To the end of the world.....

An early morning bus for the 5 hour trip ( with many,many leagues of pampas stretching into the distance ). South to Puerto Natales for an overnight stay before a further bus along the Ruta called the“end of the world “, to Puntas Arenas, , into which airport .we had previously flown into for the Torres del Paine National Park.

Puerto Natales had gale force winds and our first rain or at least drizzle that we had seen since Santiago. Not a great deal to do there but an informative little museum focusing on their pioneer past, an important part of the culture here.And a rather good Africa Chile fusion restaurant!

Punto Arenas still has a frontier feel, not surprisingly as it was not really settled until the early 1900’s. Also, all that is further South other than the Antarctic is Tierra del Fuego and there’s not a lot there.

View from the rooftop of the Ilaia Yoga and Nature hotel

We took very bracing walks along the “ prom “ in gale winds and visited the mansion museum of one of the emigrants, the Latvian Braun family who had really made good. There is also the huge cemetery with its own perspective of the region’s history.