A little bit of Polynesia

After the worst bus journey of the trip so far (overnight to Santiago with a stomach virus that saw me unable to keep down food or water for 24 hours) and a full day and night in bed missing out on the beautiful weather in Chile's capital, we boarded a plane bound for the tiny island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island or Isla de Pascua) in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. Rapa Nui is an overseas territory of Chile and besides Spanish being the main language, we couldn't have felt further away from South America. Famous for its large monumental statues called Moai, Rapa Nui is a world heritage site which entices people with its mysterious history and culture.

We flew in from Santiago (a 5 hour flight) landing at night on the tiny airstrip which literally spans the width of one end of the island - coming in very low over the water to touch down and being only metres from the ocean on the opposite side of the island when the plane finally slows down enough to turn around. We were greeted by our hostel owner, Bicky, with flower garlands as we left the airport and treated to passion fruit cocktails when we got back to our cabins by the sea - a very good start to a relaxing few days.

The following morning and feeling much better, we rented a car for the day to explore the triangular island. Being only 24km long and 12km wide, we only needed a day to visit all of the major historical and picturesque sites. The weather was beautiful and choosing to opt out of the standard guided tours we managed to avoid all of the big groups as we visited the Moai around the island, getting them for the most part to ourselves. These strange guardians of the island stand for the most part facing in towards the island with their backs towards the sea, protecting the land and its people. Only a quarter of the statues carved were installed, while nearly half still remain in the quarry or Moai 'nursery' at Rano Raraku and the rest elsewhere on the island, probably on their way to their final locations.

One of the most impressive sights is the row of 15 Moai (the most standing together) which have been restored at Ahu Tongariki (Ahu being the stone platform on which the Moai are erected). All slightly different in size and detail they were re-erected between 1992 ad 1995 and stand in front of the quarry used to carve all of the Moai on the island.

After our first day's exploration we spent a further two days and three nights making the most of what the tiny island of Rapa Nui has to offer. We visited the picture perfect beach of Anakena, watched the entrancing Rapa Nui ballet (traditional polynesian dancing and music), enjoyed a traditional meal cooked in an umu (earth oven) where the food is buried under ground on top of hot coals and covered with banana leaves and I went horse riding.

We left in the island with shell necklaces presented to us by Bicky, our host, having had a wonderful time. Rapa Nui may be tiny and very remote, but it was well worth the effort to get there.

Pesca en Pucon!

After a long and very hot bus journey from Bariloche, Argentina, another border crossing and a few more stamps in our passports, we arrived in Pucon, Chile. With its reputation as the outdoor adventure capital of Chile we were not surprised to find the streets lined with agencies offering rafting, canyoning, hydro-speeding, kayaking, horse riding and the like. Having done our share of these, we were again really keen to do something a bit different (this is becoming a bit of a motto for our trip) and found ourselves negotiating a day of fishing on a nearby river. I must admit that I’ve never had a burning desire to learn to fish but was willing to give it a try and actually found myself strangely eager to don waders and get into the river for a fly fishing lesson. The agency owner managed to convince us that we should in fact try both fly fishing and ‘spinning’, which he told us was easier and much more likely to yield us a catch or two.

The next morning we were collected from our hostel and driven to the beautiful river outside town. Our fishing guide spoke very little english (“more line” and “stop” were about his limit) but rowed our boat or managed to keep us static in the fast flowing sections admirably. We began with ‘spinning’ which had a small, brightly coloured, plastic fish attached to the end of the line. With no finesse whatsoever, I unceremoniously dropped my plastic fish over the side of the boat and began to let out ‘more line, more line’ according to the guides instructions and within what must have been only 20 or 30 seconds I felt a tug on the line. “Fish, fish”, our guide assured me and told me to reel in the line and, sure enough, I’d managed to catch my first fish, a (very small) trout! Convinced that I had in fact had a fish attached to the hook before my line touched the water, Simon was less than impressed by my supreme fishing skills and I was beginning to think that I’d found a sport that I might be better than him at...I was indeed getting ahead of myself!

Over the next three hours Simon managed to catch five fish using both the spinning and fly fishing rods while I sat patiently with nothing but a couple of fruitless bites on the end of my line - that’ll teach me! Surprisingly I really enjoyed my first fishing expedition and although I’ll not be rushing out to buy a fishing licence on our return, I would definitely try it again.

The Navimag and the Lake District

After a few days in Torres del Paine National Park we embarked on a four night, three day ferry trip from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt on the Navimag ferry which winds its way through the Chilean fijords. This voyage is supposed to be one of the most beautiful ferry journeys and often the highlight of peoples trips. However, the Lonely Planet markets it as 'not a cruise' and with a shared dorm of 20 booked and advice on how much wine (plenty) we should take on board with us, it was with a little reservation that we boarded the Evangelistas on the Thursday evening. The Navimag ferry is essentially a cargo vessel that has been converted to accommodate the eager backpacker who is willing to pay. The utilitarian nature of the boat was apparent from the minute we set foot onto the vehicle loading bay where the lorries full of cows, sheep and horses sang out beneath our dorm. The journey itself was beautiful despite the drizzly weather but I found that having recently had the beautiful fijords of Whalesound all to ourselves and experiencing them by kayak had perhaps spoiled me a little. Cabin fever definitely took over by the third day and although we'd met some great people, the lack of space and confined dorms finally got to me. I was very happy, then, to arrive on Monday morning in Puerto Montt and step on to dry land.

From Puerto Montt (a large and not very pretty town) we'd decided to head straight to Puerto Varas, a smaller, prettier, alpinesque town set on the huge Lago Llanquihue and at the foot of Volcan Osorno. We stayed there for a couple of nights with a some friends we'd met on the ferry (Lou & Anna) and I got to go horse riding again. It didn't disappoint and we had a wonderful day riding (South American style) through dense forest and salmon rich rivers. Thanks girls for a fab day. On Wednesday we got a bus to Bariloche, Argentina - the chocolate capital of the country...very up my street! Again set on a large lake, Bariloche is a largish town with a reputation for great food, lively nightlife and good hiking. We didn't have long but enjoyed some walking, great steak, chocolate tasting, several hostels (don't ask) and a trip to a couple of the local hospitals (wait for our slot on Emergency 999!).

We are now in Pucon, Chile after a long and very hot bus ride yesterday (Saturday). The weather is beautiful, we're staying in a great hostel with a magnificent view of Volcan Villarrica and have had a relaxing day with a lie in and a leisurely stroll around town. There's lots on offer here in Pucon: rafting, canyoning, kayaking, volcano climbing etc But tomorrow we've booked ourselves in for a day of fishing (don't laugh), both fly and spinning? We've never tried it before and thought that this might be a good opportunity.

Tomorrow night we get an overnight bus to Santiago followed by a flight on Wednesday to Easter Island. I can't wait: Moai, sun, sea, sand, more horse riding and staying in one place (a pretty cabin with sea views) for four nights!

Torres del Paine en bicicleta

Having decided not to trek the traditional 'W' trek in Torres Del Paine National Park, we booked ourselves a 3 day, 2 night mountain biking/overland trip with Pablo of Sendero Aventura. We were exhausted when we arrived back in Puerto Natales on Sunday night after a long zodiac trip back from Whalesound to Punta Arenas followed by a 3 hour bus trip back to Puerto Natales (arriving at 11pm). However, we set off on Monday morning in the Land Rover (towing our mountain bikes on a trailer) with Pablo and another guide, Mariano to our first stop, the Milodon Cave. This cave is where Hermann Eberhard (in 1896) found preserved bits of skin belonging to an animal which is thought to be twice the size of a human and is now known as a Milodon. The largest cave is huge (30 metres in height) and very impressive. After visiting the large cave we got on our bikes and took a small, winding single track to the middle and small caves. Pablo and Mariano had organised everything brilliantly and thought of every last detail in the planning of the trip. Waiting for us at the entrance to the small cave, Mariano had set up a lunch stop complete with folding table and awning attached to the Land Rover and we enjoyed sandwiches and tea before moving on.

The trip had been designed so that we rode some sections, walked some sections and did some overlanding in the Land Rover (with it following behind as backup all the way). As one guide rode or walked with us, the other drove the Land Rover behind to the arranged meeting point or ahead to the campsite to set up for dinner. The trip was fantastic and we had a wonderful time. We rode small winding single track and old gravel roads (feeling every unused muscle in our out of shape bodies as we pushed against the notorious Patagonian wind!), walked a short (5km) section of the Sendero de Chile (an impressive trail stretching from the far north of Chile to the very south, a total of 9,700km of trekking paths) and took the Land Rover off-road to spectacular viewing points. We ate a home cooked lunch at a family run estancia and were treated to wonderful asado (barbeque) dinners and Chilean wine in the evenings. I was even reunited with the Trek 4300 - the same as my first mountain bike at home which was known lovingly as Tracy Trek. Deciding not to trek the 'W' made us a little worried that we may not get to see the spectacular torres (towers) that the park in so famous for. We needn't have worried though. The weather was very kind to us and the strong winds moved the clouds aside and uncovered the sun just in time for a spectacular view of the towers and the Paine Massif. We were treated to this beautiful view for two days as we made our way through the park and stopped at miradors and waterfalls, watched circling condors (and even one on the ground where we could appreciate how massive these birds are), saw the Grey Glacier and vivid blue icebergs on Lago Grey and finally made our way back to Puerto Natales. Again we returned tired but elated. Others will probably think that we missed out by not trekking the traditional routes to see the towers at sunrise in all their glory... perhaps we did. However, I've heard many a Patagonian trekker tell of their tough 4 day hike, a very early final morning getting to the viewing spot to wait for sunrise to find the towers covered in cloud only to descend the same way with the rain beating down and the wind blowing fiercely. We did it our way and enjoyed every minute, no regrets.

Whalesound...wow!

After leaving Ushuaia we made our way via Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. With two weeks before we get Navimag ferry to Puerto Montt we had some time to kill and no plans. It seems that most people on our Antarctic adventure had the same idea and we bumped into many of them in our first couple of days in Natales. We spent some time catching up on news from home (making the most of the fast internet connection), catching up with a friend here and trying to decide how to spend the next two weeks. After considerable deliberation we devised a plan. Rather than trek the traditional 'W' route through the park, we would go on a three day mountain bike tour through the park, camping on route (with a handy Landrover backup with guide just in case the hills get too steep, the rain too hard or the wind more ridiculous than normal!). I know that I'd said no to bikes of any kind on this trip but I've given in just this once (the truth being that I just don't want to do any more trekking at this point). We had also heard about a mysterious place/company called Whalesound based on a small island called Carlos III where you can go and watch humpback whales close up by boat or kayak. Simon and I had both been really keen to get some sea kayaking into our trip somewhere and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

With plans laid down we headed back to Punta Arenas and were collected from our hostel there by our Whalesound guides on Thursday morning (6th March). To be honest, the allure of whale watching from a kayak had us both so hooked that we didn't ask many questions about the logistics of the trip and therefore had absolutely no idea what to expect from one day or hour to the next. We were collected by a pick-up with a kayak strapped to the back and driven an hour out of town to a small beach where a large zodiac style boat was waiting for us. As the sun shone and I added layer upon layer to my now clown like body I began to wonder what sort of boat ride this would be. At the time I thought that the enormous survival suits and oil skins were a little over the top but I hadn't realised that a 5 hour zodiac ride to the camp lay ahead. A five hours in which we would end up soaked to the skin and very cold but one with an unimaginable treat at the end. As the camp came into view we spotted the first whale ahead (the distinctive blow of water rising from the surface of the water) and made our way towards it. As we got closer we saw that hundreds of sea lions and albatross were in the same area: the sea lions going crazy in the water, jumping and flipping themselves over and the birds circling low overhead. As the captain idled the engine we drifted towards the frenzy and found that two very large (about 16-17 metres in length) humpback whales were feeding at the surface causing the commotion. It was a spectacular sight, the whales circled and swam beneath our small zodiac occasionally exposing their heads and huge mouths as they fed and the sea lions put on the most amazing show of agility as the leapt out of the water. We floated amongst the chaos for about 20 minutes seemingly unnoticed and certainly causing no disturbance to the whales, thus afforded an opportunity to get within centimetres of these truly amazing creatures. This was just a taste of what was to come!

We arrived at camp wet and hungry but exhilarated by our zodiac ride and first close-up whale encounter, ready for the next 3 days. The camp consists of several white pod-like tents raised off the ground on stilted platforms and connected by raised wooden walkways. Inside our tent we had low wooden framed beds with thick mattresses, sleeping bags and fleece liners waiting for us and our bathroom, which was a few steps along the board walk, contained a glass sided shower overlooking the trees and bay beyond.

The few days we had at Whalesound were magical. We spent our days kayaking and zodiac cruising amongst the whales and sea lions and our evenings eating delicious food in a spot so remote that whales sleep just a few metres from the shore (so close that as you drift off to sleep at night or wake with the sun in the morning you can hear the lazy breathing of the massive creature in the bay below). It's hard to do the experience justice in this short blog entry (in person I'll do a much better job I hope) but for me it was far more than I'd imagined. We paddled our double kayak to within 10 metres of a humpback that was three times longer than us; we paddled to the front of a carving glacier as the ice dislodged into the fijord echoing off the surrounding mountains; we sat in our kayak as hundreds of sea lions played in the water around us, leaping and dancing just for fun and we accompanied the resident scientist as he attempted to collect skin biopsies for DNA testing of the humpback whales. As I said, there are not words to describe this adequately. Luckily for me, memories last forever.

Catching up…Chile to Argentina and a whole new continent on the horizon

Our overnight ‘cama’ bus from San Pedro to La Serena on the Chilean coast about two thirds of the way to Santiago was great. Tur Bus have excellent coaches and our seats were very comfortable. We had even managed to book the front seats on the top deck so we were treated with spectacular views of the countryside as we made our way south on the Pan American Highway which virtually hugs the coast as it winds it way between the sea and the Andes.

We arrived in La Serena at about 9.30 on the morning of Thursday 7th February and checked in at our hostal which was really lovely. Close to the bus station and only a short walk from the centre of town it had many rooms set around sunny courtyards with friendly staff and a really nice atmosphere. I really liked La Serena. It was quite a small town but very pretty and laid back. We only spent a couple of days there, wandering around town and down to the beach where we ate a meal on our last evening overlooking the sea. It was a very relaxing place to break our journey to Santiago.

On the morning of Saturday 9th Feb we caught yet another bus for the six hour journey to Santiago. During the day and with great views the journey wasn’t bad at all and before we knew it we were in a taxi on our way from the bus station to our hostel in Chile’s (very European looking) capital city. With only one afternoon to spend in Santiago on this visit (we are going back later in the trip) Simon was determined to visit the Patagonia clothing store (earlier in the trip he lost his lightweight down jacket and with a trip down south on the cards he needs something warm to wear) so we set out to find the out of town mall. After lots of head shaking from our hostel manager at the distance of the mall from central Santiago, we hopped on the subway to the end of the line and picked up a taxi there. It actually wasn’t too far and was well worth the visit. Those of you who know me well will be aware that two months of shopping deprivation is a very long time and this mall was certainly a great antidote. It was probably the best mall that we’ve ever been too, fantastic shops, great prices and beautifully landscaped. We indulged in a little retail therapy, Simon left a happy man having picked up a new down jacket and as we sat back in the sun sipping our Starbucks Frappuccinos I must admit that I felt a little restored! Our stay in Santiago was fleeting and I’m already looking forward to going back.

The next day (Sunday 10th) we flew from Santiago to Ushuaia in Argentina. Known locally as La Fin del Mundo (the end of the world), Ushuaia sits at the tip of Tierra del Fuego, an island to the south of Patagonia and is one of the most southerly settlements in the world. Along with it’s beautiful surrounding mountains, lakes and glaciers, Ushuaia is also the start and end to most Antarctic cruises. With the enormous cruise liners and smaller expedition style boats come many travellers and tourists needing places to stay, eat and drink (and also a whole heap of marine style souvenirs if today’s Princess Cruises disembarkees were anything to go by!). The town is actually quite a nice place to while away a few days which is just what we’ve been doing. After yet another bumpy approach and clap-worthy landing (you’ll get bored reading about them soon: I know you all think it’s just me but the woman behind me gasped louder than I did and even Simon was quiet as we tossed and turned in the turbulence and seemed to fall out of the sky as we hit thermal after thermal!) at the tiny airport in Ushuaia we got a taxi all of about a kilometre to our hostel which was situated just outside of the main town (about a 20 minute walk away). The hostel was great. Lovely rooms, clean bathrooms a kitchen so that we could cook for ourselves and really helpful staff. We dropped off our luggage and headed straight for town…we were on a mission. Some of you will recall our ramblings about how we’ve heard that if you turn up in Ushuaia, you can sometimes pick up discounted tickets for trips to Antarctica…not sure how many of you thought it was a real possibility and I’m not sure that I even did. However we went straight to the Tourist Information Office and were directed to a couple of agencies who sometimes sell such tickets. The first (and we’d been told, most likely) had nothing that worked date or price wise for us and we left feeling a quite deflated. While trying to find another of the agencies that had been plotted on our map for us (to no avail: it had clearly been plotted in the wrong place) we stumbled across a sign outside a hostel come tour agency that said Last Minute Antarctica. Not feeling too optimistic, in we went. We regurgitated the question again…We would like to go to Antarctica, do you have anything available? To our surprise and delight, they did! We are booked to set sail on board the MS Polaris (a GAP Adventures boat) on Monday 18th February for 10 days. We saved a lot of money in the process and feel both very proud of ourselves and extremely excited about the prospect of visiting somewhere so remote and different to anywhere either of us has ever been before.

With the Antarctica trip booked and sorted we then had to work out what we wanted to do in the mean time. Reluctant to travel too far away from Ushuaia due to the difficulties in finding transport back (this time of year is really busy and buses and planes get booked up well in advance) we decided to spend a day or two in Ushuaia and then head out into the countryside on Tierra del Fuego to stay in a couple of traditional estancias (ranches).

Yesterday we went on an organised 4x4 off road Land Rover tour to the lakes outside Ushuaia. The trip was great with a visit to a Husky breeding centre, some exciting off road driving and a fabulous Argentinian asado (barbeque) for lunch. Our guide was fantastic and provided not only lots of information but some added fun along the way (look out for the video, which I’ll post soon, of our driverless Land Rover experience!) and the others on our trip made the whole day a real success.