Jan. 26
We had a late night/early morning the night before so we didn´t get up until 1pm. We headed into town for a boat ride around the Beagle Channel. We got off to a late start since the port was closed due to wind for a while. We then had a 2.5 hour cruise to various islands with Sea Lion and Cormorant colonies and another island with a light house. We headed back to camp afterwards for more napping. I called it a night and Callie headed back into town to celebrate Australia day with a bunch of non-Australians.
Jan. 27-28
Both were long drive days trying to make a dent in the km´s to Buenos Aires. But the temperature is definitely warming up!
Jan. 29
Another long drive day, although we took a break mid afternoon near Camarones, Argentina to see a Magellan Penguin Colony. It was very cool and we were the only people there. The chicks just hatched in December so they still have their gray down feathers. It was an interesting sight to see penguins, guanacos, and flamingos all together in the desert. We also saved a guanoco that had got it´s leg caught in a fence while attempting to jump over it. Hugo cut the top wire of the fence and the guanaco got up and ran away, so hopefully it will be alright.
Jan. 30
We made it to Puerto Madryn last night and are spending a few nights. Today we are hanging out at the beach (it´s really hot) and going to Trelew, to a Welsh tea house in the afternoon. Apparently Trelew has a large Welsh population. Tomorrow we will be spending all day at the Valdes Peninsula hopefully spotting some wildlife.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cold + Wind+ Rain= PATAGONIA
Jan. 18th
Today we are all a bit tired for we had a few drinks the previous night at a really cute library pub where we sat and hungout till like 2am. We are off for an all day excursion to the very famous Moreno glacier. We took the scenic route there and stopped by a rural sheep farm where they had a baby Guanaco (it´s like a small Llama) that was running around the grounds like a pet. It was sooooo cute and we got to bottle it it before we left. The view from the house was amazing and I couldn´t help but be a bit jealous...and then we remembered it was summer and I was still wearing my down jacket.
We took a small boat out to the edge of the glacier to get up close and personal. This glacier moves at a rate of about 2 meters per day so chances of seeing huge chunks of ice break off and fall into the surrounding lake was quite likely. Unforntunatly, we weren´t lucky enough to see any major pieces fall, but we did see a few smaller ones which are also exciting. Even the small pieces create thunderous booms as they crash down the side.
After the boat ride we ate lunch and spent a few hours on the lookout paths trying to get as close as we could from the other side. Our pictures are amazing.
Jan. 19th
Left El Calafate Argentina, crossed the boarder back into Chile and made it to Torres del Paine National Park just in time to cook dinner and go to bed. Heidi and I started to plan our 3 day ¨W¨walk hike in the National Park.
Jan 20th-22nd
The ¨W¨walk
In the Torres del Paine National Park there are many, many hiking trails. One of the most popular circuits is the w walk. It is named so for it takes the shape of the letter W. Most people spend 4-6 days doing this trip of 47 miles but Heidi and I were going to try to tackle it in 3 days. And with out hiking boots. If we didn´t make it back in time, we would be holding up the whole trip...
To save time we shaved off some bits. The first day we hiked to the first Grey Glacier lookout point (without our packs to increase speed), then we continued on to the first loop of the W and our goal was to finish at the middle tip of the W. We arrived at the base of the middle part and couldn´t continue because the wind was too strong. The previous day it had been blowing 90 km/hr. It was so windy that we saw a waterfall get completly blown upwards like it was upside down.
That morning we finished the rest of the middle part wich is called the Frances Valley and we were greatful that the winds had ceased. The valley was absoletly gorgeous and we were very happy the weather was holding out. The hanging glacier to the left of the valley kept losing large chunks of ice that thundered and echoed through the valley as they hit the rocks below and powdered into snow. Too cool. We could have watched it all day. The Frances valley took us 3 hours and we still had 7 hours to go, with our packs...
The rest of day was a bit of a challenge. There were many muddy spots we had to navigate carefully for we had improper shoes for such a hike and at times I wasn´t sure I could force my legs to go any farther but in the end Heidi and I beat our goal time and made it to Camp Torres in 6 hours instead of 7 for a grand total of 9 hours hiking. We were exhausted and felt as though someone had beat our feet with a mallet.
After some difficulty, we found our campsite, ate, and turned in early. Too bad our neighbors didn´t do the same. They were up till 2 am partying until it started to rain. To make matters worse I have a cold again and can´t sleep for more than an hour or so before the coughing starts again. What a night.
The rain continued till mid morning but when it cleared, the skies were brilliant blue and perfect. Our last 8 hour leg had to be canceled because the shuttle that took us to camp came before we could make it back. We were a bit dissapointed but there wasn´t much we could do about it. Instead we set off on another hike...after 30 min. I gave up and went to the tent. I had a fever and wanted to sleep. Heidi quit after 45 cause the trail was a muddy mess. We spent most of the day lying in the grass waiting for our shuttle.
Our crew was quite proud of us and we are still a bit sore...
Jan. 23
We said goodbye to Torres del Paine and hit the road for Ushuaia. That day we crossed the boarder back into Argentina and spent the night bush camping along the side of the road. It was super windy and we are all glad to leave the next morning.
Jan. 24
Horray! We have arrived in Ushuaia. It is early evening and the weather is perfect. Some of us set off to find travel agents to book trips and other set off for Hostels. (The others that had been on the previous trip are quite sick of camping.) Heidi and I booked a trip to go to the Tierra del Fuego (land of fire) National Park for hiking and canoeing as well as a boat trip to go out and see the penquin colonies.
Heidi cooked a delicious dinner of soup, salad and chicken and we drank our Saurus wine that we bought from the cute boy at the wine store in Calafate. Haha my winosaurus is dead, but I saved the sticker. Then we had a bonfire and later a Brazilian chick was trying to teach me Samba. I stumbled back to the tent, almost collapsed it, fell on Heidi twice and giggled myself to sleep.
Jan. 25
Today we went to the Tierra del Fuego National Park to go hiking and canoeing. We had a cute guide that took us on an 1.5 hr long hike through the woods, pointing out flora and fauna as we went. Then we canoed for about an hour and ended up in a bay that leads out to the Beagle Channel. Afterwards we ate lunch and visited the ´End of the World.´ Now I have been to the most Northern and Southern tips of both continents. Cool.
Tonight we are going into town for dinner and out for drinks for Burn´s night. We have some Scottish girls here that want to celebrate it. Apparently Burns was a famous Scottish poet so on the night of his death everyone gets drunk, eats haggis and reads his poetry. Later there will be dancing I am sure as well. I am excited.
We hope all is well at home!!!! Sorry for never Spell Checking...it takes too long and internet can be expensive sometimes.
Today we are all a bit tired for we had a few drinks the previous night at a really cute library pub where we sat and hungout till like 2am. We are off for an all day excursion to the very famous Moreno glacier. We took the scenic route there and stopped by a rural sheep farm where they had a baby Guanaco (it´s like a small Llama) that was running around the grounds like a pet. It was sooooo cute and we got to bottle it it before we left. The view from the house was amazing and I couldn´t help but be a bit jealous...and then we remembered it was summer and I was still wearing my down jacket.
We took a small boat out to the edge of the glacier to get up close and personal. This glacier moves at a rate of about 2 meters per day so chances of seeing huge chunks of ice break off and fall into the surrounding lake was quite likely. Unforntunatly, we weren´t lucky enough to see any major pieces fall, but we did see a few smaller ones which are also exciting. Even the small pieces create thunderous booms as they crash down the side.
After the boat ride we ate lunch and spent a few hours on the lookout paths trying to get as close as we could from the other side. Our pictures are amazing.
Jan. 19th
Left El Calafate Argentina, crossed the boarder back into Chile and made it to Torres del Paine National Park just in time to cook dinner and go to bed. Heidi and I started to plan our 3 day ¨W¨walk hike in the National Park.
Jan 20th-22nd
The ¨W¨walk
In the Torres del Paine National Park there are many, many hiking trails. One of the most popular circuits is the w walk. It is named so for it takes the shape of the letter W. Most people spend 4-6 days doing this trip of 47 miles but Heidi and I were going to try to tackle it in 3 days. And with out hiking boots. If we didn´t make it back in time, we would be holding up the whole trip...
To save time we shaved off some bits. The first day we hiked to the first Grey Glacier lookout point (without our packs to increase speed), then we continued on to the first loop of the W and our goal was to finish at the middle tip of the W. We arrived at the base of the middle part and couldn´t continue because the wind was too strong. The previous day it had been blowing 90 km/hr. It was so windy that we saw a waterfall get completly blown upwards like it was upside down.
That morning we finished the rest of the middle part wich is called the Frances Valley and we were greatful that the winds had ceased. The valley was absoletly gorgeous and we were very happy the weather was holding out. The hanging glacier to the left of the valley kept losing large chunks of ice that thundered and echoed through the valley as they hit the rocks below and powdered into snow. Too cool. We could have watched it all day. The Frances valley took us 3 hours and we still had 7 hours to go, with our packs...
The rest of day was a bit of a challenge. There were many muddy spots we had to navigate carefully for we had improper shoes for such a hike and at times I wasn´t sure I could force my legs to go any farther but in the end Heidi and I beat our goal time and made it to Camp Torres in 6 hours instead of 7 for a grand total of 9 hours hiking. We were exhausted and felt as though someone had beat our feet with a mallet.
After some difficulty, we found our campsite, ate, and turned in early. Too bad our neighbors didn´t do the same. They were up till 2 am partying until it started to rain. To make matters worse I have a cold again and can´t sleep for more than an hour or so before the coughing starts again. What a night.
The rain continued till mid morning but when it cleared, the skies were brilliant blue and perfect. Our last 8 hour leg had to be canceled because the shuttle that took us to camp came before we could make it back. We were a bit dissapointed but there wasn´t much we could do about it. Instead we set off on another hike...after 30 min. I gave up and went to the tent. I had a fever and wanted to sleep. Heidi quit after 45 cause the trail was a muddy mess. We spent most of the day lying in the grass waiting for our shuttle.
Our crew was quite proud of us and we are still a bit sore...
Jan. 23
We said goodbye to Torres del Paine and hit the road for Ushuaia. That day we crossed the boarder back into Argentina and spent the night bush camping along the side of the road. It was super windy and we are all glad to leave the next morning.
Jan. 24
Horray! We have arrived in Ushuaia. It is early evening and the weather is perfect. Some of us set off to find travel agents to book trips and other set off for Hostels. (The others that had been on the previous trip are quite sick of camping.) Heidi and I booked a trip to go to the Tierra del Fuego (land of fire) National Park for hiking and canoeing as well as a boat trip to go out and see the penquin colonies.
Heidi cooked a delicious dinner of soup, salad and chicken and we drank our Saurus wine that we bought from the cute boy at the wine store in Calafate. Haha my winosaurus is dead, but I saved the sticker. Then we had a bonfire and later a Brazilian chick was trying to teach me Samba. I stumbled back to the tent, almost collapsed it, fell on Heidi twice and giggled myself to sleep.
Jan. 25
Today we went to the Tierra del Fuego National Park to go hiking and canoeing. We had a cute guide that took us on an 1.5 hr long hike through the woods, pointing out flora and fauna as we went. Then we canoed for about an hour and ended up in a bay that leads out to the Beagle Channel. Afterwards we ate lunch and visited the ´End of the World.´ Now I have been to the most Northern and Southern tips of both continents. Cool.
Tonight we are going into town for dinner and out for drinks for Burn´s night. We have some Scottish girls here that want to celebrate it. Apparently Burns was a famous Scottish poet so on the night of his death everyone gets drunk, eats haggis and reads his poetry. Later there will be dancing I am sure as well. I am excited.
We hope all is well at home!!!! Sorry for never Spell Checking...it takes too long and internet can be expensive sometimes.
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