Camping in the cold. What have we done!

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On the evening of the 16th we meet all our new travelling companions. 29 of them. And we have to put up with them for 21 days until we reach Santiago. Mostly it is a great bunch.

When we left Ushuaia we went travelled to Torres del Paine in Chile. On the way there we did some 'bush' camping. We stopped at 7:30 in the evening in the twilight, at an abandoned estancia (ranch). All of us pitched our tents in the buildings to shelter us from the dreadful wind. One group made a stir fry dinner while the rest of us looked at the stars. It was wonderful to see the Southern Cross again. We drank lots of wine to try and warm up. We were next to the ocean and there were 2 shipwrecks on the beach. They were very impressive.

We got up early in the morning, quick breakfast, went to a camping group in Torres del Paine. As we approached the area, the beauty of the area was breathtaking. Mountains and glaciers and stark, rugged landscape. The camping ground was very pleasant, next to the lake and a wonderful view of the snowy mountains around us. But it was freezing cold there!

Next morning we went for a walk to the towers. The walk was difficult. We hadn't trekked for a while and it was very steep. It was also very windy and there were some scary bits when had to walk next to high drops. We walked to the first stop and only caught a glimpse of the towers. We had some hot chocolate there before going back.

Next day we did some more walking, this time to Greys Glacier. Definitely an easier walk but still very windy. we saw icebergs in the lake. It was the most amazing sight when we saw the glacier. But it was so cold we couldn't hang around. Pieter developed a cold that evening and a bit of a chest infection.

The last day at the campsite we made a rest day. The sun came out in the morning but it soon started to rain and get very cold. At 4pm we started cooking dinner. It was our turn. We had pasta with a vege sauce and garlic bread. We and a few others cooked for 33 people. And we were finished at 7:30 pm. It is quite a big job.

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Photos

Breathtaking
The view from our campsite

En Route
While waiting for ferry to the mainland, we took a stroll through the mine field .. only kidding

En Route
Ferry from Tierra del Fuego to the mainland. It was very choppy and we didn´t see any dolphins

En Route
Our tent pitched inside the abandoned building

En Route
Abandoned estancia where we stayed the night

En Route
Shipwreck of the Amadeo. Shipwrecked 1932

The towers
Our first walk to the towers