Patagonia through the end of SA

From Florianopolis, Brazil it was a 30 hour bus ride to Buenos Aries. Sounds crazy but flights out of there are expensive and I am on a budget with more time than money. After 12 hours there I took a public bus nearly two hours to the airport, arriving around 23:30 for my 5:45 flight to Ushuaia. Unfortunately, however, I couldn't check my bag until 3:00. Once the opportunity arose I got in line and when I tried to check in it turned out I was at the wrong airport! Ugh! I could either spend $30 on a taxi to get to the correct one or I could change my flight for $7 and spend an extra five hours in the airport. Obviously I chose the latter.

Ushuaia, fin del mundo, what a great little place! Über touristy but what else would you expect from a place that people mainly go to because it is the end of the world? It's also the launch site for boats to Antartica and large cruise ships enter the port every day. I didn't care, I like the way the small town looked. Since I arrived much later than expected I lost a day so spent my afternoon cooking a nice meal and on the internet in the 'living room'. By the time I went to bed at midnight that night it had been almost 72 hours since I'd slept. That is unless you call sitting upright with your mouth open and head bobbing on the bus or in an airport chair sleep. But it was all good, I had been invited to join a couple others on a hike the next day.

At breakfast I was joined by a Brit and Australian and subsequently invited them to partake in the hike. In the end there were seven of us, each from a different country, ranging in age from 21 to 50-something but you'd never know it by how well we all got on. It was a brilliant day hiking to a glacial lake and up to, under and around the glacier. Covered in dirt and rocks, it wasn't the traditional image one has of a glacier but exciting nonetheless. In the evening, after some libations and snacks at the hostel, the international group-now eight-went to a pub for some tasty local draught brews.

After four days most of the group had dispersed and it was time for me to go too. But the bus from Ushuaia to Puerto Natales was very expensive and I'd heard hitch hiking was easy and very safe so I made up my sign and went to the rotunda to get a ride. Apparently there is a specific place to do this and it wasn't where I was. The locals know this and it's not uncommon for them to pick up hitchhikers and take them to the correct spot. It was already the afternoon and I should have left the day before, on Sunday, but I didn't so it took me quite a while to get a ride. This is also partly because there was a couple that was there before me so they got the first ride out. What I found most wonderful about the experience is how friendly the drivers were. About 80% made some sort of hand communication either apologizing, letting us know why they couldn't pick us up or they just waved or smiled. At the Argentina border, a guard took a liking to me and invited me out of the cold wind and drizzle to have tea and crackers in the warm guard hut. Even though he spoke no English and my Spanish is very limited, it wasn't difficult to figure out he wanted to take me out. He invited me for asada for lunch and I shot him down when I told him I am vegetarian. His co-workers got a good laugh out of it though. It was a very slow border crossing so whenever a car came I'd run out and hold up my sign. Lol! In all, it took two days and four vehicles for me to make it to Punta Arenas, Chile, a cheap bus ride from my destination.

Puerto Natales is the base for everyone that is going to hike the four-day 'W' or more strenuous eight-day 'O' trail (which includes the W) in Torres Del Paine. I attended the information meeting with a young Aussie from my hostel as we both were solos in need of a partner. He was doing the 'W' and I the 'O'. We found three others to do the W but I was still solo and so resolved to do it alone rather than just do the more popular W. We all did some last-minute shopping for essentials then grabbed dinner together. In the morning I stepped out of the hostel and it was like the scene in The Way. Up and down the street, dozens of people, alone and in groups, outfitted with their packs, walking toward the bus station. When I came to the street corner I looked at the next block over and saw more backpackers. It is a very special feeling to be part of a moment like that, alone yet together in the early light of dawn as the rest of the world sleeps.

I wasn't alone for long. When the bus arrived at the first stopping point, me, the cute Italian guy and young German girl I had met the night before walked five hours together in the sunshine and blue sky among the golden grass and rushing river toward the first campsite. Along the way we were joined by a Spanish lady and a Polish man. Now we were five. It was a great day despite the fact that I had brought way too much food and my pack was well over 20 kilograms. I'm glad it was an easy 16 kilometer hike.

It rained in the night but had stopped by morning and the Italian and I walked together as we were planning to hike 10 hours to two campsites away and the others were stopping at the next one. But my heavy pack slowed me down and he was fast so I gave him the pass to continue on without me. After six hours I arrived at the next campground and there was no way my knees and hips would let me carry on for four more hours. I collapsed on the soft bench cushions in the Refugio and the nice park rangers brought me hot tea and a sleeping bag to keep me warm. The rest of the group showed up a couple hours later but with the addition of two French and a Chilean. Now we were seven. By early evening the downpour started and it didn't stop for two days. My tent had taken on water, soaking half of my sleeping bag and in the morning we packed up our wet (and subsequently heavier) stuff and trudged 4.5 hours to the third camp. The Spanish lady had skills...not only had she captivated the attention of the cute Italian but now she managed to get us girls invited to stay in the park rangers hut! The guys joined us for dinner but then had to go sleep in their tents in the rain while we were dry and warm inside. And no, I didn't feel one iota of guilt. :-) I stayed two nights there then decided to tackle the pass. I was alone as the German had left with the guys the day before and the other two were staying on. It was a miserable three hours up the mountain in freezing rain, snow and hurricane force winds that blew me around and made the sleet feel like needles on my face. By the time I made it over I was down to one and a half trekking poles and my pack rain cover was gone but then the winds died down and the rain was lighter. The damage was done though. Where two days ago one took extra steps to avoid getting their shoes muddy, now it was trudged through; the goal was to stay upright. Even with one and a half poles to balance me, I fell, slipped and slid on my butt a half dozen times. My body was sore, scraped and bruised and my confidence was shattered. I was now glad to be alone so nobody could see me crying.

After six hours the sun came out and I was finally able to momentarily look at something besides my feet. That's when I saw my first 'real' glacier-and there was a beautiful rainbow over it! It was an inspiring sight! My spirits were lifted a little though I still had 9 km/4 hours to go to reach my destination. An hour before that point I ran into two of the people from 'prep night'. My spirits were lifted even more! I was now in the 'W'. We walked together for that last hour and I set up my tent near theirs before we made dinner. The camp 'kitchen' consisted of a sink and three rows of picnic tables where people cooked on their camp stoves and ate. After putting on my dry clothes I walked in and the sound was deafening! Every table was packed with people from all over the world chatting away, laughing, sharing stories with those they had just met as if they'd known one another for years. That's what life is like in the mountains without wifi.

My friends left early and it was their last day on the trail so I went the next six hours with an Israeli I'd met at dinner. It was a beautiful hike, not too difficult with perfect weather. My shoes were still wet though and a dry sky wasn't going to be a long term thing. It was predicted to rain again in the morning so I decided to leave if that were the case. It wasn't enjoyable anymore and I wasn't doing it just to do it. It is a beautiful place and I wanted to be able to appreciate it. The Israeli was determined to continue on, "not as a tourist but as a mission." It was perfect articulation of my feelings of exactly why I was stopping. So on day seven I walked back 7.6 km and caught the ferry to the bus. The afternoon was sunny and nice but still, I would not have been able to do another 10 hour day with my still-heavy pack and sore everything. In the end, I think the 'W' would have been enough. I'll be back though to finish it for sure!

Back at the hostel the young Australian was there. It was so unexpected and nice to see a familiar face! We Had a great time hanging out, shopping for dinner and watching a movie. It's difficult to explain how such strong bonds develop with complete strangers when traveling after just a day or two but they do. Over and over it happens and makes good byes hard. Thank goodness for fb and email though so you can stay in touch and hopefully meet again.

Timing is everything! When I got back from Torres Del Paine I had emails from two separate friends telling me they were arriving in El Calafate. It is the stop for most everyone going between TDP and El Chalten. I arrived the day before they all left but the British couple from Pucon, J&J, were coming back in a few days to pick me up. They offered to let me ride with them in their happy hippie love van through Argentina until Santiago where they return the vehicle and I fly back to the States.

Shortly after they all left I met the fascinating Spanish man in my room who had cycled there from Santiago. After chatting a bit we decided to go together to the Perito Moreno glacier. Under the advice of J&J we went in the afternoon when the crowd was less and there would be larger chunks of ice falling. At 50-55 meters high and going on further than we could see all I can say is, WOW! What an amazing experience! There were very few people there so when we heard loud cracking and saw enormous pieces of glacier shear off the face and fall into the water with a thunderous crash it was like a private experience. I'd shriek with excitement and jump up and down like the next contestant on The Price Is Right. Haha! Five hours passed much too quickly!

J&J picked me up and it was off to El Chalten for a couple days of some amazing hikes. Unfortunately it rained and rained and rained. And when it is raining in the valley it is snowing in the mountains. We had one day left and if it was raining at 9:00 the next morning we agreed to get back on the road. The Gods were smiling upon us in the morning and so was I! The sky was clear and the sun was bright! It was an easy and beautiful 10 km hike to Tres Lagos through fields and forest and over streams until the last kilometer which was uphill and in snow. Still beautiful but a bit treacherous at times as it had been compacted and was rather slippery. Going down on the way back would be much worse. At the top the view of Fitz Roy, the Glaciers and their crystal clear blue-green lakes was spectacular. The wind over 10" of snow made it cold but the sun was warm and inviting. It was sunny the next day when we left and the view of the town from the rear view mirrors were unrecognizable. We hadn't seen any of the mountains on the drive in so we made several stops on the way out to snap some pics. It was the theme with J&J and a good lesson on enjoying the journey for destination-driven me. I need to learn to slow down and enjoy the journey more, especially when in a vehicle.

We had a great time making our way up the Argentina side of Patagonia for eight days. The drive was often spectacular and sometimes flat, straight and boring. We went to Cuevas de Los Manos with hand paintings dating over 9000 years, a Welsh village where we had a proper afternoon tea, camped out among a bunch of bikers, saw loads of guanaco's and Darwin's Rhea, wild horses and birds of prey along with some foxes and armadillos. It was very unfortunate that along the way they received some very bad news from home which hastened the trip and changed the mood. So in San Martin when my Spanish bunk-mate, Daniel, invited me to hitchhike with him to Mendoza, since I had the time and really wanted to go there, I agreed.

In the morning J&J and I said good-bye. I'm terrible at these things and therefore rush through them but I really was sad to part ways with them. J&J are my age and their company was very enjoyable. They never made me feel like a third wheel and stories of their extensive travels were both exciting and informative. And knowing they were not ending their travels on a happy note added a complex layer to it. But my next adventure was waiting for me in the form of a tall, cute Spaniard with expressive blue eyes and curly brown hair. And after three days, over 1200 km and a lost pair of prescription sunglasses (mine), we made it. Four nights later in Mendoza we parted ways. It was a very sad good bye. But I met up with my French lady friend from Ushuaia and enjoyed exploring the wineries with her before I left the next day to start my three-day journey back to the USA. I wasn't sad to say good bye to her because I know we will meet up again--there were talks of SE Asia...

My flight from Santiago had a 21-hour layover in Bogota, Columbia so I got a room in a hostel and planned to check out the Gold Museum but because it was Easter weekend, everything-and I mean 98% of the city- was closed. In the evening my English bunkmate invited me to join him and his friends for dinner. Absolutely famished I said yes. We took the train to a cool part of the city, had a scary encounter with a couple prostitutes and their pimp, ate some excellent Mexican food and had a tasty craft beer. I saw and heard enough neat stuff to know I want to return and see more of this country despite the inordinate amount of very aggressive people looking for a handout in the capital. In fact, I didn't want to leave. I was really enjoying myself!