Puerto Natales

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Tired walker

After Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales comes as a touristy town, but it is the nearest place to stay if you wnat the BIG national park, Torres del Paine. A three hour bus ride up to the park though, and then a catamaran ride across Lake Pehoe before you can even start. That gives an idea of the scale of this area. Saw lots of guanaco, surprisingly tame realtives of the llama and alpaca. Condors were easy to sport too, all quite awe inspiring. It was a wild and woolly day, as it often is in the mountains down here, but we managed a 4 hour hike along Lago Grey. The thing to do is to stay for a week and do the big trails. In spite of being at the end of the world this place is becoming famous for its walking, and no wonder. Not a good day for photos, but today we did a hike near to Puerto Natales itself. A lovely sunny day. The town overlooks Last Hope Sound, named after the spaniards who were trying to find a way through the Magellan straits and so a passage from the pacific to the Atlantic- this wasn't it. They found it eventually, althouh most died en route. I hope they stayed for the view!

Today just returned from a walk to Dorotea's Hill, a great hike though lovely woods, and maybe 6 people on the trail all afternoon. Youy have to pay the people at the foot of the hill, but they give you a lovely tea on return; nice people who live in a little homestead.

Casa Cecilia, our home form home in PN is a place I'd recommend- the owners are SO helpful, and they booked everything for us within minutes.

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Photos

Guanaco
in the mist of the mountains, a guanaco in Torres del Paine

Patagonian tree
On Dorotea's hill, strange but typical tree overlooking the very flat plane leading to Punta Arenas

Farmer at work
A little primitive, but it's how it is in places. No crops in sight anywhere, huge estancias, sheep and a few cows.

Near the hotel
PA is a small town, founded less than 100 years ago. This is the view near the hotel, across Ultima Esperanza (last hope)

Lovely couple
Señor and señora who provide the welcome spread at the end of the Dorotea walk. As with virtually everyone we met, they were more than welcoming, and our elementary Spanish came in very useful again.

Too smug
Some tourists just look like they own the place, but what a place to own. We will miss Chile.