Patagonia

I really wish I knew what to write about Patagonia. I can’t tell you all how many times I have tried to form the words in my head to describe it. But they all fall short.

Quite simply said, I’ve never seen anything like it. Emerald lakes, soaring mountains, endless pampas, and cold (I can’t even think of a good adjective for them) glaciers. In this post, I’ll try to let the pictures do most of the talking that I can’t do. However, my disclaimer must be stated: these pictures do not come anywhere near the real thing. It is a place I hope everyone has a chance to see in person. You can’t appreciate the viewpoints (miradores) unless you’ve fought to get there. It just makes it all worthwhile. I hope you enjoy:

Day 1: Punta Arenas, Chile

Punta Arenas is famous for being a colorful city at the end of the world. It's also famous for it's impressive cemetery, holding the remains of 100s of travelers who died attempting to cross the Strait of Magellan.

Day 2: Puerto Natales, Chile

Puerto Natales is really just the gateway into Torres del Paine, but it is a cool little town. The Seno de la Última Esperanza (Last Hope Sound) provides just a taste of what you're about to see by entering the park.

Day 3: Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

Today we faced a 34 kilometer hike to Laguna Verde and Mirador Toro. It offered our first glimpse of the famous Torres--the towers of granite that dominate the area.

Day 4: Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

On this day, we managed to hitchhike to our first stop before hiking up Mirador Cóndor. We continued on to Salto Grande and Mirador las Torres. By the end, we could barely walk. Luckily, we were saved by a kind German couple in a rented pick-up truck. Their hospitality has inspired me to find some way to get to northern Germany in the future. They were some of the nicest people I have ever met.

Day 5: Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

We hitchhiked to Lago Grey to see Glacier Grey. Sadly, the boats to the glacier were well out of the budget of two college students. We settled for the view from afar. I'm not complaining at all.

Day 6: Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales, and Punta Arenas

We were unable to move. Seriously. We had walked about 80 kilometers over 3 days. And it was all worth it.

Day 7: Return to Santiago

This was an incredible trip. If you need any motivation to go to Patagonia, talk to me about it. I’ll convince you. Not kidding. I also freely offer my services as a translator. I will accept payment in the form of food and an airline ticket. I also take great pictures of couples and families. I'd do just about anything to go back there someday. But I think my feet will appreciate a little break.

Chao.