Big Falkland's Adventure: Chile

We receive an allocation of flights back to the UK each year as part of my package, or if we wish we can book through a local travel agent and spend the equivalent on a holiday of our choice, topping up using out money if required. We had decided that we would go to Chile, especially as it is on our doorstep, just 90 minutes flight time from the islands.

After much debate we decided we would go to Torres Del Paine, a national park in Chile, famed for its beauty and also glaciers, we couldn't wait! Then we got this news, which threw the whole holiday into jeopardy!

A fire had started on 29th December, and the whole park was expected to be closed until February. Our friends Mike and Sue were due to go on 1st January, and had cancelled and were getting a full refund, but we were desperate to go on holiday and didn't want the hassle of going through the insurance to get a full refund. Then good news! The park was reopening, but one of the areas we were going to, Lago Grey was in the 20% still closed. No problem said the travel agent, you are being transferred to Rio Serrano, and Las Torres is still open, so your holiday is still on! Yay!!!

7th January saw us catching the flight to Punta Arenas, where we were met by a driver, as we had paid for private transfers. We were then driven for 3 hours to Puerto Natales, just on the edge of the park. Harry was not impressed that Spongebob on the TV in the room was speaking Spanish, but he was most impressed that there was a play park outside the hotel!

The town is on the edge of a lake, and looks over some of the glaciers.

Time for three of Harry's pictures

at MPA waiting for the flight

Puerto Natales

From the hotel at Puerto Natales we were collected and went on a bus tour of the park, although the tour was somewhat disjointed because of the closed areas.

First stop was the Milidon Cave, which was home to a now extinct sloth crossed with a bear known as a mylodon.

Looking out of the cave

From there we visited Lago Sarmiento, a very salty lake casued by water flowing in, but not out. Water is lost by evaporation which concentrates the salts.

The stone structures on the edge are caused by bacteria calcifying the salts in the water to create coral like structures

We saw Guanaco, which are a relative of the Llama and Alpaca, the difference being that these have fur, not wool!

Harry loved looking at the guanaco, including the remains of dead ones

so he took a picture on his camera

whilst I snapped this bird in a shrub

We also saw some Rheas

Then we visited the Paine Waterfall

Harry also photographed the Paine Waterfall. I am actually quite impressed with some of the photos he took!

There was also evidence of the 2005 fire here

Laguna Armarga, again a salty lake, and home to some Chilean Flamingo

From there is was off to another lake, Laguna Azul, where Harry had good fun splashing stones in the water! Again, a salty lake, one of the photos shows the weird coral like structures which grow in the lake.

It was then a mad dash back to Cerro Castillo, right on the Chile/Argentina border for lunch, at 3pm. This was meant to take an hour, but the service was so appalling we were there nearly 2 and half hours!! It was then back to Puerto Natales for our transfer to Rio Serrano. This was madness, as we were within 60 km of the hotel when we had lunch......