Chilly Chile, Pretty Penguins

 The whirlwind continues.

When we last met our heroes, they were whizzing through the extensive Argentinian countryside. As I write this on Wednesday night, it's unbelievable to think that was only Monday. 

Kilometer by kilometer, we headed south on Ruta 40 and Ruta 5. We turned right on Ruta 7 in Esperanza and made our way west towards the border. The weather was gorgeous- bright blue skies and hardly a cloud. As we drove, guanacos watched us pass, but we also saw plenty of rheas (mini ostriches) and lots of crested caracaras as well. 

The roads in this part of the country were sparse and poorly-signed. No businesses, no gas stations; just the occasional estancia, or ranch. At some point we pulled off to the gravel roadside and had some ad hoc sandwiches. Aside from the lack of restaurants (zero), we had to eat all our fresh produce before getting to the border. We indulged on sandwiches de queso y jambon and admired distant 'low lying' mountains.

From here, Ellie took over the driving. I had done three hours. While very successful, I never fully and completely relaxed. When your first time on stick is also your first time driving in another country, I think that's reasonable. I'll add here though that Ellie is a champ and I'm really grateful she was able to tackle so much driving. It's a great team effort.

After another hour or so, we passed through Rio Turbio and up into a mountain pass - to the border. We had to go in, get stamped out of Argentina, and declare our rental car at customs. Father down the road we made our next stop- the Chilean entry station. There we got our passports stamped, declared our rental car, got searched for produce (and, probably, other things), and headed on our way. We immediately noticed that the Chilean side had much better signage and better roads too. Everything on this side seemed a bit more official, which was reassuring.

After a petrol stop, we continued another 3 hours to Punta Arenas. El Calafate felt somewhat like a tourist trap, but Punta Arenas served like a genuine busting city. We found our Airbnb (these streets at least had posted street signs), and then headed out for dinner and groceries. 

The place we picked was a really colorful two story restaurant. We ordered beautiful pisco sours and had a delightful multi course meal with a buttery quiche, limey ceviche, steak, and pumpkin ravioli, followed by zarzasparilla ice cake. There wasn't a miss on the menu, but Ellie's steak was particularly delectable, served with a jus that was rich and muy rica. 

For the second time in three days, we closed a grocery store around 10pm. After a little Harry Potter y las reliquias de la Muerte, we called it a night.

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The next morning was an early start. We had a 7:30 pick up for our full day penguin adventure. We were the last two to be picked up in a full van of 16 and so we squeezed our way in to the back.

The advertised plan was a 12 hour trip to Tierra del Fuego, the land of fire. We would ferry from Punta Arenas across the Magellan strait to Porvenir, drive along Bahia Inutil to see some king penguins, then drive north to Bahia Azul to take a short ferry over the north end of the Strait and drive back to Punta Arenas. That didn't happen.

While a beautiful sunny day, it was extremely windy. Our operator successfully predicted that the Punta Arenas ferry would be closed... So we detoured. As you can see from this route, we went way way out of the way. Combined with an hour at the park, a couple hours of stops, and having to wait for ferries, we only returned at 12:30am! A very very long day in the van.

But let's focus on the positive:

-Tierra del Fuego is a vast, empty, beautiful landscape, with gorgeous amber countryside surrounded by rich navy blue water.

-Magellan got stuck in the strait bearing his name for almost a month, trying to find a way out. It's no wonder there's a bay called Bahia Inutil or "Useless Bay". 

-King penguins are the second largest penguins in the world. They all live in Antarctica except for a small population that appeared in Bahia Inutil in 2011. They're protected by multiple Chilean laws.

-Parque Pinguino Rey, at 53.5 degrees South, marks the southern extreme of our trip. For comparison, London is approximately 51N.

-The colony was amazing, roughly 100 individuals. We saw chicks and parents incubating eggs. Their feathers were sleek with beautiful orange accents on white and black coats.

-On the trip we also saw massive Chilean Condors, Chilean Flamingos, countless water birds like swans, upland geese, and ducks, guanacos (obviously), and Zorros Gris (grey foxes). 

-As we drove well after dark, we also had a starry night sky in the road. There in the northern sky were Orion and Gemini, standing on their heads, moving from right to left. The Orion nebula was clearly visible, even with headlights all around; those on the other side of the van could easily make out the milky way dropping to the southern horizon. I REALLY hope I get a star-gazing worthy night away from a city before this trip is out...

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So here we are on today.

This morning we slept in a bit. This was necessary as it's been go go go ever since we landed in Buenos Aires. We checked out of the Airbnb at 10 and got the road north to Puerto Natales. We retraced our steps through arid grasslands and windswept forests with grey, moss-laden, craggy trees back almost to where we crossed the border.

After so much driving in two days, it was shocking how short a three hour drive was. Seriously, done in a flash.

Here we checked into a backpacker hostel with a trendy cafe and apparel shop built in. Unlike the previous places, this town (and hostel) have a decidedly backpacker vibe to them. Where previously my Spanish was useful, here is almost nullified by the saturation of foreign hikers flocking to the famous treks of Torres del Paine.

At least this place has incredible views onto a turquoise inlet off the Pacific, towering snowy mountains in the distance.

We had lunch and set about a variety of errands. Gear purchases, laundry, groceries, repacking and dinner. 

In just six hours we set off on the incredible W-trek. First we have a 150km bus ride to the park, followed by a an hour ferry to our trailhead at Glaciar Gray. Over the next four days we'll wind our way towards the majestic Torres, hopefully getting amazing views.

Over the previous handful of days we've had pretty much only sunshine with scattered clouds. But here in Puerto Natales is a different story. In just one afternoon it's showered 4 or 5 times. The wind is persistent and fierce. The summer sky is cold. As we had into the mountains the forecast is cold and wet, but everyone says the wind is the real kicker. 

Hopefully we have clear views... But hopefully even more we have warmth and stay dry. As there will be no internet on the trek, see you on Sunday and wish us luck!

Stick that on Ice Please

If you couldn't tell already, it's been a jam-packed first few days and it's been really tough finding time to blog. This is a great problem, but apologies to you all for the somewhat disjointed blogging! 

As I type this, we're waiting for a ferry across the Strait of Magellan... but more on that later.

At the end of the last post, we were just embarking on our Perito Moreno glacier hike. We were in a group of about 10 people with two mountaineering guides. The glacier runs from the top of the Andes eastward towards El Calafate, so our group plan was to hike parallel to the glacier along its south edge, heading westward. We'd hike about 5.5km in the woods on dry ground before being fitted for crampons and venturing out on the glacier. This plan was great because we got an excellent view of the glacier from the side and were able to cover ground quickly before being slowed by the crampons. 

Venturing out into the ice was really cool (pardon the pun). The surface of the glacier was rock hard but extremely rough, like gravel. This gravelly surface was actually extremely sharp, as I discovered when I sat down and cut my hand (only very slightly, don't worry). Between the crampons and the surface texture, there was zero chance of slipping; I was actually more worried of tripping and wrenching a joint out of socket.

Sadly I don't think I can upload photos to the blog via my phone, but there seemed to be the types of glacier ice. The first type, closest to the trailhead, was full of undulating surfaces dozens or hundreds of feet large. With the surface snow melted, one could easily see why crevasses are so scary in alpine environments. The second row of glacier ice, where we walked, had relatively few undulations. I'd liken it to sand dunes, which you could climb over fairly easily. Apparently this portion of the glacier moves around 1m (3ft) downhill every day, gliding along melted water below the glacier. The third type, father up the glacier, consisted of immense vertical sheets of ice; one could not traverse this without considerable expertise and equipment. This is formed when the higher glacier slams down into the valley, rupturing the ice like colliding tectonic plates. 

The 2km or so that we covered on the glacier featured three main colors. White, of course, the color of pristine ice. Second was black, as small pebbles and dust had been blown by the wind in a veneer over the entire glacier. It looked like a partially melted snow bank two weeks after a northeast snowstorm. The other color was blue. Scattered across the glacier, narrow crevasses and pools were filled with the most crystal clear brilliant blue you've ever seen. It was bluer than an Olympic swimming pool, brilliant and vibrant, yet so clear you could see down tens of meters into the depths. Most of the crevasses were so narrow that one couldn't fall into them, but a couple of the pools were broad and deep with definite flow. Absolutely stunning to behold. 

We had lunch on the glacier, admired the views, and retraced our steps (which by the way, were literally invisible in the ice). On the way out, I noticed that the adjacent mountains had two bathtub-style tree lines. One of these, at three-quarters the elevation of the mountains, marks the ice level in the last ice age. The other line, 200 feet up from the floor, marks the ice level 100 years ago. The glacier is disappearing.

On our way out, Ellie and I became friends with an Aussie named Maddie. She was a couple weeks into a 6-week trip on paid leave. Her plan was to cover the whole area, including an Antarctica trip. Wouldn't it be nice to have so much vacation time! Along with a couple others, we sat at a table looking over the glacier face, hoping a formation we nicknamed 'Glen' would tumble into the water. He didn't abide, notwithstanding being precariously cracked from 'head' to 'toe'. We did see some other huge chunks calve off though, so we don't feel short changed.

When we came back into town, we had quick showers and then went out to eat with Maddie. In town there are several rather touristy but still delicious barbecues. Each one features a coal pit in the window with several lambs splayed and skewered, slowly roasting away. I was quite proud of my Spanish, as I successfully asked the hostess for a table and told her we didn't have a reservation. We split a bottle of Argentinian Malbec ('Animal Organico') and a huge skillet of BBQ meat, which included steak, ribs, chorizo, lamb... Black sausage, and intestines. We also got a side of grilled vegetables and a coal-baked potato. Aside from the intestines, it was delicious. Our first 'real' meal in Argentina with good food and good friends.  

Oh. And then we had ice cream. 1000 pesos for two scoops in a waffle cone, a bargain. I had Calafate - a local berry reminiscent of blueberries or Swedish bilberries - along with 'chocolate super delicioso', a decadent medley of chocolate ice cream, chocolate bits, and dulce de leche. 

The summer sun sets around 9 here, so since it was dark, it must have been around 10 or 1030 when we returned to the hostel. We organized, packed, and then I fell asleep blogging. We were exhausted.

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Yesterday morning (Monday) we woke early. We had a six hour drive ahead to get to Punta Arenas, Chile. Following a quick breakfast and making a sandwich lunch of baguettes and the creamiest queso (in this case, think mozzarella), we got the road.

Well, kind of. When we picked up the rental, they were unable to give us the requisite customs declaration form for driving into Chile. So first we had to go back to the airport to pick that up. Ellie drove out of town, past a gas station, through an unmanned police checkpoint to into the airport: smooth sailing. We agreed I'd take the first real shift... My first time taking a stick shift car on real roads. What could possibly go wrong??

Challenge one: reverse the car or of the parking spot. I never did that in my lesson. I stalled twice.

Challenge two: paid parking. Wait in line to pay a toll attendant. Almost stall thrice as each car in front of me goes.

Challenge three: repeat the line waiting process waiting to go through the exit barrier. Frantically lurch the car to life when it's my turn to pass.

Challenge four: agree we should top up gas... Approach security checkpoint and crawl up to police in first gear to avoid waiting in line; try not to look like an idiot for not knowing headlights were mandatory in daytime. (Or the Spanish for headlights)

Challenge five: gas station packed; wait for a pump to open. Attendant waves me all the way to the opposite end of the bank of pumps and narrowly avoid having to reverse (whew!). Successfully lurch into first gear and drive perpendicularly to the flow of traffic like a crazy person at a Garden State Parkway toll. On departure, avoid the manic plowing across a gravel pit cutting me off. Back in the road.

Challenge six: go back through the security checkpoint. Unlike Ellie, I had to wait in a line of traffic on a hill. Handbrake start ("do what now??") And lurch forward in the queue. At least the policia was happy to hear we were going to Punta Arenas. Finally hit the highway.

Bonus challenge: Apparently it wasn't flat; we quickly ascended a series of hills into highlands. Got stuck behind a little red car going well below the limit. He suddenly inexplicably slowed to 45kph and I jammed the brake, forcing me down into second gear. As he then happily sped away, I slowly found my way back up to third, fourth, and fifth. Finally, peace and quiet in a flat open highway.

Just the way we planned it. 

Actually, I have to say the car was super forgiving. Thank goodness, as I only actually stalled 3 times total and I was spared a wealth of embarrassment. Ultimately I drove three fun and successful hours without incident, a huge success.

Over the last couple days we've totalled some 18 hours on the road from El Calafate to Punta Arenas and onward to Tierra del Fuego. What has amazed me has been the infinite sagebrush plains. Those familiar with my Tetons trip know I drove six hours across Wyoming and Utah, mostly with vast, empty, amber horizons. But that was capped on each end by mountains and mesas. This arid landscape makes Wyoming pale in comparison. Hour after hour, mile by mile, somewhere between pancake-flat and erosion-carved hills. Highlands and lowlands, yes, but nothing except dirt and sagebrush. For a thousand kilometers.

Oh, and guanacos. It quickly became apparent that seeing these long-necked ungulates having a roadside snack was more inevitable than the rise of the Patagonian sun. They're EVERYWHERE. It seems like every trip has it's common animal ('oh, just another Columbian ground squirrel'), but seriously it seems like there are more roadside guanacos in Patagonia than all the deer in New Jersey. Good thing they're pretty fun with their llama-like gaze, because they kept us entertained all the way south!

I think that's probably plenty of sagebrush to chew on today, but there's lots more for the next installment! The wildlife list keeps growing, we've had a great time in southern Chile, and we're gearing up for what may be a total slog of a backpacking trip. So stay tuned!