Category: South America

Patagonia – Our Final Days

I’ll admit it. I am a lazy blogger. It seems it always happen this way. I start out with great intentions, keeping friends and family updated as to our whereabouts, but toward the end of every trip, I run out of steam. Then, re-entry into our world takes a few weeks. So here we are, back home, reliving our wonderful time in Patagonia via photos.

Our last several days have not been recorded, so let’s start there. If you recall the map from the Punta Arenas post, you’ll remember that we had some very long travel days.

With a bus like this, however, you travel in comfort, and you really get to experience the countryside. There were only 12 travelers (plus guides) on a bus that could carry over 40 passengers! With multiple interesting stops along the way, time passed quickly.

On our way to cross the border back into Argentina, we stopped to pay tribute to Gauchito Gil.

Here’s his story: Gil joined the Argentinian army to fight against Paraguay. He returned to his village as a hero, but soon after, the Argentine Civil War broke out. He refused to fight against his countrymen, so he deserted. He was found in the forest, by the police, who tortured him and hung him upside down from a tree. As a policeman was about to kill him, Gil said, “your son is very ill. If you give me a proper burial and pray to me, your son will live. If not, he will die.” Despite the prediction, the policeman cut Gil’s throat. When he arrived home, the policeman discovered his son was indeed very ill, so he heeded Gil’s prophecy–gave him the proper burial, said a prayer or two, and (wait for it–dramatic pause) the son was CURED!

SO, today’s travelers offer a beer or some other tribute to Gil, as an extra insurance policy for a safe trip. As you can see, we were no exception. Hey, why not.


In addition to educational stops along the way, our guides kept boredom at bay by entertaining and feeding us. Laura, our guia excelente, donned that costume before she served us a wonderful treat. Yeah, I forgot what it is called, but I certainly remember the wonderful taste.

We were not without our national Geographic moments. As we drive the highways and by ways, we noticed several eagles and other large birds of prey sitting on fence posts. Were they watching the cars go by, as an avian form of TV? No, they had figured out that it was just a matter of time before some tasty road kill would make their grocery shopping much easier. Take a look.

Before we knew it we were in El Calafate, Argentina. The main purpose of our 2 night stay here was to view the Perito Moreno Glacier in the National Park.

We certainly did that, both from a ship and from land. It was quite a majestic sight. The experience wasn’t just visual, however. It was also auditory. We could actually hear the glacier groan and thunder, as parts of it crashed off into the sea below.

While in El Calafate, we stayed at the Kauyatun, a gorgeous hotel reincarnated from a former sheep ranch. Best of all, it is within walking distance of El Calafate’s charming center.

  • Beautiful grounds
  • The restaurant/ lounge
  • Herding demo

Our trip ended in Buenos Aires, where we had our farewell dinner, then flights home the next afternoon.

A toast to Laura

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you have such an interesting, caring, informed, fantastic guide like Laura. We all truly appreciated how hard she worked to make this trip extra special for all of us. Her energy was amazing!

We also felt so fortunate to be a part of an extraordinarily compatible group. Our hope is that this will not be the last time we see these wonderful, smiling faces!

The terrific twelve

Towers of the Emerald Blue

“Paine” is a Mapuche word meaning emerald blue, or, if you prefer, blue green. So “Torres del Paine” gets its name from the towering, unusually shaped mountains and the icy clear Lake Pehoe.

Normally, this area is buffeted by high winds and lots of rain. Laura and Maria, our guides, have reminded us how very fortunate we are to be experiencing this incredible weather. It could change at any moment, but so far we have beaten the odds.

Last night we took advantage of having an astrophysicist in our midst and persuaded Mike to give the group an impromptu lecture on the southern skies. We were so very lucky: the phase of the moon was perfect for viewing. It wasn’t so bright that it obscured the stars. We saw the Milky Way and the Magellanic Cloud, a rare treat. Too dark for photos–you just have to take my word that it was magnificent. And Mike was really pretty amazing too.

I DO have other photos that will give you an idea of the grandeur and beauty of this National Park.

During yesterday afternoon’s first hike, we battled head winds that made those two miles feel a whole lot longer.

The sun wasn’t in the best position for photos, but I liked this shot of some of our group admiring the view.

One advantage of staying at one of the three hotels within the park was getting an early start. THAT allowed us to hike to the perfect spot so we could catch this gorgeous reflection on the lake.

It was a 4 mile hike that, according to my Fitbit, was the equivalent of climbing 43 flights of stairs. Believe it or not, it was a much easier than yesterday’s shorter hike because the wind wasn’t blowing.

We were able to see this waterfall from a distance AND up close.

Once again, our timing was perfect. On our return trip the light was just right for the mist to create rainbow after rainbow.

Okay, so the surrounding area wasn’t picture perfect, but that was the best angle to capture the rainbow.

Another amazing day in Patagonia, and it’s not even over yet. One more hike this afternoon.

Punta Arenas

Trivia question for you. Where can you find replicas of the ships of Magellan and Darwin, the ship used to claim this area for Chile, and the lifeboat that Shackleton used to get to the mainland to get help for his crew stranded in Antarctica? I’ll give you a hint. It’s the title of this post.

Magellan’s ship, Victoria

Darwin’s ship, The Beagle.

The small boat in the foreground was the one Shackleton used after The Endurance sank. The bigger one got the Chileans to this area so they could claim it for Chile.

Other notable images from Punta Arenas follow:

The huge monument to Magellan in the main square across from our hotel has carvings on all four sides, with a rather arrogant Magellan atop.

Punta Arenas was a very wealthy area at one time, and the cemetery reflects that abundance.

This mural honoring Gabriela Mistral is on the side of the school she founded (more about her later)

Sara Braun’s mansion faces the main square. This is ANOTHER good story that has to wait till I get home.

This morning, we are heading to remote areas where Wi-Fi could be nonexistent.

Although the distances don’t appear to be great, this appearance definitely IS deceiving. We will spend most of today traveling to Torres del Paine, stopping along the way for a hike, weather permitting.

Two days later, we will be on a longer drive, to El Calafate. From there we fly to Buenos Aires.

For all the map lovers, that one is for you. ❤️

Chiloe Island

How often does one get to photograph a sunrise without getting out of bed?

For me, the answer is probably once in my lifetime. (If all goes well, my iPhone will upload the photo and I’ll be able to share the view).

The “Enjoy Chiloe” Hotel in Castro, the capital of Chiloe Island, makes the most of its spectacular location. All rooms have floor to ceiling windows facing the bay. And the bay experiences spectacular tides. That photo was taken during low tide. During high tide, the inhabitants are grateful their houses were built on stilts!

The hotel has a spa, a casino and a nightclub. The casino held zero appeal for me, but the night club definitely had potential, until I say the sign posting the hours it was as open. Midnight to 5 AM??!! Not for this girl. That left the spa. The choice was between pool and hot tub versus drinking pisco sours and wine on the terrace.

Here’s what I chose.

Yes, each region has its own take on pisco sours. Chiloe Island adds a berry that only grows locally which gives it the unusual color.

We were blessed with perfect weather, which made our boat trip to view the Magellanic penguins delightful.

We had a unique way to board our boat. What looked like a shopping cart was pulled into the bay.

No need to get our feet wet.

There is so much more to say about this wonderful island, but it is time to leave for Puerto Montt.

The ADVENTURE part of Overseas Adventure Travels

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” according to Laura, our wonderful guide.

Were we prepared for our walk in the rain forest? Thanks to Laura’s excellent instructions, we most certainly were.

We are wearing our waterproof pants, boots, ponchos and parkas.

Puerto Montt is usually very rainy, and today was no exception. That means we had an authentic experience, which got even MORE authentic as the day wore on.

First, we had an interpretive walk through Chile’s first National Park, Vicente Perez Rosales. The water is normally a clear blue, but rain and wind has carried volcanic ash into the water resulting in this brown color.

My new partner in crime, Janis, is another Massachusetts gal.

In other parts of the park, however, the water was a beautiful clear greenish blue.

While we were sauntering through the park, a light rain was falling. That changed to a torrential downpour while we were at lunch. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Lunch was quite a novel experience. First, it was a short boat ride away.

Second, lunch was in a private home in the middle of the National Park. How a private home ended up in the middle of a private part, I could probably remember if I hadn’t had that second glass of wine. But the “how” is not essential to the rest of our story.

What started as an Overseas Adventure Travel home hosted meal became so successful, the host built this addition on to his home, and transformed the addition into a restaurant, now open to other travelers.

Third, the menu consisted of whatever our host caught. For us, today it was rainbow trout.

And yes, it was every bit as good as it looked.

By the time lunch was over, the rain had let up a bit, but our adventure was far from over. You see, there is only ONE road into and out of the park, and when there are torrential rains, THIS is what could (and did) happen.

The guys in the foreground are on OUR side of the street. The ones in the background are where we need to be. And in between? Well take a good look.

Remember our motto “expect the unexpected”? Well, once again, we weren’t disappointed.

My new friend Janis, also known as my “partner in crime” and I were first off the bus to size up the situation. Braving rain and wind, we returned with this video.

Fortunately, heavy equipment magically appeared to do whatever heavy equipment does,

and within two hours we were on our way. I’m thinking Janis and I have a future in cable news. Whadda ya think?

What a great group to travel with! No one complained. Here are some of fellow travelers’ comments: “How lucky are we to be in such a warm, comfortable bus”, ” Good thing we used the baño before we left the restaurant”,”It’s an adventure!”

I LOVE this group!

Here’s how our day ended.

The lake across the street from the Radisson Hotel.

Tomorrow we hit the road again, so I will hit “publish” and hope for the best!