An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
We awoke first at 5:30am as Milton, having no idea where he was, was attempting to reach for his alarm clock on the nightstand and instead was groping Wendy’s shoulder. We then managed to sleep until our 6:30 alarm, when we sped through our morning so we could end up sitting in the Lan Chile departure lounge for an extra hour due to “technical difficulties” with our plane (always a nice thing to have translated for one).
We finally boarded and flew the 90 minutes to Puerto Montt (enjoying some Chilean dulce de leche crepes en route), sat for 20 minutes, then flew the 2 more hours to Punta Arenas. We were met by the Explora representative who informed us that it would then be a 6 hour van ride to the hotel. We shared the ride with an older Columbian couple who spoke basically no english.
About, oh, 5 minutes into the drive, we were detoured off the main road (which is a one-lane strip of cement) and onto a gravelly side road for the next hour or so. We finally rejoined the main strip, where we rode, more or less depending on oncoming traffic, for the next few hours.
The scenery here at the end of the earth was interesting: at first it was windswept flat tundra-looking, with mostly pale greens and browns, then as we went further north the small hills became mountains and many different trees appeared, though all permanently bowing from the wind. It was cloudy and quite cool. We all shared some cookies, then the Columbian couple each pulled out their own flask (one scotch, one some local version) and offered swigs (we declined).
We stopped for a bite in Puerto Natales, where we picked up Andres, a guide from the hotel. We then got back on a dirt/gravel road for 30 minutes, turning off to explore the cave of the Milodon. It was a fascinating detour, as the cave is an absolutely enormous amphitheater, which must have housed hundreds, if not thousands, during its human habitation hayday 11,000 years ago. It was also the sight of the only Milodon skeleton ever found, a prehistoric creature with a head resembling a horse and the body of a bear. It was then back into the van for another 90+ minutes of rattling dirt road cruising. We stopped a few times to take pictures (once of a large group of guanacos, llama-like creatures) as the scenery within the Torres del Paine park was extraordinary.
We finally arrived at the hotel, with Wendy exercising admirable restraint and control after a truly nausea-inducing 14-hour day of travel. The hotel and setting, though, are remarkable — on an opaque turquoise lake, with the grey and black granite glacier-topped spires and peaks rising starkly up over 10,000 feet, and not another structure in sight. Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful spots on the planet.
We settled in and rushed to dinner, as it was a bit past 10, though it doesn’t get dark until close to 11. We enjoyed a salmon carpaccio and cream of broccoli soup (both quite good), along with a bowl of delicious fresh sliced tomatoes and black olives in a vinegarette, then a steamed conger (just ok) and some dynamite lamb chops. Dessert was a brownie (not nearly as good as Wendy’s homemade) with ice cream and a heavenly creme brulee (thinking of you, MF1). Finished with tea made with fresh mint leaves that was the perfect digestif.
We’d never been so drained after doing so little, so we were happy to collapse for the evening.