So we went to Glacier Perito Moreno in Argentina’s Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Unfortunately it was pouring rain, really cold, and visibility was low. Not much to say about that, but it was still impressive.
But here are some photos:
Here’s where we were:
(Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina)
Seeing Patagonia was a lifelong dream of Eric’s so, while it’s a trek from the other places we’ve visited (or anywhere, really), it was a priority when planning our trip.
The region of Patagonia is split between Chile and Argentina, and we wanted to see some of each country’s piece. First up was Torres del Paine, a national park way, way south in Chile. To get there, you have to fly into Punta Arenas, the capital city of the country’s southernmost region, which includes territory in Antarctica (who knew!). While it seems like a sleepy fishing village, Punta Arenas is an important hub for the whole region. We spent two days enjoying local king crab and colorful, late-night sunsets before heading into the park.
One of the main activities in Torres del Paine is a five-day hike called “The W Trek,” named for its shape. The park is well maintained with clear trails and an extensive refugio system similar to the huts in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Each refugio consists of a few bunk rooms, bathroom facilities and a cafeteria. Many of them also have adjoining campsites, which is where we stayed for two nights, splurging on the third for a private cabin for New Years Eve. Due to limited time and a three-day trekking max imposed by Laura after Machu Picchu , we opted to hike more of a backwards L instead of the whole W.
We started our trip at Refugio Torres, after spending much of the day on buses. We were pleasantly surprised to find our rented tent, sleeping bags, and mats already set up, and the nearby refugio complete with a bar. Since we opted for full board, we didn’t have to carry food. The communal dining provided the opportunity to talk to other hikers and compare routes and travel stories. Here, we met a father-daughter pair from Seattle who were trekking a similar route. They were incredibly friendly and warmly welcomed us to each subsequent refugio (they hiked fast!). After dinner and a couple of locally brewed Austral beers we hunkered down for our first night in the park with beneath its snowcapped mountains.
The next morning, we sadly woke up to wind and rain. Lots of it. We forged ahead in spite of the weather and started hiking after a hearty breakfast in the refugio. The trail was mostly uphill, nothing compared to Salkantay, but still challenging in the wet and cold. The plan was to reach our campsite at Refugio Chileno, take a lunch break and then ascend the really steep part to see the park’s namesake: the Torres del Paine.
Since we were sopping wet and a bit beat, we decided to hunker down inside and hope for the weather to pass. The Torres del Paine are impressive granite towers formed by glaciers, and really hard to get a glimpse of when heavy clouds settle in. Once we got dry and the rain seemed to be letting up, we went for it. Unfortunately, we never got a full view of the towers from the lookout point at their base, but the misty view was still beautiful. We would later see them clearly from Chileno. Check out the time lapse below. The towers appear at about 15 seconds:
We also saw a condor.
The next day, New Years Eve, was incredible. It included the most beautiful hiking either of us had ever experienced. Not too much up or down, fairly flat along a ridgeline next to Lago Nordenskjöld. It was a perfectly clear day, warm with a slight breeze, full of views for miles of lakes, glaciers, and snowcaps the entire time. We agreed that this area was by far the most beautiful we’ve ever seen. Patagonia is often described as otherworldly. These descriptions seem entirely accurate. The combination of the terrain, light, and flora combine for a special… something. It was almost enough to distract us from the six hours of hiking we were facing.
We even saw a cool hawk and some potentially wild horses.
We finished the long day at Refugio Los Cuernos where we splurged for the private cabin. Since it’s the middle point on the W, this refugio tends to back up with folks coming from either direction. Normally this might be a bit much, but given it was New Year’s Eve we welcomed the party vibe and opportunity to celebrate with hikers from all over the world over a generous, meaty buffet dinner. We met a group from the States, drank the handmade bottle of wine we had been hiking with, and watched an incredible sunset, which lasted until almost midnight on the dot. Take a look:
We crashed right after probably at around 12:15. All in all, it was the perfect way to ring in the new year.
On our last day in the park we hiked out to catch a catamaran across Lago Pehoe to meet a bus which would bring us back to Puerto Natales. We witnessed some of the devastating aftermath of the 2011 fire. Torres del Paine has unfortunately been the victim of a few fires caused by careless hikers. Park administrators work hard to educate visitors on prevention, but for us, seeing the long-term damage was as moving a lesson as any.
We spent a couple days in the town of Puerto Natales which is windswept and beautiful with pastel-colored corrugated metal homes, knotty wooden furniture, and geared-out tourists all over the place. The bay front, mountainside views were stunning.
Next up is El Calafate and El Chalten where we experience the Argentine side of Patagonia.
Here’s where we were:
(Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile)
A must-hit vacation spot for Santiaguenos and tourists alike, Valparaíso is a port city with steamy weather, colonial plazas and pastel houses that clash wonderfully with the neon, modern street art all over. The main attraction is the “ascensores,” cable car-like elevators from sea level to the various hilltop neighborhoods. Since we happened to be here on Christmas Eve, many of the museums and Victorian-era houses were closed, but it was pretty enough to just walk around.
For Christmas we met up with a former camper of Eric’s whose been teaching English in Chile. The family of one of her students invited her to use their beach apartment in Reñaca for the holidays and when she realized it had four bedrooms, she invited us to come along! Cliff-hanging beach towns Viña del Mar, Reñaca and Con-Con all run into each other. The look is sort of like Malibu, with luxury condos and glass-front boxy apartments crawling up the hills from the shoreline.
All in all, it was a great substitute for our traditional movies and Chinese food Jewish Christmas.
Here’s where we were:
(Valparaíso, Chile)
It’s hard to put in to words what a special experience we had at the Polkura vineyard. We were incredibly lucky to have been invited here by the owner; a coworker and friend of our good friend Nathan. Without ever meeting us, he invited us to stay in a cabin in the middle of the vineyard. We drove in late at night in a teeny rental car and a rainstorm, so the first morning’s view of vine-striped hills was more than we expected.
Polkura is a small vineyard, located in Marchihüe, part of the Colchagua Valley, which specializes in delicious Syrah. The owners Sven and Gonzalo care deeply about the environment on which they are situated, as well as the process by which they create their wine. (Check out Movi, a collective of small growers and vintners).
The assistant wine maker, Claudio, and Christian, the grounds manager, graciously taught us about every aspect of wine making. We saw the incredible detail that goes in to each bottle of Polkura, from the soil and weather conditions, to the type of cork that is used, the age and origin of the barrels and innumerable chemical steps we didn’t entirely comprehend. We helped put stickers on bottles and pack cases for an order being shipped to Brazil, and even spent an afternoon helping tend to the vines.
We were able to taste Polkura’s varieties in each stage: with a siphon from an oak barrel, a nozzle straight out of the tank, and, of course, we drank a bottle or three. Claudio and Christian took us to visit a local grape grower who had recently started making his own wine in small batches, entirely by hand. He showed us the old-style mechanical crank he uses to squish the grapes, and explained how he bottles it all alone (a pulley to lift the barrel, and a funnel to pour it in). His cabernet went down well at 1:00 pm and provided the right amount of fuel for an indulgent afternoon nap.
The Colchagua Valley is home to some of Chile’s most famous vineyards including Concha y Toro and Montes, which you’ve probably had in the States. Vineyard stays and expensive afternoon tours make up the tourism industry there, but we decided to skip the pre-packaged, behind-the-glass introduction after we had such an up-close and personal one.
Aside from our personal Winemaking 101, we were treated like part of the Polkura family. Christian invited us to dinner with his family where he grilled a generous variety of steak, pork, and Eric’s new favorite “Choripan.” We shared the cabin, and a lot of wine, with Claudio, who told us a little more about life in Chile, running a vineyard, and his dream to one day have his own. We were honored to be included in all of this, and can only hope to show some of the Polkura folks a little hospitality in our home some day.
Here’s where we were:
(Polkura Vineyard, Marchigüe, Chile)