Penguinos by the thousand

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Margarita Island (27 Nov)

Volcano Osorno walk

Arrived on Saturday afternoon in Punta Arenas, the central area as quiet as a mouse, maybe one person every other block. Eerie or what ! All the books tell you it´d be like this. It´s the most walkable place so far.
The plane ride from Puerto Montt more than lived up to expectations, another glorious ride with the Andes starring all the way. This time huge glaciers, hard too imagine just how large are visible the nearer you get to the endof the Andes. Then the snowfilled mountains disappear, and the last 100 miles sho a barren, flat landscape down to Punta Arenas itself.
The people here are proobably the most homely we´ve met, and helpful as always. Everyone goes to see the penguins so this morning off we went into the Magellan Strats to Margerita Island. What a sight, more penguins than on a sweet shop shelf, and almost as tightly packed. Fortunately we humans had to keep to strict paths and the little penguinos weren't disturbed too much ! The hour jouney back to terra firma (or is it finis terra here?) was incredibly choppy on a fast boat, so all bones shaken to bits but now recovering.
Sunday´s bit of local excitement was the army doing its weekly raising of the flag and singing the national anthem (oddly very moving).
Punta Arenas was always meant to be a rest stop half way through the month, so now ready for walks in the Torres del Paine, the real gem of these parts.
Advice to tourists- make your first stop the lovely ´Chocolatta´cafe on Bories near Colon) !! And Sotito's restaurant on Bernardo O'Higgins is excellent.
PS Experimenting with a couple of videos on this blog..but do they work?

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Photos

Soldiers enjoying time off
After the flag raising soldiers have time off in the way they do.

Count up to 10000
Yes, really this many. Not digitally remastered (ho,ho)

Man in strait jacket
Now restrained from harming the penguins, this tourist is left free to roam.

Small town
Punta Arenas as Michael Palin would have seen it. Low buildings, colourful, quiet.. and very far south.

Looking my best
Show them your best side, dear, they might be working for David Attenborough.