The Patagonian Channel

We departed from Puerto Montt, Chile late on Monday evening, just in time to say goodbye to the setting sun and the shrinking city.

Our boat was a a converted ice crusher, nothing great but sufficient.The boat was loaded with many different things: Cargo (anything from large containers to horses), staff and passengers. Our route the southern Chilean channels.

We moved into our small, very small room that was suited with 4 bunks and a very nice swiss couple. Our new adventure allowed roughly four options to hangout: the comedor (dining room turned movie room) the room (tiny), the bridge with the captain and the upper deck. Carrying our new camera i suited up in my best patagonia gear and tried to remain up top as much as possible. Dark came quickly and the full moon rose over the wide inner passage.

The food was cafeteria style and not to bad. We met many new friends, many of them from Europe. Sharing funny traveling stories, beers and time, as our boat wisped us south. The second day awarded a nice, cool morning with glimpses of snowy peaks, thickly forested island 2 orcas and lots of different birds. We also saw our share of quickly changing weather, wind and rain. We dove our heads into books and talking with our new friends.

That evening we heard in broken english "now is the time to take sea sick pill" Which meant we were headed out into the ocean. We knew this going into the trip, so we applied our fancy behind the ear patches, and prayed for a relaxed mind over the next 12 hours. I think maybe 4 people ate dinner that night, some lost it before they even had it...yikes. Em and I crawled into our bunks and tried to find our happy places. Needless to say we had a wild night, ebbing to and fro, and up and down. I can very confidently say my dreams (or it may have been real?) were some sort of crazy. We crossed the "golfo de pesas" or translated the bay of pain or sorrow. Rightly named for some on the boat, however Em and i survived with our lunches.

The next morning looking out the window we could see land, which meant we survived and were back into the calmer channels. This day was pretty mellow, and the mornings and late evenings awarded the best weather. The sunrises and sunsets here were great! However i made it pretty far in my new book "the shack" on this day, the rain during the day was a damper on the somber and calm passengers, mostly tired from wild, awake, moving dreams. We stopped at a small Puerto Eden, a remote dependent village midway through our journey. They love to hear that horn. It means they will survive another week.

The third night brought some toasts with our new friends and joking about the different cultures and each others perception of the others, needless to say the US sure opens itself to misunderstanding, yet everyone loves something that comes from the USA. Going to bed late off course was followed by our early and final morning.

The sunrise on the "narrows" was spectacular! The tightest channel surrounded by glacial capped peaks, calm water and beautiful colors. WOW we made it to southern Patagonia!!!!!

Puerto Natales sits on the flat bay south of Torres del Paine, a colorful little town. We were welcomed by an independence day parade and nothing open. This topped are already forming stereo type that South America lives in the midst of a holiday. Regardless we found our way to the Erratic rock, a funny basecamp for the area, chaulked full of local info, the 2 owners from Oregon and lots of gear!

We relaxed and planned, deciding to wait a day before we embark on a trek into Torres del PAine. Tomorrow we will head for the park with our new camping gear (3 day rental) and hope for some good weather and buena vistas of the vertical, chiseled granite spires. I am stoked, and so is Em...but did i tell you i am stoked THIS IS PATAGONIA!!!!!