And now for somewhere completely different

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I was looking forward to a change in travel destinations, to new experiences and new horizons. It was time to get out and explore a different culture, and a different language. Suddenly everyone was talking about South America as the place to be, and who am I to argue with the collective wisdom of my esteemed fellow travellers. So I was excited to board a flight from Sydney to Santiago; with Chile the first destination on my inaugural visit to South America. A Sydney couple who are great friends from home were winding up their Latino trip as mine began, so when my flight arrived I caught a bus to the hotel to greet them in downtown Santiago. When I went inside I was very impressed to see my mate talking to the staff in spanish, having just arrived on the plane I thought he was the bees knees!

We spent three days, the lovely reader, exploring the capital and it was a great experience to share with friends from home. Santiago is definitely worth an explore, although a lot of our time was spent on a fruitless search for a decent meal. The Chilean capital is not renowned for it's culinary delights, unless you fancy a dish of greasy chips with a greasy fried egg piled on, and topped off with a fatty lump of steak! We strolled around the city and rode the cable car to the summit for panoramic views of Santiago, including views of the mighty Andes looming nearby. After an enjoyable stay my friends saw me off at the bus terminal at the start of a planned bus journey south through Patagonia. The first stop on this long commute was the capital of the Lake District Puerto Montt. This city overlooks the bay and is a hub for commercial fishing, tourism and agriculture. I spent a pleasant evening at a hostel in the city, which is literally at the end of the road. From Puerto Montt the Careterra Austral begins on it's route south through the barren and remote wilds of Patagonia, to the famous land of the fjords.

I decided on a detour and crossed the border into Argentina to see the beautiful city of Bariloche. The bus trip over the Andes is only eight hours, and meanders through glorious countryside. Bariloche is on a lake at 770 metres, and I met some travellers who are adamant it's the most beautiful city in South America. I visited during the summer months which are famous for trekking, mountain climbing and fishing. The city is also a famous ski town in winter and set amidst pristine views of nature. From Bariloche the bus continued inexorably south into the wilds of Patagonia, and I was knuckling down to a long journey. Travelling in this part of the world is very remote and not at all touristy, and I was beginning to rue my lack of Spanish language skills. On the third or fourth day I found myself feeling pathetically grateful to chat with a fellow tourist in English. The bus crossed the border several times as we wound down to the final destination of Punta Arenas. Patagonia stretches over both sides of the border between Chile and Argentina, and the travellers on the bus settled into a routine of getting on and off the bus for stamps in and out of Chile.

The countryside was becoming increasingly remote, and the weather increasingly cold as the bus arrived in Punta Arenas. This patagonian town sits astride the Straits of Magellan, and the wind was beginning to blow with a genuine Antarctic bite. I planned the itinerary for this trip with a friend from home who has travelled extensively on the continent, and I was beginning to grumble about his travel advice. However I was finding the trip to be quite the adventure, and was gradually getting into the spirit of things.

The final stage of my journey saw the bus driven onto a ferry to cross the Straits of Magellan, and we continued back into Argentina as the snow got heavier. Our final destination on the bus was Ushuaia, which is the southernmost city of the world. This journey is a unique travel experience, and takes you close to 2,000 kilometres through the remote and desolate countryside of Patagonia. It was exciting to finally arrive in Ushuaia, which is the gateway to Antarctica. Dare I suggest coming to experience travel in Patagonia, basically all of you should be here now!

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living." Gail Sheehy

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Kids play on a giant statue
The Chileans have a real fondness for graffiti, it's everywhere!

My friends from Sydney
We met at the end of their trip, and the start of mine.

A ride up to the hills overlooking Santiago
With sweeping views of Santiago.