Puerto Natales -Torres Del Paine / Chile

---

Bucket list stuff my friends, bucket list stuff is what I am telling you about in this blog entry. One of the most amazing and breathtaking places I have ever seen in my life….

My last entry was from El Calafate which was an impressive place, but too much like a ski resort in Europe, or at any other place in the western world. The main streets are full with cloth and souvenir shops as well as travel and adventure tour companies. There were several tours that one could do but they were very expensive and really didn’t attract me at all. So I just hung out there and did some walking around the lake and up into the mountains.

The only exiting thing that happened was that I finally found my black market money exchange, or how they call it here blue market. You see the Argentinian peso is so unpredictable that over the years a black market in exchanging money developed, so much so that even the newspapers print the “official” blue market rate. I was asking people since I am in Argentina about changing Australian dollars, but I had no luck at all. American dollars are the way to have here. Don’t ask me why, it is just like that.

When you get money out of the ATM here in Argentina you get 1000 pesos for A$140 plus A$19 transaction fee. Equals A$159. Now that works out about 6.3 pesos for one Australian dollar. So I did a bit of asking around in El Calafate and found a place that gave me 8.5 pesos for one Australian dollar. That a whopping 30% more than the official rate. And no service fee + a free coke. Now that was pretty cool. Just a shame I was leaving Argentina the next day.

The next day I hopped on the bus and 4 hours later I arrived in Puerto Natales, the gate to one of the most amazing national parks in the world – Torres Del Paine. And it was yery impressive to see the mountain range over the lake. So I booked my full day tour for the next day and was very excited.

The tours started at 7 am and I was lucky that it was only a small tour bus with 8 people. That made it like a little family and soon I was talking to a couple from NZ and a Dutch lady.

Guys and gals, this place is nothing but amazing and awe inspiring. From the moment you drive into the park the landscape is getting more and more impressive. If you think it can’t get any better, well it is. These mountain ranges are massive, towering over 2000 meter above you. And the whole atmosphere is aided by the cold and the wind. You feel like you are somewhere else and not on this planet.

The tour took all day and beside the lakes, mountains, all the different animals, the waterfalls, the plants, and so much more, I saw my first glazier in South America. And how often did I just sit down and did nothing but think about this wonderful place. And life in general. You see, I can’t help myself to think about how places like this exist and while we hear of them or see them on TV most of us will never see them with their own eyes. And that is such a same. No book, picture, documentary or whatever can replace the real thing.

And on the way out of the park we stopped at a cave that is 200 meter deep and 80 meters high. But after seeing these mountains it is just not impressive. Sorry…..

So that was yesterday. Today I just walked around the town and did fuck all. Just though about what I have seen yesterday and the experience. It is one of these days in my life that will be hard to top. I traveled a lot and saw many places but this place is awesome and in my top 3 places I have been in my life.

If you have read until this point, well do me a favor and seriously consider coming down here to Torres Del Paine. Don’ come if you just want to say that you have been there; come to experience how beautiful and amazing this part of the world is.

So that is it. I have nothing else to say and let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy and be part of my life ....



Until next time.

---

Comments

[Waderlusting]

Convincing
Welf, you have a great way of expressing just how awe-inspiring Torres del Paine is.. I'm so much looking forward to my visit in Dec! :)

[Welf]

Thank you for your kind words. It's sometimes hard to describe these wonderful places as no word can do the place justice. You will have a great time there. Are you traveling now?

[Daniel]

Dankeschön Welf
Kamerad Welf, you have inspired me to add a day to my work trip to Chile and book a tour to see Torres del Paine tomorrow. I can’t wait.... VG. Daniel

[Welf]

Have a fantastic time ....
.... and enjoy one of the most amazing places on this planet.