A safe place to sleep?

After a glorious time camping around El Chalten, it was time to make the first of what I am sure will be many long haul bus rides here in South America. For the trip from El Chalten to Bariloche, I decided to go along the historic Ruta 40 which is Argentina's version of our Route 66. Normally a 30 hour ride over roads mostly of gravel, my bus would stop for a night in Perito Moreno dividing the ride almost in half.

At the end of an actually enjoyable day 1, we ended up in Perito Moreno around 10pm and had to find a place to stay for the night. Though most had pre-booked a room, there were five of us trying to decide whether to camp somewhere or find a cheap hostel. Alas, a search was not needed as a little Argentinian man (Raul)with a flashlight was offering to take us to his place where we could stay in a cabina for 10 pesos a night. With 5 of us there (for safety) and a price of just over three dollars, it seemed like a no-brainer. So, off went the five of us - a young Ukranian guy traveling through South America with only a small handbag, a 66 year old environmental journalism professor from Maine, a tree counter (that's actually his job) from California with dreadlocks longer than Raul, an American med student and myself.

Who would have thunk it? This ¨cabina¨was actually a round, orange and white bomb shelter that Raul had acquired from the local airport. Probably the coolest and, dare I say, safest place I've ever stayed for $3 a night!

El Chalten, Argentina - Mount Fitzroy

While visiting Southern Patagonia, a must see after Torres del Paine are the majestic snowcapped peaks of the Fitz Roy range. These views are accessed through the tiny, yet rapidly expanding, town of El Chalten. There are no paved roads here and the town basically shuts down once winter comes and the tourists have all fled for warmer climes. All of the park's trails begin right in town so there is no hassling with buses or taxis - just get out and walk. I met four Spanish girls on the bus ride to El Chalten and spent a couple days with them before camping and hiking with various other folks from around the globe. Despite some mice that inhabited one of the campsites, I absolutely loved this park's vibe and hated to leave. It is scary to think what this tiny little hamlet of a town will look like in ten years - glad I saw it when I did.

El Calafate - Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate is another touristy town in Patagonia Argentina filled with fancy chocolate shops, clothing boutiques and a casino that actually charges admission just so you can get inside and lose your money gambling. Needless to stay, this has not been my favorite stop here in South America. There is one really amazing site here, however, and that is the 60 meter high Perito Moreno glacier which is spectacular enough to look at, but made even more incredible as it is constantly shedding huge chunks of itself thunderously into the freezing waters below. It is a live show that hundreds of tourists a day fork over their pesos to witness. I did encounter this budding photographer as well which was pretty neat.

Into Patagonia... Torres del Paine

After such an unbelievable start to this trip in Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica, it was hard to imagine that it can get any better. And I hadn't even gotten to one of the biggest reasons I chose to come to South America...Parque National Torres del Paine.

Torres is a park in the Patagonia region of Chile that is world renowned for its incredible trekking - hiking and camping.

After making final preparations in the Puerto Natales, I hopped on a bus with a backpack that contained 27 kilos (about 60 pounds) of food and camp gear (stove, tent, sleeping bag, etc) that could sustain me for 10 days out in the park. The first couple days were tough as my body adjusted from sitting on a boat eating all day to lugging my pack over mountain passes, but I eventually got into a groove and felt stronger as the days went on. And as the pack lightened with every meal I ate. Those meals generally consisted of oatmeal with dried fruit and coffee for breakfast, cheese, salami and bread for lunch and some sort of pasta for dinner. Cookies and granola bars filled in holes throughout the days and spices (salt, sugar, garlic, oregano, chili. etc) were the key to keeping things tasty.

At the first camp, I met three other solo travelers (out of 8 total people) and we informally formed a group that I ended up hanging out with for the rest of the trek. Tatiana (Australia), Benny (Paris) and Bill (Canada) all with their own unique stories proved great company over what turned out to be 7 more days in the park. We also spent a lot of time at each camp with a Belgium couple and a Swiss couple. Near the end of the trip, I even met two Anglophonic Quebeccers...who knew?
It was great to be around so many folks with a passion for the outdoors! Patagonian weather, famed for its potential ferocity and complete lack of dependability, actually treated us quite well. Aside from a few moments of crazy (40-50 mph) winds, some cold nights and a little sunrise snowstorm, mother nature allowed for a calm 8 day hike through the park. The highlights were too many to mention and the pictures, again, will surely fail to capture the beauty that was experienced, but needless to say, Torres del Paine did not disappoint.