PUERTO MONTT AND NAVIMAG

After a fun filed Xmas and NY, it was time to head back to Chile. We flew back into Santiago, spent a couple of days recuperating then made a 12hour bus journey (1,016KM) south to Puerto Montt. The only reason for going there was to catch the NAVIMAG ferry to Puerto Natales.

It has very distinctive features, located amidst snow covered volcanoes which can be seen from the city centre, the city centre itself represents a European style-architect, due to it´s early German settlers who arrived in 1852 . They even have a German club... that suddenly closed when we tried to have a drink. A bit strange...
The other part of the city could be mistaken for the "favellas" (where we stayed....).

The buildings are constructed primarily from wood so I was very surprised when we pulled up in a taxi to our small looking B&B to realise how big it was inside. Every part of the house creaked with the slightest movement but the space was accomodating. The best place we´d stayed in so far in Chile - home made bread and jam, constant coffee on the go plus home made cake (German recipe...). The Argentine tourist guide who was on vacation with her son gave us some amusing stories about acting as a guide/maid/carer/personal confident/Mrs. Know It All/PA for the Americans.

On the day we were leaving, I had an encounter with a couple of Gypsies providing some entertainment for the day for the local workers. It wasn´t a good day for them to be soliciting me for money. Well, in their way touching and grabbing your clothes. I didn´t react in the nicest way and used a few bad Spanish words which I´ve picked up along the way. Of course, they didn´t appreciate the verbal and hand gestures so responded quite hastily! The local workers were shouting for a fight, making boxing gestures and cheering us on to continue. Still a few metres apart, words were still being exchanged and Jurgen, along with the workers were in fits of laughter!

NAVIMAG
Fortunately before boarding, we got talking to an English couple whom we remained travelling with for the next 10days after..... Paul (big everton fan) and Pauline from Liverpool.

The Navimag ferry would take us 1,460KM South to Puerto Natales over a 3 night/4 day period. We´d heard from several people that it´s a fun trip plus the sights are impressive. Unfortunately for us, the cold and drizzle continued over the entire period so the "great sights" were mainly viewed from the cabin or pub window. Hardcore adventurers would be out on deck with their video cameras and wearing the perfect attire for wet, cold and windy weather! It was a big change from the 40 degrees we had in Brazil!

Our fun filled enthusiastic German guide (sense the sarcasm) Leena provided us with short presentations about the "great sights" we couldn´t see plus other info, along with her Chilean companion who was after any male with a pulse! They provided the entertainment without realising it: Leena switching from German to Spanish to English but with a never changing monotone had many people dropping off to sleep with boredom (the motion on the boat didn´t help either). The Chilean guide was a bit more entertaining......

They did however inform us correctly about the rough 12hr sea crossing (Golfo de Pensas) we´d encounter on the 2nd day and advised us to take sea sicknes tablets (administered from the bar area). They would announce over the tannoy the time to take them. I was defintely on the list, Jurgen´s a bit more hardcore than me. Well, the motion picked up and the announcement was made - we all popped pills at the same time. The boat was rocking so much that it was hard to keep anything static including food on tables. I however didn´t make it for lunch - standing in the queue rocking from side to side and trying to maintain my balance brought me out in a hot sweat and made my head thump. I hastily made it to my cabin and remained there until the morning of the third day. I wasn´t the only one suffering. I could here people rushing to and from the bathroom and groaning with the feeling of nausea! So, a whole day and nights worth of entertainment and activities missed.... never mind, I was back on track on the 3rd day once we´d reached calmer waters.
We hung out with Paul and Pauline (English couple we met before boarding) for most of the journey, both providing us with more entertainment and fun than our guides.

3rd day we reached Puerto Eden - a very small village with limited resources (around 200 habitants) and home to the last Kaweskar Indians. The local people rely on the Navimag to bring them food (2 drop offs a week). Plus, a few people embark and continue with the journey to Puerto Natales where they live. We became friendy with a couple of Puerto Natales locals who work in the village. Eduardo, whom I got to meet after a salsa dance (with Jurgen´s permission of course) works as a Park Ranger and spends 35 days in the village, 21 days off (back home in PN). He mentioned that sanitation on Puerto Eden is poor with basic telephonic communication. It looked like a very cold, windy and boring place to me. Not the reason why we came to South America!!

I mentioned Salsa. Well that plus bingo was our last night of entertainment - it was hilarious to see our Chilean guide in action. She was in full swing and seized any opportunity with any of the lucky male bingo winners.

Well that was the NAVIMAG. Over to Puerto Natales.

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