Patagonia
Some 65 million years ago I started reading a book called "Patagonia". I was mesmerized. Not only about the Milodon fur referred to in this book, but about the area Patagonia in general. If Bruce Chatwin had been there and Butch Cassidy and the Suncance Kid are supposedly still hiding somewhere in Patagonia, I wanted to see this for myself. As such I went down there and visited Buenos Aires, Punta Tombo, Peninsula Valdez, Ushuaia on the Tierra del Fuego, El Chalten, El Calafate, Puerto Natales, Torres de Paine, Punta Arenas and Santiago.
Patagonia is an area of land split between Argentina and Chile. Its northern limit is the Colorado river in Argentina and it southern border is the Drake Passage between Latin America and Antarctica. It is a hugh area, roughly three times the size of France with only 1.5 million inhabitants.
Trelew & Punta Tombo
It is a neat trick: the driver who's driving me to Punta Tombo seals the lock of his car with a piece of sticky tape when we are about to leave the asphalt road, just South of Trelew. He obviously knows that the dust of the dirt road we’re about to drive down on to the beach will be clogging up the lock of the trunk completely.
This morning I flew into Trelew after a few days in Buenos Aires, a flight of approximately one hour with Aerolinas Argentinas. When I roamed the streets of Argentina’s capital yesterday no matter how much I tried I could not really warm to the city. The temperature obviously had nothing to do with it, as it was a warm 28 degrees Centigrade. What I do appreciate a lot was the fact that when ordering a ‘large beer’ you are served a bottle of a full liter. Trelew is a small town originally founded by Welsh settlers. This heritage gives it a distinct un-Argentine feel. It reminds me a bit of Australia. I see many English and Welsh street names when driving though the town. The name Trelew, having a Welsh origin, means "Lewis town", in honor of Lewis Jones, a pioneer of the Welsh colonization in Chubut. The history of this city is closely connected to colonization, initiated in 1865. On 20th October 1884, law 1529 was passed and the construction of the railroad between the valley and Puerto Madryn was authorized. As a result Trelew emerged as a railroad terminal and was known as such. It was born and grew as the center of the Welsh colony in Argentina. |
 |
I've come to Trelew to see the penguin colony at Punta Tombo, one the northernmost locations the small Magallenic penguin considers to be 'home' for a part of the year. On my way to Punta Tombo I stop to visit an old Welsh cemetery. After all these years (the Welsh landed here in the year 1865) the tombstones are still being looked after. It must have been a tough live judging by the age of the owners of these tombstones when they passed away. It is interesting to see everything written in Gaelic so far away from the Wales. There is a small paleontological museum in Trelew. Although its size may not be awe inspiring, there is a fine collection of fossils found in the area.
Both the beach and the dunes at Punta Tombo are completely made up of reddish pebbles. I had expected the penguins would be standing on the beach like I had seen in the mandatory David Attenborough documentaries, but surprisingly enough the majority actually live under the shrubs. This is where they lay their eggs and the shrubs protect these from air raids by the huge seagulls and other birds of prey. Unfortunately the majority of the eggs have already hatched and the egg’s inhabitants have moved out to sea to swim to Antarctica with their parents (imagine doing that as a 20 day old human baby), but luckily there are still plenty of the flightless birds to be seen. To complete the picture some Guanacos stroll through the area as well. This is very obvious a relative of the llama, however llamas are fully domesticated whereas the guanaco is ‘wildlife’
I spend the night in Puerto Madryn and travel to the Peninsula Valdez the next day.
Peninsula Valdez
The Peninsula is an almost uninhabited patch of land roughly 3700 square kilometers. There are some 800 inhabitants on the entire peninsula, 99% of which live in Punta Pyramides. As the rest of peninsula is empty this is a great place to spot Patagonia’s wildlife. An interesting detail is that due to constant wind there are no trees on the entire peninsula. In Punta Pyramides I board a small boat to see whales swimming close to the shore. This area is the home of the Southern right whale. Unfortunately the strong wind not only means it takes significant effort to keep my breakfast inside me, it also means the water is so choppy that it is hard to get a good look at the enormous animals. Even so it is again (seen whales up close at the Lofoten when I traveled to Norway’s North Cape some years ago) a great experience to be close enough to hear them breath. I had hoped to spot an Orca (aka killer whale) as well, but unfortunately these black and white whales that usually frequent the shores of the entire peninsula decide to stay deep below the waves today.
I spend a few days at Punta Delgada (click here to see more) at the south-east corner of the peninsula.The buildings that once were the living quarters of the crew operating the light house have been turned into a hotel. When I arrive around lunch time the traditional grilled lamb is served. It is great. The lamb is stuck on a metal frame and then grilled over large wood fire. It looks a bit cruel, but you don’t taste that…
Once the day trip tourists leave (it is a 2 to 3 hours drive back to Puerto Madryn on the mainland) a member of the hotel crew asks if I feel like joining him to the beach to see the elephant seals up close. I had seen some elephants seals earlier during the day, but as it was not possible to go down to the beach I only managed to see them from above. If you’re staying in Punta Delgada however you can (with a crew member) walk down to the beach and see the Elephants seal from up close. This is just fantastic! To be sitting on the beach between these large animals with no other sound than the waves and the occasional wail feels very close to nature as it is meant to be. (when I finally finish the story of my trip through Tanzania ( here ) you’ll see the similarities. |
 |
Although the Punta Delgada may not offer the luxury of a Ritz Carlton, the atmosphere in the hotel is unbeatable. There is a pub with a pool table where one can exchange stories and tips with other travelers over beer. The steaks served in the restaurant are just great! The best asset of the hotel though is its crew. All of them are knowledgeable, warm, friendly and welcoming. It really feels like I had known these people for years!
One of the other days I trek with one of he crew to a cliff where many elephant seals are basking in the sun with their offspring. The entire cliff is made up of fossils of seashells. That sight by itself would warrant the walk over there, but combined with the ability to see baby elephant seals up close and the absence of any sign of human civilization make this an unforgettable experience. On one of my last days a crew member invites me a horse ride. Although I am not an experienced rider, this trip across the windswept peninsula is highly recommended!
Just before I leave the Punta Delgada I am introduced to the mate drinking ritual. Whereas in most countries the choice for hot drinks is either coffee or tea, Argentineans have a third option which is by far the most popular: mate. (Anglophiles: this is not pronounced as “mait” but as mah-te). It is a ritual whereby hot water is poured in a cup with local yerba leaves. The resulting potion is than drunk with a stainless steel straw with a filter at the bottom end. The cup is passed around in the group and fresh hot water is poured onto the leaves for each drinker. The water should never be boiled as that ruins the taste. Its taste reminds me a bit of bitter Chinese green tea but definitely an experience to remember.
Roxanna, Daniel and Martin and all the others: thanks for making my stay at the Punta Delgada unforgettable!
Tierra del Fuego
Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego is the southern-most city on the planet.
A few days ago in Buenos Aires it was tropical and I was in shorts and T-shirt but as I walk out of the airport building the wind reminds me that I am closer to Antarctica than to the country’s capital. In fact the wind is so strong that the suitcases of some of the other passengers take of only to be stopped by the fence surrounding the airport. It is approx. 2 degrees C but with the wind chill it feels close to -20 C to the human (and my) body. I am glad I have packed for both tropical and arctic temperatures.
The hotel I have booked in Ushuaia, Hosteria Tierra de Leyendas, is just fantastic! It is run by Maria and Sebastian. They have traveled the globe extensively themselves and have now opened this brand new "hosteria" (a mix between hotel/bed & breakfast). It is located in a residential area some 3 kilometers from the centre and it really feels like staying over at a friend’s place! The rooms have no number but a name. The arctic temperature outside is immediately compensated by the warm welcome. The interior decoration is just great and all amenities are just right. One of the other great assets of the Tierra Leyendas is the fantastic view across the Beagle canal. The snow capped mountains across the water provide the most memorable backdrop. All in all it is a sample of paradise descended on earth and I recommend all of you to stay there when you’re in Ushuaia and are looking for a place to stay.
Maria and Sebastian: thanks for looking after me the way you did!
Click here to see more of the hosteria!
When I walk to the city centre of Ushuaia I notice a few things: There seem to be more stray dogs than people. These apparently have the nasty habit of gnawing through the garbage bags causing a mess so each house is fitted with a bird cage like contraption on a 1 meter high pole in which the inhabitant (of the house, not the bird cage) stuff their garbage such that everything is kept out of the reach of the dogs.
"Downtown” Ushuaia reminds me a bit of a European ski resort. Thick, bulky winter outfits, hats and gloves. There is one main street, San Martin, which is lined with restaurants and shops selling touristy junk. (inflatable penguins etc) Even so, it is a very lively experience and has a bit of frontier feeling to it. I try Ushuaia’s local specialty, centola, aka King crab for dinner.
In a way I am lucky: it has snowed the entire night just before I visit the Parque Nacionale Tierra del Fuego. Considering that it is almost summer here the temperature of 1 degree Centigrade is slightly less that I had expected. The Parque is cool (well, cold actually). Although the old steam train is a bit touristy it does take you to spots in the parque you otherwise wouldn’t see. What also becomes clear is that we humans have messed up things pretty good again: In the 1940’s some bright souls set free some 25 beavers that had been imported from Canada.
These big rodents really must have liked Tierra del Fuego especially the fact that there are no predators like the Grizzly they had to fear way back in Canada. As a results the original 25 beavers have now become a plague of some 250.000 animals on the island.
(in my imagination I see the animals pray every night in their beaver nests to a relic of the person who introduced them into this paradise on earth for beavers)
When I sail down the Beagle Canal the next day the weather is not much better. Still a lot of snow which limits visibility significantly. Bummer as we sail pretty close to the shores of Seal Island, but the photos do not come out very well due to the snow storm. Same applies to the southernmost Light house “Les Eclaires”. It is very cold.
Disembarking at the Estancia Harberton feels like stepping back 80 years in time. The estancia Harberton was where the original founder of Ushuaia, Thomas Bridges, lived. It has a very 1920’s feeling to it and the concept of neighbors gets a whole new meaning given that the neighbor here is some 20 kilometers away. (where I live the distance to your neighbors is measured in centimeters, not kilometers)
BTW, I mentioned the name Thomas Bridges a while ago. Well nobody knows for sure what his actual name was, since Thomas was an orphan from London, UK, who was found under a bridge wearing a shirt with just the letter T on it. As such the folks who found him gave him the name Thomas Bridges.
El Chalten
After Ushuaia I fly on to El Calafate and travel by bus further to El Chalten. The long distances buses in Argentina are just great. There are several comfortable services between el Calafate and el Chalten operated by different bus companies. As such my luggage almost ends up in a different bus than I do… but I manage to correct things a few seconds before the first of the two buses departs.
Tip for the traveler
"Remember El Chalten is "somewhat remote". There is no cell phone coverage, no ATM, no bank"
The views from the bus are just breathtaking. The landscape is a large emptiness with undulating hills and well, errr, nothing. The distance of approximately 250 kilometers takes over 4 hours as the largest part of the route is a dirt road. The suspension of the bus (and its passengers) takes a serious beating and shortly into the trip I understand why the windscreen is cracked at so many spots.
 |
Upon entering the Parque Nacionale Los Glaciares the bus stops at the ranger station just outside el Chalten and all passengers have to get out to attend the mandatory briefing of the rules of the parque.
The area is so remote that pollution is not existent and as a result all water in the park is potable! This situation is only sustainable if everybody sticks to the rules of the so-called “leave-no-trace” program which simply said means that you take out of the park what you carried with you when you came in. No bags, candy wrappers, bottles, even no toilet paper should be left behind. The enthusiasm of the rangers and the beauty of the environment make it easy to adhere to these simple rules. As a result the parque is completely unspoiled and I praise the Argentineans (especially the park rangers) for their effort to keep this part of the world untouched by humans rather than make it a tourist circus. The village was originally founded when tensions between Argentina and Chile over the ownership of this area rose in the early 1980s as it allowed the Argentineans to say that it was an inhabited area in order to make it harder for the Chileans to claim it was theirs. Now, 25 years later it has a whopping 600 inhabitants and the first asphalt road is about to be constructed.I hike a trail to the foot of the Cerro Torre. The Cerro Torre is one of the southernmost peaks of the Fitzroy massive and it is great. The walk to it is fantastic! It is clearly visible that the effort of the rangers really pays off as the trail really is the only evidence of human activities in the area. |
The weather is not super and the sky is a bit white/grayish. This results in not too contrasty photographs but even so the sight of the Cerro Torre reflected in the small glacier lake is just great.
On my way to the Cerro Torre for the first time in my life I scoop water out of a stream to drink it directly without any form of purification. This area is so unspoiled that this is safe to to do.
That night I am invited to join an international group of travelers for dinner. We have a great time in El Chalten’s only micro brewery. The beer and company are great so I wake up feeling a bit rough the next morning. The weather is just fantastic. I walk in the sunshine to the best places to see Cerro Fitzroy. This is by far the most impressive mountain I have seen. What adds to its beauty is not only the 100% clear blue sky, the complete absence of any sign of human interference in this area make this day a wonderful experience.
Important:
Trekking to the Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy is not just a walk in the park. This is a remote mountainous area where weather can change rapidly and rescue helicopters a few and far between (if any at all).
This is not an area for sneakers or sandals. Make sure you'll bring sufficient warm and waterproof clothing and ample water and food supplies. Although all water is potable this does not mean there is sufficient of it within reach. Make sure you'll be back in the village before dark as dark in this area of the world really means DARK. Last but not least: when it's dark there are pumas looking for a meal (that is you!)
El Calafate
Compared to the atmosphere in El Chalten the next town I visit, El Calafate, is almost the opposite. This is where the tourist dollar rules. Even so it has a nice atmosphere and plenty of restaurants and (more important) bars to help you spend your dollars, pesos, or euros. This place is focused on steaks, beer, outdoor equipment and last but not least glaciers.
It is the glaciers that have put El Calafate on the map and thus on the itinerary of many a traveller.
The town of 7000 inhabitants is located on the shores of the enormous Lago Argentino and calls itself the glacier capital of the world. Lago Argentino is the largest lake in in Argentina and measures some 1600 square kilometers and is at some spots up to 1000 meters deep! it is shaped like the upper body of a person and has two 'arms': Brazo Norte fed by the Upsala glacier and Brazo Sud fed by the enormous Perito Moreno glacier.
One of the days I travel the 80 kilometers by bus to the Perito Moreno glacier. The glacier is fantastic! It is definitely the largest glacier I have seen (apart from Greenland) but the whole thing is way too Disney-esque for me. There are literally hundreds of people looking at the enormous mass of ice from the wooden walkways at the opposite side of the valley. I expect to see Mickey and Donald to appear from the ice and wave at me any moment. I had expected to come across some other travelers, but nothing had prepared me for the throngs of people all staring in awe at the 250 square kilometer ice field. The glacier (it is actually growing in size as opposed to most other glaciers on our planet) moves an average of 2 meters per day. At its face every now and again large pieces of ice fall with an enormous thunder into the waters of Lago Argentino.
One of my other days at El Calafate I board a boat to navigate across the Lago Argentino to see all the glaciers. The Perito Moreno is not the only ice mass in the vicinity. (that's why El Calafate calls itself the Glaciar Capitol). It is a shame the weather is not as good as it should have been when I'm in El Calafate. The day I traveled to the Perito Moreno it was overcast and today while I'm on the boat to see the other glaciers it rains every now and again and there is a very strong wind. Given that it is round 5 degrees Centigrade the wind chill factor and the occasional sleet do the rest: it is very, very cold. |
 |
The chunks of ice that break of the glacier float as enormous dark blue icebergs across Lago Argentino. This is definitely a view that will be with me for years to come.
forrest near Lago Onelli
Back in el Calafate I first have a few beers in a small bar on te first floor of a small outdoor shopping arcade and am told that the best steaks in town are to had at a place called "Rick's Cafe". Though this may not look like the most appealing place on the planet (tube lights etc) the Bife de Lomo is unforgettable, large, tender, grilled the way I like it (still mowing).
The next day is a day of my trip I had been dreading for a while: today I'll travel by bus from El Calafate in Argentina to Puerto Natales in Chile. At the same bus station where my bags almost took a different route than I a week or so ago, I board a bus much more luxurious than I had expected. Traveling by myself means the seat next to me remains empty when we leave El Calafate, but an hour outside of Calafate the driver stops to pick up a hiker in the middle of absolutely nowhere who gets the only remaining free seat in the bus: next to me. Surprisingly the hiker does not have any luggage and falls asleep almost before his head reaches the back of the seat only to wake up to hawk and spit noisily on the floor of the bus every ten to fifteen minutes or so. After four hours the bus reaches the border at Rio Turbio. (by that time I don't dare to look at the floor anymore) Crossing the border is a two step process that takes approx. 3 hours. At the Argentinan side I have to present my passport to the only booth where a soldier examines is carefully and copies some of the details by hand on a long list before stamping and returning it. As there are some 50 passengers on the bus it takes a while before we can continue our journey to the Chilean side of the border. Here all lugage has to be declared and is searched for agricultural products as it is not allowed to take any produce into Chile.
The border between Argentina and Chile is right on top of the continental divide of Latin America. As such the difference in the landscapes of the two countries is remarkable: where Argentinan Patagonia is very dry and arid, the moment the bus drives down the mountain road from the border to the town of Purto Natales green meadows make it very clear that Chile gets much more rain fall.
Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine
Puerto Natales is a very friendly town of some 15,000 inhabitants situated along the shore of the Sena Ultima Esperanza. Apart from being the logical gate way to the Torres de Paine National Park, there is not much to see or to do, but even so I would suggest to hang out there to relax and unwind. Should you have to get additional outdoor equipment for the Torres there are plenty of stores here to help you with that. I hang out several times in "el living", a bit of a bizar mix of an English tearoom and a bar. A great place run by a British lady who once was traveling Patagonia just like I do but fell in love with Puerto Natales and decided to stay.
A few days later I board a small van that will bring me to the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (this is by the way pronouced as "pine-a" and not as "pain"). On my way to the park we stop at the Cueva Milodon, indirect the reason I am in Patagonia. This is where the remains of the giant sloth where found that made Bruce Chatwin write his book about Patagonia and the book made me travel down here. The Milodon (sometimes spelled Mylodon) was a giant ground sloth that roamed around in Patagonia until roughly 10,000 years ago. In the very cave I am standing in fur and other remains were found in 1895 and the Patagonian climate had preserved these so well that it was originally believed that the fur belonged to a living animal. This triggered a number of expeditions with the aim to find this animal, extinct for 10,000 years. In the cave a plastic version of the Milodon has been erected for the visitors to get an idea what it must have looked like. A bit tacky but it really puts things in perspective. The fur that was originally found here was shipped to London short after its discovery.
The Torres del Paine is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for its strange shaped peaks, wildlife and fantastic colored lakes. Some may say that you can only die once you've seen Rome, I believe seeing the Torres is a much better prerequisite. It is fantastic. I am very lucky as the entire week the sky is blue and the whether is just great. The Torres (towers) are the remains of frozen magma in ancient volcanos of which everything else has been eroded away. The size of the park is as impressive as the sights. It is a whopping 250,000 ha. It takes a week to see everything there is to see in the park so make sure you take your time! Also make sure you'll book your accomodation way in advance since there is a limited number of hotels and alike, so full is full and the better situated ones get booked first of course. There are hosterias that won't cost you your right arm, but there's also the Explora at roughly USD 1,400 per night. I end up spending something somewhere in between.
The peaks of the Torres, well, you'll have to see them to believe it since I thought they were out of this world. As with the Cerro Fitzroy (see above) you'll see see them appear on the horizon when traveling from Puerto Natales when you're still quite far away. The peaks are mind boggling, the colors or the Lago Pehoe look like they've been painted by an artist on drugs or something. All in all it is a landscape you can't imagine and once you've seen it you won't forget it. As was the case in the Parque Nacionale Los Glaciares I visited in Argentina a few weeks ago there is strict control on the impact of human presence in the parque. As a result it just looks stunning and you feel as if you're the first to discover the towers. Unfortunatle there is not enough time for a real trek around the peaks and as such I travel the parque and its sights in a small van most of the time. Some of the spots in the park I really like are (obviously) Lago Pehoe but especially the more off the beaten track places like Lago Azul and the Salto Grande. Don't underestimate the distances in the park. You don't just walk from let's say Lago Grey to Lago Azul; that will take you days.
Almost as an aside, there is the Glaciar Grey, a 270 square kilometer ice field similar to the glaciers I'd seen in Argentina. The trip to the glacier on the tiny boat navigating Lago Grey is just great. Again I am very lucky with the weather. The crew picks up some miniature icebergs out of the water and distributes its crushed remains evenly across glasses with either Pisco or (even better!) Scotch! Although I ususally detest ice in my whisky, it is a different story when the ice has just fallen off a glacier. All in all the Torres del Paine is one of the most extraordinairy places I have visited. The advice to the visitor of this wegpage is to stay there a lot longer and to trek a lot more in the region near the Mirador Las Torres.
Punta Arenas
A few days later I am picked up by a tiny van to drive me to Punta Arenas. The driver speaks fluent Spanish and I don't so this the converstaion is limited. Even so we have a good time despite the fact that he wants to get me to Punta Arenas as fast as possible and I want to go as slow as possible such that I can see as much as possble. (strange sentence)
Here too applies the advise not to underestimate the distances in this part of the world. The approx. 400 km can take you best part of a day. It is an interesting trip where you'll see everything ranging from guanaco's to nandus, from volcanos and enormous lakes to tiny villages. The van breaks down but the driver and I mange to get it going again. Come to think of it: the boat from Ushuaia to Estanzia Harberton broke down and the plane from Ushuaia to el Calafate broke down so this doesn't come as a surprise in a way. In the late afternoon we reach the town of Punta Arenas.
Punta Arenas Punta Arenas is not even roughly at the same longitude as Ushuaia but even so the two cities compete for the title of Southern most city in the world and capital of Patagonia. The atmosphere is very different though.
Whereas Ushuaia was packed with tourists, Punta Arenas seems to be quiet, calm and all but forgotten, depite the fact that a rock band touring Chile visits the town as well and plays right under the window of my hotel room. (hurray!)
It very obviously serves as a regional centre, as there are many shops selling the stuff you'll need if you live far away from everything. Everything seems to be very functional rather than fashionable. Compared to Ushuaia this 120,000 inhabitants city seems greener and less cold.
When I traveled to the Punta Tombo several weeks ago, I spoke to a British couple who enjoyed photography as well. They would travel from Punta Tombo directly to Ushuaia to board a ship that would navingate to Antarctica. Last week I heard this ship had hit an iceberg and had sunk (24 November 2007, see this link) Now the news says that the rescue vessels will bring the all the adventurers who spent quite some time bobbing around in life rafts back to shore in Punta Arenas. As such the city is preparing for the arrival of the 153 passengers and crew members. Punta Arenas is also the port where the rescue vessel landed that rescued South Pole explorer Shackleton from Elephant Island. On the central square of the town (Plaza Munoz Gamero) is a statue of Magellan and according to local legends, those who rub of kiss his big toe will return to Punta Arenas. I rubbed, not kissed, so if all's well I should be finding myself again in this town somewhere in the future.
Santiago
After a few days I travel on to the last city of my trip: Santiago. The flight to Chile's capitol is great. I manage to get a window seat in the plane and the view is just breathtaking. The glaciars I have seen in the past few weeks are clearly visible far below me. It becomes very clear to me that this is indeed one massive sea of ice: Perito Moreno, Upsala, Viedma, O'Higgins, etc are all part of this massive ocean of ice. It is great to see this from above! The plane stops in Puerto Montt and as such I get a chance to quickly see a bit of the lago Llanquihue and the Osorno volcano (one of Chile's 2500 volcanoes!). When I finally reach Chile's capital Santiago, it is very clear that the 5,000 km long country stretches across multiple climate zones. When I left Punta Arenas it was some 4 degrees (C), but the temperature in it's capital are around the 25-28 C.
The "Broadway" of Santiago is a long boulevard called Avenido Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgings. As the Santiagans probably find this a name too long to be of any use they call it Alameda. Remember this bit of trivia as sometimes an address is given as "# 22 Alameda" but sometimes it is "#22 O'Higgins". The same applies to the Plaza Baquedano which is usually referred to as Plaza Italia. Confusion increases even more when you realise that even the bus stops etc refer to its nickname. While we're at it: part of the Alameda is closed on Sundays and transferred in one very long sports festival where every sports gets a block on this street to train or perform. A very cool initiative. I roam around the city for a few days, which is very different from the silence and the endless landscapes of Patagonia. A "must-do" is to have lunch in the Mercado Central. A bit touristy maybe but an interesting experience just the same. The (mainly seafood) restaurants are located in the centre of the building whereas the rest is occupied by food stalls where Santiago's inhabitants still buy their fresh produce as they have done since its opening in 1872. Most of the city is within walking distance (especially compared to the enormous distances in Patagonia) so it is easy to walk from the city's central square, Plaza de Armas to for example the before mentioned Mercado Central. Santiago being in the Southern hemisphere means that the tall palm trees on the Plaza de Armas are accompanied by a huge christmas tree when I happen to be there. Quite a difference from the white christmas's we'd come to expect North of the equator. |
 |
One of the other days I take the cable car to the Cerro San Christobal. Way back in the old days the view from this hill must have been fantastic with the large snow capped mountains of the Andes providing a dramtic backdrop. Unfortunately Santiago lies in a bowl encircled by mountains meaning that the smog produced in the city is trapped. As a result one can only vaguely see some contours of the mountains surrounding the city and that's it. Maybe in 100 years from now when we've burnt all of the planet's fosil fuels things will get better again, but I didn't feel like waiting that long. On the peak of the hill you'll not only find plenty of opportunity to exchange some Chilean pesos for tourist junk but there's also an enormous statue of Maria.
The area at the foot of the hill is known as Bellavista and is packed with nice restaurants and bars. In the afternoon I try some of the terraces in the area to sample the Santiago beer in the sun. When I traveled in the Torres de Paine national park I ran into another traveler who recommended a restaurant in that area named after a famous book. As such one of the evenings I try to find this restaurant and once found I have an extraordinary good meal there. Thank you for the tip, fellow traveler!
Tip for the traveler
"The Bellavista area in Santiago is a popular hunting ground for pickpockets, bagsnatchers and alike. Stay alert and keep your valuables safe "
A few days later I board the plane back to Europe and this is where my trip through Patagonia ends and therefore this story as well. I had a great time in Patagonia. I have seen fantastic landscapes, great fauna and have met many friendly people. All in all a trip I highly recommend!
Have a look at the photographs I have made during my trip in Patagonia here:
If you have questions about this trip click here to send me a note!
Equipment used on this trip:
Nikon D80 (+ MB-80)
Nikon 24-85 f/2.8~4.0 AF-D
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 AF-S VR
Nikon TC 17E II
Sigma 15-30 f/3.5~4.5 EX
Nikon SB600
Nikon Coolpix P5000
Thank you Arno for your help to arrange this trip!
The current weather in Ushuaia :