Plan. Walk. Eat. Pause. Repeat.
While I just told you that “salto” means waterfall, it is also a form of the word “saltar,” which, more universally in the Spanish language, means “jump.” And that’s what this trip was for me–a jump. Perhaps you could even call it a leap of faith, as my only backpacking experience dated back to a decade-old jaunt at Girl Scout camp. To be fair, since I was a nerd growing up, I am unfazed by heavy backpacks, but Patagonia is something else entirely.
Dawn breaks over the mountains in Patagonia to find me sipping coffee at the Hotel Las Torres in the lap of luxury. A woman on a horse gallops across the meadow at breakneck speed. And then it is time to set out for Las Torres. It is the final day.
This morning found me felicitously curled up in building that did not have inexplicable holes in the windows. The cook seemed to agree with my buoyant mood and she serenaded the dining room as she put together the morning meal. Somehow my pack seemed lighter, the sun seemed brighter, and the distances seemed shorter as we hiked along the trail.
While I may or may not have been harboring murderous thoughts against the Paine Grande staff, I must admit that they delivered a spectacular breakfast. Or maybe I was just hyper-appreciative of life after feeling my extremities slowly turn blue and fearing that they would fall off. Either way, we set off well-fed and well-heeled on the most punishing day of our entire Chile experience.
Perhaps because I have an unhealthy fascination with glaciers, or because we are gluttons for punishment, we decided to start the day with a grueling ice hike on Glacier Grey. And let me tell you, it was AWESOME. It began inauspiciously as I slipped and fell into the boat that would convey us to the foot of the glacier — and almost placed a gaping hole in my skull and possibly the hull of the aforementioned boat.
Today’s post assumes that you successfully reached Punta Arenas, hopped on your connecting bus to Puerto Natales, and finally found yourself on the bus from Puerto Natales into the park. As if that weren’t enough, I’m also assuming that you, like us, have decided to hike the W trail from West to East. But everyone knows that traveling in shoulder season is always a bit of a gamble…
The One Day series is intended to give you a quick overview of a city, with some quick suggestions with respect to meals, attractions, and activities. The Lima metropolitan area is the third largest city in the Americas (behind Sao Paolo and Mexico City, if you’re interested) and contains more inhabitants than New York City.
Don’t cry for me, Argentina. After two days of traversing the trails on the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls, it was time to cross the border to Brazil to see the falls from a brand-new point of view.
One incontrovertible fact that can make Iguazu frustrating to navigate is that everyone else in the world thinks the falls are just as amazing as you do. If you have a multi-day trip planned, there are two main approaches: revisit your favorite park places on the second day or range further afield to less-traveled attractions. We chose the latter option.
Iguazu translates to “big water” in the local Guarani language. This post describes one possible route to take on your first day on the Argentinian side of the Iguazu Falls park and several can’t miss attractions.