My Diary Of The Trip
Sunday 2 December
I arrived at Gatwick Airport in London early in the afternoon for our teatime flight to Madrid where we were to catch a connecting flight to Argentina. It was while queuing to check-in that I met most of the other people in our group. This was when we had the first setback of the trip – we found out that we would be spending the night in Madrid. The plan had been to spend just over an hour there before flying to Buenos Aires later in the evening. The flight to Madrid would be as scheduled but, due to technical reasons, the transatlantic flight would not be until the following morning. This meant that we would arrive in Buenos Aires on the Monday evening instead of early in the morning – effectively costing us a day in the Argentinian capital. This was one of the most disappointing aspects of the whole trip because a flight change on our return also cost us a day in Buenos Aires.
It was just before 9pm when we arrived at Madrid Barajas Airport and a bus eventually arrived to take us to our hotel. This was the Hotel Auditorium and it claimed to be the biggest hotel in Europe. Judging by the size of it, this may well have been the case. I had a nice big double-room to myself and there was a huge choice of food for dinner and breakfast. Any other time it would have been great to stay there but, on this occasion, it was no substitute to a day in Buenos Aires.
At dinner that night I sat at a table of mixed nationalities, including Spanish and Argentinian, and I had great fun practising my Spanish.
Monday 3 December
This morning I had breakfast at 7.45am and we were scheduled to leave for the airport an hour later. At this point we had no idea when we would be flying – we just hoped that we would not have to go through the extensive check-in process and long wait as our luggage had been checked-in at London and had been held in the airport overnight.
It was a typically cold, sharp December morning when a bus arrived at 9.15 to take us the short distance to the airport. When we arrived there we discovered that our flight was scheduled to depart at 10.50am. Eventually, at 11.45am we found ourselves on our way to South America.
The flight across the Atlantic took about 11½ hours. However, it wasn’t too bad a flight bearing in mind that it took so long. I usually try for a window seat as I love to see the view below. This time I was in the centre aisle and the view that I missed would mostly have been water anyway. For much of the time the tv screens on the plane showed a constantly updated map of our progress and this is always interesting to see. I remember being surprised at how close the west coast of Africa is to the east coast of South America.
We touched down in Buenos Aires at around 7.20pm local time and it was a nice and sunny evening with a temperature of 86ºF. And, of course, the winter morning we had left in Madrid of the northern hemisphere had become a summer evening in Buenos Aires of the southern hemisphere. It was nice to be enjoying summer once again. However, we knew that, where we were going for the next ten days or so, summer would not be quite like this.
After clearing customs at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport we were met by our representatives Florencia and Román. Florencia was there just to welcome us and help take us to our hotel whereas Román was our guide for the rest of the trip and he really became a sixteenth member of our party – the difference was that he was able to help and guide us, but, other than that we all regarded him as a friend, as one of our group.
The trip to our hotel in central Buenos Aires took about half-an-hour, along a nice, straight dual-carriageway. For me, this is always an exciting part of a trip, the first hour or two in a new country and, even though it was dark by now, the journey was still full of interest for me.
The Bristol Hotel where we would spend the night was situated on what is widely regarded as the widest street in the world. I think it was Román that told me that a street in Brazil now claims that title. Avenida 9 de Julio is supposedly 142 metres wide and I counted 22 traffic lanes altogether. The centre has eight lanes in each direction and a tree-lined pavement separates another three lanes on each side. The street is so wide because the structure of that part of the city is very ordered, with the streets running in straight lines, and Avenida 9 de Julio effectively replaces a whole block in terms of width. There are pedestrian crossings in use and, if you are very quick, it is possible to sprint from one side to the other in a single sequence of the green man. The street is named 9th of July Avenue after Argentina’s Independence Day.
As well as having a great view of the avenida, our hotel was also close to the probably the most famous monument in the city – the 67 feet high obelisk which was constructed in 1936 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Buenos Aires. The obelisk towers over Placa de Republica which is effectively a huge roundabout in the centre of Avenida 9 de Julio.
After checking in at our hotel we gathered at 9.15pm and took a leisurely stroll across Avenida 9 de Julio and dined at a restaurant called La Estancia. The huge cattle ranches in Argentina are called estancias and this was very appropriately named. Although in the centre of Buenos Aires, it was a big, open restaurant with a high ceiling and lots of big wooden tables and gave the impression that it should have been full of gauchos wearing cowboy hats instead of locals and tourists. Everything was on a large scale – not least the enormous steaks that were on the plates!
After dinner it was back across the once widest street in the world and a chance to recover from a day which could be viewed either as sitting on a plane and doing nothing or making an exhausting journey across an ocean and, of course the Equator.
Tuesday 4 December
Despite having a tiring flight the previous day, there was no chance to sleep late as we had an 8am flight from Buenos Aires to Patagonia.
The city has two airports and, although we would return to the one inside the city, to fly to Patagonia we had to return to Ezeiza Airport which is 35km from the centre. This was the same journey we had taken the previous night and it was good to see it in daylight. To me, the most interesting place that we passed on the journey was the training ground used by the Argentinian national football team, possibly the best in the world, or, as they are known locally – “La Selección”.
After checking-in for our flight we had time for a cup of coffee as we had been too early for breakfast at the hotel and we would be given a meal on the plane.
The flight south to Patagonia was quite pleasant with the views changing from wide open green spaces to snow-covered peaks as we progressed to the most southern of the Andes Mountains. This gave us our first taste of the magnificent photo opportunities that we would enjoy throughout the trip.
About three hours after leaving Buenos Aires we arrived at El Calafate Airport. It was when we stepped out of the plane to walk to the terminal building that we first encountered the very strong winds that Patagonia is famous for. The temperature didn’t seem that cold to me but the strong wind made it too cold to be out in for more than a minute or two.
At the airport we were met by our minibus driver, Julian, who would be transporting us to El Chaltén and also a number of times later in the trip. He was really good fun and became famous for shouting “cabeza” (Spanish warning for “mind your head”) whenever we went up the step onto his minibus.
The journey to El Chaltén took about three hours and the landscape was, at first, very bleak moorland before opening out into the most incredible backdrop of snow-capped peaks and beautiful lakes. The journey could have been a lot quicker but for the numerous stops that we had for taking photos. Fortunately the strong wind meant that we never stopped for too long but all the stops are now proving well worthwhile due to the great pictures we have.
Lunch was taken on the way to El Chaltén at the remote Hotel La Leona near Lake Viedma. Outside the hotel there were a number of wooden sun-loungers – I can’t imagine them getting used much. There was plenty of sun but no shelter from the strong wind.
The road to El Chaltén took us along the whole north side of Lake Viedma and, with the amazing Cerro Fitzroy in the background and the Viedma Glacier descending towards the lake, the photo stops understandably increased in frequency.
The small town of El Chaltén very much gives the impression of a frontier town during the gold rush. The wooden houses came in all shapes, sizes and colours. The town is the newest in Argentina and has grown since it’s founding in 1985 to become the main trekking centre for this part of Patagonia. Everybody I came across seemed to come from Buenos Aires, working in the area for half of the year – apparently it is fairly deserted, and often inaccessible in the winter.
We were accommodated in a hostel in the middle of the town and, although very basic, it was comfortable enough and very welcoming. Just to remind us where we were it was called Condor de los Andes hostel. The rooms could accommodate six people sleeping in three sets of bunk beds. The choice for breakfast depended on what was available in the local store regarding things such as cereal or eggs but plenty of toast was always available with a good supply of the excellent caramel-tasted spread of dulce de leche.
Looking back, I have nice memories of El Chaltén. It really gave the feeling of being an outpost of civilisation amongst a great wilderness. There is a constantly-changing view of Cerro Fitzroy as it appears and disappears through the clouds surrounding it – and every time you have to take a photo because it is different from the twenty that you already have. Thank goodness for digital cameras that allow you to take photos and then delete them if they are not perfect!
In late afternoon the majority of us decided to take a walk to see a nearby waterfall. This was a nice relaxing stroll along a road and then a grassy path to reach a picturesque waterfall. Nearby we came across a red-headed woodpecker in a tree and this provided some photographic interest.
After returning from our walk we went to one of the seemingly numerous restaurants in El Chalten. The menu was very extensive and, although predominantly steak-based, had a number of other dishes available.
Wednesday 5 December
Today was our first trekking day and was to provide some breath-taking scenery. Los Glaciares National Park is famous for providing some of the best trekking in the world and it certainly lived up to it’s reputation.
A short bus journey took us to our starting point and we began by walking through a forest path with regular glimpses of the snowy mountains in the distance. At one point we caught a glimpse through the trees of a spectacular lagoon with a glacier stretching up the surrounding mountainside. The white of the glacial ice provided a contrast to the blue of the lagoon and the green of the trees.
Around lunchtime we reached Campamento Rio Blanco, which acts as a base camp for people climbing the mountains nearby. We ate our packed lunch and the majority of us began the climb up to Lago de los Tres, a lagoon an hour higher up.
The climb up to the lagoon was fairly strenuous and took us up a path of stones and scree. After a time the path reached a high point before dipping to reveal the incredible vista of Lago de los Tres. This sight really was breath-taking – a huge deep blue-coloured lagoon surrounded by white snow and ice with an amazing glacier descending from the steep mountains.
It was after a few minutes of taking photographs that we descended the short walk to the edge of the lagoon. From here we had more great views, following the glacier up the steep mountainside and, of course, photos of each of us sitting on a large rock just in the lagoon. Above all, there was the opportunity to sit and take in the beauty of the location. This was why we were here – nothing could better this – or so we thought!
To the extreme left of the lagoon I noticed the terrain drop away and I wondered what that would lead to. Just when I thought we were heading back down we were led along the path to that point and the path continued until another lagoon came into view. If anything, this lagoon, Lago Sucia, was even more fantastic! It was quite a distance below us but also had the deep blue colour and, at the far end, had a glacier descending into it. The ice had accumulated below the glacier and was like a beach, but, instead of having sand, it consisted of snow and ice. Of course, this gave us the excuse to take loads more photos.
Eventually, the excitement over, it was back down the hill for a fairly lengthy trek back to El Chaltén. For me, this had been a truly memorable day’s trekking. Now I knew what all the fuss was about regarding the exploration of Patagonia.
After taking time to recover it was off to another of the local restaurants to eat. I had a really good pizza that proved to be far too big to finish but I still found space for the best lemon ice-cream I have ever tasted.
Thursday 6 December
Today we had a choice of activities – I chose to take a fairly lengthy trek into another lagoon. The other options were a relaxing exploration of the area around El Chaltén or a shorter walk to another nice view.
We were guided on this walk by a local guide called Sergio (although he was actually from Buenos Aires) as well as Román. Our walk began by following a path uphill from El Chaltén before it levelled out and gave us some pleasant walking. After a while we came to a viewpoint where we could see down into a valley right in front of us. We were going to walk along the side of this valley to the still-out-of-sight Laguna Torre in the distance. This was a nice flat walk along a good path and gave plenty of time for conversation as we walked.
About three hours after beginning, we approached Laguna Torre. The last few hundred metres before the lagoon became quite steep and strenuous but, once again, the view proved to be well worth the effort. If we had done this walk first we would have been totally overwhelmed by the sight but, having seen Lago de los Tres and Lago Sucia the previous day, beautiful as it was, Laguna Torre was slightly less spectacular. Looking at my photographs now I realise that it was an amazing sight in its own right.
We decided to have our lunch at Laguna Torre and I was very much glad to sit and rest. For some reason I had found the last part quite tough and I put it down to having a fairly long trek the day before. It was actually probably due to the onset of a cold that began to manifest itself the following day with a troublesome cough which was to get worse before it got better.
After a nice long rest we headed back the route we had come, finishing with a nice view of El Chaltén as we descended the path into town. We stopped to admire the view and a couple of people walked past us. One of them was carrying a rucksack which was open. Román, trying to be helpful, shouted to alert the person in case he was unaware and lost any of the contents. On hearing Román, the owner of the rucksack turned round and, in doing so, lost most of the contents of his rucksack onto the ground! At least he was able to retrieve them, however.
There was time for a couple of hours of relaxation at the hostel before we were due to catch a bus to El Calafate, a distance of 220km away. I took advantage of the computer in the hostel to burn my photos onto a cd in case anything happened to the card I had in my camera.
After a fairly hard day it was nice to have a few hours on a bus as we headed in the early evening to El Calafate. I love bus journeys in foreign countries and this was no exception. We stopped briefly once again at La Leona where I bought a couple of sandwiches to eat.
As we reached El Calafate the sun was still bright but not for much longer as it was late evening by now. El Calafate is quite a big town and has a population that has exploded in recent years. The estimated population in 2005 was 8,000 but it is now estimated at 20,000 inhabitants.
After settling into our hotel, as usual, it was time to go out for something to eat and El Calafate has plenty of places to choose from. Román helped us to find a bar a few blocks along the main street from our hotel and they happened to have lemon ice-cream on the menu. It wasn’t quite as good as the previous ice-cream but was still very nice.
Friday 7 December
We had a later start today as we did not have to leave our hotel until 9am. However this was one of the days that I was most looking forward to – we were going to see the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. At the hotel we were met by our guide for the trip to the glacier, a girl called Marina.
The journey to the Glacier took around one hour and Marina pointed out many interesting things for us on the way. There were, of course, the regular photo stops, although the gale force wind restricted these slightly.
Our first view of the glacier was from quite a distance away but it was still incredible to see. All of a sudden a huge dam-like wall of ice appeared in the distance on Lago Argentina. Even from a couple of miles away the sheer scale of the glacier was obvious. As we drove closer to the glacier, it disappeared from view.
After a short time Marina told us to close our eyes so that we would get a surprise. Shortly after, she told us to open our eyes and look out of the window – this gave us our first close-up view of the Moreno Glacier and the immensity and beauty of the 60m high ice field was clear to see. This is without doubt one of the most amazing sights in the world – certainly the most incredible thing I had ever seen.
For the next two hours we walked to the various vantage points and took numerous photos from only a few hundred metres away from the glacier. People were just standing, spending a long time gazing at the glacier, totally enthralled by what they were seeing. Unusually for a glacier, the Moreno Glacier is not in an environment covered in snow – each side is framed by green forest and this makes it stand out even more. Occasionally we would hear a splash and see ripples in the water where a block of ice had fallen from the glacier. The ice was not only white but, in places, also a tremendous shade of blue. The blue colour is caused by the ice being sufficiently compressed to eliminate any air bubbles that would reflect as white in colour.
Eventually we managed to tear ourselves from viewing the glacier and took the short minibus trip to Bajo de las Sombras port. From here we had a twenty minute boat ride to the opposite shore. A short walk took us to the starting point for our walk on the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Everyone was fitted with a pair of crampons and instructed how to use them and we set off onto the ice from the side of the glacier. It was quite easy to walk while wearing the crampons – you just had to make sure you kept your feet well apart in order to avoid catching the points of the crampons on the other foot. For the next hour-and-a-half we walked up and down the undulating ice and climbed across narrow crevasses. It probably wasn’t particularly dangerous – any risk would have been more from the effect of a fall rather than falling for any distance – but it was quite an exhilarating experience.
Marina had told us that we would get a surprise at the end of the walk but she wouldn’t tell us what it was. Just as we were returning near to the edge of the ice where we had started we came round a corner and one of our guides was waiting at a table on which were a number of empty glasses and two bottles of whisky. He then proceeded to throw a big pile of glacier ice into the glasses and added whisky to each of them. He then gave us each a glass, as well as a biscuit to eat. The whisky had come all the way from Scotland – Famous Grouse and even had the name of Perth printed on the bottle. I hate the taste of whisky but this was one of these occasions that I just had to experience – drinking whisky from Scotland on a glacier more than 6,000 miles from home. And no, it didn’t make me homesick!
It had been a dull day when we were on the glacier, although wearing sunglasses hadn’t helped but they had been necessary for the strong glare from the ice. By the end of the trek the sun had come through and it had become a nice late afternoon. On the return trip the boat took us along the front of the glacier and gave us more great views.
I think most of us struggled to stay awake on the minibus trip back to El Calafate. It had been an amazing experience for all of us and something I will remember for the rest of my life.
After returning to our hotel we had time for some relaxation before Román took us to a very nice restaurant on the outskirts of the town.
Saturday 8 December
Today was another iceberg day. We were going for a boat trip on Lago Argentina. We had an early start as we had to be at the boat for 8.30am. The company that operated the boat trips went by the name of Fernandez Campbell! The boat we were on had a capacity of about 250 people and seemed to be quite full. It was very relaxed, however, as people were always going in and out all the time to view the glaciers. The boat had big windows and it was possible to get great views from inside but the best part was going outside for photographing or filming - although any time outside was limited by the extreme cold.
On the early part of the trip I was keen to photograph any big glaciers that I saw but as time went on we saw so many that very few were remarkable enough to bother taking photos of.
Around lunchtime we went ashore and, after walking for about twenty minutes, we reached Lago Onelli. This was an amazing view in itself. It was fed by no fewer than three separate glaciers and icebergs of all shapes and sizes were floating on the surface. It was a superb place to sit and eat our packed lunch.
After the short walk back to the boat we boarded and departed for the return journey. On the way back most people seemed to be quite content to sit inside most of the time and relax.
It was late afternoon when we returned to El Calafate and I took the chance to do some souvenir shopping. I like buying locally crafted products and I found a number of market stalls up a side street and managed to buy some various items. I also bought some postcards which I posted the following day and, as I write this, 6½ weeks on, they have still to reach their destination.
Román found yet another restaurant for us this evening. As always it was very nice and seemed to be very popular judging by how busy it was. Our table was nice and peaceful – it was situated a few metres from the chef that was preparing the steaks and he insisted on hammering them with a big noisy mallet as part of the preparation process! However, that didn’t detract from the experience.
Sunday 9 December
Another early start today as we had a lot of travelling to do, including going into another country. It was 8am when we left El Calafate in Julian’s minibus. We spent the morning travelling first to the east, away from the Chilean border and then south-east, before the road went directly west towards Chile. On the way we stopped for a cup of coffee and I managed to find a dulce de leche ice-cream cone.
The weather was largely nice and sunny although we did go through a fairly heavy shower but as we reached the border with Chile it was a lovely day, albeit a bit windy. To exit Argentina we had to go into a fairly small building to fill in the paperwork. Pinned on the wall were a number of wanted posters that wouldn’t have been out of place in a cowboy film. It also had a sign which gave some public information to Señor Turist (Mr Tourist). I guess that referred to us.
After completing the formalities we returned to the minibus and travelled for quite a few miles, presumably still in Argentina until we came across the border post to enter Chile. At this place we had to unload everything and take it inside a building. I was quite happy for this to take a bit of time as some of the officials were watching a live Spanish football match on a television.
After sorting out the paperwork our bags were briefly checked to make sure we weren’t bringing into the country anything illegal. As it happened, one of our group inadvertently had an apple in her bag and she was detained for about half-an-hour and was given a fine of $35US to pay when we reached Punta Arenas.
Eventually we were free to leave and we loaded everything back into the minibus trailer and travelled about 100 yards to where a bus was waiting for us and everything then had to be removed and packed into the bus. At this point we decided it was time for lunch in a nearby restaurant and also to change some money into Chilean pesos.
I don’t know if there was a staff shortage but for some reason Julian, our driver, ended up behind the counter taking food orders and passing them into the kitchen. It was here that we said goodbye to Julian as he was driving back to Argentina and we would have a Chilean driver for the next stage.
Whereas the countryside for most of the day had been fairly flat, green moorland we now entered more hilly terrain. We were able to see a lot of wildlife, particularly guanacos and rheas, and we even saw a skunk. Before we had travelled far into Chile we caught sight of the famous Torres del Paine, which are actually three rocky peaks that point into the sky and can be seen for miles. The following day we would be walking to nearby the base of these towers.
It was late afternoon when the bus stopped a few hundred metres from a narrow bridge. Our new home, a lodge in the middle of nowhere was situated about a mile the other side of the bridge. However, the bridge was so narrow that we had to wait on a smaller bus arriving in order to cross. The bus was smaller but it still a required some very careful driving to slowly edge across with inches to spare at each side.
Just like the Condor de los Andes hostel in El Chaltén, the one here, Refugio las Torres, was a real trekker’s accommodation, although a lot bigger than the one in El Chaltén.
Food was served in a separate building and there must have been at least a hundred people eating at the same time although the whole complex was quite big and the part where we were accommodated wasn’t too crowded.
The rooms were able to hold six people on three bunk beds and I shared a room with our new guide Edmundo, Román and a French couple.
Monday 10 December
Today would be along trekking day that would take us to the base of Torres del Paine. This was to turn out to be yet another memorable day with views beyond belief!
After breakfast we were joined by our new guide for the trek, a girl from Buenos Aires called Karina. It turned our that she had been delayed in flying from Buenos Aires the previous day and she had driven overnight from El Calafate in order to lead our trek for the day. Our other guide Edmundo left us to go elsewhere.
The walk began reasonably gently and pleasantly before steepening and the height gain was accompanied by strengthening winds. As it levelled it slightly the path ahead became clear as it undulated spectacularly in the distance with a substantial drop on one side requiring more than a little care.
After a couple of hours we reached Refugio Chileno where we would have lunch. This was quite a large hostel which provided accommodation for trekkers and climbers. The option now was to head further on and up to the base of Torres del Paine or else wait at the refugio for the rest to return – most of us opted to continue.
The trail continued alongside a river and through a forest path before opening up as we turned uphill. For the next hour or so we gradually gained height, following a path that wound its way between and over rocks. This was quite pleasant because, although not difficult, progress was slower and was therefore less tiring. Our aim was a lagoon that was overlooked by Torres del Paine at the top of a steep hill. As we got higher the wind got stronger – the gusts were strong enough to blow me into the rocks a couple of times.
As we climbed uphill it was possible to see the towers stretching into the sky with a promise of what lay ahead. Eventually we climbed over a ridge and were greeted with yet another breathtaking sight – about 100m away was a beautiful green lagoon set in an amphitheatre of grey rocks, topped off with a layer of snow, above which were perched the magnificent three Torres del Paine. For sheer spectacle and immensity this certainly rivalled the Perito Moreno Glacier. I still don’t know which sight impresses me most.
We were fortunate enough to have a perfect view of the towers as they were clear of any cloud and the sheer bulk as they rose into the sky was overwhelming. When seen from a distance the Torres del Paine are very impressive but I did not anticipate just how fantastic they would be when seen from nearby.
Because of the strong winds and the extreme cold it was only possible to spend a few minutes at this high point but that was enough to take plenty photos and film of the view although any picture, no matter how good, could never recapture the feeling of actually being there.
The walk downhill was relatively easy and the wind abated as we lost height. It was quite warm walking back through the trees to Refugio Chileno where we had a refreshing drink.
We then retraced our steps back to Refugio las Torres with a feeling of satisfaction – we had worked hard but had been rewarded many times over by the view that we had been privileged to see.
It was good to get back, however, and have a nice cleansing shower and an opportunity to organise my kitbag of clothes and equipment. After more than a week it was becoming impossible to find anything in it. I separated things I would need from things I shouldn’t have bothered bringing and worked out how many days of clean clothes that I had remaining.
Edmundo had by now left, as had the French couple so our room for six was occupied only by Román, Karina and myself.
Tuesday 11 December
This turned out to be what was probably my favourite day of the whole trip. Today was for optional activities and most of us opted to go to along the river to Puerto Natales by zodiac boat. This is a large dinghy type of craft that holds about a dozen people and goes quite fast through the water. I always like days on the water and this one was particularly good fun.
We left Refugio las Torres at 8am and there was a reverse of the process where we crossed the narrow bridge – this time we changed from the small bus to a bigger one after we had crossed the bridge. Before the bus crossed the bridge we all got out so that we could take photos of it crossing from the other side.
After a few kilometres the people that weren’t going on the boat trip left us to go horse-riding. Román went with them and Karina took care of us.
On arrival at the boating terminal we were all giving one-piece warm waterproof suits to wear in the boat. This turned out to be a really good idea.
We spent about twenty minutes travelling along the river before we pulled into the side. From here we had a short walk to the top of a hill for extensive views of the river layout and for exposure to more gale force winds. It was wise not to go too near the edge of the hill as the wind would be quite dangerous.
It took about five minutes to back down the hill where we boarded another, similar boat for the journey down the Serrano River.
We travelled down-river for another hour or so before going ashore to a small building where we one of the boat crew made cups of coffee for us.
Further on we saw the usual glaciers, very spectacular in there own right but probably under-appreciated by us after the previous week. Into the afternoon we came across some sea lions in a small cave situated in a cliff at the side of the river. Shortly after, we stopped and sat on some rocks at the riverside and ate our packed lunches in the warm sunshine.
It was getting on for 4pm when we eventually reached the end of the trip. A minibus was waiting to transport us the short distance to Puerto Natales. It was at a café in the town that we met up once again with Román and the rest of our group.
After a quick drink on the café we made our way to the bus station to catch a bus south to Punta Arenas. This is where we said goodbye to Karina. She had been a lovely companion to us and Puerto Natales is where she lived for six months of the year.
Unfortunately the agency had booked bus tickets for Punta Arenas but had booked them for the following day. We were unable to get on the bus that we had intended but Román was able to secure seats on the next bus 1½ hours later. This wasn’t such a bad thing because it gave us time to have a look around Puerto Natales.
The road to Punta Arenas is flanked by very flat grassy countryside and, on this occasion, was quite bleak and cloudy as the evening wore on. Towards the end of our three-hour journey it began to rain quite heavily.
After quickly checking-in at our nice hotel it was time to head out for dinner. I chose the healthy/unhealthy option of various salads/chips.
Wednesday 12 December
Today we had to leave our hotel at 8pm in order to catch a bus which was taking us even further south and Nick and I wanted to see a famous statue of Ferdinand Magellan which stood in the main square in Punta Arenas. After an early breakfast we went out at 7.20am and, as it was quite a distance away, walked and ran to the square, saw the statue and photographed it. Custom dictates that if you kiss the toe of the statue you will one day return to Punta Arenas. As it had been raining at night, and we were probably the first visitors of the day, I decided it was safe enough to continue the custom – so I look forward to returning to Punta Arenas in the future!
The bus departed Punta Arenas at 9.30am and headed east and then south towards the ferry terminal where we were due to cross to Tierra del Fuego – the land of fire! The journey to the ferry terminal took about two hours, by which time word had reached us that the ferry was not running due to severe weather. We were quite near the front of a queue of traffic that was forming but we were expecting a long wait.
We got out of the bus to find the strongest winds I have ever come across other than very high up a mountain. The wind was constantly strong in itself but the occasional gusts were powerful enough to blow you over if you were not prepared for them and ready to fight against them. There was a café at the terminal which acted as a shelter from the storm and over the next few hours we spent most of our time sitting trying to amuse ourselves.
Every now and again it was fun to go outside and enjoy the experience of being blown about – it was similar to the fun children get when they play in snow. It was a different experience from normal and it nice to lean into the wind at quite an angle without falling over. At least it was the most exciting thing we had to do!
Initially it appeared that if the weather relented we would sail late afternoon. However, as the afternoon wore on the word was that 9pm was a possibility, or even the following day.
Eventually, all of a sudden at 7.30pm, things started happening. Our bus conductor came in and told us it was time to go. We hurriedly re-boarded the bus and it, in turn, boarded a ferry that was rapidly filling with vehicles. The crossing to Tierra del Fuego was not a great distance and only took about half-an-hour at the most on what was by now a very calm Magellan Strait.
It took another 2½ hours by road and darkness had descended by the time we reached the frontier and left Chile for the last time. It was another few miles before we reached the border post into Argentina. The stamp on my passport says that we left Chile on the 13th December and entered Argentina on the 12th December – the exit stamp in Chile had been changed early as we left about 10pm on the 12th!
Another hour-and-a-half saw us reach a town with a name straight from a cowboy film - Rio Grande. By now it was the early hours of the morning and we transferred from our big bus into a minibus for the final leg of the journey to Ushuaia.
It was just after 3am when we reached Ushuaia and I remember Román saying “welcome to Ushuaia – the most southerly city in the world!” We quickly poured into the Hotel Cesar - nineteen hours after we had left our hotel in Punta Arenas!
Thursday 13 December
It was just after 6am when I got up – about 2½ hours after getting to bed – in order to have time to shower and get breakfast and also to organise my things before we left the hotel at about 8.30am for a half-day trip to the Tierra del Fuego National Park.
This was a very relaxing morning as we wandered about looking at, and photographing, various rare birds and admiring some wonderful views. It was a nice still, fairly warm and sunny morning and a fine contrast to the travelling of the previous day. Looking back, I think this was probably the most relaxing day of the whole trip.
After taking the short journey back to Ushuaia most people decided to sit down in a restaurant for lunch but three of us decided to do some shopping as this would be the last chance we would have before we returned north to Buenos Aires.
At 3pm we all gathered again at the boat terminal where we boarded a boat out into the Beagle Channel. This trip was also nice and relaxing and over the six hour duration we saw a lot of marine wildlife. Close to Ushuaia we saw a very small island populated by many sea lions basking in the sun. Then there was a small lighthouse situated on another island. However, the highlight was at the furthest away point of the trip – a penguin colony! The Magellan Penguins Colony is a small flat island with hundreds of penguins running about apparently aimlessly. The setting is spectacular – the stony beach meeting a grassy terrain, surrounded by blue sea with a backdrop of snow-sprinkled mountains. This emphasised how far south we actually were. There were only a few small islands between us and Antarctica, which was only about 500 miles to the south.
Heading back to Ushuaia, we passed the wreck of a ship which ran aground in 1911 and has become a permanent part of the scenery. It was nice just to sit in the spacious boat and relax as the sun was going down in the sky.
We reached Ushuaia about 9.15pm and time dictated that we went straight to a restaurant on the main seafront. This would be our last meal together as a group because Claire and Antonia were staying on in Ushuaia for a few more days. After leaving the restaurant, a few of us went to a local bar to have a farewell drink with the two girls before returning to our hotel quite late.
Friday 14 December
At 8.30am we departed our hotel for our flight to Buenos Aires. Claire got up to say goodbye to us. She was staying on in Ushuaia to do some research as her grandparents had lived there.
It was a short distance to the airport and, shortly after checking in, came the almost inevitable news that the flight was being delayed by an hour. It seemed that we were not meant to have much time in Buenos Aires at all.
About 11am we finally left Ushuaia in the sunshine and headed north. After flying for about half-an-hour we landed at Rio Gallegos, the capital city of Santa Cruz province which takes in much of the south part of Argentina. We sat on the plane as people got off and others boarded and about half-an-hour later we were eventually bound for Buenos Aires.
As we reached Buenos Aires the views over the city were very impressive. It helped to give an idea just how big it is. The greater metropolitan area of Buenos Aires has a population of around 12.4 million people!
By now it was 3.30pm and we landed at Jorge Newberry Airport close to the centre of the city. Román had arranged for us to have a guided bus tour of the city. Most of us were really tired by now but we all agreed that it was important to see Buenos Aires.
We managed to see many of the prominent sights in the city and stopped for a short time in the famous La Boca area, close to the stadium of Boca Juniors, for whom Maradonna once played. It wasn’t possible to get too close to the stadium as there was a concert about to take place that evening. The area is notable for its brightly painted buildings of all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get near to the main plaza in Buenos Aires and see the presidential palace as there was some kind of demonstration taking place.
We were dropped off at our hotel at 6.30pm as a visit to a tango show had been arranged for 8pm. Having had so little time in Buenos Aires and not being particularly overwhelmed by the thought of a tango show, I decided to explore the city near our hotel instead. As our location was very central it was possible for me to visit quite a few places on foot.
I spent two or three hours soaking up the bustling nightlife of the city and went to see La Casa Rosa (the pink house - named after the colour of the building) which is the presidential palace and sits at the end of Plaza de Mayo, which is where we had been unable to go on our bus tour.
As far as I know, I didn’t miss out on anything by foregoing the tango show and I’m very glad that I got to sample some of the city that evening. Back at the hotel I had time to pack my things for returning home – something that is never easy as I accumulate things throughout the trip.
Saturday 15 December
Today the fun would be over and we would have to return home. It was a nice and warm sunny morning as, unlike Patagonia, Buenos Aires has a conventional summer. We left for Ezeiza Airport shortly after 9am as we had to check-in three hours before our 1pm flight.
After checking-in it was time to say a sad goodbye to Román who had worked so hard on our behalf throughout the trip. Despite all the delays and changes of schedule he had managed to sort everything out and played a major part in making our trip such a success. He was also very good company and had great knowledge on many subjects – particularly the different species of birds and wildlife. He also taught me a lot about the Spanish language and the differences between that spoken in Argentina and in Spain.
After doing a little more souvenir-shopping at the airport all that was left was to sit and wait for our flight. The flight had originally been scheduled for the Saturday night but a couple of weeks before leaving home we were told that it had been brought forward to lunchtime. This meant that we lost out on spending the day in Buenos Aires and being able to explore the city at leisure, which was why I was so keen to see as much as possible on the Friday. It was a fantastic city and one to return to sometime in the future.
We didn’t know until we checked-in for our flight that we would actually be visiting Brazil on our way home. The flight stopped in the city of Natal in the extreme north east of Brazil. This first leg of our journey took about five hours but when we landed in Brazil we had to wait on the plane as it was only a stopover to take on more passengers. After sitting on the runway for an hour the plane finally left in the direction of Europe.
Sunday 16 December
It was just on 6am local time when we landed once again at Madrid Barajas airport. This gave us 2 hours to catch our connection for London. We didn’t have to check-in our baggage as it was booked right through to London so, following the instructions of an airport official we made our way to the boarding gate. We then discovered that we would have to leave the secure area to check-in with the airline and then go back through security before we could go to the gate for boarding. This is what I would have originally expected to do but we had been advised otherwise. Anyhow, by now things were in a bit of a rush but we knew that, because our baggage would be aboard the plane, the airline would try and make sure we caught our flight rather than have to go to the bother of taking our baggage off the plane. As it was, we made it quite comfortably and we were on our way back to Britain at 8am.
Due to the time difference, our flight reached London Gatwick at 9.20am, having circled above London for a while before we eventually landed. I had another rush, having to queue to collect my baggage and then change from one terminal to another by internal train, before queuing up to change my flight. I still had an evening flight booked because of the original itinerary and I had not changed it because it was only when we were in Argentina that we were told that our Madrid flight had been moved forward also. If this had not happened we would have had ten hours or so in Madrid. This would have been okay because, before this trip, I had only passed through Madrid Airport and it’s always nice to see new cities. However, it was fine to get back home for the afternoon rather than late at night.
I managed to get transferred onto a late morning flight and I touched down in Edinburgh just before lunchtime after a fantastic trip and having seen some of the most incredible sights in the world.