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Published: February 13th 2018
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It had been years since Marty had siphoned gas, but he looked pretty good as he bent down beside the BMW and drained fluid from the big tank down into his spare can for use in Ron's machine. By not refueling at our last gas station in Argentina we had cut our supplies very close. And we were off to the Torres del Payne -- an outcropping of amazing granite towers in a Park of the same name in Chile. It had been raining. The river was swollen and the bridges were flooded. We were unable to actually get into the park, but wandered around the Eastern set of mountains and towers, driving up the river to escape the crowds and absorb the wild views.
The run South to Punta Arenas was completely paved and delightful. The valley bottoms widen to a broad plain where the first European settlers to Patagonia established their sheep farms in the 19th century. Eventually we reached the Straits of Magellan. Most trekkers keep going at this point, but Marty had decided this was far enough, and he was set to turn and head North again after changing tires. Ron and I had to turn
our rented bikes in, which was accomplished without any problems.
Punta Arenas is a surprisingly large town. Spread out as most frontier towns are, it has a mix of old buildings and mansions from the fortunes made in sheep farming in the late 19th and early 20th century. What you notice most in walking around is the wind coming in from the West. Public buildings are painted and in good repair, streets are clean, and the town gives a sense of ordered prosperity and growth. We found a good restaurant (with Croatian food) and went back for a second round.
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Harry
non-member comment
So this is it?
I thought you were going to the South Pole. From my vantage point it was worth it and it looks to me like you see it that way too. The last are some of your best pictures, but the whole trip has been fantastic. Thanks for deciding to do it and inviting us along. Harry