A Postcard from Santiago

It is time to say Goodbye to Peggy, our Tucan Truck that has brought us safely all the way from Ushauia, Argentina, the southern most city in the world, to Santiago, Chile, one of South America’s largest cities. 

We’ve had a great bunch of people on this trip, and we’ve all bonded well together.  We have shared laughs, adventures and conquered new challenges such as the ice climb in Viedma Glacier.  It was fun getting to know both Andy our truck driver and Ally our group leader. 

I had a chance to ride up the front with Andy on one of the drives, and learnt he started his career with a degree in Geography, that we shared a passion for writing and we both had dreams of publishing a book one day.  Andy has been driving overland trucks for many years now, having been enticed away from the UK, while travelling as an overland passenger himself.  He keeps me entertained with tales from his overlanding life and the passengers that have passed through these parts.  He knows Patagonia like the back of his hand and just like Ally knows where the best beer and a good steak can be found in the towns we travel through. 

Ally herself is a great trip leader.  An Aussie, still in her late twenties, she is fluent in Spanish and a few other languages and has travelled through most of the countries in South America.  She has completed most of the challenging hikes and ice climbs on this trip, so it is great to get the inside scoop of what we are in for, before we sign up for an excursion.   

We say goodbye to the group at a steak dinner in Santiago.  Many of these guys will go there separate ways, but Sarah, Rose and I spend the next day exploring Santiago together.  Santiago is reputed to be the largest and most important financial centre in Latin America and is a modern cosmopolitan city complete with sky scrapers, a good selection of restaurants and the usual hustle and bustle of a big city.

When we arrive, I have feelings of culture shock and instantly miss the quaint, quiet towns of Patagonia, we have left behind.  I find the noise of city traffic grating.  Santiago is not a city that instantly appeals to me, even on this my second visit.  I realise I prefer the low key, smaller cities, in the country where one can walk everywhere and where there is a sense of character and atmosphere. 

Bigger cities the world over give you a sense that everyone is in a rush and no one has time to spare.  The plazas are more interesting and we have fun browsing the little stalls and people watching.

We visit the fish market and decide to have lunch, sampling the fresh seafood on offer.  We also visit the local arts centre and go through one of the local photographic exhibitions showing at the moment, titled ‘Chocolate on my Jeans’.

Then we walk to Bario Brasil, a bohemian neighbourhood with painted houses and a few murals.  It was more run down than we expected, but still fun to poke around a neighbourhood that was full of locals having long lunches and enjoying their weekend.

We walk back to our hotel via more interesting neighbourhoods and find ourselves at  Constitution Square. 

The old Palace has now been converted to government buildings and is heavily guarded with security guards and guard dogs.  The guards seem rather bored, standing around all day with nothing to do and we people watch for awhile before we head back for a nap and Rose takes off to the airport.It is just Sarah and me for dinner, so we head out in search of something different.  We dine at an Indian restaurant and have drinks in a downtown cafe that our guidebook promises would have tango music.  Unfortunately they’ve got the days mixed up but we still enjoy our pisco sours and baileys!   It is a lovely atmospheric cafe that has seen many eras of Chileans pass through.  I realise that after wandering for most of 2010, my travels are almost over.  I still have some time in New Zealand with friends, but this was the last major journey before I started to head for home. 

We drink a toast to our wonderful experiences in Patagonia before heading back to our hotel, for our last night in South America!  

Few people know so clearly what they want.  Most people can't even think what to hope for when they throw a penny in a fountain.  ~Barbara Kingsolver

From the Seven Lakes to Pucon

The Seven Lakes Drive to Pucon is one of the most scenic we have been on this far.  We stop at each of the lakes (9 in total!) to take photos and stretch our legs. Mirror lakes and tumbling water falls keep us shutter bugs busy.  By late morning the weather changes and by the time we stop for lunch it is incredibly windy outside.  We decide to eat lunch inside the truck to avoid the Patagonia winds and a healthy dosing of the sand that gets blown around. 

We have one more border to cross, from Argentina back to Chile, so we have a feast eating up all the fruits and vegetables which we are not allowed to take across the border.  Thankfully, the problems at the southern borders have not travelled north, and we make it across to Chile without too much hassle.  From what my friends tell me, the news hasn’t made it to Australia, but the southern border was closed due to protests about fuel price hikes. 

We arrive in Pucon late evening.  As we sit at our first Arabian restaurant in these parts and dig into hommos and pita bread, we get chatting with a British couple who had been air lifted by the Red Cross.  Thankfully we had crossed a few days earlier and were not inconvenienced! 

Pucon is our last stop before Santiago, the end of this trip, and almost the end of my travels. I decide it is time for a bit of pampering, before I call it quits.  I have a hair cut, browse the shops and do a bit of grocery shopping.   

We are staying at an Apartment Hotel, which means we have a little kitchen, living area and dining room in addition to our bedrooms and bathrooms.  As I hang my washing out and put away my groceries, I am reminded of what it is like to be home on a Saturday, and am briefly stricken with feelings of nostalgia for my home in the bush and the daily routine of a normal life!

Since our accommodation comes equipped with a kitchen, Andy decides to cook us a curry for dinner.  We bring our drinks and turn up for a feast and a night of socialising.  We have a lovely group and everyone gets on well, so it is fun to relax in the company of friends and enjoy the night.  Tomorrow, some of my friends will climb Villarica, the active volcano after which our trip is named.  Villarica last blew in the 1980’s and is about 2,800m high.  The top of this volcano is a glacier and the slopes are covered in snow even in summer.  There are more active volcanoes in the surrounding area, making this one of the most active volcanic regions in South America.  About a 1,000 years ago, a 6000m volcano in the vicinity blew its top.  Today, it still stands, now a mere 2000m  but an amazing testament to the immense power of nature!

I have decided to give the climb a miss.  I feel that I have climbed, hiked, swum and run my way through my year away and it is time to wind down, have a bit more pampering and enjoy another slice of Europe in Chile. As we chat, someone yells that the volcano is now visible.  Villarica, which had been shrouded in cloud all this time, has finally decided to show us her face.  She stands majestic looking down over the town in all her glory as the sun sets.  Tomorrow, my friends will make their ascent on  Villarica.  Today, we drink a toast to another natural wonder and hope for fair weather for our climbers.

By the time I wake up to cook bacon and eggs, my friends are already on their way up the mountain.  It is a glorious day and I am happy they have the opportunity to climb in such good weather.  For me, it is a perfect day for more pampering and wandering.  I have to look after the body, which has stood me in such good stead during a year of abuse!  I walk to the lake, browse the markets and take more photos before I go in search of a day spa!   My friends come back in the early hours of the evening, tired but exhilarated from their achievement.  We have decided to spend the day in the hot springs close by.  They need to soak their weary limbs..and I …well, after a year of wandering, my muscles need a bit of relaxing too.

We drive through the surrounding countryside which is absolutely beautiful, to soak in the springs and have my final bit of pampering – a South American massage.  For me, it has been a wonderful, relaxing day and I have finally learnt am important lesson - I don’t have to push myself to climb every mountain!

 Your distress about life might mean you have been living for the wrong reason, not that you have no reason for living.  ~Tom O'Connor

A Road Trip on Ruta 40 to Bariloche

We drive for 2 days on Ruta 40, breaking journey at a small town called Perito Merino to reach Bariloche.  Ruta 40 is one of those legendary stretches of highway here.  It is popular with cyclists and is the road that Che Guevara travelled through as a young man on his motor cycle and we came to know through The Motorcycle Diaries. 

The Route, parallels the Andes & stretches for 5000 km through the remotest parts of Patagonia, in Argentina, starting from Cancha Carrera near the southern border with Chile, to La Quiaca the northern border with Bolivia.  While these miles of nothingness is quite incredible to travellers from Europe, they remind me of of drives in outback Australia.  Just like driving the Oodnadatta or similar tracks, one has to plan a road trip  between petrol stations, which are very sparsely spaced.

Pit stops are behind a bush if you can find it and we stop along the way to chop up a salad and make a quick burrito for a picnic lunch.  The cars, lined up at the petrol station, remind us of the fuel price protests in southern Chile.  One of the Chilean borders we crossed was closed just days after we passed through due to the unrest caused by protestors, so we feel lucky to be here!

Along the way, we pass shrines to Gaucho Gil, the patron saint of travellers.  The shrines look like a Bower bird’s nest, except the offerings are all red.   

There are many legends attached to this man, and Ally shares her favourite with us.  Gaucho Gil found himself on the run due to being on the wrong side of the military.  He was a wanted man and when he was caught, he was up for execution.  He looks his executioner in the eyes and while begging for his life, predicts the executioner’s son will get so ill, he will be lucky to survive the night.  The executioner pays him no attention, executes him and leaves his body where it fell.  He then goes home to find his son very sick & struggling for his life.  Mortified, he comes back to Guacho Gil’s body and gives it a decent burial.  When he gets home, he finds that his son is recovering.  He spreads the word about this man, who then becomes a South American legend!

As we go north, the scenery changes from flat land that stretches for miles to mountainous terrain.  After driving for most of the day, we arrive in Bariloche, the centre for the Argentinean Lake District. The city appears to be a small slice of Switzerland, with log cabins, wooden chalets, St Bernard dogs (with a barrels of whiskey around their necks) and amazing chocolate!  I love this city, which surprisingly is much larger than I expected, and has a population of 100,000!  Many of the first settlers in these parts were Swiss, Germans and Northern Italians, hence the European feel to this  place.  Today, rich Argentineans, Brazilians and foreign film stars, holiday here.  I love the unique architectural style of housing here and the wooden houses blending into the natural environment remind me of my own home in the bush! 

The area is a paradise for hikers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts.  If you love the outdoors, this is a place you could happily spend lots of time in.  We spend our free day in Bariloche by taking a chair lift up to Cerro Campanario.  It is a lovely view at the top and we sit on the rocks up there to enjoy the sunshine and spend a lazy day together.  I’ve come here with my friends Katie, Sarah, Rose and Dave.  It is Katie’s last day with us as she leaves the tour to visit her boyfriend on an impulsive visit to Colombia, planned just a few days ago!  She has mixed emotions today, feeling both excited about her impending travel and sad at leaving the tour. 

Soon, we are joined by Bob and Diane who have also made their way up here, as have the rest of our group.  We chat and laze around for hours, before our stomachs remind us it is time to go in search of lunch. 

We catch the bus to the rather posh Hotel Llao Llao, a landmark in these parts.  We notice the well dressed security guard, give us  a strange look, as we walk up to the entrance.  We are questioned by the doorman, who kindly informs us that we can’t walk in for coffee without a reservation!  We wondered later if we could have bluffed our way in, pretending to be guests, but Diane feels we don’t even come close to fitting the profile of guests at these digs and it would have been a waste of time!  We spend time in the garden, take pictures of the place and then go looking for lunch.  We are starving and I wish out loud for a lunch of hamburgers and focacias.   I spot a sign that says restaurant and as we walk down the road we come across a cafe in a converted service station.  This certainly looks more our style, and as we settle in to the sheepskin padded furniture and turn the pages of the menu, I find that hamburgers and focacias are on the menu!  The Universe has delivered once again! 

We make the bus trip back to town, feeling satisfied but there is one more thing to do, on this our chilled out day.  Try the hot chocolate in this chocolate heaven! 

We walk around the square to find a place that appeals.  Earlier we had purchased a great assortment of chocolates so we feel we did this town justice.  We are now equipped with the requisite snacks for the long bus trip the following day.

We find a hot chocolate cafe, grab some couches and settle down with large mugs of hot chocolate & cream, feeling very decadent as we sip what seems to be pure melted chocolate.  This is pure bliss or..chocolate heaven!

"At night, after the exhausting games of canasta, we would look out over the immense sea, full of white-flecked and green reflections, the two of us leaning side by side on the railing, each of us far away, flying his own aircraft to the stratospheric regions of his own dreams. There we understood that our vocation, our true vocation, was to move for eternity along the roads and seas of the world. Always curious, looking into everything that came before our eyes, sniffing out each corner but only very faintly – not setting down roots in any land or staying long enough to see the substratum of things; the outer limits would suffice."

— Guevara aboard a ship in the Pacific Ocean

A Glacier Walk – Viedma Glacier

After lunch we make our way back to the glacier for a walk on the ice.  While I have done this once before in New Zealand for many in our group this is a first as well.  The scenery is spectacular and I am looking forward to taking more photos of the glacier close up.

We still have all of our safety gear on.  We walk on  narrow ridges and there are crevices and canyons on either side of us.  Our health and safety is our responsibility but the guides are amazing and keep a close watch as we negotiate the glacier.There are 3 guides to the 11 travellers in the group, which is a really good ratio.  They are extremely professional and attentive and I would recommend Fitzroy Expeditions to anyone venturing out for a bit of adventure in Patagonia!

The guides chisel the ice on the really steep bits, making it easier for us to get a grip. Unfortunately, the  weather has turned and the infamous Patagonia winds are blowing a gale. 

At times, it feels like we could get swept off the mountain.  We crouch low and wait it out, till it is safe to walk up right again.

We look out over fabulous view points before the guides lead us to a special place and promise us a surprise.  Plastic glasses are whipped out and they chisel away at the glacier, filling each glass with ice.  Then, out comes a bottle of baileys, the alcohol is passed around and we drink a toast to an amazing day! 

I can hardly believe this.  I am standing on Viedma Glacier, drinking Baileys with 400 year old glacial ice!  Gives a whole new meaning to Baileys on the rocks! 

It is time to head back to camp and the catamaran that will take us back.  What an amazing day!  Perhaps one of the top ten highlights of my life!

To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily.  To not dare is to lose oneself.  ~Soren Kierkegaard

Living Life on the Edge – Ice Climbing Viedma Glacier

When I came to Patagonia, I expected to wind down after my travels through Antarctica, after what has been a very hectic year of travel.  But Patagonia has forced me to sit up and notice her and continued to challenge me physically, dishing up new challenges and stunning vistas that have left me awestruck at the beauty of this planet we live in.  I guess I will have to wait till I am back in Sydney to have a holiday!

At the start of my year off, I vowed I’d challenge myself to live outside my comfort zone.  When we are informed that we have the opportunity to go ice climbing Viedma Glacier, Argentina’s largest glacier, I can’t possibly turn it down! 

Viedma Glacier is also situated in Los Glaciers NP, which stretches for 170 km along the Chilean border and is the second largest park in Argentina.  There are 13 main glaciers that descend into Lake Argentina and Lake Viedma so it is a chance to ice climb in a stunning place.  Almost half of this park is covered by the Southern Ice cap although this section is completely inaccessible.

Initially, Sarah, Katie and I vacillate between wanting to give the ice climbing a go, and being a little apprehensive about the whole exercise.  We make a final decision to throw our hats in the ring the evening before the excursion.  There are few places in the world, where beginners can ice climb, especially with such a stunning back drop!  The three of us are joined on this excursion by Dave and Rose as well as Bob & Diane, a couple from Brisbane who travelled with me in Antarctica.  It is another clear beautiful day as we make the  catamaran trip to ‘base camp’!  We are fully kitted out with our safety equipment including crampons, which we wear over our boots (for walking on ice) a safety harness and helmets in case of a fall.

After the guides install the climbing ropes, we are given some basic instruction on technique and then its time to hit the wall!  Bob, goes first, but he is suffering from a bad foot and is unable to get to the summit.  I am next and despite my initial trepidation, get up to the top with only a few slips from which I recover from quickly without losing too much ground.  

It is an amazing feeling to get to the top of the wall, and hit my pickaxe on the ridge!  I feel an amazing sense of achievement at completing this basic climb.  It is my first ice wall climb, (as it is for the rest of the group) and the buzz I get from reaching the top stays with me for awhile.

Everyone is cheering and I feel quite elated.  One of the best things about travel is how supportive your fellow travellers are, when you are attempting something new.  I want to keep going but there is nowhere to go but abseil down.  I am instructed on what to do, and I hold my axes free of the ice, keep my boots flat and make my way down, in a similar fashion to an abseil off a cliff face when rock climbing. 

I’ve set the tempo for the group and everyone is raring to give it a go.  There are 2 ropes against this ice wall, and I watch as a few people seem to struggle going up the second rope.  Once everyone has their first go, the guides inform us that we can switch ropes and try a different ice wall face.  I am excited at the prospect of going up again, and walk up with a determination to get up this second more difficult wall.  While I slip a little, I am confident in my recovery and reach the summit of the second wall, with an even greater sense of elation.  I am more relaxed the second time around and have lots of fun rappelling back and make little jumps off the ice on my way down, just like the pros! 

We then move on to a different area, with a fresh challenge.  Two adjacent walls, with very different levels of difficulty.  The ice wall on the left is almost vertical and very hard to climb.  The wall on the right has a flatter slope and is easier. 

 

I feel quite comfortable now and am enjoying this so much that I try for the hardest wall right away.  The ice is much looser than on my previous climbs and crumbles as I struggle to get my ice pick to hold. I have a lot of determination but my body is tired from climbing the first 2 walls and despite my best efforts I don’t get further than half way.  Most people didn’t master this wall, but Katie shows us  how its done by climbing her way to the top!

I want to finish the day on a high so I make my last attempt on the easier wall.  This one is so much easier in comparison, I am almost running up the wall initially.  I make it to the top without a problem and shake my ice picks in the air and give out a whoop of delight!  I’ve had a blast. It has been a marvellous morning and we are all on a high before we make our way back to base camp for lunch.  The day is only half over and we have a glacier walk to complete after lunch!   

 "The longest journey begins with a single step."
-  Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching

Hiking Los Glaciers NP @ El Chalten

We have woken up early morning to drive to El  Chalten, a town which is the gateway to Fitzroy National Park at the northern end of Los Glaciers NP.  We are driving Ruta 40, a remote part of Patagonia where there is less than 1 person per square kilometre.  We drive through wide open spaces of deserted landscape that remind me of the desolate Australian bush, (although this is greener) before reaching our destination.

  After packing lunch, Andy drives us to our trail head.  We are joined by an Argentinean guide who will lead us on a 15km hike through this spectacular park.

Not everyone opts to go on this hike, but it is a lovely day and I am keen to explore.  The Fitzroy Massif is covered by cloud but we are hopeful this imposing granite rock will be eventually revealed to us.  It is 3,400 m in height and completely dwarfs the surrounding jagged mountains that stick out on either side of it. 

The mountain was named after the Captain of the Beagle, who first spotted it from afar, back in 1833.  Its traditional name was El Chalten, meaning smoking mountain.  The mountain was originally thought to be a volcano, because at sunrise it is briefly lit up and appeared to be bright red.  Perhaps the clouds that seem to constantly envelop it added to the myth. 

This park is a rock climber’s paradise.  We stop for  photos and hike a couple of hours to a beautiful lookout.  Our guide narrates the story of the French Expedition who first made it to the summit of Fitzroy in 1952.  One of the guys lost his life, attempting to cross a river in the park and a nearby peak is named after him.

Fitzroy Massif is only conquered by about 30 climbers a year during the climbing season here.  To put that into perspective, more climbers would summit Everest a day, during the trekking season in Nepal. 

We have glorious weather and can’t believe our luck.  Blue skies and sunshine raining down on us in a part of the world where it is normal to get 4 seasons in one day during summer!  The weather gods have been kind to us on this trip and we are thankful. 

The clouds lift briefly, and we are treated to a view of magnificent Cerro Fitz Roy!    

We stop for lunch at a stunning view point and continue hiking to the campsite where climbers prepare for their expeditions.  The campsite is packed at this time of year, because there is only a small window of opportunity for climbing or camping in Patagonia!   The campsite is very basic and I wonder how cold it must get as I walk past.  Summer temperatures  here can rival winter temperatures in Sydney! 

While it is a long hike, it is not a particularly difficult one but we are tired and a little sore as we make our descent to the valley in the late afternoon.  After 5 hours of walking we are back in town in time for hot showers, clean clothes and a good Argentinean steak! 

 "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like falling leaves."  -   John Muir