Chile (Part 3)

Day 60: Treated ourselves to an authentic parilla followed by another night in the truck. After three bottles of wine and more meat than any human should consume in one sitting, however, I could slept on the gravel roads of Argentina. Another uneventful border crossing in the books. Think Im finally learning that section of the Spanish dictionary. Preparing for a four-day hike in Chile requires at least four bottles of wine (your $5 goes so much further here). Debating if we can do 70km in three days at a leisurely pace. With good weather predicted tomorrow I think we should make as much ground as leisurely possible. 05:30 wake-up and we decide to listern to Cat Stevens greatest hits while killing the fourth bottle of wine at media noche. Lets hike!

Day 61: "This is supposed to be the 40th most developed country in the world, yet I get attacked by knives at seven in the morning, and I cant find cigarettes or petrol for 150km!" -James Wilkinson

Got attacked by a coke head while attempting to pop the clutch at 6:45 this morning. No one got stabbed. So we had that going for us.

After pulling ourselves together and driving 150km without finding fuel or cigarettes, and the hotel being no help, we decided to leave the truck and deal with it later. Thankfully we decided to push off with day packs to Torres Del Paine, and go for the second camp site to sleep. The weather could not have been better, or crowds thinner. Torres Del Paine and Perito Moreno in such close proximity and perfect conditions is more than anyone can ask for from a Fall in Patagonia. 32km later and we are camping lake side at the mot torquoise lake and water fall we may have seen yet. First quinoa dinner and hopefully we can "dummy" this guy in two days and one more night. Legs are starting to feel it but Im hopeful we can find a good place to rest after a MUCH shorter day tomorrow. Blue skies, three towers, light snow, condors (I think), torquoise lakes and water falls...good day. Really putting "all's well that ends well" to the test.

Day 62: Another beautiful day that only suffered due to comparison of the previous. Its not the French Valleys fault that we went to Perito Moreno three days ago and the "Towers of Paine" yesterday. Its a very nice valley, it really is, but my bar for amazing scenery is now unfairly high. However, there are still moments that are quite unexpected, when elements of nature come together in your field of view at just the right time or interval, and it will still stop me in my tracks. Lakeside camping with beers and two bottles of wine. Dont know if a 06:30 wake-up to another glacier only to run back before the 12:30 ferry is going to happen.

Day 63: It didnt. The people of Torres Del Paine have done more to capitalize on natures beauty than Gettysburg on the dead. Upon leaving, we were nickel and dimed for the ferry, bus, and shuttle back to the hotel. Whats worse, upon arriving, they wouldnt sell us gas to get back to Puerto Natales. By the time it was said and done, we spent over $100 to camp for two nights, and Fitz Roy was free. Successfully made it to Cerro Castillo where James was able to score the six litres we needed to make it to Puerto Natales...with two litres to spare. ¿Who knew Mungo Jerry had so many versions of "Summer Time"?

Day 64: "What an incredibly balanced morning" - James Wilkinson After three days of nature, mildly frustrating interactions with eagerly capitalistic Chileans, and two rough mornings for James Wilkinson (verbally and physically), a night in a grandmothers hospedaje is exactly what we needed. With nothing on the agenda other than making it to Punta Arenas, we slept uninterrupted until 09:30 in maybe the most comfortable bed of the trip. Small amount of gravel detour reminded me that we may rattle the truck to pieces prior to returning. Found the duty free section of Punta Arenas and considered purchasing a large foul weather coat for what may be a necessary final layer. However, like most duty free stores, or malls in this case, it doesnt take long to realize it is only filled with things you dont need, at a price you probably wouldnt pay even if you did. Passed on $15 Chilean Sea Bass to eat at the newest pizzeria in Punta Arenas. Mistake. To be fair, we were really just looking for a pub and werent prepared for the pomp and circumstance that would undoubtedly accompany the pescado. Two beers and a hospedaje run by the Chilean Bates family later, we fall asleep to a steady rain. Tomorrow we cross the Magellan Strait to the Land of Fire.

Day 65: "Its not even on the map." "That really doesnt mean anything." Uneventful ferry ride across the deep green waters of the Magellan Strait, followed by some of the most eventful "on-road" driving yet. We were the first (and probably the last) on the road out of Porvenir into Tierra del Fuego, so while the gravel looked smooth, it was at times over six inches of mud. If I never see gravel again, it will be too soon. After another four hours on pavement, weve arrived in Ushuaia. Despite two broken foglights, a non-functioning passenger window, a wiper attached with fishing line (ironically the most use weve had with said line), a bent antennae, and the ever present morning sickness, Katarina made it. Maybe 9,000 of the toughest kilometers of her life, to include at least 700 on some of the worst gravel Ive seen, and definitely 20km of the worst "on-road" conditions Ive driven, and shes here. "The End of the World", and she brought us with her. The moon really rolled out the carpet for us at Fin Del Mundo. Hope he does the same for folks wherever they are calling home this evening.