Chile - Torres del Paine

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My alarm went off at 4.45am on Thursday 17 September and the minibus picked me up at 5.30am. I slept for the first 2 hours of the journey but for the next 2 hours I stared out of the window admiring the breathtaking views of mountains, lakes and wildlife including various birds like pink flamingos. After about 4 hours of driving we reached the Chilean border and I received a big exit stamp for Argentina before getting another big entry stamp for Chile. Another hour or so of driving and we reached the National Park where we paid the usual fee (about GBP10), the same as all previous NP fees. If the scenery was spectacular on the journey to the Park, it got a whole lot better once inside. We stopped first when a number of guanacos walked across the road and we were able to get quite close to them for taking pictures. Further on, we stopped to view a lake and were told to take note of the deep blue colour of the water. As we drove alongside the lake, we approached another lake on the other side of the road that was a light sky blue colour. The difference was that the water for one came direct from a glacier. After a quick pack lunch on the bus, we went on a 1 hour walk along a trail that gave us some amazing views of lakes and mountains. We got to see the Andes mountain ranges next to the Paine Massif range. As we continued driving around the Park, so we continued to see spectacular scenery and wildlife including the guanaco, a fox, flamingos and a condor. We left the Park at 5pm and got to the Argentine border at 6pm when I received another couple of big stamps in my passport which was worryingly becoming full. The bus journey home was quiet as everyone was tired from the long exciting day. I got dropped off on the main street in El Calafate at 10pm.

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