Take two. We were outside our hotel again waiting for the tour bus. This time it arrived, carrying about 10 other tourists from France, Spain and the US. After our scooter tour yesterday, I had a lot of questions saved up so was keen to speak to our local guide. She didn’t know what she … [Read more…]
No one ever wants an early start to a new year, but when you are in such a wonderfully exciting place, so close to the ocean that you think the waves are lapping at your feet, it is easy to wake early. We had a tour booked for today so at 9am we were outside waiting … [Read more…]
We landed at the airport, or shall we rather say, a runway with a hut at the end. Most of the locals seem to forego any suitcases preferring to pack their belongings into cooler boxes of rigid plastic or simply just an old fruit box held together by duct tape. We were met by our … [Read more…]
Why is it that whenever you stay at an airport hotel it is almost always more of a rush getting the airport in the morning? Somehow you always think you have more time than you actually do because you are next door. Not that we were in any danger of being late. Anyone who knows Adrie … [Read more…]
It was difficult to say goodbye to the intense beauty that is Antarctica. The last five days have been like a dream. The place is so unique. Much like a safari, you are dealing with wild animals and unpredictable weather so there is no guarantee what you will see. But unlike a safari, where you can … [Read more…]
We were both looking forward to round off our time in Puerto Natales with the gorgeous pizza we had a few evenings ago at The Erratic Rock. Then came a knock on our door. The owner of our hostel as well as the restaurant across the road, Ancestros Patagonia, invited us to dine with them this evening. Dinner would … [Read more…]
This morning I woke up with a massive swollen eye, thanks to what must be a monster mosquito that gave me eight massive bites all over my body – two on my eye! I looked terrible; this was not a good start to the day. Derek also complained about his back, hips and feet so … [Read more…]
Given that we shared a dorm room with six other hikers, all on bunk beds, we had a relatively okay sleep. However, in the morning both Derek and I were counting and listing our injuries from the day before. This was going to be a long trek! After breakfast that consistent of bread, cheese and the … [Read more…]
We were both looking forward to the trek. An early bus meant we had to gobble down a quick breakfast before stowing some (okay pretty much two thirds!) of our luggage at the hostel. The bus brought us to the park gate where, for an entrance fee of CLP21,000 we get to flog ourselves over … [Read more…]
Christmas this year was a little different for us, as it was mainly spent on the road. We had to catch a 10am bus and travel north to Puerto Natales – the gateway to the world renowned Torres del Paine National Park where we were planning to hike for a few days. Our first impression … [Read more…]