We had the strangest flight down to Patagonia were we stopped off half way, waited on the aeroplane while people got off and some more got on… it was like a bus! We also got two meals because it was technically two flights, usually you're lucky to get a drink and a packet of pretzels. I'm not complaining though, I love plane food, all the little packages! Arriving in Punto Arenas we literally spent one night there before getting on the bus to Puerto Natales where we stayed in this cute little hostel with the coolest owner: Juan. He had such a Johnny Depp swagger and was a massive Quentin Tarantino fan (we heard a lot of his sounds tracks over the few days we were there) but our main reason for being there was to visit Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Towers of the Paine), which we did the next day.

When we got dressed in the morning the sun was shining, so we dressed light and brought a few extra layers with us. But we were soon to discover just how unpredictable the weather is here, because the temperature dropped, the clouds rolled in and the Antarctic winds reminded us of just exactly where we were. So not having enough layers on us by far we spent of lot of our time shivering, running back to the bus and day dreaming about all the clothes we would've brought had we been smarter! In saying all that however it was still pretty special, but in a way the miserable weather made it all the more sweeter when the sun did come out to intensify the bright blue in the icebergs and the incredible azure colour of the lakes, and reveal the tops of the snow-capped mountains. We were lucky with the wildlife too, we saw ostriches, including baby ones (so cute) and guanaco's which look like llamas, you could get pretty close to them too, they didn't flinch at all.

The highlight however had to be the majestic Torres (towers/mountains) themselves. Granite peaks that soar to over 3000m above sea level, with a dusting of snow on their tips, and while standing there trying to take it all in I couldn't help but feel sublimely insignificant. Where life stood still and I was very much only in that moment, it was beautiful. Amazingly Patagonia only got better from there.

So it was onto our next town El Calafate which was in Argentina and we had a 5 hour bus journey to get there with a crazily long 2 ½ hour border crossing on top of that. We eventually made it to this cute little town, which feels like a ski resort without the snow. As with Puerto Natales the main reason for us being here was to visit a national park nearby: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. We also spent Christmas here; booking ahead I picked a social looking hostel, unfortunately though it was pretty empty so it was just me and Darren but we still had fun and we're more than used to each other company by now! To celebrate we roasted a chicken with some veg and potatoes, drank wine and ate ice-cream. We played jenga and pool and watched some Christmas movies; it was a great wee day.

The next day it was off to see and hike a glacier and this time we dressed up warm. Having only ever seen glaciers in photos I didn't know what to really expect, and on this trip I've found that with the amazing things it takes a few days to take it all in and really appreciate what you've experienced, but from the moment I saw the Perito Moreno glacier, I was in awe. It was so spectacular and the scale of it is something else, 60m high, 5km wide and 30km long. The thunderous rumbling that comes from within it and the huge noise created when chunks of ice crash into the water below is exhilarating, but I was suddenly apprehensive about getting on the thing!

From the viewing point we had to catch a boat across to the area where we climb onto the ice, and being in that boat with the glacier looming up ahead was crazy. Once we got back onto dry land we walked for about 15 minutes until we were right beside it, the guides then attached crampons to our shoes and we were off! Walking at first felt really strange, but you got used to it pretty quickly and then you could properly take in your surroundings. It's like a desert of ice, rolling hills, blue streams which had the freshest most beautiful water running in them, we even tried a bit and at the end we enjoyed a whiskey (with glacier ice) and an Argentinian biscuit thing. It was the most unique and brilliant day ever.

Patagonia will be forever a place I will love.

Clare