Recovering in Punta Arenas

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Day 170:´Sandy Point' (Punta Arenas) is not so sandy

So I could have done with not getting up ridiculously early this morning, but then I could have done with a hot shower as well, and so I forced myself out of bed at seven to have breakfast, and then walk into town to try and arrange a bus to Punta Arenas later in the day. Unfortunately all the early buses were full, but I did manage to get a ticket for one at ten o'clock. Soon enough, I was happily dozing on board a bus as I journeyed further south (where I do have a flight north in a couple of days).

Understandably feeling quite lazy, and with aching shoulders and very sore feet, I opted to go to the hostel closest to the bus stop (a whole two minutes away). Fortunately, it seems really nice, in a family home, with hot showers and proper beds i.e. not bunks! Having dropped my stuff off, I spent a little while procrastinating, before going for a short wander about town, heading down to the green leafy plaza overlooked by huge impressive mansions. It's certainly rather different to the pastel-wash tin and chipboard houses of Puerto Natales. There's a big port down on the seafront, with boat departures south to Tierra del Fuego, and north to Puerto Montt (which takes three days), but not too much in the way of a beach that I can see. To be honest though, it's not really beach weather, and I think I'll be quite happy just hanging around at the hostel for a day or two, recovering from my hiking expolits. Despite there being a rather nice forest and national park not too far from here, I have resolved that I am going to let my poor lil feet recover before putting my boots back on (mental note, must carry plasters when hiking). With a bit of time to kill in the evening, I found the local supermarket, and from a limited selection, have bought enough veg for a huge pot of vegetable ministrone (and seem to have made enough to feed a family of four for a week)!


Day 171: Objects and peoples past

Despite having no reason to get out of bed (not because I'm depressed, but because for once, I don't have a mammoth walk to do or bus to catch), I was still awake at seven and up shortly after eight for a hearty breakfast before heading back into town. First stop was the museum, where I found a combination of displays of crusty animal, bird and fish specimens, alongside more interesting collections of artefacts from various indigenous groups, collected by a missionary priest based in the region.

Leaving the museum and heading a little further out of town, I visited the cemetery. Reputed to be one of South America's most interesting, it was certainly different to Recoleta. Although there were a few huge impressive mausoleums owned by families or organisations, the majority of graves were those of ordinary folk, with simple gravestones and heartfelt inscriptions; these included those of many sailors and foreigners who had perished in the region, with enough English graves to fill a whole section of the cemetery. Despite being a bit morbid, it was still quite an interesting place to explore. Favourite grave has to be the one that played 'Santa Claus is coming to town' as you walked past. With not too many people around, and with lots of hidden areas between the large mausoleums and giant conifers, it was a bit creepy, and possibly an ideal place to get mugged. I thought it best that I didn't stop for too long, and soon found myself heading back towards town. Attempts at finding a nice coastal walk failed (although to be honest, I didn't spend too much time looking for one), with most of the area adjacent to the sea dedicated to industry. I stopped by the port for a little while, but there wasn't really too much to do there, and so I strolled back to the warmth of the hostel for the rest of the afternoon and evening, when I managed to convert the remains of my ministrone soup into vegetable pasta! There aren't too many other people staying here at the moment, so fingers crossed, I should have the dorm to myself tonight. Hurrah!

Oh, and did I mention, the showers here are great!

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