Day 13

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Onwards to our next destination, Torres del Paine. This is one of Chile’s largest national parks. Entry is rather expensive at 15,000 Chilean pesos per person, which is approximately £20.

Anna had discovered a wonderful ranch at Laguna Amarga, just outside of the park. So after getting dropped off at the entrance to the park and trying to explain that we didn’t want to enter, we were told we still had to buy the ticket, then when we left we could get it stamped and return without buying another one. However when we explained that we were leaving right then they couldn’t quite grasp the concept. So instead of arguing we decided to drop our stuff off at the ranch and then come back.

So we headed towards the ranch which is still a working farm. However they have gone from having 5000 sheep down to 400, the wool, which was originally the main income from the sheep, having lost all of its value. Fortunately now the meat is increasing in value. The ranch was a fantastic place to stay, though a little over our new budget. We were the only ones staying there at the time. The most exciting part of the accommodation section was the living room that they had. It has windows covering an entire wall with a couch perfectly placed in front so you’re able to gaze out across the wildness straight to the mountains ‘las Torres’.

After checking in we decided to go for a stroll and walked to a lake that is nearby, yes you guessed it, the lake is called ‘Laguna Amarga‘. Everywhere we looked there were guanacos walking free. They are not hunted by humans and showed very little fear as we walked within metres of them. They live on the plains all around the park to avoid their natural predator, the puma. As we approached the lake we noticed various collections of white minerals around the edge. We later discovered that this was salt deposits and that the lake is 8 times as salty as the ocean.

After going back to the park entrance and getting our entrance ticket stamped we took another walk and saw some waterfalls and then called it a day and had dinner at the ranch. That was fantastic, a home cooked meal, that justified the extra expense. A warm vegetable broth followed by chicken and rice and finally a lovely cinnamon apple for desert.

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Photos

Laguna Amarga
Laguna Amarga the ranch where we stayed

Laguna Amarga the lake
The salty lake Laguna Amarga