Puerto Natales

What a long travel day but so excited to have started our trip! We arrived groggy and sleepy eyed in Santiago after an 11 hour night flight. Alas, we had to grab our baggage (115 L duffel, 35L pack, 55L pack, 75L pack!!...we sure don’t pack light), go through customs, check in for our next flight and back through security. Luckily the airport is small and we still had ample time to buy a $5 Starbucks coffee and walk laps around the airport waiting area before our next departure. The next flight was shorter and the highlight for all of us were the amazing snacks! I particularly liked the Bonbon chocolate they give out just before landing. As we flew over the Andes Mountains it was really cool seeing the mountain tops poking through the clouds. Finally on the ground in Punta Arenas, we headed straight to the bus station and only got distant views of the town as we hit the road.

24 hours since our Toronto departure we finally arrived in Puerto Natales. After a short walk we arrived at Erratic Rock, our home for the next 2 nights. Erratic Rock is a small cozy hostel run by an American expat from Oregon. It had a very welcoming feel, the type of place where people stay for a while. A lot of the employees were travellers working for room and board. We capped off the day with a delicious pizza and beer at the Base Camp bar next door.

In case we forgot to mention, our friends Sean and Anne have joined us for our Torres del Paine trekking adventure.Read more