Chile: Patagonia and Atacama

As I prepare for another Adventure Life trip I resolve to try the trip journal contest again, having inexplicably failed to win last time. I humbly consider where I went wrong that time. Too long? too short? too irreverent? too (I whisper) poorly written? That last trip, to Costa Rica, was so wonderful the journal practically wrote itself. Maybe I should try plagiarizing Bruce Chatwin. Nah, the judges have probably read that book. With only 12 hours before leaving for the airport I realize I may be missing some flight confirmation codes (my fault). Well, no need to rush these things! Thanks to Laura at Adventure Life and Exito travel those concerns are quickly handled.

It's always good to have a travel day with no exciting anecdotes. From Portland, OR to a transfer at Los Angeles. A long overnight flight to Santiago with a brief stop in Lima. Luggage arrives with me in Santiago. It's always a welcome sight when that duffel bag comes down the conveyer belt. By this time it is early morning on Dec. 9.

Travel helps make us be open for new experiences. An example today was just to have a conversation with my new friend Carolyn. We met in the hotel lobby. She had just completed the W route that I was about to start and had useful tips. We ended up spending the afternoon together, walking around the city and quickly becoming friends before I saw her off for a cruise in Tierra del Fuego. We had a leisurely lunch at La Luna, a place I highly recommend. Sightseeing included the city park with its statue of Magellan and the waterfront. Today was my first time to experience the wind for which Patagonia is known. I could have used the big feet of the legendary Patagons. There were a few times I could have literally been blown over if I had let down my guard. That evening I met my roommate, Margie. We were both solo travelers and Adventure Life had been able to put us together. So another friendship was kindled. After her long trip from Utah, she was happy to help me finish the Malbec while we got acquainted.

We had an early morning departure for a day trip to Magdalena Island, home to about 100,000 Magellanic penguins. This was a chance to be up very close with these always cute birds without upsetting their routine. The humans keep to the paths so the penguins are used to ignoring them, not feeling threatened. One even tried to peck at Margie's leg. She had done nothing to deserve this and doesn't smell like herring so I guess the penguin was just having a bad day. There was also a stop at Marta Island to see the elephant seal colony there. In the afternoon we had a 3 hr bus ride to Puerto Natales. This was probably the most comfortable bus I've ever been on. The in-ride movie was a western science fiction film, Cowboys and Aliens. The terrain was nearly flat, an example of the Patagonia known for its wide expanses with nothing to slow down the wind of the far southern latitudes. But the mountains that we were heading toward soon loomed in the distance. Our lodging was Hotel Weskar, a nice place on the outskirts of town. Of course we had the complementary Pisco Sour there before dinner at the Aldea restaurant. The Chilean Beef there was the best beef dish I can remember ever having.

EcoCamp sits below the Torres and the snowy Mt. Almirante. The weather continued to be un-Patagonian, warm and calm. So the views even from our dome's skylight were spectacular. Our group of 13, plus 2 guides had met over the nightly Pisco Sours the previous evening. It was an enthusiastic mix of Australians, Americans and South Africans. Heading up the trial between the rugged, rocky Cuernos (horns) del Paine and a long, beautiful lake (Lago Nordenskjold) that morning got us warmed up quickly. I soon found my place at the tail end of the group. I thought of them as the peloton, but I never got close enough to be able to use them to draft. Partly I was taking photos and partly they were triathletes. My notes make me realize that I quickly ran out of superlatives about this place. The Cuernos refugio had comfortable cabins and a waterfall that would warrant a park designation just by itself.

This was a day of easy hikes and new areas in the park to see. A few miles of gentle hiking took us past guanacos grazing among the low vegetation. A few were doing (wink) what guanacos do. Our high point was a rocky mesa with views across to the now familiar peaks. There were pictographs from ancient inhabitants below ledges at its base. A condor buzzed by our heads as we stood atop the mesa. Before the day was done our wildlife encounters would include rheas, ibises and more condors. Another high point was Cascada Paine, a wide powerful waterfall that would be incredible even without the Torres to lend a backdrop. At Lago Azul there was an opportunity for our cameras to capture one of the most iconic views of the Torres. Back at EcoCamp for the last night we all lingered after dinner reflecting on our week together, our new memories and friendships, before going our separate ways the next morning. I should not fail to mention the staff and facilities at EcoCamp. The food was outstanding and interesting. Considering the remoteness it is quite an operation. Their commitment to environmentally low-profile tourism is very commendable.

Among the superlatives to mention, the Tatio geyser basin is the highest such area in the world at about 14,000.' The chance to have acclimated came in handy, although the walks at the basin were not difficult. There was a very early start for the 1 1/2 hr drive since the plan was to be there for sunrise. The dramatic effects of the steam and geysers were enhanced by the cold pre-dawn hours. The geysers here are low bubbling pools rather than high intermittent eruptions. The dawn light on the surrounding peaks also made the early start worthwhile. Not to mention the hot chocolate and coffee breakfast when we got back to the van. There were other stops on the drive back. We could better see the mountains in the distance, including volcanoes with steam erupting from their summits. A stop at the Putana River was a chance for some wildlife photos. The viscacha looks like a rabbit with a long tail. There were many vicunas throughout the area. A small isolated village, Machuca, was notable to me because of the juxtaposition of small homes with thatched roofs but also solar panels. This was a very full day because we still had an excursion to the spectacular Valley of the Moon in the afternoon. It was an area of slot canyons, sand, fantastic rock formations and cliffs of salt. The area is part of the Cordillera de Sal--the Salt Mountain Range. Short hikes took us through Cari's Gulch, the sand dunes of 'the Canyon', the amphitheater, the 3 Marias and the misnamed Death Valley. From our viewpoint toward Death Valley we could see sandboarders and the giant dune that they would glide down as if it were snow. The day culminated with going to a high view point to watch sunset light up the terrain while we enjoyed a nice spread of cheese and wine.

The early departure to drive back to Calama and then fly back to Santiago was the start of the long but uneventful trip home. This is a chance to give kudos to Adventure-Life and its partners for the smooth connections that I've always had. Whether it has been airplanes, buses, vans or boats the connection was always there. My record was 9 different vehicles in one day to get from the Galapagos Islands back to mainland Ecuador. How to sum up this trip? Of course it was a chance to see spectacular scenery, meet new people, and experience a different culture. Being open to learning about such things, knowing I will also learn more about myself, is what makes adventure travel so rewarding.