Friday, February 7, 2014

Patagonia recap

It's been well over a week since we left Patagonia,  but it's still with us. The wide open landscapes, stunning scenery, and unique wildlife were a great way to begin this whole adventure while hiking the Circuit in Torres Del Paine. We also spent about a week in Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, two very southern towns.

Puerto Natales, despite being on the water has a distinct mountain - town feel.  Buses of trekkers roll out to Torres every morning; the cafes, hostels, and pizza joints are packed each night with tired but happy adventurers, grins on their faces; and dirt bag climbers in beat up vans await a break in the weather for their shot at glory.  It's a cool little town with its own distinct rhythm, buzzing with high-season energy while we were there, despite the daily rain showers.

Punta Arenas is a different beast. Hard by the strait of Magellan, it's where Sir Earnest Shackleton recovered from his ordeal and organized the rescue of his men. Today, it's a bustling town from which cruise ships, antarctic expeditions, and other excursions depart. Including one to a penguins colony, which we joined on a rare sunny day. 

In short, Patagonia was awesome. Here's a link to a gallery of a few photos from P. Natales and P. Arenas, penguins included:

Album link: https://plus.google.com/photos/103829313469224560701/albums/5977817781627453121

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