Friday 30th November.
Our spell of all inclusive luxury at Las Torres is drawing to an end, and today we move on to Puerto Varas. The packing routine is becoming slicker so we stuff our bags and then head for breakfast. When we open the door we catch sight of two Patagonian Grey Foxes tumbling playfully on the lawn outside, they pay little attention to us and scamper off in search of scraps. We sit by the window enjoying our fresh fruit, oats and coffee while a baqueano charges around herding the horses back to the corrals ready to start their days work.
We pick up our bags, settle the bill, and are whisked away in a smart minibus towards Punta Arenas airport. As the bus rounds a bend in the road we catch a glimpse of our first puma, a juvenile crossing the road to where it’s mother is waiting behind a calafate bush. A truly majestic cat sighting!
The back seats of the minibus are rather like a theme park ride as we sway round corners and are buffeted by side winds while driver fails to avoid all the suspension jarring potholes. The road is paved with potholes in some sections, and the rest is just potholes!
On our way we pass numerous guanacos with their chulengos, crazy rheas, flocks of black faced ibis and at one time 6 condors visible in the sky at once.
We had one latte stop on the 5 hr journey - surprisingly good considering it was from a machine - this purchase allowed us a complimentary trip to the banos!
Our onward journey was slightly delayed when we came across a sea of about 1000 cows and calves being herded down the road by gauchos on horseback and foot with several dogs.The road was pockmarked with cow pats after they had passed and when we arrived at the airport the outside of the bus smelt very agricultural and definitely needed a hosedown!
We arrived with hours to spare so made use of the airport Wi-fi to catch up.
Kathy received a phone call from a neighbour in Suckley asking if we would like to come and collect our dog Moss from them, she had apparently gone walkabout again.
Kathy informed them that would be a little tricky as we were in Patagonia - but a quick call to a very relieved dog walker soon had her on her way home again!
We ordered a sandwich for lunch and were stunned by the enormous size. A bread roll the size of s dinner plate filled with steak / pulled chicken, mayo, tomato and avocado - delicious!
We boarded the plane and got buckled up only to be informed that the safety inspection had revealed ‘a leak’, which would take at least 40 mins to fix- harrumph...
This bit of bad news was followed by worse.... the plane can’t be fixed, so the flight is henceforth cancelled.
So here we are in Punta Arenas airport - after a 6 am start, with a prospect of an 11pm flight if we are lucky....

We disembark and are left bewildered when all the tannoy announcements are in rapid inaudible Spanish. A kind Chilean lady who spoke some English informed us that a replacement plane has to be flown in and is scheduled to leave at about 23.00 - only 7 hrs delay! We phoned the travel company at home and in Santiago with the news, but there’s not a lot they can do to help, late on a Friday evening.
We are given a voucher for snacks and drinks and set off back to the cafeteria.
The only food left is a dehydrated beef burger or sandwich- so we try our luck at the other cafe who give us a smile, Caesar salads, fresh fruit and coffee. We sit out the wait - battling with inadequate airport wi-fi and finally reboard at 11.30pm. The flight is uneventful and after collecting our bags on landing at 1.30am, we are met by a bleary-eyed Chilean taxi driver with no English - and no idea where he is supposed to take us! After he locates an interpreter / night porter at a nearby hotel and with the help of our google maps, we are finally deposited at the ‘Guest House’.
We are greeted by a charming but worried receptionist who was not kept in the loop about the cancellation / delay. (Black mark for Adsmundo travel...)
Kathy tries all means of communication to get the agent to postpone our bike tour which is scheduled for only 6 hrs time!
The Guest House is a renovated old mansion house - it would be a listed building or landmark trust property at home, I think.
It is creaky and quirky with beautiful polished wood floors, and heated by log burning stoves. Best of all it has a large and comfortable bed covered with hand knitted cushions and blankets, tucked under the eaves. We roll in and are asleep by 3am, alarms set for 9am.