Blogs from Chile, South America - page 2

Last night we hit rough seas as we passed thru the Strait of Magellan. Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who let a Spanish expedition looking for a trade route around South America. In 1519 they found a bay which led them to a strait now called the Strait of Magellan which allowed them passage to the Pacific. A hike is on the agenda for this morning. We ride our zodiac boats around the lagoon and go for a hike. It is a beautiful day and we leave our life jackets on the beach. In the afternoon we take the zodiacs to Condor Glacier. We see a couple of Andean Condors which is appropriate given we are at Condor Glacier. We spot birds nesting on the cliffs. Tonight is the Captain’s Farewell Dinner so our cruise ... read more

We premedicated with ibuprofen Wed night after the big hike, so we were actually not too sore on Thurs. We weren't sure how we'd feel though, so we had booked a horseback trail ride. It left at 9:15 am. We didn't know at the time of booking, but it left from the same place that we started the big Mirador hike. So we got to make that drive twice, but this time we got to sleep in an extra hour. We left the Airbnb at 7am, all packed up again, and started back on the same long empty drive to the park. We made pretty good time and didn't have long to wait when we got to the Hotel Las Torres. Our horseback tour had a few other people: an old Australian woman who thought this ... read more

We are going to Patagonia! John and I do a lot of trips to try to get Delta credit for diamond status (most requiring business class fares), but this might be our last because of some changes Delta is making. We are going out with a bang! Jamison is a great sport and has joined on all of our recent adventures (and just made platinum status himself!) Business class flights to Chile from Seattle are pretty cheap in Nov-Dec each year. This is our second year. Last year we just saw Santiago (capital of Chile) and went to the coast for a few days. This time we are going to Patagonia! It's the Sourhern-most part of South America (the bottom 1/3rd) and has a Chilean side and an Argentinian side. We read that flying within the ... read more

Have you ever fallen in love with a country so much that you wished you could live there forever? Believe me or not, that’s what I felt about Chile after an amazing 10 days journey in this beautiful country. We travelled from top to bottom in Chile, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I know this sounds a bit impractical, but I felt that I blended so well with the lifestyle as if I had been living there so many years. Despite my language barrier, I enjoyed company of the common people, places like Punta Arenas and San Pedro made me feel home, I could watch the beauty of Torres del Paine for eternity. Somehow, I found a mental bond with the country. Spending noontime in a food court in Santiago Mall or asking subway ... read more

The driest desert at the highest altitude in Chile where some places have not seen rain in hundreds of years! Yes, that’s Atacama our next destination! Our flight from Punta Arenas to San Pedro, Atacama was scheduled to depart in the wee hours – close to 3 am. We didn’t have much choice. Punta Arenas is in the deep south of Chile – it is the gateway to Patagonia. And Atacama Desert is in the north of Chile. One needs to cross over 3000 km in the middle. One of my friends who has spent considerable time in Chile told me, “Are you crazy that you wanted to cover everything in Chile in one go – Patagonia to Atacama? Just in 10 days?” I just smiled...”Yup, ‘Crazy’ is my middle name”. So, there we were, sitting ... read more