Puerto Natales, Chile

After completing daily hostel chores, repairing our Basecamp movie projector, grinding fresh "mantequilla de mani" (peanut butter), and taking to world class climbers,  I´ve found a secretive little closet to hide in and reflect on the past couple weeks that I've spent in Puerto Natales, Chile (a town located in one of the most southern-most latitudes of the Earth). 

Preparing some freshly squeezed peanut butter for breakfast!

We arrived to this quaint little port town and our indefinite home/hostel on my sister's birthday (Dec. 5th), and since have transitioned comfortably into the Erratic Rock lifestyle. Bill, the hostel's owner greeted us with open arms and couldn't have given his interns a more laid back orientation. Erratic Rock is a hostel/basecamp/climber & volunteer boarding house/information center/guiding and rental service all in one. It is Puerto Natales' most reputable hostel and because of its convenient location, is the only place where Gringo tourists can come to collect accurate information about trekking in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. In addition to his amazing customer service, Bill started a recognized recycling program in town and receives grants from 1% for the Planet and support from Mountain Safety Research for recycling fuel canisters. His hostel is well known and many others use Erratic Rock as a sustainable example for their own hostels to follow. In return for our help, Erratic Rock has supported my sister and I in trekking the Q-Circuit of Torres del Paine and continues to provide everything that the hostel has to offer including food, family, Spanish practice, and integration into the adventure loving community that is Erratic Rock.

ER crew on the once-every-2-month recycle container... trying to salvage some waste

After a few days of learning-the-ropes and meeting key people, Trisha and I headed off to Torres del Paine, along with a friend that we'd met at ER named Michael (who's from the french side of Switzerland). The bus ride to the park introduced us to varying Patagonian landscapes and its infamously strong winds (the day before, two buses carrying park going tourists tipped on their sides). We passed by caves where the ancient Milodon used to roam, watched huge condors surfing thermals, and saw hundreds of Guanacos (llama-type animal) foraging in the hills. After paying a park entry fee of about 36 USD, we continued busing through breathtaking landscapes on the park's gravel roads, through thousands of burned acres (last year a tourists destroyed a large section of the park when breaking the park rules and starting a fire off trail), and to our final bus stop called Administracion. From there the three of us began our 6 night, 7 day Q-Circuit; a demanding 100 mile backpacking trip around the Torres Del Paine land mass. Over the next 7 days, we hiked the "tail", the crowded "W", the park's less-populated backside, and finished with an incredible pass overlooking one of Patagonia's most impressive glaciers. We endured 100+ km/hr winds, freezing rain, under-maintained, muddy, and steep trail, and scores of international tourists who knew little to nothing about backpacking. Trisha suffered more blisters than she had toes, but we were rewarded with incredible views of hanging glaciers, Patagonian forests, endless snow-capped peaks, wildlife, and a backpacking experience that can not be found anywhere else. Even though the three of us hiked monster miles, we made the best of every moment and even befriended many of the local "trabajadores" who maintain the parks refugios/campgrounds and who would eventually came to visit us at Erratic Rock during their time off. If anything, it was great to be back on the trail again and breath fresh alpine air.

But we were also eager to begin work at Erratic Rock, and as if our trek were just a dream, we found ourselves back in Puerto Natales with dirty clothes and tired bodies. Since our return, we've said farewell to our friend Michael (who I wish to climb with in Switzerland some day), and have grown accustomed to the hello-goodbey interactions that are the result of hostel life. My bedroom (called the Climber's Cave) is a pit-stop for like minded climbers and volunteers who all have a wanderlust for Patagonian adventure. Among other things we've taken on slack-lining, a new hobby that becomes addicting when the weather cooperates. Our co-worker Ruth (from Holland, and who just bought the slack-line) has been great company and has helped us tremendously in learning about how this hostel functions. I've also been knocking out old projects needing much attention including helping the town recycle a container full of cardboard, plastic, glass, and tins. The days are long (it doesn't get dark until about 11 pm) which makes for a lot of free time to study Spanish and read books. The nights give opportunity to meet people and befriend the local population population (including incredible guides who are eager to share information about the area and are patient enough to comprehend my broken Spanish).

Overall, Puerto Natales feels like a great place to spend an extended amount of time, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be here. As I'm writing this, the Earth is entering its 21st day of December, year 2012 but hopefully only good things will come of this special time, and I will be able to return to the mountains very soon!

1st day of trek in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

The team posing in front of Glacier Grey... magnificent

Clouds opened up 5 minutes before we got pissed on in the French Valley

Drying our gear after being pissed on with Torres in the background 

Sur, Centro, and Norte Torres in some mystic fog

Mate 

The amazing Glacier Grey

Lovely Buenos Aires!

Hola!

After a quick hop and a skip, Trisha and I landed in Buenos Aires to warm air, clear skies and the Spanish language. Flying introduces some perks when traveling; for example it hardly takes time to reach any destination in the world. However it also has its drawbacks. Flying in a pressurized tube next to hundreds of other random souls does not allow one to explore 'the places in between'. It can project your tired, groggy, and cranky human-self into a completely overwhelming (and sometimes hostile) environment. The taxi ride from the Airport to Buenos Aires was long and hot; and if I was a DMV instructor, I'd strip the licenses off half of all the motorists.

The first night was spent at the Palermo House Hostel, located in the "Palermo Soho" bario (neighborhood). Though the accommodation was your typical used-and-abused hostel with no toilet paper, cleanliness, or dignity, it was conveniently located and for only 14 dollars per night, we figured this place was perfect. Without warning, my measly language skills were put to the test. It was here where we caught up on some much needed rest, partook in a late night jam session, cooked our first meal in BA, met great people like the Porteno named Nico (who would later give us a tour of the city), and experienced my first bout of food poisoning! I left the jam sesh early to share some time with the window next to my bunk, sticking my head outside and vomiting a red soup of pasta and vegetables onto the rooftop below me. This continued until about 11am the next morning, when I could finally tolerate standing or walking without vomiting.

Lucila is a bad-ass Tango dancer! 

Cranky kitty standing on someone's mausoleum

Nico giving us a little history lesson

That afternoon we said "adios" to the Palermo House and and taxi'd to the Couch Surfing house located in the city center. Trisha found our new friend Matias on the Couch Surfing website who had very graciously invited us to stay and take over his house for the next 5 days. Matias greeted us at the bottom floor of his apartment building where we crammed into a small elevator and ascended to the 9th floor where he lived. Later that night we were picked up by a friend whom I had met in New Zealand back in 2008. We've kept in touch over the years, and right before my flight I messaged her that I was coming to her county (remembering that she lived in Buenos Aires). Lucila, dove us to the suburbs to a small dance studio to learn Tango! I won't get into detail, but it was a fantastic experience. The 8 other students were already far more advanced than Trisha and I, and because I've never danced Tango (and rarely dance in any formal way, ever) everybody was more than willing to take my hand and teach me the art. After tango we cruised to a local bar with live music and great atmosphere in Palermo Soho, tried BA's famous empenadas, had educational conversations with Lucila and her boyfriend Toto about life in Argentina, and finally returned home for a good night's rest.

Running low on local currency, we decided to start the next day by first exchanging our US dollars for Argentine pesos at a semi-sketch black market "bank". The 13 stop subte (BA's subway) ride provided an interesting experience in using BA's public transportation system. Its rundown look gave me the impression that train maintenance wasn't a priority. Subway tickets are only 0.5 US dollars (rates have apparently tripled over the past couple years) and during the week, the train was packed. After finding our stop and squeezing out of the train, we found the bank where Trisha's x-roommate suggested we used to exchange money. Guarded with two security personnel and glossy windows, we waited in line until we were directed to enter a small closet room where a man behind more glass was waiting for business. Argentina's legal exchange rate is about 4.75 pesos to 1 USD. This guy gave us 6.3 pesos to 1 USD, giving us a huge advantage. We then taxi'd back to check out a very luxurious graveyard near the city center (where Evita Peron of Argentina is buried). After arriving back to Matias' house, we met up with Nico (from the hostel, who happens to have studied tourism) who gave us a walking tour of BA's "Obelisk" and La Casa Rosa (where the president works), breaking mid-tour to drink cafe con leche and eat a delicious snack called Alfajores. After the tour, we ventured back to Matias' flat to have some drinks. It wasn't until 3am 'till we left to watch some live music as this secretive, smoky venue called "Plasma" hidden in the unique San Telmo neighborhood.

Our host Matias eating in La Boca

View from the 9th floor

We woke up that afternoon, and started off on another walking tour given this time by Matias himself. From the city center, we walked to three different neighborhoods (San Telmo, La Boca-busing to and from to avoid dangerous parts, and Puerto Madero), eating 'media luna' croissants in between. The bus taking us to La Boca, the most dangerous neighborhood in BA, dropped us off far from its touristy street with colorful buildings. We ended up walking about 1 mile through sketchy turf where muggings are inevitable, our local guide Matias was even on high alert as young children lit off fireworks around us. Eventually we made it through unscathed! It turned out that I was more interested and entertained by La Boca's sketchy streets than the main tourist drag. Our lunch consisted of a large T-bone steak sandwiched in between two loafs of bread; making walk home very difficult with a stomach full of cow.

Today was a good day to be lazy. We spent most of the day relaxing and napping in Matias' flat and went out for a Pizza dinner (consisting of cheese, onions and a sprinkle of bread). Off to El Calafate, and Patagonia tomorrow!

T-bone sandwich

El Obilesk, the figurative center of Buenos Aires

Mmmmmm, Alfajores...