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It has been a month since I posted our last blog, mostly because of the lack of reliable wifi, so we have many tales to tell.

We returned through the harsh Patagonian steppe to the windy port of Rio Grande, the place where we had begun our journey to Ushuaia.  From here we would also start our journey to the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego.

Our itinerary from Rio Grande, Argentina to Chilean Tierra del Fuego and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina

Arriving in the early evening, we stopped at the same YPF gas station where we had been able to get wifi before.  (YPF is the national gas company and can generally be counted on for wifi, decent coffee and relatively clean bathrooms). Besides being able to keep in touch with family and friends, the internet is a necessity which allows us to pay our bills and, importantly, check the activity on our credit card.  Imagine our shock after a long arduous trip to find that our CapitalOne VISA card had been locked due to suspected fraud! To shorten an excruciatingly long story, several lengthy conversations with CapitalOne ensued which resulted in our card being cancelled and reissued. Then we made arrangements with VISA to send us a temporary card. In addition to the understandable frustration and annoyance, this was a very costly experience since most of the necessary phone calls were made with our mobile phones instead of Skype because of the aforementioned weak wifi.There was also a nonrefundable hotel reservation that we had made at the location where CapitalOne had assured us that we could get our temporary card by express mail within 2 business days.  After speaking to VISA, though, we were told that this would not be possible because of our remote location and it actually took 3 weeks before we got our new one. When I attempt to get reimbursed at the end of this trip I will also suggest that the representatives who handle international callers have a working knowledge of basic geography!

It was time to move on and put this unfortunate incident behind us. Another long monotonous drive to the border, then the obligatory immigration check and agriculture inspection.  Fortunately, nothing was confiscated this time.  After 80 km of rough gravel road we found pavement as well as the cold and windy village of Cerro Sombrero, where we spent the night.  The Chilean side of Patagonia is actually a group of islands that are reached by boat. We continued on to Bahia Azul and boarded a ferry across the Strait of Magellan, then drove to Punta Arenas, one of the major cities in this area. It’s a convenient connecting point to other sites in Tierra del Fuego, with a growing volume of cruise ship passengers and trekkers.  It also is a city of contradictions with its rugged end-of-the-world feeling and its lovely mansions from the 19th century wool boom.

Boarding our ferry across Strait of Magellan, Chile

On board our ferry across Strait of Magellan, Chile

A wonderful spot for fresh seafood, Restaurante La Marmita, Punta Arenas, Chile

Sara Braun Mansion, Punta Arenas, Chile

Monument commemorating 400th anniversary of Magellan’s voyage, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Punta Arenas, Chile

Despite the frigid windy weather that constantly threatened rain, we enjoyed the city’s highlights and left the following day for lovely Puerto Natales.  Again, we drove through harsh inhospitable steppe, but at least the road was paved.  In fact, we noticed the difference in infrastructure shortly after arriving in Chile.  There was another major difference on the Chilean side – there was much more of interest to look at as we drove along.  In this case the snow-capped Andes made the 230km journey much more bearable. Puerto Natales was once a modest fishing village with magnificent mountains on one side and a harbor on the other. It is also the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and this time of year it is filled with backpackers and assorted tourists of all stripes.  We enjoyed meandering the streets that are now lined with camping/outdoor shops, cafés, restaurants, hostels and hotels.  The tourist office is inside the Museo Histórico, so we found some helpful advice about visiting the National Park and also had a brief lesson about the this region’s history.  Most insightful was the display about the Mylodon, an extinct genus of giant ground sloth that lived in Patagonia about 10,000 years ago.  That night we stayed in Hotel IF Patagonia where we had made reservations after being told that our temporary credit card would be sent there.  Since we had needed to pay in advance and that payment was nonrefundable, we decided it was time for a well-deserved change of pace.  The hotel was minimalist with a Scandinavian style, crisp and clean though a bit overpriced for the amenities it offered.

Prehistoric Mylodon at city entrance, Puerto Natales, Chile

Hotel IF Patagonia. Puerto Natales, Chile

Espacio Cultural Natalis, Puerto Natales, Chile

A street in city center, Puerto Natales, Chile

Our next stop was the amazing Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. As usual, the most worthwhile sites in South America appear to be entered by rough gravel roads!  We thought we had taken the “short-cut” which turned out to be the most disagreeable ride.  We passed the Mylodon Cave where remains of these prehistoric animals have been found, but chose not to go there.  Instead, we bumped along until we were rewarded by the most spectacular scenery we had seen so far.

Ready to take off and fly into the wind! Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Mirador (lookout) over the granite peaks of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

The best-known and most spectacular summits are the three Torres (Towers) del Paine (also known as Cuernos del Paine). Outdoor enthusiasts come from all over the world to hike, climb, and trek here. On a clear day the towers can be viewed from many vantage points but the weather is fickle and they are often blocked by clouds or rain. It is also extremely windy here especially in summer when the weather is the “warmest!” The day we arrived it was exceptionally clear and the wind velocity was a mere 48 mph (78 km/hr). According to our hiking map, the closest scenic viewpoint was Glacier Lago Grey, a relatively easy hike if it had not been for the wind. I can honestly say that this was the first time I had ever felt that I could be knocked down by the strong gusts at the glacier lookout, where I was barely able to hold my camera and take a photo!

Beginning our hike at Glaciar Lago Grey, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

On the trail to the lookout at Glaciar Lago Grey, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

At the lookout! Glaciar Lago Grey, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Lago Grey had a camping area and we slept there. The next day had a wifi stop at Hotel Lago Grey, set on the lake with a glorious view of the glacier. Then we were off to Mirador Cuernos, where there was a breathtaking view of the famous peaks. Unfortunately we had typical Patagonian weather that day and the mountains were obscured by clouds. We waited a while and it cleared somewhat so we decided to hike up to the lookout. We made it as far as the waterfall on the River Paine, then couldn’t continue because the wind was blowing so hard. I walked behind Andre, hoping he could shield me from the blast, but the best I could do was to hang onto his arm!

Trying to hike in 78 km/hr wind, Rio Paine, on the way to Mirador Cuernos, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Rio Paine, Estacion Fluviometrica, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

We were disappointed but didn’t have the luxury of spending more time there in hopes of better weather. On we went to our next and last stop, Lago Azul where we found a campground with a hot shower. By early evening the sky had cleared and we had an awesome view of the Cuernos! The next day was sunny and we enjoyed a walk around the lake.

Sector Laguna Azul, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

View of the Cuernos del Paine from Sector Laguna Azul, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Hiking at Laguna Azul, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

Picnic lunch at our campsite, Sector Laguna Azul, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

A herd of gunaco, Sector Laguna Azul, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Chile

On the way out of the park we saw a lot of wildlife, mainly gunacos and rheas.  It was time to say adios to Chile for a while and cross the border back into Argentina.  Of course that meant emptying our refrigerator for the anticipated agriculture inspection which did not happen.  We had chosen an understaffed station where there were many travelers but few immigration officers. All paperwork was done by hand in quadruplicate and the entire process was painfully slow.  We continued on to El Calafate, gateway city to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.  We were definitely unimpressed with El Calafate not only because it was crowded and overrun with tourists (mainly backpackers) but also because of the bad vibes we picked up from the locals. We admit that we could not blame them being fed up with sharing their resources in the supermarket and gas stations, but in general, those directly involved in serving the visitors were surly and rude… such a change from the open and kind people we had encountered elsewhere in Argentina. We stayed at Camping El Niriguano,” a quiet place which turned out to be a fortunate choice after we saw the packed and noisy campgrounds nearby.  We met some interesting campers from Germany and the Netherlands with whom we shared stories and travel tips.

City center, El Calafate, Argentina

City center, El Calafate, Argentina

From there we visited the renowned Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The Park’s name refers to the giant ice cap in the Andes range that feeds 47 large glaciers, of which 13 flow towards the Atlantic Ocean.. The ice cap is the largest outside of Antarctica and Greenland. We went to see Glaciar Perito Moreno, the stunning centerpiece of the southern end of the Park It is huge (30 km long, 5 km wide, and 60 m high).  An interesting fact about Perito Moreno is that it is considered the only glacier in the world in a state of equilibrium – it advances at the same rate as ice breaks off. Fortunately it is also highly accessible and we had an amazing view of it from the extensive walkways, even getting a photo of it calving!

View of Perito Moreno Glacier, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Chile

Perito Moreno Glacier from walkway, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier from walkway, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina

There was a lot more to be seen at Los Glaciares but we had a long road ahead of us and it was time to move forward. So onward we went to explore more of Patagonia along Ruta 40…