Mainly a travel day today.
Before leaving Punta Arenas we did a shop for Xmas. It was a bit random as we didn't know what cooking equipment we would have. The shop was busy and the car park was a mare!
Then onwards north, over blank steppe with relatively empty roads.
Eventually the mountains began to rise, snow capped, in front of us. There were plenty of bright lupins growing wild on the roadside.
We descended down to Puerto Natales, which is on the very pretty Seno Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound). It was named this by Juan Ladrilleros in 1557 who was searching for the western entrance to the Magellan Straits. Virtually all his crew died in the search. When you look at a map of the sounds and fjords around here they are like a crazy labyrinth were you could sail for days and find yourself up a dead end or even back where you started.
Having found our accommodation relatively easily, it was a busy place with people coming and going. In the main house preparations were going on for a big Christmas Eve meal.
We have a two story cabana with lounge diner and bathroom downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. The was a proper cooker too so Xmas dinner is "on."
Our accommodation is close to the centre. The streets were bustling and there seemed to be as many foreigners as there were locals.
The town centre is very compact, as is the whole town. We bought a few extra bits in the supermercado and discovered a vegetarian restaurant.
Next was a brief walk on the front over looking the water. Needless to say it was very breezy. Up towards the icefields, it was raining.
The front had interpretation panels that told the history of the town which was at the turn of the 1900s one of the biggest industrial bases in South America, based around sheep.
Back at home, we opened our Christmas cards and dined on Gorgonzola cheese fondue.