Chilean Patagonia (South), I love the landscapes, the colours, the strong wind and smooth waterfronts.
I drive al aeropuerto. Boris picked me up, a very kind taxi driver, around 60 years old. He helped me getting to Dorothea Hill some days ago. Today, I leave Puerto Natales. Being here feels so intense. It is a magical place on earth. It hit me serveral times looking at the landscape, talking to people, having awsome food and permanently enjoying each moment.
I am so impressed about the chilly little town with almost 24.000 inhabitants. The landscape is beautiful, the National Park Torres del Paine from east to west changes like the country’s landscape and weather conditions change from north to south. From dry to humid conditions, unless there is no desert like in the North of Chile.
Seeing all the animals there was a very nice experience. Yesterday while driving through the park I understood why people go to Safaris. Oh man, I really got this now! Watching guanacos eating and spotting for pumas, seeing Condors with their 3m wide wings plane in the wind was amazing! I felt relaxed just from watching it.
So leaving Puerto Natales kind of hurts, too. I will miss it. The wind, the water, nature… and people. This morning the guide I hiked to Base de Torres showed up for a tour pickup. He came over, we had a nice talk, bijou left and right, said bye again… it was just heart warming.
And then, sitting in the taxi… driving al aeropuerto… 5 rainbows ocurred one after the other. I felt hardly moved and the only thought in my mind was: Puerto Natales, I will come back one day. I promise!
I am thankful for that place, for the time being here and for all the nice people I met:
- The Canadian couple who start the W trek
- The lady from Miami, talented in languages and so cute and talkative
- The Chilean couple traveling their own country I shared a table with on 25th December
- The Canadian guy in the evening, who started in Puerto Montt cycling against all the wind to Puerto Natales (which is by the way 1.400 km)
- The guides from www.patagoniaplanet.com, who explained a lot about their home town, the National Park, nature, animals and history
- The wonderful team and family here in hotel Vinnhaus
- The American couple I met in Atacama Desert and then here again