Sunday March 1st 2020
2020 - February 18th, - March 1st 2020
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The latest trek begins: South America, the easy way |
Personally, I don't think that everyone who tells me that they are looking forward to reading my blog actually means it
I know that because I occasionally put up new ones and as I can see how many "hits" I get, it doesn't look like there's any actually visitors
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This was Toronto, a few days before I left,
Ontario Place |
Details and captions to follow.
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South America, San Salvador airport.
Not somewhere I'd like to be stuck in |
Fair enough
Much more continuing below the pix
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| Bogota Business lounge. Well worth the expense |
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| A typical central park They have lots of green places |
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| Montevideo, "downtown", such as it is |
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| Montevideo's Natural History Museum |
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| Well, South America is a huge place folks |
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| Lots of graffiti and homeless people, everywhere I think this is about the drug scene |
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| Of course, the easiest way to work out the social malaise is to see how far up buildings the security goes |
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| Yep, 100% tourist here |
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| I discover empanadas The best I've ever had (and the first) |
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| A park in one of the desirable/ embassy areas Lots of trash and homeless people |
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| Maybe Montevideo is the true home of Tango Saturday night out for the old farts |
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| I arrived over a long holiday weekend, various saints days are big here Hardly anything is open, but lots of street partying I get pretty hungry I get a SIM in the market, but need to set it up myself I also find the money changers, but I totally screw up only having $CAD |
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| Juan Peron, the hero The irony is the lady (and I think her daughter) living under the crest (can you see them?) |
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| National History Museum with the usual colonial heritage rubbish |
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| Metropolitan Cathederal, BA |
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| Not to forget the church |
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| I found a mother and her 3 kids sheltering here the day before. I brought money and food the next day, but they had gone |
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| A couple living round a concrete rail |
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| There's a massive central multi function area right through the middle of downtown |
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Plaza del Mayo, site of grandmas banging pots and pans for about 40 years |
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| As ever, all the usual crap Pope City Batman! |
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All the dumpsters are scavenged by literally hundreds of people |
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| Now this is a sad one, 3 generations here Grandma, kid and spouse and granddaughter |
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| I try not to be obtrusive taking these shots so they are not always the "best" photographically that is |
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| Yeah yeah! BA it is As Kayla would say, Get over it |
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| Nightlife at the Plaza De Mayo or much else actually, is pretty absent, but it turned out to be a 4 day weekend |
Patagonia, the route
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| Your (windswept) correspondent goes to the end of the world to report back to his vicarious followers (Don't try this at home folks) |
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| Downtown Ushuaia, with backdrop of various glaciers |
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| Approaching Ushuaia, well.... lets just say it wasn't an impressive sight |
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| From my window, Yaghan Hostel, Ushuaia. Fabulous place |
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| Cold and warming: the towns of shrinking Glaciers |
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| Really cheap food in the supermarket Great Steak sandwich for 2 nights, $CAD1.25. Wine, $CAD5.00 |
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My first attempt with my hiking boots It's raining |
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| Did I say raining? It kept going for about 4 hours |
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| OK you vicarious living folks And you didn't even get wet for this |
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| Just another day in Paradise |
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| Oh yes, lots more Paradice like this |
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| This is the tourist area You won't get wet feet here |
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| Somehow, this makes it all worthwhile |
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| I hiked the light blue bit Most of it was very wet |
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| The rain has stopped and the day trippers are out |
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| There's a team of Rugby Players in the hostel I suppress my horror and help myself to the staff cooked Empenada's and soup for everyone |
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| Up early again, the weather has cleared. Lovely |
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| On the track to the real test of hiking |
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| Ah, but you only get to view the pictures |
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| Well, I have been warned! 10:26AM |
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| What fun! You say from your armchair (Your prerogative of course) Lots of hikers are up here, all churning the swamp |
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| You don't get the vicarious thrill of sinking into this muck? You city folk have it too easy |
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| After about 700 metres, the vertical bog gives way to reality. Jesus! I'm heading right up there to the tiny lump? |
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| Still enjoying this in your armchair? Hopefully, it's put you to sleep by now |
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| "Don't look back, you can never look back" Don Henley |
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| Oh SHIT! 1Km to go It's the little lump at the top |
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| I've reached the snowline I'm still not dead yet |
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| Once I had reached the top, everyone was totally amazed that my socks were still white Some folks had mud up to their knees |
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| 14:18 (nearly 4 hours)! I'm old OK, I admit it, I was very proud of myself and celebrated by sending pix |
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| Lest we forget, some hikers are more stupid than others Ushuaia in the distance |
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| Oh yes, everyone celebrated A lady at the top that didn't make it unscathed through the bog was trying to dry her socks in the sun and warm her feet in her backpack |
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| And this, on the way down I sneak around the vertical bog, using trees etc to escape the various slime pits |
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| Artistry or nature at its best. Does it get any better? Yes, with a draught IPA upon my return |
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| Thats a shit load of metres from sea level. For an old fart anyways |
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| A shit load of something Aren't there better ways to enjoy old age? |
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| See the damage done. Neil Young Counting the cost. Yup, still 2 of them. Hiker porn |
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| Very comfortable: Just as well, 10 hours Ushuaia to Punta Arenas |
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| Bleak eh? The other side of a non descript passage |
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| We cross the windswept border into Chile The Straights of Magellan Ferry with bus |
Punta Arenas, Chile
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| After a day on the bus Literally, the first thing I see when I get off on arrival This is serious civil unrest here folks |
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| Then a REALLY BORING day here. Literally, cooling my heels, geddit? At least it's a bit warmer here The circular part says Magellan was here 500 years ago |
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| The usual White Men saving someone, or maybe just the goats |
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| There's a lot of civil unrest and suppressed anger |
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| And stray (homeless) dogs, everywhere |
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| And just for a change My own personal favourite Homeless people |
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| Now, all you armchair travellers, you must admit that this is something I deserve Well tough shit if you don't, it was delicious. Ugly, but delicious |
Toronto, Canada
And so the new look blog begins here.
As a background, I started working on digitising my/ our entire collection of photo's and slides, some of which date back to 1934, primarily because I am writing my life blog (don't worry, you don't need to read any of it) and just couldn't work out the sequence, let alone find digitised stuff for the period I needed it
I started this project in 2014 with many false starts, fits and summers and house repairs intervening.
Finally, this February, I finished everything, so there is now not only a family heirloom, (you're welcome kids), but also one corespondent without much to do for the rest of the winter in Toronto
I started this project in 2014 with many false starts, fits and summers and house repairs intervening.
Finally, this February, I finished everything, so there is now not only a family heirloom, (you're welcome kids), but also one corespondent without much to do for the rest of the winter in Toronto
I've had an inclination to head off to Patagonia for some time, not because it's a place I want to go to, but because "Patagonia" sounds really cool
I do some basic investigations, and it looks like its a big hiking venue down there. I see a "guided tour" starting in Santiago, a 4 day tour of the "W" loop in Torres del Paine, then down to Tierra del Fuego for two days hiking there, then fly back to Buenos Aires. All for $US5600. There's a bit in the travel speil that says "On NO account, will anyone over 65 be allowed on this portion of the trip"
Why don't you just call me wimp and be done with it. You're on, and I'm in
I'm quite happy to pay for a camping tour of these places, but after a bit of research, I find that everyone who's actually done a guided tour, recommends against it, and it's much better to do them on your own. Easy for a 30 something fit dude to say
I'm convinced, but just what the hell are these Mecca's of hiking?
Hmmm, lets see what these places are and can I do them on my own. Oh yes. most definitely. I have a mission
So with lots of encouragement from the missus, I fiddle around with possible destinations and chance upon a business one way flight for $CAD1300 to Montevideo
There seems to be a backpacker track here, Ushuaia, Punto Arenas, Puerto Natales, El Califante et al. No doubt these places will mean more to me once I arrive
I find an app call "BusBud". God, booking busses isn't as difficult as it used to be. I've got my ticket for a 10 hour bus ride, starting at 9:00AM crossing into Chile to Punto Arenas
I do some basic investigations, and it looks like its a big hiking venue down there. I see a "guided tour" starting in Santiago, a 4 day tour of the "W" loop in Torres del Paine, then down to Tierra del Fuego for two days hiking there, then fly back to Buenos Aires. All for $US5600. There's a bit in the travel speil that says "On NO account, will anyone over 65 be allowed on this portion of the trip"
Why don't you just call me wimp and be done with it. You're on, and I'm in
I'm quite happy to pay for a camping tour of these places, but after a bit of research, I find that everyone who's actually done a guided tour, recommends against it, and it's much better to do them on your own. Easy for a 30 something fit dude to say
I'm convinced, but just what the hell are these Mecca's of hiking?
Hmmm, lets see what these places are and can I do them on my own. Oh yes. most definitely. I have a mission
So with lots of encouragement from the missus, I fiddle around with possible destinations and chance upon a business one way flight for $CAD1300 to Montevideo
There seems to be a backpacker track here, Ushuaia, Punto Arenas, Puerto Natales, El Califante et al. No doubt these places will mean more to me once I arrive
I find an app call "BusBud". God, booking busses isn't as difficult as it used to be. I've got my ticket for a 10 hour bus ride, starting at 9:00AM crossing into Chile to Punto Arenas
I take an extra 2 weeks to re break in my old trekking boots, apparently they will be essential, and pumps are simply not going to work like they did in Nepal
OK, as soon as I can walk downtown and back in my hiking boots, I book it
I have been a bit paranoid as I've only booked a one way, and am very happy not to be challenged at Toronto airport. I arrive Bogota at 1:00AM
Apart from having to kip on a bench from 1:30 till 5AM, as the business lounge only opens at 4:30AM, it really worked out well
I always take drugs, sleeping pills give you a great 4 hours sleep. It works a treat as there are special mini couches for dossing on and I'm out for 4 hours straight.
I spend the day in the lounge, well, lounging, snacking, enjoying the wine and soups and stealing all manner of nuts and raisins (aka "trail food") for about 12 hours
The connecting flight was a red eye, but again,with modern meds, I grab 5 hours sleep on a 6 .5 hour flight and I'm ready for the adventure to begin.
Montevideo, Uruguay. February 20th - 23rd
I spend the day in the lounge, well, lounging, snacking, enjoying the wine and soups and stealing all manner of nuts and raisins (aka "trail food") for about 12 hours
The connecting flight was a red eye, but again,with modern meds, I grab 5 hours sleep on a 6 .5 hour flight and I'm ready for the adventure to begin.
Montevideo, Uruguay. February 20th - 23rd
Customs/ immigration was outrageous getting into Uruguay.
They will let in anyone. Passport scanned by a machine, photo taken, collect bag (Yeah! It arrived) and it's out of the door into the world. 15 minutes from seat to street, tops
They will let in anyone. Passport scanned by a machine, photo taken, collect bag (Yeah! It arrived) and it's out of the door into the world. 15 minutes from seat to street, tops
Really?
First off, I get to an ATM, am so amazed that my card (Stack by the way, essential for foreign travel cash, go get one) works, I forget to take it out of the machine. Aging or what? I hope this isn't some kind of omen.
Montevideo is obviously pretty poor. But it doesn't feel deprived, unless you are homeless at least. No one drives anything except beaten up old vehicles. I saw maybe 2 SUV's per day, and I got around a lot!
Uruguay was the first country to legalise dope, it also has a population of less than Toronto, and by some government quirk, if you use your credit card for services, there's no tax. Wild stuff. I really only needed enough cash for a few bus tickets.
As I arrive at the hotel at 7:55AM, I'm not exactly welcome to check in. Dump bags and head about 6Km's to coffee by the sea.
No one speaks English, but pointing and grunting gets me a coffee and some well deserved grub.
I wander more, then catch a bus back to the airport to see if my card has been handed in. It hasn't, but the airport police are very nice and not condescending at all. Oh well, there goes a great money saver
It's certainly great to see the sun and get sun burnt again, even walking in the shade. I'm out of practice
Seems to be a very gentle place, I don't think I heard one car honking while I was there. Gentle people, but the homelessness is pretty shocking, even though I'm used to it from my travels. Seems that the standards of education and expectations are pretty low here, but I found zero animosity or anger at me. Feels like a very laid back population.
Eventually after about 15Kms, I get back, check in and again head out for dinner, wandering as I do, all over the central areas.
Eventually, about 8PM, I'm so hungry I find a food hall and rather than have a "great steak", I settle for a Uruguyan Shwarma. It's the best Uruguyan Shwarma I've ever had, also, probably the worst shwarma I've ever had.
They also have fantastic beer here, one brew pub has 6 IPA's on tap, so with a pint of excellent IPA, I'm happy enough
Another day and more in your face homelessness. I eventually wander in the embassy district and get my tourist pix with the Montevideo backdrop. Suck it up
Montevideo is hardly the centre of any tourist route. I have trouble finding anything to do there except wander, lots
Amazing lack of high end luxury vehicles, even in the Embassy district. About 2 a day in fact, and none of them are super luxury, all pretty much beaten up ancient Fiats and Toyotas, occasional Golfs. A country that knows it's poor but doesn't seem to mind.
Sunday, I cross the road and get on the ferry to Buenos Aires. Immigration is just turn around to the desk behind you from the emigration, and get a stamp
Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 23rd - 26th
I've chosen the hotel here to be about a 10 minute walk from the terminal. This is pretty easy stuff, and a four star hotel
Buenos Aires is really a European city in South America. The town is planned around a massive 8 or 10 lane/ park that runs the entire length of the city. Lots of greenery, lots of bus, bike, vehicle and pedestrian lanes. Very well planned in fact. Lots of up market shopping malls. Mostly closed due to the, as I eventually found out, 4 day long Shrove Tuesday holiday
First, it's cash. I've brought huge amounts of Canadian dollars. No one wants them, and I really make a mess of the black market. I could not have survived my hiking in Africa if I made that sort of mistake. No, the only thing the black market wants here is good old US Greenbacks. It actually worked out to be a worse deal than an ATM!
The other side of this is even though I got a really bad black market deal, it's still a cheap place.
A SIM card is essential, almost as bad as trying to get one in India, but eventually work it out, not with the help of the cocierge, but by mysef using google translate and finally get mobile data. What a relief
As no one told me the place was shut down, I wandered ALL over town, several times, first looking for phone stores to get my sim card working (7 shops, all shut, about 15Kms), then at night, looking for Ramen shops, (5 restaurants, all shut, about 12 Kms), plus a generic wander, looking for craft beer pubs, yep, another 10 Km's at least I did find one of these open
Such sad homeless people though. It didn't affect me, hardly at all in India, which is much worse than here, but this is a fairly advanced society. I saw one lady in a doorway with a suckling baby and twins (I assume) of about 2 years old. Even I gave her some money, and next night took her some food and was going to give her more cash. Trouble was, there was a 4 day long weekend when I arrived, and the shop she was last at was now open. She had either hit the jackpot with my previous cash infusion, or had been moved on. I wandered around looking for her, but of all things, could not find anyone who was asking for money. I didn't rally want to walk up to someone and offer them food if they were not an actual desperate beggar.
As the entire city was still pretty much shut sown, I couldn't find anywhere to eat (no Ramen shops open!), so eventually, I eat the grub myself.
Oh well
Next day, flight to Ushuaia, the almost, literally end of the world. I get severely bitten with excess baggage, WANKERS!
Ushuaia, Argentina February 26th - 29th
Grey, bleak and foreboding down here.
We land just north of the Beagle Channel, so named after the HMS Beagle, of course. Apparently, this is where you come for antarctic cruises. There's 2 or 3 in the harbour every day
My hostel is great, the guy at the desk gives me some insights into the hiking in the park and recommends that I do the big one on the sunny day. What fantastic advice!
The town, well, it's the end of the world, but there is a very well stocked and amazingly cheap supermarket here. As I'm in a hostel, I do self catering, none of the "Free Breakfast" of bread and jam for me. Real steak sandwiches for dinner with a bottle of Syrah, and bacon and egg sandwiches for my morning pick me up
Up early next day, it's wet of course, to the Teirra del Fuego park for a wet hike. There isn't even enough people to fill a mini van waiting here at the central bus depot. There are at least another dozen vans without drivers
What do I care? This is why I'm here
Out to the Tierra del Fuego national park
The Costera Trail: It's long, mucky, and wet. The sun comes out occasionally for some fantastic (for a Toronto lad) views. It's an arduous trek. I really did need my trekking boots here. After about 2 hours slog, I realise that my jacket is not a rainproof one, but specifically for winter mode. I get suitably soaked, but after the sun comes out, and another 2 hours or so, I've dried myself out. I do some easy tourist type well marked and simple mini treks, then wait for the bus back
After about 20Kms of wet muddy trekking, I'm ready for a shower. The hostel is hosting a French rugby team and the staff make empanada and veg soup for the entire hostel. Fantastic atmosphere here.
There's also a French (of course) couple here who appear to have biked down here with their two kids in a bike trolley. They appear to live on cucumbers.
The Cerro Guanaco Trail is all that every fit, experienced and adventurous hiker loves. I've got one out of three here.
The great thing about being uninformed, is that you don't know just what challenges you are setting yourself. I know the number 1100 is pretty big, but climbing that in metres? Hah! should be easy, right?
Well, you know the answer. Absolutely not. A real hike plus plus. 7 hour round trip. I haven't faced a vertical bog since Mt. Kenya, actually, exactly 40 years ago. I was also in much better shape then too. As you can see from the pix, I made it, but it was really at my limits. (Hah! what are limits you say quite rightly, and how do you know you don't have greater ones?).
The trail is well marked, but again, like the Costera trail, almost totally maintenance free. You really only know you are on the trail by a few wooden posts painted yellow. The trail suggests that it will take 4 hours, I do it in 3 hours 48 minutes. I know, I used to be able to......... etc etc, but at least I can still do it. Feet are a mess well before I get down.
I celebrate with an Ushuaia sushi (tinned Tuna with your pickled ginger anyone?) as I couldn't find fish & chips anywhere
I chose this hostel because it's only about 100 metres to the main bus station. You have to think of this when you have 30 Kg's of crap to lumber around with you. Two winter, and 3 summer outfits, plus various hiking bits. I've certainly brought too much with me. It's difficult with aching feet (but not surprisingly, aching body) to get to the bus depot.
They accept my ticket, and I'm off to Chile
I sit next to a Dutch guy, late 20's, after a few hours, I get the feeling that I'm just simply the wrong demographic for these young folks. Sure enough, at our first stop, all the Gen whatevertheyare get together and exchange backpacker info and stories. Thinking about it, it was the same in the hostel. I'm not young and whatever else I need to be any more apparently. Maybe I'll get some comments about this
The border is a howling, screaming wind with a few building. Anything not tied down is blown away. The Chilean side is really serious about bags, full beagle sniffer and X-ray machines. Luckily, I've just eaten my sandwiches
Punta Arenas, Chile February 29th - March 2nd
Punta Arenas is a dull town that Magellan first stopped at, maybe for empanadas, 500 years ago this year. Wow, and the all concurring Brits didn't even know about this place for a massive amount of time, like centuries. Dull, but after I find some cash (difficult to impossible on a Sunday (banks not only closed, but completely shuttered due to social unrest, aka rioting and arson), I find a great restaurant and live on credit. With cash, I indulge with getting someone to do my laundry, an old colonial habit.
On my trip to find the only accessible ATM in town on a Sunday, wandering around it's easy to see the signs of social unrest and general societal feeling of the community here. Everyone has high railed fences, and at least one barking dog. The average vehicle, even in the obviously poorer parts of town, are big SUV's and a lot of "impressive" loud motors driving around. A lot of social insecurity here. I wonder if this is the real cause of the social unrest, if so, there will never be social order like I found in Argentina, which for all its political faults and foibles, appears to be pretty confident about itself
I didn't know specifically why I booked a trip to here, but why not? This turned out to be, even though this was not my original idea or justification, just an R&R stopover where I could quite literally, cool my heels.
Feeling eventually comes back to my poor abused feet. I can walk without waddling again. I really did need the break for my feet to regain their normal size again and let my sausage toes revert to normal
It's time to do some real hiking in Patagonia: Torres del Paine park
But wait! There's more, see next trek studded events back in Chile
As I arrive at the hotel at 7:55AM, I'm not exactly welcome to check in. Dump bags and head about 6Km's to coffee by the sea.
No one speaks English, but pointing and grunting gets me a coffee and some well deserved grub.
I wander more, then catch a bus back to the airport to see if my card has been handed in. It hasn't, but the airport police are very nice and not condescending at all. Oh well, there goes a great money saver
It's certainly great to see the sun and get sun burnt again, even walking in the shade. I'm out of practice
Seems to be a very gentle place, I don't think I heard one car honking while I was there. Gentle people, but the homelessness is pretty shocking, even though I'm used to it from my travels. Seems that the standards of education and expectations are pretty low here, but I found zero animosity or anger at me. Feels like a very laid back population.
Eventually after about 15Kms, I get back, check in and again head out for dinner, wandering as I do, all over the central areas.
Eventually, about 8PM, I'm so hungry I find a food hall and rather than have a "great steak", I settle for a Uruguyan Shwarma. It's the best Uruguyan Shwarma I've ever had, also, probably the worst shwarma I've ever had.
They also have fantastic beer here, one brew pub has 6 IPA's on tap, so with a pint of excellent IPA, I'm happy enough
Another day and more in your face homelessness. I eventually wander in the embassy district and get my tourist pix with the Montevideo backdrop. Suck it up
Montevideo is hardly the centre of any tourist route. I have trouble finding anything to do there except wander, lots
Amazing lack of high end luxury vehicles, even in the Embassy district. About 2 a day in fact, and none of them are super luxury, all pretty much beaten up ancient Fiats and Toyotas, occasional Golfs. A country that knows it's poor but doesn't seem to mind.
Sunday, I cross the road and get on the ferry to Buenos Aires. Immigration is just turn around to the desk behind you from the emigration, and get a stamp
Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 23rd - 26th
I've chosen the hotel here to be about a 10 minute walk from the terminal. This is pretty easy stuff, and a four star hotel
Buenos Aires is really a European city in South America. The town is planned around a massive 8 or 10 lane/ park that runs the entire length of the city. Lots of greenery, lots of bus, bike, vehicle and pedestrian lanes. Very well planned in fact. Lots of up market shopping malls. Mostly closed due to the, as I eventually found out, 4 day long Shrove Tuesday holiday
First, it's cash. I've brought huge amounts of Canadian dollars. No one wants them, and I really make a mess of the black market. I could not have survived my hiking in Africa if I made that sort of mistake. No, the only thing the black market wants here is good old US Greenbacks. It actually worked out to be a worse deal than an ATM!
The other side of this is even though I got a really bad black market deal, it's still a cheap place.
A SIM card is essential, almost as bad as trying to get one in India, but eventually work it out, not with the help of the cocierge, but by mysef using google translate and finally get mobile data. What a relief
As no one told me the place was shut down, I wandered ALL over town, several times, first looking for phone stores to get my sim card working (7 shops, all shut, about 15Kms), then at night, looking for Ramen shops, (5 restaurants, all shut, about 12 Kms), plus a generic wander, looking for craft beer pubs, yep, another 10 Km's at least I did find one of these open
Such sad homeless people though. It didn't affect me, hardly at all in India, which is much worse than here, but this is a fairly advanced society. I saw one lady in a doorway with a suckling baby and twins (I assume) of about 2 years old. Even I gave her some money, and next night took her some food and was going to give her more cash. Trouble was, there was a 4 day long weekend when I arrived, and the shop she was last at was now open. She had either hit the jackpot with my previous cash infusion, or had been moved on. I wandered around looking for her, but of all things, could not find anyone who was asking for money. I didn't rally want to walk up to someone and offer them food if they were not an actual desperate beggar.
As the entire city was still pretty much shut sown, I couldn't find anywhere to eat (no Ramen shops open!), so eventually, I eat the grub myself.
Oh well
Next day, flight to Ushuaia, the almost, literally end of the world. I get severely bitten with excess baggage, WANKERS!
Ushuaia, Argentina February 26th - 29th
Grey, bleak and foreboding down here.
We land just north of the Beagle Channel, so named after the HMS Beagle, of course. Apparently, this is where you come for antarctic cruises. There's 2 or 3 in the harbour every day
My hostel is great, the guy at the desk gives me some insights into the hiking in the park and recommends that I do the big one on the sunny day. What fantastic advice!
The town, well, it's the end of the world, but there is a very well stocked and amazingly cheap supermarket here. As I'm in a hostel, I do self catering, none of the "Free Breakfast" of bread and jam for me. Real steak sandwiches for dinner with a bottle of Syrah, and bacon and egg sandwiches for my morning pick me up
Up early next day, it's wet of course, to the Teirra del Fuego park for a wet hike. There isn't even enough people to fill a mini van waiting here at the central bus depot. There are at least another dozen vans without drivers
What do I care? This is why I'm here
Out to the Tierra del Fuego national park
The Costera Trail: It's long, mucky, and wet. The sun comes out occasionally for some fantastic (for a Toronto lad) views. It's an arduous trek. I really did need my trekking boots here. After about 2 hours slog, I realise that my jacket is not a rainproof one, but specifically for winter mode. I get suitably soaked, but after the sun comes out, and another 2 hours or so, I've dried myself out. I do some easy tourist type well marked and simple mini treks, then wait for the bus back
After about 20Kms of wet muddy trekking, I'm ready for a shower. The hostel is hosting a French rugby team and the staff make empanada and veg soup for the entire hostel. Fantastic atmosphere here.
There's also a French (of course) couple here who appear to have biked down here with their two kids in a bike trolley. They appear to live on cucumbers.
The Cerro Guanaco Trail is all that every fit, experienced and adventurous hiker loves. I've got one out of three here.
The great thing about being uninformed, is that you don't know just what challenges you are setting yourself. I know the number 1100 is pretty big, but climbing that in metres? Hah! should be easy, right?
Well, you know the answer. Absolutely not. A real hike plus plus. 7 hour round trip. I haven't faced a vertical bog since Mt. Kenya, actually, exactly 40 years ago. I was also in much better shape then too. As you can see from the pix, I made it, but it was really at my limits. (Hah! what are limits you say quite rightly, and how do you know you don't have greater ones?).
The trail is well marked, but again, like the Costera trail, almost totally maintenance free. You really only know you are on the trail by a few wooden posts painted yellow. The trail suggests that it will take 4 hours, I do it in 3 hours 48 minutes. I know, I used to be able to......... etc etc, but at least I can still do it. Feet are a mess well before I get down.
I celebrate with an Ushuaia sushi (tinned Tuna with your pickled ginger anyone?) as I couldn't find fish & chips anywhere
I chose this hostel because it's only about 100 metres to the main bus station. You have to think of this when you have 30 Kg's of crap to lumber around with you. Two winter, and 3 summer outfits, plus various hiking bits. I've certainly brought too much with me. It's difficult with aching feet (but not surprisingly, aching body) to get to the bus depot.
They accept my ticket, and I'm off to Chile
I sit next to a Dutch guy, late 20's, after a few hours, I get the feeling that I'm just simply the wrong demographic for these young folks. Sure enough, at our first stop, all the Gen whatevertheyare get together and exchange backpacker info and stories. Thinking about it, it was the same in the hostel. I'm not young and whatever else I need to be any more apparently. Maybe I'll get some comments about this
The border is a howling, screaming wind with a few building. Anything not tied down is blown away. The Chilean side is really serious about bags, full beagle sniffer and X-ray machines. Luckily, I've just eaten my sandwiches
Punta Arenas, Chile February 29th - March 2nd
Punta Arenas is a dull town that Magellan first stopped at, maybe for empanadas, 500 years ago this year. Wow, and the all concurring Brits didn't even know about this place for a massive amount of time, like centuries. Dull, but after I find some cash (difficult to impossible on a Sunday (banks not only closed, but completely shuttered due to social unrest, aka rioting and arson), I find a great restaurant and live on credit. With cash, I indulge with getting someone to do my laundry, an old colonial habit.
On my trip to find the only accessible ATM in town on a Sunday, wandering around it's easy to see the signs of social unrest and general societal feeling of the community here. Everyone has high railed fences, and at least one barking dog. The average vehicle, even in the obviously poorer parts of town, are big SUV's and a lot of "impressive" loud motors driving around. A lot of social insecurity here. I wonder if this is the real cause of the social unrest, if so, there will never be social order like I found in Argentina, which for all its political faults and foibles, appears to be pretty confident about itself
I didn't know specifically why I booked a trip to here, but why not? This turned out to be, even though this was not my original idea or justification, just an R&R stopover where I could quite literally, cool my heels.
Feeling eventually comes back to my poor abused feet. I can walk without waddling again. I really did need the break for my feet to regain their normal size again and let my sausage toes revert to normal
It's time to do some real hiking in Patagonia: Torres del Paine park
But wait! There's more, see next trek studded events back in Chile
From your correspondent
1 comment:
Just so you know someone looked at the whole blog. Great pictures except for the one of your feet!
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