Continuing South - Punta Arenas

We rested our weary selves on a 3 hour bus ride today to Punta Arenas. We're still in Chile, but getting even closer to the End of the Earth. I like to think of this day as a pit stop to break up a long land journey to Ushuaia and a pit stop to acclimatize ourselves for the colder temperatures ahead. Though we arrived in the afternoon, the cold and fatigue was already getting to us after the late lunch.

After a quick orientation walk of key landmarks, the supermarket and a sandwich shop to prepare for tomorrow's long travel day, we scattered over this small city and various directions. There are a few things to do here, but the easiest was simply to wander. Wander the shops - there's some good souvenirs to be bought at really prices. A silver Patagonia mug for $2? Yup. Inexpensive penguin keychains? Yup. And even plush penguins.

We found Cafe Monct with its delicious cakes and laidback local atmosphere for dinner. You shouldn't be surprised by now. Dessert makes a great small meal after a late lunch, because for some reason, my stomach still hasn't gotten used to Argentinian meal times yet.

As the hour grew late and the skies started to darken, we made a quick stop for warmer clothes before heading up to a viewpoint near the hotel. A very pretty spot where you can see right down to the water, and the city lights slowly flicker on. There's another spot nearby as well.It's not as picturesque but you get to see another side of the city, mostly residential.Läs mer