To Patagonia

One of the more curious choices my travel planner made for this trip was spending the better part of a week at the far southern tip of Chile. The weather isn’t particularly warm this time of year, there is a giant hole on the ozone layer directly overhead, and from what I read, it can get so windy in the main town of Punta Arenas that they string a rope between lampposts for people to hang on to. I figure getting that close to Antarctica is good enough reason to go, but two days, three tops, feels like plenty. Nevertheless, I’m assured there is plenty for us to see, and with the flights already booked, it’s too late to change our minds now.

The flight is fairly short, but our final destination today is Puerto Natales, another three hours away by bus. Where Punta Arenas is the economic center of this region, Puerto Natales is without a doubt the tourism hub. It is the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park, which draws hikers from all over the world. With a bit of time to kill, I am able to read up on the area and get a sense for what attracted my snoring seat-mate’s attention in the first place.

As we have come to expect, there are no real hotels here, but we’ve managed to find a comfortable place for the night (we have a different booking starting tomorrow) just a few blocks from the main square. After traveling most of the day we don’t have a whole lot of time left, but we make the most of it, locking in a boat trip to through the fjords for the morning, and sitting down for a nice meal of, what else, meat. This is lamb country, and while I choose a steak, my dinner companion wisely sticks with the house special. Delicious.