Walking with the Penguins

My timing is good! It happens to be penguin season in Patagonia right now.

A two-hour boat ride from Punta Arenas takes you to Isla Magdalena where thousands of penguins come to breed. When the boat pulls into the island, you are free to roam the 210 acres and take as many pictures as you like, which I did.I have many, many photos of the black and white feathered creatures.

You'd think that after a while, snapping pictures of penguins would get boring...tell that to the boatload of tourists with their SLRs, all vying for the perfect shot. It's fun to pretend you're a wildlife photographer...besides penguins are so cute!



There are hundreds of thousands of Magellanic penguins on the island. The sheer numbers are astounding. The penguins walk right along side of you--they get so close, and they aren't camera shy. One of the penguins started trying to eat some guy's pants. We all took pictures of that too.

The baby penguins are the ones that still haven't shed their feathers. They're so adorable! Until they've completely shed their feathers, they are dependent on the adult penguins who have to fish for them.



I have too many pictures of penguins!

The Edge of the World

I hopped a flight to Punta Arenas--the final frontier in Chile, and quite literally the edge of the world (not counting Ushuia in Argentina). I was going to do the bus thing, but I opted to fly, seeing as it would take days criss-crossing between Chile and Argentina since there are no direct roads. The other option was the Navimag, which is three days of sailing and sounded like fun, but in the interest of time and budget, flying was the best bet.

Punta Arenas is the southern most populated town in Chile. It's beautiful in its own way, but quiet and desolate. I took a walk around the boardwalk that they are constructing. It really will be something special when it's done.

It stays light outside until 11 PM this far south, and the horizon seems to go on forever. I have never seen such beautiful skies (without Photoshop)...maybe it has to do with the latitude, but the clouds are incredible here!

Puerto Montt

From Chile

Puerto Montt is port city--think Long Beach, but slightly dirtier and with a German influence. I wasn't expecting a lot from Puerto Montt because it's really just a gateway for Patagonia, and I knew before my arrival that there wasn't going to be a whole lot to do.

I couldn't get an online reservation for a hostel (the only places left were overpriced private rooms), so I decided to just wing it. I hopped off the bus, got my bearings, and found a lady who owned a hospedaje. I did end up getting a very nice private room--and one that fit my budget.

I spent two days in Puerto Montt wandering the city and found it to be kind of charming. Sure, it was different from Pucon, but I got to interact more with locals. I listened to street music, bought some hippie jewerly, did laundry for the first time in two weeks, and tried to get a feel for the city.

I also met Ivan, a local artisan who does amazing work with leather. He makes these intricate works of art by burning pictures into leather and wood. We had a nice conversation in Spanish. It was weird--he mentioned something about sangre (blood) that I couldn't quite understand, until I realized it was his roundabout way of asking what my hertitage was.

From Chile

In Chile, most of the other travelers I meet think I'm Canadian, and the Chileans think I'm Japanese. And sometimes I just roll with it...The security guard had the biggest smile on his face when he greeted me with, "Konnichiwa!" Anyway, I learned a lot about what it's like living so close to the end of the world from Ivan. He told me about his life, and I told him some things about California. He made me a little leather keychain with my name carved in it as a gift to remember him by.

From Chile

Puerto Montt is also the place where I've had the best meal in Chile--a superbly prepared salmon cerviche (and it was only $5 USD). It was delicious! Other than that, the food here in Chile hasn't been all that special (apart from the fresh fruit juices). I'm holding out for Argentina.

Ziplining

From Chile

If you have a taste for adventure, Pucon really does have it all. I've always wanted to go ziplining, and decided for my last day in Pucon, I'd give it a try. We took a bus through the mountains to a small lodge where they outfitted us with harnesses, helmets, and a carbiner device that connects to the cable.

All the instructions they gave us (including the safety talk) were in Spanish. The canopy operators only knew a few words in English, and enough about American politics to smile and say, "Arnold Schwartzeneger," when I told them I was from California.

After a few questions, we were ready to take off. The first canopy is a short little test. There, you get to test your stopping and slowing down ability--basically you pull on the cable gradually with your rear arm to slow down so you won't hit the tree (it's like a breaking system).

Then we moved on to the giant ziplines. I don't remember how many meters it was, but the ride was long, going from one mountain to the next. I could feel the wind violently blowing in my face, and see the the picturesque mountain and valleys below. After that, we got to ride six more cables. They set up a whole course up there. My only regret is that I wish they had let us try it upside down.

Canyoning in Pucon

From Chile

After the volcano climb was postponed due to the early morning showers, Martin and I decided to go canyoning. It was six hours of rappelling down waterfalls, trekking through canyons, and river crossings.

Rappelling down a waterfall is actually not as exciting as it sounds...you use a basic descent device, a harness, rope, carabiner, and let yourself down. There's not that much too it. I think I prefer going up.

The real treat was in the trekking. The scenery alone made it worth it. The canyons were so green and lush. It looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings. They equipped us with wetsuits and water shoes so we were able to just slosh through the river and climb around in the amazing canyons.

Climbing Volcan Villarica

From Chile

After Panama, I wasn't sure if I wanted to climb another volcano...because although the view at the top was great, it was hard--the excruciating kind of hard that you don't appreciate until later. But climbing the volcano seems like the thing to do here in Pucon. Every adventure outfit in town has volcano trips that leave early morning. The prices were variable, so we shopped around for the best one.

Tseela already signed up with some of her Israeli friends. They came to our hostel to tell us about the great price they found, $35.000 CLP ($10.000 cheaper than most of the other places). We went to check it out and decided to sign-up as well. Nature Adventures is an Israeli-run hostel/adventure outfit. The people there are so nice, and Martin and I didn't really mind that we were the only non-Israelis in the group. Although we joked that in the event we were stranded on the mountain, we would probably be the first to be eaten, being so outnumbered. They fitted us for snow-trekking boots and packs and told us to come back at 6:45 AM.

We were disheartened to learn the weather forecast for the next day called for rain. The weather here can change so quickly. The day before it was sunny with clear blue skies. Our trip was postponed until the next morning.

The next day we did the early morning wake up again, but we were better prepared and actually had time for breakfast. It was beautiful weather again with clear blue skies.

The adventure outlet already had our sizing from the day before and we were fitted with boots, waterproof pants, and gaiters. They gave us pants with a waterproof jacket, crampons, a weird butt pad thing, gloves, a helmet, and an ice axe.

There were 12 of us in the group--with everyone speaking a weird mix of Spanish, Hebrew and English. We had three guides with us, and Claudio, the head guide, was all business.

There were no unscheduled breaks, no stopping or slowing of the pace, we all had to keep in formation. He was serious about getting us to the top. The steep climb and falling rocks make for a potentially hazardous climb, but he assured us if we followed his instructions and used our tools properly (ice axe, crampons, and helmet) we would all make it to the top.

If anyone started slowing down and the line started to stagger, he would make the person stand to the side, and radio to the other guide, who was bringing up the rear with the slower group.

Our original group of 12 was staggered by the halfway point. Two people ended up going back with one guide. The slower group and faster group had five each. It was unusual having a guide who was so strict, but it was clear that Claudio knew exactly what he was doing. I felt really safe compared to some of the other groups with other guides who looked like they were just wandering the mountain. Snow and ice really aren't my element, so it was good to feel confident in Claudio

The climb was hard, but not as hard as the Panama one. I was directly behind the guide the whole way up, so it was just a matter of keeping step. I found that about halfway up, I hit my stride and got my second wind. Wearing crampons was kind of cool, and so was wielding an ice axe.

From Chile

We did make it up the volcano at exactly the time Claudio said we would due to his strict scheduling, and it was completely worth it. The views were beyond amazing. We could see smoke coming out from the opening, and the top of the volcano had an otherworldly look to it.  The patches of snow mixed with the volcanic texture and made the curved surface look almost alien.


Going down was a lot more fun than going up. On the snowy parts, we got to go butt sliding, which I guess is the reason for that butt pad thing in our packs. We put on the rest of the clothing in our bags that was unused until this point, and followed our guides to the sliding areas. There were seven or eight slides going down. The very first one was the best. It was carved out like a tunnel/slide, and it felt like riding the Matterhorn without a bobsled.

From Chile

Pucon

From Chile

I knew right when I got off of the bus that I was going to like Pucon. Santiago was an okay city. I loved the subway system and ease of getting around, but in the end, a city is just a city like every other city.

Pucon is a mountain town in the Chilean Lake district. The landscape is dramatically different and the smog-free air has that fresh mountain scent. It reminded me of Boquete, but slightly larger. The big volcano in the picture is the backdrop for the town, and no matter where you are, you can always spot it.

I met Tseela (from Israel) and Martin (from England) at the hostel, and the three of us hit it off from the beginning. Tseela and Martin are both software engineers. Martin has been to almost every country on earth...okay, well a lot of countries. He's been to all seven continents, but still has more to explore. I guess if you have that travel bug in you, it never really goes away.

After walking around town, we went for a swim in the volcanic lake. The beach is really rocky and the lake water is frigid, but clear--perfect for a swim in the mid-afternoon heat.

Martin and I spent the afternoon playing in the water, and enjoying the reprieve from the intense sun. I learned that he loves to scuba, and that he's an extensive traveler. His pattern is something like this: work continuously for a year to a year and a half and take four to six months off to explore someplace new. You would kind of think by now, after all that traveling, nothing would be able to impress him anymore. But then, when splashing around in the lake, we were both equally in awe of our surroundings, so I guess it never gets old. You can see a million beautiful things, and not lose that sense of wonder. I hope I never do...

Wine and Cricket

From Chile

I met Natalie (from San Francisco) and Aaron (from England) over a spaghetti dinner at the hostel. We spent the night sharing stories, travel talk, and getting to know each other over wine and spaghetti.

Natalie works for a non-profit environmental organization in SF, and was doing the same circuit as me in-reverse over 7 weeks. Aaron's trip is a bit longer; he doesn't even have a predetermined return date. He spent some time in Asia and is now in South America. He was the inventory manager for Jaguar--just decided it was not fulfilling and quit one day, then hopped a flight to Asia.

I decided to share the bottle I bought from Concha y Toro because the idea of traveling with it for any more days wasn't all that appealing. It had only made it 48 hours. I ended up ditching the souvineer glass too, and donated it to the hostel kitchen after I used it. No more unnecessary baggage--I'll save my souvenir shopping for the end of the trip--lesson learned.

From Chile

Anyway, there is a crickett cage in our hostel! Natalie and I convinced the English guy (Aaron) to teach us the basic rules so we could try it out because Americans don't know anything about cricket except that it's kind of like baseball. There's still a lot of the game that doesn't make sense to us. I think Aaron got tired of us making references to baseball as he tried to explain, but we still had a lot of fun.

The good, the bad, and the dirty

It's been 14 days and six different hostels to date (not counting the overnight in the Lima airport). None of the places I've stayed in have lacked character, but some of them have been a bit grungy, some have been fantastic, and everything in between.

El Yoyo hostel in Valparaiso was in a run-down old building. One of the Cal Poly engineers from my room pointed out that the walls in our dorm weren't even built at right angles. He was right. Everything was kind of slanted. I liked the quirkiness, even if the bathrooms were a little rustic. To get hot water we had to light a match to spark a fuse for the gas tank. It wasn't the cleanest of hostels...and my bed sort of slumped, but for some reason I had the best nights' sleep. I didn't even hear the guitar playing and off-key singing at 4am that kept my roommates up. They told me at breakfast they wanted to break the guy's guitar.

From Chile

In contrast, La Casa Roja was like the Shangri La of all hostels. It's definitely the nicest hostel I've ever stayed in. They transformed it from a 19th century old colonial mansion, and most of the original detail and architecture has been preserved. My room was an 8-bunk dormitory, but it still felt incredibly spacious with its cathedral ceilings and well-placed furniture. There were a lot of common areas in this hostel, and big courtyards in the middle of the massive mansion. This hostel even had a pool with a swim up bar! I spent most of the day hanging out in the pool playing beach volleyball with Eddie, the Australian guy. We traded stories from home, and got sunburned in the pool.

From Chile

This hostel seemed to think of everything including an ipod docking station. And I had the best shower in two weeks!

My least favorite hostel so far was Luz Azul in Santiago. The common areas are very nice, but it reminded me of the first night backpacking in Barcelona. The bunk beds are stacked high, almost to the ceiling, and they cram 14 bunks into one room. I had one of the top bunks. People kept coming and going at weird times in the middle of the night, and with 14 people in one room it was hard to get any sleep. Plus sometime around 4am, a girl and a guy staying in the room decided to have loud sex on the bunk below me. Not only could I hear everything, but I could feel the bed violently rocking back and forth. And coincidentally, it's the same thing that happened to Chrissy on the top bunk in the Barcelona hostel. It's gotta be at least a little awkward doing it in plain sight with 12 other people in the same room. Try sleeping through that!

So far, the hostels have been a mixed bag--some good, some not so good, and some rustic. The dirtiness and less than ideal bathroom situations don't bother me as long as I have a clean bed to sleep in. I can deal with the showers that operate only at two temperatures: freezing cold and scalding hot. I can put up with the dorm rooms that sometimes smell like wet socks (travelers are dirty). I do, however, have a strong preference for the bottom bunk.

Climbing in Cajon Del Maipo

From Chile

Cajon Del Maipo is a camping/recreational area set in the mountains an hour outside Santiago. I spent the entire day hiking and climbing. There are some really good routes for leading and top roping.

The scenery reminds me a lot of Malibu Creek back home. It's kind of strange to be so far away, and see scenery that looks kind of the same.

I met Luigi and Sasha, an Italian guy and Ukrainian girl, who are studying in L.A. They were both really good climbers. Even in the intense heat, we were able to get in some pretty good routes. I love that the sun doesn't go down until 9 o'clock here. It means there is that much more daylight, and more time to climb!

Indian Concert

As I sat on the floor of the yoga studio waiting for the Indian concert to begin, what am I doing here, was a thought that crossed my mind more than a couple of times.

An indian concert in Chile?! There are stranger things...I guess...

From Chile

I wasn't really sure what was going to happen, then the music started. With an audience of about 80 people, we all sat sprawled out on the floors and spilling out into the backyard, burning incense, and listening to classical music from Northern India.

They played a bunch of instruments that I didn't know, but the rhythm was enchanting. It was intensely spiritual and awesomely weird.

From Chile

Concha y Toro

From Chile

Wine tasting in Chile is a must. Wine is now one of the country's largest exports, and you can always find plenty of the good stuff in the markets and botellarias, or you can go straight to the source and do some tasting at the vineyards.

From Chile

Concha y Toro is a beautiful vineyard about an hour away from Santiago. There are fliers in just about every hostel offering packages to Concha y Toro, or you can try to navigate your way there by public transporation.

The $7.000 CLP admission includes a guided tour in English or Spanish, two tastings, and a souvineer glass. The tour was really informative. We learned about the history of the vineyard, saw the gorgeous mansion with French architecture and 22 rooms, the immense gardens, the acres of grapes, and the cellar with barrels and barrels of fine wine.

From Chile

We tasted a sweet white wine and a rich red wine. It was really good...although I really don't know anything about wines, and I probably can't tell the difference between the boxed wine and the expensive stuff.

From Chile

Still, I was so impressed that I decided to buy a bottle home for a gift. How I will fit it in my backpack and travel with it for the next 6 and a half weeks...I still don't know...we'll see if it makes it back home...