Chile

We had been forewarned that this day would be a long day of driving to cross into Chile. It is 2 hours until the next toilet stop/town (but it had a cute cat!). Then another 2 hours to the border with Chile. We were to expect about an hour of formalities to cross the border. Once in Chile, Jorge from NatHab joined the tour

And we had another hour of driving to EcoCamp.

Once in Chile, the wind really became a factor. And we were told to that Chile is known for its wildlife. Just driving from the border to EcoCamp, this proved to be true.  We saw Rea, Chile’s version of an ostrich.  These guys were about 3 feet tall:

Guanaco – a relative of the llama.  They were everywhere in both large and small herds.

And who knew Chile had flamingos of their very own!

We saw this herd of sheep, and while not wild animals, they did attract a Puma.  Pumas are very elusive and there were several photographers nearby who thought they saw a glimpse of one on the hillside, overlooking the sheep.

EcoCamp was really wonderful.   We had a dome suite and it was very luxurious. It reminded me of our bushcamp accommodations in Zambia. Our suggested packing list had mentioned warm sleepwear while there, but the staff lit our woodstove and started our propane heater in the bathroom while we were at dinner. Our dome at night really got too warm. We would end up lighting the woodstove in the afternoon and request the staff to not leave it be.

On our first day in Chile, Zapa stated we were reversing the order of our days there because of weather. He wanted us to do the more scenic hike and stops on the first day, as it was predicted to be clear.

Clear it was and we started out before dawn. We had a hike set so we would see the sunrise as we approached the lake with views of the mountains on the other side.

But the wind was howling. So much so that when we arrived at the start-point and Zapa went outside to check out the conditions, decided we should just drive to the lake. The wind was blowing so hard that our van was shaking and pebbles would pelt you when you walked. It would not be pleasant. Camera gear would be at risk.

So we drove to the lake.

The wind wasn’t as bad there. We hiked a short distance to a lookout point with incredible views of the lakes and mountains. The wind was fierce at the lookout and I joined returned to Fred at his vantage point. It was right on the lake and not far from the van and picnic area. It was very sheltered from the wind and both of us got shots of the “horns” of Torres del Paine in the pinkish glow of sunrise.

We all gathered together for a box-breakfast. Not great, but a Caracara came very close for all of us to take pictures.

We took in a couple of photo-stops and one of them was Salto Grande Waterfall. It was blowing a gale – literally! You leaned into the wind getting there and held on to the railings to get the photo of the waterfall. I thought walking back would be easier because the wind was behind you.

Not so. Gusts were so strong if you didn’t sit down you fell down. I remember Sylvia’s sunglasses flying off into the distance because she turned her head to hold onto Bob. Jorge estimated the gusts to be about 80mph.  So please appreciate this photo!  I was hanging onto the railing to get it.

However,  it was comfortably warm. We had bundled up because we were told it would be freezing cold. We all stripped off our thermals once back at the van/bus. We were all on our honor system not to look.

We travelled to a couple of other viewpoints and took photos. One of them was on top of some cliffs and we had great views of the area.  A falcon soared overhead.

We also passed by a herd of Guanacos that seemed to be posing for pictures:

It may have been this day that Fred spotted a Puma on the hills looking over the herd of sheep. I only caught a glimpse of him in the far distance as he darted out of sight.

The next day, we were informed to be ready at 8am to head out to a hike. Zapa knocked on our dome door and said weather conditions were unsettled and the new start-time was 9am. I should have interpreted this to mean wear extra layers – but I didn’t.

We drove out to a saddle and told we were starting our hike and it would be about 3 or 3.5 hours. It was cold and windy and visibility was nil. I had fewer layers on than the day before. Once outside of the van, felt like a turtle retreating into its shell as I scrunched my neck lower and lower into my jacket.

I really didn’t see the point to this hike and it was then that I led a mutiny.

I asked if it was an option to get back into the van and go back to the lodge. Zapa said we could, or we could go with the (non-English speaking) driver around to other viewpoints. 5 out of 8 of us opted out of the hike. Only one (Glen) decided to continue with the driver – although he had to wait for (undisclosed reason) over an hour once back at the lodge.

This was a wasted day/opportunity. I really thought that there could have been a more protected hike planned in the forest and something other than landscape photography could have been the focus. But whatever… I got some photos around camp that I’m happy with and read a good book.

The Adventure Continues>>>