10 March 2024
With one more day to kill before my ferry to Puerto Yungay, I hopped on a bus that whisked me and hundreds of nylon clad hikers to Torres del Paine.
With high clouds and clear skies, the park was stunning and I started up the most popular trail to the three towers. Despite having to dodge around tours, their guides cheer and encouraging them onwards and upwards, the trail was beautiful and the lake more stunning than any picture could do justice. I decided to forgo the almost obligatory yoga pose in front of the lake and instead sat on a rock and ate my empanadas.
Knowing I should get my feet used to miles, I took the long way back along lakes and rivers and felt like I had the place to myself. This was a welcome treat with how popular the park is. Later I found all the people drinking beer at one of the refugios so I felt I had to join my fellow hikers in a pint while I waited for the bus.
A quick rainstorm followed by rainbows and the sun bursting out of the clouds, I settled into my bus seat and hoped the weather would be as cooperative when I visited the park again later in my trip.
The next day my ferry didn't board until 8pm so I biked, I sat in the sun, and ended up drinking gin at a distillery, it did not help the seats on the boat feel any more comfortable.
My ferry was 48 hours a long the fjords of western Chile with seats that reclined just farther back than an airplane. The scenery was stunning; orcas, seals, and sea birds galore. It made me forget that I was stuck on a boat with the passenger area slightly wider than a school bus.
One of the highlights, other than spilling hot tea on my crotch as I was settling in for the night, was when the captain took the ferry 360 degrees ridiculously close around an old shipwreck while blasting the music from the Titanic.
Finally making it to Rio Bravo at 4am, I decided not to waste a windy, rainy day so I decided to start biking and another couple joined me. Fortunately most of the wind was pushing me forward and I made the 60 miles to Villa O'Higgins in good time.
The last town on the Caratera Austral is a quirky little place with businesses open a few hours here and there. I found out I needed an exit visa so I went to the police station where a very nice officer told me I needed to apply online. My hotel has no wifi, so with a sigh the officer did it on his phone, then sent me across town to buy a ferry ticket, then back to the gas station so I could check my email using their wifi so I could get my confirmation. It takes a village.
The ferry leaves Mondays and Thursdays... If the weather is ok... which it wasn't. I quickly booked a second room at my hotel and waited for a break in the rain to hike up the the viewpoint above town. In between snowflakes the view was pretty stunning.
After visiting the ferry office 3 times, I was told to come back at 11 tomorrow, hopefully I will be continuing onwards!
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