Santiago, Chile 22nd October 2016

My first impressions of Santiago come after a rather trying 24hrs of traveling. To be honest the best I can come up with is that the surrounding mountains must be quite the sight on clear days.

As it is the haze perfectly suits my less than gracious mood.

I know that once I get a showed, meet my tour mates and get some proper answers I’ll get out of this funk. For now though my less than kind thoughts are dedicated the almost missed connection in Madrid caused by a 90minute delay at Heathrow that was never adequately addressed. To my luggage being stuck in Spain. Hardly a surprise given that I barley made the flight with a handwritten boarding pass. Which in turn didn't have a gate number or seat on it.

To be fair given all that I think I'm quite lucky to have made it this far myself. And one bit of good news is that despite me being stuck at immigration for over an hour and another 30mins sorting out my lost luggage, my prebooked taxi was still waiting for me when I finally got through.

Hopefully the next entry will be more upbeat and more about the trip itself. Rather than the fact that the older I get the more I questioning the hassle of travel is worth it. Of course once I get going I'm always reassured that it is.

I've just yet to get there this time.

Santiago to Puçon Sunday 23rd October

So I woke up more positive today. Still not overjoyed but definitely in a better frame of mind. Last night I met my roommate and the others on the tour. Again its an older crowd with a mix of fellow bruits, aussies, canadians , an american and a chinese girl who lives in Sydney.

After the practicalities of tour details we went for a group dinner. An italian dinner....hmmm well I did at least order a supposedly Chilean dish...of steak, chips and eggs...Yeh I'm not sure about that either but like I'm gonna argue with that!

After the meal our guide Jen called Iberia for me and speaking spanish got further than I did. We arranged to pick my bag up in the morning before catching our flight to Pucon. But as Jen said its best not to believe it until its in my hands. Good advice as I'm currently sat on a balcony in Pucon...bagless....

Having wandered the pedestrian streets surrounding the hotel in Santiago after arriving yesterday it was quite an interesting experience to wander around this morning before checking out. Yesterday the streets were packed with locals, tourist, venders and who knows who else. Today is a local election day so most places were closed and the streets near empty An interesting comparison.

Arriving at the airport Jen and I hunted high and low for an Iberian staff member to unlock the office so I could find my bag. No such luck and those we got hold of on the phone were either clueless or straight up lying to us.. Giving up we

rushed to meet our own flight.

I’m not gonna dell on the lost luggage because it will just stress me out and get me down. Needless to say I wont be flying Iberia again if I can help it and I'm going shopping tomorrow incase my bag doesn't reach me now we’re on the move.

One nice thing is how supportive everyone in my groups been. Offering toiletries and clothes etc. Proof there's some good people out there folks!

Anyway back to Pucon.

After arriving at Temuco airpory we met our driver Isabella and the truck Rosita. I’ve seen pictures of the outside of these overland trucks but I was not prepared for how huge they are! Inside we have a couple of tables, games and a bookshelf etc. I have to say its really cool.

Ming and I are sharing a room again and what a room it is. Its actually apartments and we have 2 bedrooms two bathrooms and a kitchen/lounge area plus this huge balcony. Its a shame they can't sell alcohol today because of the holiday as that would make sitting here pretty perfect!

There's really not too much to say about today except that I like the little I've seen of Pucan

Very quaint and I imagine picturesque when the cloud cover isn't quite as heavy. Though the volcano covered in snow is quite the sight even with the top half hidden by clouds.

We had an early dinner at the number 1 sandwich place which had huge potions and nice booths. After posing for some facebook picture we then walked down to the lake for a quick look.

But the real big news I got while on the truck today is that my best friend got engaged! Im so happy for her and her other half...but I do kind of wish I were home to celebrate with them. Still amazing news and I can't wait to see her and hear all about it!

Pućon Monday 24th October 2016

This morning I had a little lay in. Most of the group had decided to go to the hot springs and I wasn’t interested in that, certainly not so early. Instead I got up and had a quiet breakfast before going to find Liz and ask if she still wanted to maybe go to the National Park that afternoon. Agreeing a time we each went about our morning with mine involving a crisscross walk around this deceptively big town.

The style of the buildings along with being surrounded by mountains and hills reminds me of a mixture of Banff and Rotorua. Needless to say I liked it.

Heading down one street I passed a lovely park before reaching the beach. The first thing I noticed was the rather muscler man running past with a tire attached to him. I’ve no idea what he’s training for but rather him than me! The second thing I noticed was the dogs.

So in Patagonia -and I presume most of South America- dogs roam wherever they want, much like cats. Though some of their coats can look a little worse for wear, they do in fact belong to people. Of course knowing that they live this way doesn’t change the fact that for a dog loving westerner, its extremely unnerving to see them wandering across roads and even barking and -admittedly, casually- chasing cars. A friend of mine wants to do South America one day but is put off by the animals they eat. I think shed have a harder time not fussing or trying to protect the dogs all the time. I know i do!

Back at the beach I took some pictures as with a mostly calm lake and beautiful blue sky, it was extremely pretty. Then leaving my newly acquired 4 legged friend, I walked the short distance towards the other town end of the beach.

One thing I have to say is that I speak no other languages and while its made it difficult in other places before, its nothing like not knowing any Spanish here. I truly wouldn’t come back without at least a tenuous grasp on the language so I could get by with the day to day basics.

Later meeting up with Liz we made our way to the bus station. Unfortunately while she had been told we’d get on the bus there, it turns out its across and up the road from the actual station and we didn’t find this out until we had already missed it. With so few buses heading to the national park we had to make other plans. We stopped at a few excursion offices but there wasn’t really anything we fancied doing. Moving on Liz suggested we rent bikes and cycle around the area. Of course then the only place we could find renting bikes was charging a complelty ridiculous amount for 4 hrs rental.

Next up was going for a walk.

We ended up going back down to the beach from earlier and walking in the opposite direction, away from town. We followed a path around the edge of the lake through small bits of bush before coming to an opening. Within a few short steps we had a glorious view of the Volcano. The sun was shining, the clouds were mostly gone and it was blissfully quiet.

Carrying on we walked through the fields with the current inhabitants -cows- ignoring us. After awhile we came to a stream which was too wide for us to cross. Despite a couple of bikes being parked up here we didn’t see or hear anyone as we carried on across the fields.

A short time later we approached the fence line and decided to walk down the track rather than on through the next lot of fields. Again we still had amazing views of the Volcano and now some farm structures and animals.

By now we had begun to wonder if we were somewhere we shouldn’t be and the big locked gate at the end of the track reinforced this thought. Figuring we should get on the other side as quickly as possible we luckily squeezed through the small gap to the side of the gate. I sent Liz first as I really wasn’t sure id fit! Once on the other side we saw the sign confirming that we’d been on private property. Whoops. Still it was kinda funny in hindsight as just as we started down the road we heard sirens just behind us and had a moment of looking at watch other going ‘oh s***’.

Back in town we headed back to the hotel, now seeing plenty of places to rent bikes.

Typical.

After dumping our packs we headed back out to get something to eat and drink. We then had Ann and Grant (Aussies) join us for awhile along with Dennis (American). We originally sat outside watching as the volcano disappeared from view as clouds and rain moved in before heading inside just as it reached us, though to a lesser extent.

That night we ended up doing a group meal at the same restaurant and it was pretty fun. We had a free pisco sour each and since id eaten a huge veggie toastie not too long before I opted for Pumpkin soup. At Ann’s urging I added cream and was surprised that I liked it. On leaving the restaurant I had two objectives. See if my bag had turned up (Jen had found out it was in Temuco that afternoon) and check that Ming had made it back from her jaunt to the national park.

Confirming the first of these I admit I did a little happy dance and spent the next 12hrs pointing out I now had luggage like a 3yr old. (I don’t think you can blame me since I was now known on the tour for being bag less) Then heading up to my room (which was now the bigger one without balcony access as Ming and I switched during the day) I found Ming was indeed back and cooking... naked chef style. Apparently everyone in our group has taken to shedding there clothe in Pućon when alone in the apartments. Who knew the mountain air would have this affect!

Pućon, Chile to Barilcohe, Argentina Tuesday 25th October 2016

Today was a travel day. Setting off early we reached the border within 1 ½ / 2hrs of setting off. At the border it was pretty easy, we just weren’t terribly organised we hadn’t been given much information on what’s allowed and what’s not so we were all trying to eat our fruit and open bits beforehand.

The longest part of it was them keeping us waiting by the bus. But since we had a backdrop of a snow cap covered mountain we weren’t too fussed. Besides it gave us time to clean our incredibly dirty windows as best we could.

After the border crossing we still had a fair bit of driving to do so we carried on. Only stopping for a few photo stops and lunch which reminded me of a lesser version of my trips in Australia with groovy grapes. We passed some amazing scenery, one of my favourite bits being as we left San Martin de los Andes.

On reaching Bariloche we checked in and then met up for a quick tour of the town before Jen had to be back to meet the two new additions to our group.

Of course not being too familiar with Bariloche Jen was late getting back as the excursion office we were ending at wasn’t where it used to be. Since most of he group seemed to want information I wasnt too interested in, i along with Dennis followed Ming downstairs to the agent there that spoke English. Ming and i arranged to do Canopy zip wires for the next morning and then went to change money as Argentina Pesos are impossible to get in the UK.

Not able to find the supermarket that’s ‘just down the road’ a small group of us decided to get dinner together. It turned smaller when Ming and a couple of others bailed, leaving Chu, Mary, our new addition Nadia, Liz and I. Mary and Nadia carried most of the conversation as we enjoyed our respective meals and a bottle of red wine between us. Once back at the hotel Liz and i enjoyed a gossip while sat in the cozy lounge area before calling it a night.

Barilcohe Wednesday 26th October 2016

Bariloche is known for the ingrained Swiss

influence from many of the chalet type buildings, to the chocolatiers to the St Bernard rescue dogs. Add the backdrop of the Andes and I admit I was expecting more than what I found on arriving the day before.

However.

After a very confused pickup- neither Ming nor I speak any Spanish and we wanted to see if Chu could join us zip lining- we drove the 25mins or so to the Canopy. And as we climbed up we saw some of those famous views over the islands and lakes that Bariloche is known for and I began to understand its reputation for outstanding beauty. The driver even slowed down to allow for a picture at a partically good spot which was not only kind of him but a welcome relief from his crazy driving. I can be quite an aggressive driver at times and actually enjoy being in vehicles with better drivers than me when they push limits but I have to admit I did get slightly miffed at the thought of dying in South America in a car crash. I mean really, if I ever kick the bucket on one of these trips I want it to be doing something epicly crazy.

Once at the canopy it was quite amusing as while Chu knows some Spanish he’s not complelty confident in it and none of the 7 or so workers there spoke much English. So we were using Ming’s app to look up translations while this young lad had his own paperback version out. The relief on there faces as one of the older (and by this I mean maybe a few years older than me) instructor’s with a good grasp on English arrived was rather comical.

So I’ve done zip lining once before in Whistler and really enjoyed it but we never had to stop ourselves so this had me slightly nervous as while im known to be a bit of a control freak at home, I have absolutely no faith in myself being in charge of things. Its just not a good idea!

After a very steep ascent in a jeep to the base of the zip wires we got harnessed up and walked up to the first of 9 wires. Obviously we were in amongst the trees so we didn’t get much in way of views but the small glimpses we did were pretty damn good.

Chu had zip lined before, doing the braking himself, so Ming and I nominated him first, then me and then the newbie last. It wasn’t the most thrilling of zip wires as you couldn’t do different moves or positions but it was still good fun and im pleased to say I did just fine with the braking. Never having to do the monkey crawl because I braked too early or crashing into the pillows on the trees because I was too late stopping.

Once we completed all the wires we waited in the sun for our pickup to arrive. Chu talked about his many trips and about his zip wire adventure in Costa Rica. This has been on my list for a couple of years now but I think it maybe have just bumped up a few places. Though I think I’ll pass on the highest possible grade rafting in Zambia!

On the way back to our hotel our driver pulled over at the spot hed’ briefly stopped at before allowing us a good 10mins to take pictures and enjoy the view. Its definitely one of the best I’ve ever seen on all my travels. Unfortunately i only had my camera with me so I couldn’t take a panorama picture but still I’ll get one off Ming or Chu later on.

We had agreed earlier on to head up on the cable car in the afternoon and then do the hike back down so after a quick parting of ways for Chu and Ming to get lunch and me to pop to the elusive supermarket (which is the opposite way from what we were told and has queues which would give my customers heart attacks) we went to find the free shuttle.

Unfortunately we just missed it as the road was being pulled up by the office we were shown and had to find the other pickup point they were using. Still this gave Ming a chance to do some shopping and Chu and I to go down to the lake.

Catching the next bus we made the 5km journey to the base of the cable car and were soon in the dinky car making the 10minute trip up. Once up we took in the panoramic views before deciding to go do the walk further up across the forest and maybe skip the walk down to the base as time was limited.

The walk gave us some amazing views and new angles to enjoy. The walk had its steep bits but thankfully for me (I believe in my other blog posts I’ve mentioned my dislike of ‘up’) they weren’t as bad as they looked and we had plenty of normal forest terrain in between. The view from the cable car is good but I admit crossing to the other side of this massive rock was- in my opinion- the better view as you can see all the islands. Either way with the sun shining we had some fun trying different poses and taking pictures.

Before making the descent to the base of the mountain we stopped back at the cafe and had a drink. Something both Ming and i had wanted to do as its one of these revolving restaurants giving you 360 degree views. Because we ran a little late here we were extremely lucky to make the bus back to town but once there we agreed to do dinner together. After a slight mix up it was agreed we would wash up and then get take away so we could try and watch the sunset.

As it was with mountains everywhere we couldn’t actually see the setting of the sun but we did get some beautiful dusky pink colours creeping across the still lake.

Barilcohe, Argentina to Futaleufu, Chile Thursday 27th October 2016

Today we headed for the border to cross back into Chile. We passed many green valleys and pastures, all with mountainous backdrops. It was quite a quiet ride with just a little excitement when we saw a group of wild flamingos.

We hade been told the border crossing here would be pretty difficult but in all honesty the hardest part was waiting for the Chilean border guards come back from there break! After that we were polite, smiled and did as we were told. It seemed pretty smooth to me with the officers being friendly. Certainly when I gave my passport across he seemed fairly amused that I speak zero Spanish...cant really blame him for that ...

Outside we did have to unpack the bags but they only had the quickest of looks inside them and didn’t do more than a walk through of the truck. The only bit of excitement came when they made Isabella put on her last Rio Carnival hat ( a massive green parrot )so we all had a good chuckle, especially when Dennis then put it on too.

Leaving the crossing behind Futaleufu was only 10km down the road so we were soon checked into our quirky wooden style hotel. Not long after we did a short walk of the small town and up to the lake before having an early dinner at the hotel. So far I don’t think we’ve had a small meal, though I do think I would soon get bored of there only being meat options.

Finishing the day with a beer in the garden I decided I could get used to this!

Futaleufu Friday 28th October 2016

So Futaleufu is a town with 2,000 year round residents (not including the dogs flopped about on every corner) and with it still being early spring here, many activities are still unavailable as they need certain numbers for them to go. So it was a pleasant surprise to be told at breakfast that I could go riding in the afternoon if I wanted as they’d found someone else to go. Dennis and Ming would also get to do their grade 4 rafting meaning everyone would be doing what they wanted today.

Deciding to spend the time in between exploring, I headed for the lake, walking along the side and getting glimpses of the water through the trees. Then heading along the road I passed the small airstrip before arriving at the bridge that forks off to the nature reserve. Walking down the track I had to choose between going left or right. Left would go down into a flat open valley while right would go up and twist through the trees.

Now I know what your thinking. She said ‘up’ so she must have gone left...right...? Nope I went right. It seemed like a good idea at the time!

In all honesty it wasn’t bad at all. Just with the sun yet again blazing it was rather hot. I walked for maybe 20mons. Long enough to get a look at the river winding around town which was looking rather small in the distance.

Walking back I watched a plane take off and walked around the lake again. Coming from this direction and paying more attention to more than the lake I realised that the wooden structure to the side is a livestock sale ring. And I also found a good size (for a town this small) stadium and gymnasium along with swings in front of the lake.

Oh and a walk in this town wouldn’t be complete without making friends with the dogs outside the hotel.

Back inside I got my stuff ready for riding before grabbing a snack and drink and heading to the garden. I wasn’t there long before I got called in for Jen to tell me I needed to be at the excursion office in 20mintues. Not a huge problem given the short distances in this town.

Once id paid for the riding I was introduced to Silva, a tiny Peruvian lady that would be accompanying me riding. Which is good if only because I was then told we had to catch both a local bus and ferry to get to the horses!

Not having understood why they couldn’t arrange riding for one person as usually its only one guide anyway, it suddenly became clear. Even more so as we went to catch the small minivan type bus for a 10 minute drive on a gravel track to the ferry. Then onto the small ferry jam packed with people, shopping and a brand new truck that you could barley move around. Being handed lifejackets by a local ‘just incase’ we quickly donned them because if the locales are wearing them then its probably for the best!

By now I had learnt that Silva has only been in Chile for 1 ½ weeks and will be working at the excursion office. As such she’s trying all the trips so she can give out accurate information during the season. And because they were having trouble getting our activities to take place because of a lack of people she had been put on mine which was above and beyond for them. Plus it was nice because she wanted to take more pictures than me so I didn’t feel out of place standing outside on this dinky ferry as we made a 10mintue journey to were the horses were.

Irvin our guide came down to the small stretch of stones that while in no way a beach, consisted of our landing strip as it were. After being greeted by what -to my own untrained eye- appears to be an embodiment of the word Huaso, I turned to see the ferry moving away while pushing off the rocks that had held the ramp down long enough for us to jump to shore.

Moving up the slope towards the very pretty ramshackle buildings Silva acted the translator explaining that the only ways to the area is to ride in or take the ferry.

Approaching the building we saw there were 4 horses about, though only one of them was at all tacked up. Soon we were following Irvin across the fields to a small stream that was coming down the mountain, as he explained that because of the inaccessibility of the area, children such as the 3 we saw on the ferry would stay with families in Futaleufu during the week and only return to their family homes on the weekend.

After crossing a gangplank spanning the stream we followed a small path through the bushes and trees up to an amazing waterfall. On the ferry ride in we had seen many waterfalls and streams, some of which spanned from the top of the mountain all the way down to feed into the river. Seeing a cascading falls this close up with nothing and no one around us was amazing.

Back down with the horses we were given instructions on how to ride and handle the horses. Poor Silva was a novice and in this I did not envy her.

Most of the instructions were stuff I was aware of. The only real difference being that its more like western riding with the reins in one hand and the commands coming from there in unison with the whole body.

Pretty soon we were on our way up this mountainous terrain with crazy views of mountains and the river...... If seen through the steady rain that would come down for the next 90minutes or so. Going through the forest we made incredible inclines without the horses battering an eye and if anything Silva’s horse was bored enough to want to do things his own way and had to get retrieved pretty often!

A couple of times we had to get off the horses because an area was too difficult and they would need to jump freely. And we had the option of getting down for a 2 1/2 ft drop in a tight ‘cant put a foot wrong’ gulley. And I have to say seeing Irvin swing up into the saddle like that is pretty amazing.....though I do now think that while some of it is showing off, another part is most definitely because with the amount of wool covering the saddles it would be impossible for smaller people to mount quickly!

As we moved out of the forest and across open land-still going up- we were joined by a herd of horses grazing the land there. They followed for a few minutes until they decided we weren’t worth the climb up.

Up here you can see the river and various mountain ranges with snow and ice still up top. Waterfalls on both the area we’re riding and on the far ridges are in abundance. Massive cascades that the mist and drizzle cant hide.

Leaving the horses-this time loosely tied- we took a short walk/climb up a tiny path to one such waterfall. Only 2 minutes from where we left the horses and yet complelty covered until you reach it.

Arriving back from our little hike Irvin proceeded to tell us about the history of the area.

It was uninhabited until the 1920/1930s when roaming nomads decided to put down roots. The life was exceedingly harsh as they built dwellings from the massive trees covering the mountain side. There’s also a plant we were shown that flowers once every 10yrs or so and once it has, it become very dry and makes good firewood.

Littering the area we’ve ridden across are burnt out trees remaining from a massive fire in 1950. Until that time the government was unaware that the area had settlers and it took a month for the fire to be put out. Considering this its amazing to be shown trees that have stood there for hundreds of years. I think the oldest we saw was 400 hundred years old. And we were also shown a type of plant that didn’t exist until after the fire cleansed the area.

We finished the ride about 3hrs after first getting on, this time at Irvin’s place. Riding the 20mins or so from his yard along this path to his house was pretty easy riding but I still don’t think id like to do it after dark the way he often does. Approaching his property we rode between his lambs and calves and as always it funny seeing how they react. The sheep as always run ahead as though to get started on being herded. The calves watch you and if your too close, turn their bodies so there always facing you.

I think there was a problem with the normal ferry and bus combination for the return journey which is why we ended where we did and then proceeded to get a lift to town from someone dropping supplies off to Irvin

Back at the hotel I showered quickly as I was so cold and then layered up before going to dinner with Dennis. We were later joined by others and hard an enjoyable couple of hrs giggling over silly things.

Futaleufu to Puyuhuapi Saturday 29th October

This morning we would travel onwards to Puyuhuapi, a small town on the edge of Parque nacional Queuelat. Much of the day was spent in contemplation as news of a passengers personal loss filtered through the bus.

Once we made our extremely pretty destination – the b&b more than the town- we settled into our rooms before heading to a cafe diner for some food. Its so bizarre because back home if a group of 15 or so tourists, many of whom don’t speak the language, came through the door expecting meals in such a place, panic would ensue. As it is, the women calmly took it in her stride and explained to Jen which items on the menu she had and which she had limited quantities off.

Once the rather confusing ordering system -ours not the proprieties- had been completed we settled in for a long wait. While I believe there must have been someone helping in the kitchen that we didn’t see or hear, its still amazing how quickly she turned the food out. And good food at that!

There’s been some discussions about how relaxed and friendly people are in Patagonia and I have to say I can see the truth of it. If you go into a restraunt, shop or even a hotel, there’s no air of expectation. While people will gladly take your business and are plenty helpful when needed -as shown n Futaleufu – their just as content if you go elsewhere. There’s no bartering or badgering as in most places I’ve visited. Both home and abroad. Its a relief to experience this kind of attitude, even as im bemused by it.

After our meal we went for a quick walk down the street that makes up ‘downtown’. We had talked of doing a 30minute walk to a viewpoint but when the rain moved in most of us headed back to the b&b. Here we could enjoy homemade cake-which I resisted!- and a warm fire to ward off the chill of this area. The house itself is stunning and the gardens bright with so many colourful flowers.

I did go out for a short walk along the beach latter on once the rain had stopped. Making friends with more dogs along the way. One that looked to have some golden lab in him did a Gunner. For those of you that don’t know, this is my mum and stepdads dog, which insists on chewing your cloths...and or wrist....and or anything else that takes his fancy. Then he tries to play tug of war which on his part consists of getting a grip of something and then planting his butt and expecting you to do the work.

Just down the road from this dog was a small black furry one. Breed indiscernible, partly because I never got close enough to work it out. I was passing its possible home which like a lot of the others here looks like a lean to, made up of tin and wood-much like some structures on the farm I grew up on. On a side note im dying to get a glimpse inside of these homes because while I know poverty exists here im also quite sure looks can be deceiving.

Anyway back to the little- and possibly

young- dog. I was passing her house which she was standing at the gate of and though I made noises at her she showed no interest in coming to say hello. She just watched me closely as I passed by. After a few feet I realised I had a shadow but when I turned to fuss her she backed up. Facing front I slowly carried on, all the while with my head turned just enough to see her following at a distance. After a few minutes she obviously decided that was enough bravery and headed home but it was sweet.

Puyuhuapi Sunday 30th October 2016

Today we enjoyed breakfast with homemade bread before heading out on a hike to see the Hanging Glacier. Originally we were to make our own plans but upon realizing its 20km to the nacional parque, Isabella agreed to use Rosita to take us there. Then there was an issue of whether the road would be open with the day of the dead coming up. As it worked out Jen found a guide to take us and while I cant say the hour long journey on a dirt road with sheer drops on my side was fun, we made it in one piece and had plenty of smiles and waves from those working along this stretch on a Sunday.

At the parque we had a quick look at the initial viewpoint before beginning the hike up to the top one. Supposedly this was to take 2 ½ hrs roundtrip....it took us 2hrs 10 mins to get to the top. Eekkk. Still we did stop a lot. No complaints from me!

At the top we had lunch or in my case a snack, and enjoyed the view. I have to admit having seen the Glaciers in Canada and hiked one in Nz, I did feel extremely sad at how small this one now is. It once covered 8km right up to where we had parked the truck and then some. And our hostess’ mum had told us that morning that she had gone there 60 odd years ago and not only was it bigger but it was on both sides rather than this one bit coming down that we could see.

The journey back down the 300m we’d climbed took next to no time and then a few of us hightailed it across to the other view point on offer. Having left Lynnette whom didn’t want to do the higher hike, hours earlier, we were very much aware of how much time had passed.

I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much from this view point as the one we’d hiked to is touted as the best. But with a small floating pontoon set on the lake before the Hanging glacier, I found this one preferable. And while there Liz and I were lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) to see more bits of the glacier break off . We had already seen one chunk while at the top view point but from this angle it was like seeing another waterfall being temporarily made as it worked its way down from such a height, great thunder like claps echoing after them.

Being a lot later back than the early afternoon we had planned, we went straight to dinner at a restraunt just down the road from where we were staying. Everything being in a few minutes walk here.

After dinner we headed back to the b&b

with cake in mind. At least in mine. Liz agreed but beforehand we decided a bottle of wine was in order and headed to the shop. Letting Liz with her grasp on Spanish pick the red wine turned out to be a good idea as I really enjoyed the one she picked despite red being my least favourite.

Oh and the cake was amazing! Liz had the Apple strudel which was authentic given that this family is descended from the German immigrants that founded the town. The evening was more entertaining as Dennis joined us with his coffee and lemon cake and Liz continued talking to our host whom he may or may not have a thing for. Without offering my own two cents, I’ll just mention he may be a little more spiffed up than we’ve seen him.

Puyuhuapi to Coyhaique Monday 31st October 2016

Today we woke to rain. Well to be honest I woke in the night to heavy rain but it was still in full force upon getting up.

We were meant to be heading out early as we had been told part of the road would be closed from 1 until 5. And there’s only one road down here to take. Before we’d even gotten ready for breakfast, we heard a rumour we may be here another day because of the dangers of the road under construction. Leaving to join the others downstairs Isabella told us she would speak to the police and have a look at the road in an hour or so and then make the decision.

Given that we had been frighteningly close to the sheer drop yesterday(and im talking inches here, not feet) going along the now wet and muddy dirt track in the rain and winds was not appealing. But soon we were loading the truck for an attempt at leaving. The police had offered to escort us along the most dangerous part and Isabella told us up front that she would be chucking us out of the truck before the sharp corner as a precaution. Heading out in the rain we followed the flashing lights of our escort again receiving many smiles and waves from the construction workers.

A lot of us did feel one of the most dangerous parts was where we were mere inches from the edge of a freefall and still on the bus. But we made it past that area and at the end of the day Isabella knows this trucks capabilities more than us.

Once we were out in the rain, Isabella followed the escort slowly down the road taking great care around the corner. At this stage the construction foreman started arguing with Jen, first refusing to allow us to walk through before urging us to hurry. Lining the corner we were taking were huge rock piles both above and below and he was worried about us becoming injured as its the most dangerous part of the area. Something I could well believe when Jen pointed to a group of rocks already sliding towards the fjord.

While Liz, Jen and I hurried after the workers urging us on, the rest of the group came at a sedate pace not seeming to worry about the very real concern of those who have worked and reconstructed parts of the road so many times over the years. Water and winds often destroying parts before they finish forcing them to begin again.

I have to admit this frustrates me as these workers did us great favours not only letting us pass on foot which could cause liability issues if anything should happen, but they had also taken the time to put gravel down before we arrived so we had traction on the narrowest of areas. A little consideration from us in return wouldn’t have been remiss.

Still soon we were waving goodbye to our escort and on our own as we began what was meant to be a couple of hours journey. Supposedly on relatively flat terrain. After 7 consecutive hairpin turns up a mountain I stopped counting and we stopped questioning how Jen and Isabella’s boss could say this was an easy flat drive. Common opinion is that he was out of his mind or drunk on making this journey to report such...or maybe both.

When it became clear we wouldn’t be making it for a few more hours we stopped in a town we were passing and Jen kindly brought us lunch. Continuing on the highlight was that we had snow! Snow, people!! Okay so maybe it was more like sleet snow at our level but on the mountains all around and when we arrived at our new destination, you could see the fresh covering at higher elevations.

By the time we arrived in Coyhaique and settled in, we didn’t have much of the day left. By the time we did a group wander ending at the biggest supermarket I’ve seen here by far, we didn’t have long before dinner. Thanks to a mix up with times the little we did have was wasted waiting at the restraunt. Still at least we’d seen a small part of the town and enjoyed seeing kids of all ages dressed up for Halloween.

Coyhaique, Chile to Perito Moreno, Argentina Tuesday 1st November 2016

Today was another long travel day. We were lucky enough to have blue skies for much of the journey even when we got our first real taste of the crazy Patagonia winds.

After a few hours moving across green landscapes with snow topped mountain range vistas, the landscape began to get harsher and more barren.

Approaching the border crossing was interesting. To be honest we were there before we knew it though the location was odd. Despite there not being anything but a tarmacked length of road, there was a huge LAN plane taxi about. No sign of any kind of proper airport though so I wonder if they have a branch that flies supplies into places.

Leaving the Chile side behind us we continued on to the small buildings containing the Argentina check point. While it always takes awhile we didn’t have to do anything but get our passports checked and stamped. Stating inside with the door closed to shut out the strong winds and fussing a cat while we waited.

As the day progressed we moved further and further away from civilisation. The terrain now being desert stretching for miles. And we had a few wildlife sightings of Rheas and Guanacos (a cross between alpaca’s and llama. )

Once in Perito Moreno we did our normal walk around. We were meant to end up at the lagoon, which we did. But even though its only spring, it was mostly dried up and the actual lake another long distance from town.

Here Liz and I broke away from the group and walked around the lake. After so much time spent of the truck the last 2 days we didn’t want to waste time off it stood about. Along side the lagoon were two different areas with exercise equipment. We stopped at the bigger one and messed about for a few minutes before passing the play area and checking out the supermarket and bank.

Back at the hotel I dumped my bag and then headed back to the exercise equipment. I only spent 15/20 minutes or so there but it felt good to be doing something especially since I saw the sun disappearing and the colours changing against the small bit of water in the lagoon.

Most of us had dinner in the hotel that night and it was a lot of fun. It was surprising how few of us have children but also really nice to be around people who don’t tell me ‘you’ll change your mind in a few years’. Its been 15years people. While its possible, I don’t think its a given!

I was also surprised to find out Matt and Nicki’s ages as I was sure they were my age or a little younger. Hope I look that good in a few more years.

Perito Moreno to El Chaltèn Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Today would be our third day spent in the bus. And I was cranky to say the least.

The highlight of the day was stopping at Cuevos de los Manos. Here we took a tour which took us alongside the rock face with artwork painted between 1,000 and 8,000 years ago. This was pretty interesting and imaging people thousands of years ago all the way out here wasn’t difficult. But I think I enjoyed the view of the green oasis cutting through the canyon, just as much. Apart from the dead cow that we could see down below.

That I could have done without.

On the way to Cuevos de los Manos we had seen more animals including -possibly wild- horses, guanacos, a grey fox and an armadillo. Now as we walked back to the starting point I kept hearing noises on the rocks above but given the amount of people here I dismissed it. Until I glanced up and saw a red fox standing above on a rock about 20ft up from me. Quickly turning to Nadia who was closest to me I quietly pointed him out to her. I managed to snap a quick picture before he disappeared from of our sight. Now if only we could see one of the elusive Puma’s living in the valley below!

Back on the road we continued across the desert seeing more wildlife as well as skeletons of those that had died out here.

Our only other real stop was an hour later for lunch. Here there was a ‘hotel’/shop/cafe. Again making friends with a young Alsatian with bigger ears than body, I entered the shop. It was pretty interesting as it sells a large collection of oddities. Including bridles and bits.

One thing about these included lunches are that they make me realise how very good the Groovy grape tours in Australia really were. Even though they were often short, they were so structured and organised in putting up and breaking down meal times. Everyone -mostly- working as a unit with large selections of food.

In fact as the day wore on I saw more and more similarities to Australia with the terrain looking more and more familiar.

El Chaltèn Thursday 3rd November 2016

Today we had a hike around Monte Fitz Roy. It was a one way walk with a minimum of 14km-18km if you did the added hike going further up the mountain.

We had been told it would take between 6 and 8 hours, ending back in town.

We began with the lovely Isabella dropping us off further up the river a few miles from where we’re staying. Starting off it was clouded over with mist and drizzling rain but off we went. Despite a fair few slopes the walk was much more that, than a hike. A lot less strenuous than we thought it would be.

Today we had a new group of travellers join us. Many Irish, a couple of brits and another from Sydney. And while most were disappointed like the rest of us not to be able to do the extra hike, given the wind and hail. And snow. And everything in between that we experienced, we couldn’t really argue with the guides who know this place so well.

We still got a couple of really nice view points showing us the glacier and mountain ranges. And with everyone going at their own paces it meant we moved about and chatted a lot. On the way back, now walking with Liz and Chu we passed a couple of lagoons! and a 2nd campground. I may not! be a! camper but even I can see that these places seem ideal if that’s your thing.

A really odd thing for me is towards the end of the walk before heading back down, we walk over a valley with the glacier river weaving its way along it. Now obviously that’s not the odd part. The odd part comes when both the view below and the area we’re walking, reminds me of a mirror image of a hike I did in Nz. In Wanaka. To a Glacier. Called Mt Fitz Roy.....

Making it back to town much earlier than anticipated, it wasn’t long before id looked up another short walk and decided to wander that way as I looked around the town. Having some in so late the night before we hadn’t had a chance to do anything but run to the shop in the rain but we had seen that there are many restraunt, many of them attractive wooden buildings, some with fairy lights strung around them.

Just as I reached the information centre at the beginning of the path to the Mirador (viewpoint) i thought i saw a familiar silhouette heading inside. Sure enough Liz had parted ways with Lynette whom id seen her leave with awhile earlier and decide on a walk herself.

Making our way out into the not so great weather we followed the path up to the first viewpoint- Mirador de los Condors. From here we had a good view of the town spread out below is and to our right another set of mountain ranges, though these were still shrouded in cloud.

Originally on leaving the inn I had planned only to go to the first lookout but both Liz and I turned around and since we were half way up we may as well keep going. We were glad we did. Even when we were on the last 100meters of the walk up, we could still see that the cloud was low and visibility not great. And yet somehow it all came good with us being able to get clear views of both the mountain range to the left of us (previously right) and the one that we didn’t know existed to the right. With the barren land down between them stretching to the massive lake, Lago Viedma, which had a dozen different shades of blue shimmering across it.

It was so good a view that we even sat down on an outcropping to enjoy it and were fortunate enough to have the sun break through the clouds and play across the mountain in front of us. And when it did turn again it was amazing to see the dark snow clouds reaching towards the lake as they passed overhead, much like a living breathing thing.

Once we’d had our fill we moved back down still marvelling at our luck. And in my case admiring the colours of the bushes here again. Such vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. There’s much more diversity and colour in Patagonia than I expected.

Having been shown where the Condors like to nest on the other side of town earlier on, we were pleased to see a pair circling above the first lookout once we were back by the road. Neither of is know much of anything about them other than what they look like and the glide in the air like hangliders. But we spent much of the way back pose questions to each other and also saw a flock of Patagonia parakeets which were extremely chirpy and pretty.

Having spent much of the day in the strong winds and drizzle, when I spotted a cafe with a sign for hot chocolate in the window, Liz didn’t take much convincing! It was delicious and the interior cozy. There’s part of a wall with pictures/writings on that customers have done. A knitting area which people are encouraged to add to so they can donate blankets to hospitals for newborns. There’s quotes and writing on the wall about enjoying life, board games and books. Wind chimes and other bits hang from the ceiling and to sum it up, if I had more time I would have happily passed a few hours her with a warm drink and good book.

Having spoken to Liz about joining her and Lynette for dinner i soon had a knock on the door inviting me to help them drink their bottle of wine beforehand. Once we were plenty ‘happy’ we made for the pizza restraunt Lynnette had her eye on and enjoyed a meal there.

El Chaltèn to El Calafate Friday 4th November 2016

Today we had another long -ish- journey to our next stop, El Calafate. On arriving we found ourselves staying in the nicest place yet. Along the walkway between the reception and the corridor most of us are staying in there’s a huge swing, though I never saw anyone using it.

On arriving I joined the group for a brief wander before breaking off and going to the lake. Or where the lake should be. Given that its spring I had to walk quite a way to find it and it wasn’t as clear a view as I would have liked. But I did stop at this massive wooden playground and made use of the swings for a bit....there was one other lot of people there doing the same....also adults!

Walking back the same way, I pondered over the somewhat neglected horses I had passed- the first id seen in Patagonia. A little odd given that some were tethered by an arena with a statue marking it as a place for gaucho rodeos. Usually horses -and animals in general- are looked after pretty well went they compete like that or are even loosely associated with such a thing. Still I guess there’s always exceptions to the rule.

Having already made friends with one dog outside the grocery store, I felt pretty bad when my next ‘friend’ waited for me every 10ft or so. Of course he was after food but he was so sweet. Once I was sure he wouldn’t follow me across the road too far, I headed back up the main street.

Earlier on I had agreed to dinner with Ming, Chu, Dennis and Kim. Kim had actually had to make a reservation for one of the most popular restraunts in the area and since I wasn’t wanting to spend too much money I had made sure not to commit 100%. As it turned out Ming and Chu never showed up ( I later found out Ming got both caught up at the bus station and got lost) so 5 mins after we were meant to be there Dennis and I went into the restraunt while Kim waited a little longer for Ming.

Straight away Dennis and I were on the same page about the expense and having the local beer as it was cheapest! As it turned out at Kim’s insistence we ordered one of the cheapest wines and shared it between us. Along with steak and lamb which this area and restraunt in particular is known for, and sides of pumpkin mash and veggies.

I enjoy lamb but rarely eat it and when it comes to steak im a well done kinda girl. If an animals gonna die for me to eat then I want it dead. Of course in Argentina their ‘well done’ is pink and it doesn’t matter what you say, you will only succeed in insulting them by asking for it done another way.

As always when eating lamb I tried not to think OF lambs-I don’t know why I struggle with this more than cows or fish etc. While I think calves are cute, I’ve never been particularly at ease around them. Same goes for chicken and fish but I guess maybe because I grew up with goats and sheep as pets, I find it more difficult to eat them. I do feel bad for pigs though which we nnever had....

Anyway.

The lamb was delicious, the best I’ve ever had. And the beef -which I did only have a very small part of- was really nice, even if it was pink. Something I tried not to think about as you cant come to Argentina and not eat it. I also fell in love with the pumpkin mash. The second pumpkin thing I’ve had on this trip and both I’ve really enjoyed. Not an outcome I would have foreseen.

After an enjoyable couple of hours there we eventually managed to pay despite them not being able to split the bill for us. I went for another short walk about town before calling it a night.