The Rat Lives in the Tree

Based on our blog posts and pictures, you might think our year of travel is all sunny days, high peaks, and warm beaches. Let us dispel that myth. Sure, we saw the Torres del Paine on a bluebird afternoon, surfed Apollo Bay under cloudless skies, and drank our fill of Piper Valley bubbly. And yes, we've seen all manner of cute and cuddly wildlife, from guanacos to koala bears.  But we've also had our fair share of run-ins with wildlife of a less savory sort. To wit, our top-ten least-favorite wildlife encounters so far:

10. The bees! Camping in Altos de Lircay, we were swarmed by yellow jackets two nights in a row. Luckily they were the benevolent sort.

9. The regurgitating wallaby, which haunted our campsite in the Walls of Jeruselem. Poor guy wasn't feeling well...

8. Road kill. Everywhere in Australia, with members including kangaroos, emus, and echidnas. Sad.

7. The Mosquitos on a hot muggy evening on the back side of Torres del Paine that threatened to drink us dry. And the deet was left behind.

6. The Rat in the Tree. Our first night in Hurtado, we camped and ate dinner with a lovely Chilean family. They departed the next morning, kindly leaving a note to say they enjoyed our company and concluding, as one does in these situations, "p.s.: the rat lives in the tree." And sure enough, he did.

5. Snakes. There are many venemous varieties in Australia. And Brook is terrified of them. 

4. Flea bites from stray dogs in Chile. Gross.

3. Millions of millipedes. When it rains in South Australia, the millipedes crawl out of the ground and into everything. Including our lux wine-tasting apartment in the Barossa valley. We killed at least 50 before giving up and going to bed. Insecticide was deployed in the morning with devastating effect.

2. Th ever-present, sharp-toothed and dull-witted, single-minded Brush Tailed Possum that will stop at nothing to steal your food. Including chewing through your tent. While you're in it.

1. Is there anything on this earth more annoying than a fly? Now picture hundreds, thousands of them buzzing incessantly while you hike the Flinders Ranges.