A bus ride from El Calafate, Argentina to Puerto Natales, Chile

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We had to start early again today, this time for our bus transfer to Puerto Natales. We were picked up from the Michelangelo Hotel and driven across town to the bus depot where we had to change our vouchers over for our actual tickets. Then we had to hang around in the freezing cold waiting for the bus to be unlocked. Hmmn, just us, a few stray dogs and all the young back packers!

When the driver arrived we were able to load our bags in the luggage compartment at the rear of the bus and then take our seats upstairs. Our seats were at the top of the stairs so there were no seats in front of us - just the void over the stairs. What a bonus! No-one sitting in front to recline their seats onto our knees.

Our journey today was mostly across the grassy steppes although there were some spectacular snow-capped mountains in the distance. In between dozing there was an assortment of wildlife and livestock to be seen. There were quite a few birds about which were probably buzzard-eagles or perhaps caracas? We also saw quite a few groups of Darwin's rheas which are a flightless emu-like bird. We also spotted a few small herds of guanacos which are like llamas. The farms on the steppes seemed to alternate between cattle and sheep holdings.

We had a short stop mid-morning and then our next stop was at the border. Everyone had to disembark and go into the immigration 'hall' (hall might be a bit of a stretch, but it was slightly more than a shed in the middle of nowhere!) with passport in hand in order to officially exit Argentina. Then we all had to re-board the bus for the short journey to the Chilean border crossing point. We all had to clamber of the bus again and this time all the luggage had to come off the bus too. We filed into our second immigration 'hall' in the space of an hour with our passports and luggage in tow.

All the bags had to be deposited near the X-ray scanner while we continued with our passports to the immigration desks. With only two immigration clerks on duty it took quite a while for all of us to be processed. At least by the time we had been stamped into Chile our luggage had been cleared for entry and we were able to collect it on our way back to the bus. After more than an hour of bureaucratic border processing we were able to continue the last leg of the journey into Puerto Natales.

We were met by a driver at the bus depot in Puerto Natales for a short car trip across town to the Hotel Glaciares. Our room was quite small, a bit rustic and very, very green! After being cooped up on the bus for hours we decided to head out for a walk along the waterfront; Puerto Natales is situated on the shore of Última Esperanza Sound (Last Hope Sound). The sun was shining which was lovely, but the wind was gale force. The wind was blowing straight across the sound and whipping through the town. Undeterred, we walked along the shoreline anyway and took photos of the sound and some interesting sculptures that we spotted along the way.

Next we headed into town looking for a supermarket to buy some water and some beers ... and an ice-cream for a late lunch/afternoon tea. We found the supermarket fairly easily, but an ice-cream shop proved a bit more elusive. We knew that there was one somewhere because we kept seeing people walking around with ice-creams! Eventually we tracked it down and enjoyed our ice creams in the shop's front window with the sun streaming in. Sitting indoors in the sun, out of the howling gale was very pleasant.

We went back to the green room until it was time to think about dinner. Tonight we dined at Trip Advisor's No. 1 rated restaurant in Puerto Natales, Aldea. The staff translated the blackboard menu for us and the two other couples that were dining this evening. Hmmn, as we understood it the choice was pretty much out of a number of lamb dishes and a number of meals featuring a local sea delicacy (squid? sea urchin? sea cucumber?) that has just come into season. The staff were very excited about it, but we decided to play it safe and ordered the lamb rump ... which was delicious.



Steps 11,263 (8.78km)

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