Today we woke to another gorgeous day. Ecocamp is perched on a hillside near to the Towers and on a sunny day, the Towers glow magestically in the rising sun.
I was particularly excited for this day as we were going to take a boat across to Grey Glacier, part of the Southern Ice Fields of Patagonia and the largest glacier in the park.
Along the way, we stopped at the incredible Paine Falls where the winds whip so quickly through the canyon that they literally blew one of our fellow travelers off his feet. He laughed it off, but I was very thankful for the sturdy railings in front of the falls as these were the strongest winds I had ever experienced. It was great fun running back down the trail with the winds at our backs. From there we visited the Visitor Center where they had a 3D model of Torres del Paine National Park that gave us a great sense of perspective. We had a picnic lunch by the lake outside the visitor center and a couple of swans stopped by to visit.
Driving around the park, our guides were always quick to stop for a nice view or a wildlife sighting and today was no exception. We stopped to see flamingos in a briny lagoon and to watch the Southern Crested Katakatas perched near the road. We also took advantage of the cloudless skies to take countless photos of the mountains all around us. It seemed like there was no end to breath-taking viewpoints!
Once we arrived at Hosteria Grey, we checked in for our boat trip and walked along a sandy beach to the dock where we would board zodiacs to the boat. The dock was thankfully quite wide as it pitched in the wind and the waves on the lake resembled tides coming in. Once on the zodiac, we bounced happily along in the waves, cheering as we were sprayed. I joked that we got a chance to whitewater raft on the lake and it was nearly true- I´ve been on rafting trips with less exciting waves!
Once onboard, our larger boat was also challenged by the intense winds and current pushing in the opposite direction. We were not permitted to go outside on the way to the glacier and that was a good thing as the waves splashed nearly to the top deck, completely covering the front windows with each wave. It was amazing! Along the way, we saw exquisitely blue icebergs that had calved off the glacier and were floating back toward the shore. It takes 3 days to 2 weeks for each iceberg to make the trip from one end of the lake to the other.
Once we arrived near to the glacier, the waters became very calm and we were able to go outside for incredible views. The glacier was massive- taller than a 6 story building and nearly a mile long. I took endless pictures of its deep blue lines and imagined running across the stiff peaks that looked like freshly whipped cream. Our fellow travelers who had recently visited Perito Moreno Glacier found Grey Glacier to be even more impressive. Though it is smaller, you can get much closer. The weather certainly helped as well since the bright sunshine made the blue ice seem all the more dramatic.
Of all the excursions in Torres del Paine, this is one that you shouldn´t miss! We celebrated with Pisco Sours complete with 10,000 year old glacial ice before taking the easy trip back to the lakeshore. With the winds at our backs, the journey was calm and we could enjoy the scenery out on deck.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.