Satellite
  • Day 187

    Puerto Natales, Chile

    April 22, 2017 in Chile ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Puffer poofs and frosty freeze.

    It's cold. I mean, it's seriously cold. Everybody here is dressed in down from head to toe and people raise eyebrows when you say you're going to 'walk'. We're bouncing between zero and 13°C without wind chill. But the worst part is knowing that we're going to be camping in temperatures colder than this for five consecutive nights - and it's almost certain that at some point, we'll be caught in the driving sleet.

    That's why we're in Puerto Natales. It's 'base camp' for those who are trekking in Torres del Paine - Patagonia's finest wilderness. It took us three flights, two buses and $750 to get here from our accommodation in Bogotá, oh and a two hour snooze on the airport floor. If you're planning on booking Latam air, please be aware they fly planes from the Wright Brother's day. Not that this is a bad thing - they have seat spacing from the days flying didn't involve involuntary contortion (i.e. leg room for regular humans - yes!) and still offer cockpit tours (if you're cheeky enough to ask, but not cheeky enough for a selfie). On the topic of travel tips: don't try to dine in Lima International - you won't find a meal under $15 US.

    Puerto Natales is wonderfully quiet. Locals go about their daily business peacefully, cars give way to pedestrians with astounding willingness, stray dogs lay quietly on the berm (probably in the later stages of hypothermia) and every shopkeeper will greet you with a smile. In fact, the only reason I can find to get my knickers in a knot is the ATM fees: $10 a pop with a $400 max withdrawal. This place is Queenstown before the (hoards of) tourists. We spent two days here gearing up for our hike and acclimatising to the cold; we're off to Torres tomorrow so you won't be hearing from me for at least a week! Hopefully Trump hasn't start a nuclear war by then and I don't end up living a modern day Tomorrow When The War Began.
    Read more