Chilean Patagonia is pretty inaccessible; you cannot drive there from Chile so we had a two hour flight from Puerto Montt, a port town with little of interest apart from two hideous statues staring out to sea and a great steak dinner. Prior to that we had a very stressful hour trying to drop the hire car off before 6 pm in an impossible to find location!
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| Yes, that is Carolyn by the foot! |
Next morning, after the flight to Puerto Arenas there was a 5 hour transfer to Torres del Paine, mostly on gravel roads.
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View from the hotel
Our transfer was made more “ exciting “ by the unusual incident of the falling door at the airport. Carolyn's loo door stuck, she pushed it and it fell off it’s hinges to land on her foot! Great start to a planned few days of serious walking. The foot immediately started to swell and discolour. So we set off in the minibus with her foot wrapped in ice and after having taken a painkiller which we later discovered is now banned in Europe. |
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| Our first Patagonian gaucho |
It also meant we were concerned that our heavy duty treks lined up for the forthcoming days were under threat.
We were staying at the Explora Hotel, one of the few hotels inside the Torres del Paine park and horribly expensive as a result but which offered as part of the deal guided trekking and horse riding. And the transfers!
In the event because the relevant Lake catamarans were not running we couldn’t do our planned “ W “ route treks but the foot recovered sufficiently quickly and we had some stunning walks and Nic got to ride 3 times ( and Carolyn once ! ) Some good wildlife too ; condors up close, guanacos, the Patagonian silver fox, a skunk and various wildfowl.
But no puma!
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| Guanaco (also observed on plate!) |
The Patagonia scenery was as superb as we had hoped and we had brilliant weather for our 3 day stay. A very sociable place too with some entertaining company.
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| Rio Pingo day walk with Lance and Paul and our guide Jorge |
The Gaucho culture is still thriving, partly in a nostalgic sense but those with money and those who work the estancias keep the tradition alive. Nic visited the home of one on his “advanced ride“ and later coming across a gaucho in the middle of nowhere lassoing up his cattle was a good moment.
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An even better moment for Carolyn!
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| View from the BBQ |
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| BBQ heaven |
We were staying at the Explora Hotel, one of the few hotels inside the Torres del Paine park and horribly expensive as a result but which offered as part of the deal guided trekking and horse riding. And the transfers!
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