Travel Chile 2010: Part I

While my trip with four other volunteers to Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, and Torres Del Paine Parque occurred over a week ago, I remember it like it was yesterday and am certain that I will never forget it. And in all honesty we had little idea what we were going to do once in the southern tip of Chile, home to Tierra Del Fuego, otherwise known as Land of Fire. We thought that since we were in Punta Arenas, a city central to Puerto Natales, Torres Del Paine, and Tierra Del Fuego that we could see it all. Little did we know that we were going to hike The W Circuit of Torres Del Paine that provides you with views of monstrous, granite towers, avalanches in Valley Frances, creamy opal colored lakes, and llamas and condors. But first here's Part I of III on how we got to this inspiring trail.

After a night in the matrimony suite of a hostel in Puerto Montt (they had nothing else available), we all arose early, took quick hot showers, and boarded a bus to the regional airport. We were told to get there an hour early. When we got there, their were lines longer than fans waiting for a Daddy Yankee concert in Santiago (think Chile's P-Diddy). We each tried repeatedly to confront the woman at the front desk with our problems. If you think it's difficult reasoning with an airline representative, imagine doing so in another language. Fortunately, many other travelers made the same mistake as us and all happily boarded LAN Chile's plane bound for Punta Arenas 20 minutes after the scheduled time.

Fast forward through the flight that presented me with pictures of vast glaciers and snow-drenched mountains and even a delicious box of crackers (I found out after that the first beer or wine is complimentary) and we are eating lunch in the Punta Arenas square at La Taza, a spanish food restaurant. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day in Chile and schools and businesses take off at least 1.5 hours of work to eat and relax. I ordered merluza, which is hake fish, an item that is close to the top of my favorite Chileans dishes, and took in the views. Unfortunately the views didn't include the Strait of Magellan but one can't expect all the Happy Meal toys in one trip to McDonald's either right?

We conversed about possible trips to take and then Alex said she was buying a ticket to Puerto Natales for the next morning. Sounded like a great idea as Puerto Natales is the stepping stone for reaching Torres Del Paine and one day there, I thought, would be incredible. Thus we left for Puerto Natales the next morning at 8:30 on a three-hour bus-ride. I have to give Buses Pacheco credit as it was the most enjoyable bus trip yet. I slept and then awoke to Avatar on TV all while passing by snowy Patagonian fields with ancient trees bent over from the strength of the southern winds. An amazing sight to see. After passing the Milodon (ancient creatures believed to have been founded in the Patagonia) that welcomes people to Puerto Natales, we walked to our hostel Erratic Rock. More on this incredible hostel and our preparations coming!

http://www.erraticrock.com/

Quick Notes:
1) My family called me Robert Costner because my last name sounds like the actor's
2) Reading Harry Potter in Spanish
3) Tomorrow is my host mother's birthday. I think she's 44.
4) Chile's version of Good Morning America is called Pollo Conserva and today's episode included news about a flea plague in New York. Cierto o Falso?
5) Almost a month of no shaving