torres del Paine thinking that I would take a bus back to Punta Arenas and fly to Puerto Montt to meet up with a friend. But when those plans fell through, I thought what the heck, maybe the Navimag still has space. Several friends I'd met in the Park were taking the boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt and I had been somewhat disappointed that I wouldn't get to go with them. So when the chance came up to go, I jumped at it.
We boarded the boat on the night of my 24th birthday, after I'd spent the day kicking around Puerto Natales (not the most exciting birthday, believe me). But that first night on the boat was great. Those of us who'd met in the Park (and a few others) spent the night talking, drinking and playing silly games. By the time we finally left port the next day--they were trying to fix the hot water on the boat and it took a while--we had become quite a jolly little group of friends. We spent most of our time on the deck, gawking at the stunning scenery (channels, fjords, etc), sitting in the sun, or playing each other at "Extreme" chess and checkers. Nights were spent in the cafeteria, just hanging out and passing around the boxed wine (three cheers for Gato Negro!). The only "bad" part about the whole 5-day trip was the 12-hour period we spent in the open ocean, when everyone got sea sick. But even then it was really lovely to sit on deck in the fresh air and look at the water lit up by the moon.
One other slight annoyance: the over-enthusiastic guide on the trip, who, while a very nice person, interrupted us on the loudspeaker every hour or so with announcements about a) group activities; b) meals; or c) whatever point of geographic interest we happened to be passing. The phrase, "Passengers? Your attention please!" is forever ingrained in my mind.
Also: Does anyone know how I could start a translation service for the tourism industry in Chile? There were signs posted everywhere on the boat in Spanish and English, but the English was often somewhat awkward because the Spanish had been translated literally, when a general interpretation of the sentence would have been better. I did a lot of article translations for the paper and at the beginning it was really hard for that reason. I was trying to translate each phrase directly into English, and it wasn't until my Spanish improved that I was able to move away from that. But yeah, my inner writer/editor (control freak?) kept wanting to fix all the signs.
We were all really sad to get off the boat in Puerto Montt. A couple of us are already planning a Navimag reunion, probably in the UK somewhere, since four people from our little group are from there.
Next up: the house by the sea. Or, what perfection looks like.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
My Trip to the South, Part One: Torres del Paine
Hello all!
It's hard to believe that a month ago I was in Puerto Natales, getting ready to go into the Torres del paine National Park. So much happened on my trip that it feels like yesterday, but I also felt like I was gone for a really long time.
I flew down to Punta Arenas on April 2 to begin my trip through Patagonia. Punta Arenas is one of the world's southernmost cities and is also home to the Cerveceria Austral, one of Chile's main artisan breweries. I didn't have much time there but I still had a nice time exploring and touring the Austral factory. Actually, I had a private tour because I was the only one who showed up! It was great and the tour guide was really nice. We had a good chat while I tasted the different brews. Unfortunately, the skies opened up on my way back to the hostel and I got soaked. Southern Chile is known for its unpredictable weather, and it rains quite a bit in the fall.
The next day I continued on to Puerto Natales, about three hours north. It's a port town with pretty mountains just across the water. It's also the only town of any consequence before Torres del Paine, so it's packed with hostels. I stayed at a great little place called Erratic Rock, which gets so much business that it actually has to turn people away. The amount of tourists all going the same route also meant that I spent far more time than usual speaking English.
After an unfortunate mixup with bus times and tickets, I was able to get a ride into the Park on the morning of the 4th. I had decided to stay in the refugios and get my meals there as well because I went alone and didn't particularly like the idea of camping by myself (and carrying all my food), especially having heard about the unpredictable weather. This turned out to be a good move.
I started out on my hike up to the Park's famous torres, or towers, on the morning of the 5th. The beginning of the hike was quite easy--relatively flat and I only had a day pack with me, since I was returning to the same refugio that night. But the land soon sloped upwards and I found myself rather out of breath, questioning my physical fitness. The scenery was gorgeous, though. Sweeping flatlands rising up to snow-capped mountains, icy blue rivers, lush greenery, and in some places, trees bent at strange angles due to the famously brutal Patagonian winds.
After the first leg of the hike, I spent quite a bit of time hiking through forest. It was beautiful, but the silence was sort of unnerving. I have never had a problem being alone but I guess I am just too accustomed to the noise of Santiago. So I was very grateful when I ran into a tour group near the start of the final ascent to the towers. They were so nice--one of them even lent me a ski pole to replace the rather large stick I'd been using to help me climb. The rocky ascent was pretty difficult, I must say (although the descent was worse because my hiking boots are slightly too small, a mistake that I didn't realize I had made until it was too late). But the view at the top was fantastic. The towers are several giant granite slabs that look like some giant shoved them up through the ground at a 90 degree angle. They border a lake that is an unearthly shade of turquoise. I was actually really lucky to see anything! People coming down from the lookout point an hour before I reached the top told me that it was snowing so hard when they went up that they saw nothing at all. How awful!
As I said before, the descent was rather painful. But eventually I made it down and began the long hike back to the refugio. At some point I realized that coming down from the top had taken far too long, and that I was cutting it way too close to sunset. So I began to move as quickly as possible, staving off panic by praying and singing loudly and off-key. I reached the main road to the refugio as it got completely dark. But I couldn't remember (or see) how far up the road I needed to go. But thank God, a Park van soon came by, and I was able to get a ride back to the refugio. I arrived exhausted, sore, and a bit shaken up--but intact.
The next day I started out the hike to the Cuernos refugio with two friends I had met the night before: Dan from Block Island, Rhode Island and Rodrigo, a Chilean from Santiago. I have two things to say about this hike. 1) The people who said it was "flat" were lying. 2) It was WET. It basically rained the entire day, and by the time I arrived at the refugio, everything I owned was drenched. Plenty of other people had the same problem, as the inside of the refugio was strewn with wet clothes hung up to dry.
The next day I set off again with Dan and Rodrigo, but at some point we got separated. The weather hadn't improved; in fact, it got worse. What had been rain turned into sleet, snow, and hail. And the winds were vicious. I arrived at the halfway point, the Campamento Italiano, and tried to take my lunch out of my pack to eat a bit before I continued on my way. But my hands were so cold that I couldn't undo the zippers! Fortunately, someone I had met at Cuernos was there too, and gave me a nice-sized piece of chocolate. Then by a massive stroke of luck (or divine Providence), I met two other people who were also hiking alone. So the three of us decided to continue on together. One of them was a cheerful German man who looked to be in his mid-30's or so. The other was a hardy Asian woman who had camped at the site the night before. They spoke little to no English but somehow we managed to communicate. And they were wonderful. The hike went so much faster with them than it would have gone had I been alone. And good thing too, since the weather was brutal. We cheered when the lodge at the end of the trail came into view. I don't even know their names--we never asked each other--but I don't think I'll forget them. They were a bright spot in a long, difficult day.
Next post: the Navimag ferry!
To see pictures of my adventures: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Much love,
Helen =)
It's hard to believe that a month ago I was in Puerto Natales, getting ready to go into the Torres del paine National Park. So much happened on my trip that it feels like yesterday, but I also felt like I was gone for a really long time.
I flew down to Punta Arenas on April 2 to begin my trip through Patagonia. Punta Arenas is one of the world's southernmost cities and is also home to the Cerveceria Austral, one of Chile's main artisan breweries. I didn't have much time there but I still had a nice time exploring and touring the Austral factory. Actually, I had a private tour because I was the only one who showed up! It was great and the tour guide was really nice. We had a good chat while I tasted the different brews. Unfortunately, the skies opened up on my way back to the hostel and I got soaked. Southern Chile is known for its unpredictable weather, and it rains quite a bit in the fall.
The next day I continued on to Puerto Natales, about three hours north. It's a port town with pretty mountains just across the water. It's also the only town of any consequence before Torres del Paine, so it's packed with hostels. I stayed at a great little place called Erratic Rock, which gets so much business that it actually has to turn people away. The amount of tourists all going the same route also meant that I spent far more time than usual speaking English.
After an unfortunate mixup with bus times and tickets, I was able to get a ride into the Park on the morning of the 4th. I had decided to stay in the refugios and get my meals there as well because I went alone and didn't particularly like the idea of camping by myself (and carrying all my food), especially having heard about the unpredictable weather. This turned out to be a good move.
I started out on my hike up to the Park's famous torres, or towers, on the morning of the 5th. The beginning of the hike was quite easy--relatively flat and I only had a day pack with me, since I was returning to the same refugio that night. But the land soon sloped upwards and I found myself rather out of breath, questioning my physical fitness. The scenery was gorgeous, though. Sweeping flatlands rising up to snow-capped mountains, icy blue rivers, lush greenery, and in some places, trees bent at strange angles due to the famously brutal Patagonian winds.
After the first leg of the hike, I spent quite a bit of time hiking through forest. It was beautiful, but the silence was sort of unnerving. I have never had a problem being alone but I guess I am just too accustomed to the noise of Santiago. So I was very grateful when I ran into a tour group near the start of the final ascent to the towers. They were so nice--one of them even lent me a ski pole to replace the rather large stick I'd been using to help me climb. The rocky ascent was pretty difficult, I must say (although the descent was worse because my hiking boots are slightly too small, a mistake that I didn't realize I had made until it was too late). But the view at the top was fantastic. The towers are several giant granite slabs that look like some giant shoved them up through the ground at a 90 degree angle. They border a lake that is an unearthly shade of turquoise. I was actually really lucky to see anything! People coming down from the lookout point an hour before I reached the top told me that it was snowing so hard when they went up that they saw nothing at all. How awful!
As I said before, the descent was rather painful. But eventually I made it down and began the long hike back to the refugio. At some point I realized that coming down from the top had taken far too long, and that I was cutting it way too close to sunset. So I began to move as quickly as possible, staving off panic by praying and singing loudly and off-key. I reached the main road to the refugio as it got completely dark. But I couldn't remember (or see) how far up the road I needed to go. But thank God, a Park van soon came by, and I was able to get a ride back to the refugio. I arrived exhausted, sore, and a bit shaken up--but intact.
The next day I started out the hike to the Cuernos refugio with two friends I had met the night before: Dan from Block Island, Rhode Island and Rodrigo, a Chilean from Santiago. I have two things to say about this hike. 1) The people who said it was "flat" were lying. 2) It was WET. It basically rained the entire day, and by the time I arrived at the refugio, everything I owned was drenched. Plenty of other people had the same problem, as the inside of the refugio was strewn with wet clothes hung up to dry.
The next day I set off again with Dan and Rodrigo, but at some point we got separated. The weather hadn't improved; in fact, it got worse. What had been rain turned into sleet, snow, and hail. And the winds were vicious. I arrived at the halfway point, the Campamento Italiano, and tried to take my lunch out of my pack to eat a bit before I continued on my way. But my hands were so cold that I couldn't undo the zippers! Fortunately, someone I had met at Cuernos was there too, and gave me a nice-sized piece of chocolate. Then by a massive stroke of luck (or divine Providence), I met two other people who were also hiking alone. So the three of us decided to continue on together. One of them was a cheerful German man who looked to be in his mid-30's or so. The other was a hardy Asian woman who had camped at the site the night before. They spoke little to no English but somehow we managed to communicate. And they were wonderful. The hike went so much faster with them than it would have gone had I been alone. And good thing too, since the weather was brutal. We cheered when the lodge at the end of the trail came into view. I don't even know their names--we never asked each other--but I don't think I'll forget them. They were a bright spot in a long, difficult day.
Next post: the Navimag ferry!
To see pictures of my adventures: http://picasaweb.google.com/helen.bunting
Much love,
Helen =)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Patagonia
Hello everyone! So sorry it's taken me so long to update. I just wanted to post a short entry to say that yes, I am alive and well.
I arrived in Punta Arenas on the 2nd and since then I've gone up to Puerto Natales, through Torres del Paine National Park, back to Puerto Natales, and then on to Puerto Montt via the Navimag ferry, which takes about 4 days. It was unbelievable! I might be going to Valdivia tomorrow. We'll see.
Hope all of you are doing great!
Much love,
Helen
I arrived in Punta Arenas on the 2nd and since then I've gone up to Puerto Natales, through Torres del Paine National Park, back to Puerto Natales, and then on to Puerto Montt via the Navimag ferry, which takes about 4 days. It was unbelievable! I might be going to Valdivia tomorrow. We'll see.
Hope all of you are doing great!
Much love,
Helen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
