1000 km on a ship - going north

I've spent almost 3 days sailing 1000 km north from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. Not much happens in a ship in 3 days. You can read a 900 page novel (it was good: Freedom, Jonathan Franzen), stare out the windows, smile at the people getting seasick, look at the horizon or amazing sky, go out on the deck and feel the strong winds, look at the others reading Lonely Planet and talking about how they also liked Torres Del Paine/the glacier/penguin colony, and that they're also going to Chileo after the trip. And when the sun finally appears (what it did today - day 3) see seals, dolphins and even a whale. And then you can take pictures. Lots of pictures.

The audio and smell track of the trip are supplied by the cows, who's joined us on our trip North. They moo me asleep at night and wake me up with a morning moo aswell. The cows are on board because the ferry also is a freight ship. Actually mainly a fraight ship just also carrying a bunch of tourists. A bunch of tourists all carrying Lonely Planet (including me).


Boarding


Boarding


The smallest passage on the trip - we sailed through far right. You can only pass in daylight.


Skua glacier


Puerto Eden, where we anchored for an hour to offload supplies.


Returning with supplies in Puerto Eden.


Reflexions and beauty


A ship wreck that sailed on ground in 1963. I believe everybody has left the ship by now...


The view from a ship in Patagonia can be breathtaking...


View from the bridge.


Navigation - at the bridge.


View


A south bound ship


Some bird - making reflexions, which I find pretty.


Seals


Sunset


More sunset

Location:Somewhere between Puerto Natales and Puerto Montt

At Alejandro's

If any of you should ever get to Puerto Natales, you must stay with Alejandro and Andrea in Hostel Dos Lagunas. A small guesthouse with enough hospitality for a lifetime.

They've helped me with suggestions and advice for Torres del Paine and my ferry ride North. And Alejandro has warned me to be careful with my blonde hair and green eyes (though I must admit, they're - in combination with a big smile - really helpful around here, when speaking as little Spanish as I do...).

Well nonetheless, the world's biggest recommendation to Dos Lagunas and the helpfulness of Alejandro and Andrea!!



And a few other impressions from Puerto Natales, which reminds me of how I believe Greenland looks.







Not least the company Aquaterra Adventures

Location:Puerto Natales, Southern Patagonia, Chile

Towers of pain

I did it! I bloody h... did it!

I just completed a 4 day hike/trek in the national park Torres del Paine in Southern Patagonia. Others have walked further, climbed higher, overcome harder obstacles, but these were mine. The hike were 53 km up and down in the Torres. The easy days, I only climbed 4-500 m. The longer days, 12-1300 m. By myself. Nobody to cheer me up, carry my gear or help me climb the tougher rocks.

Nobody had expected this 9 years ago, when I completed my first mountain hike. It was of course in India. 1 day up - Avilash (the guide) had said that the absolutely slowest person would be able to do it in 7 hours - it took me 8 1/2 - and it wasn't pretty. Fair enough, I had never been sporty, so it suited me well with a "drive and view relationship" with mountains.

But then, god help me, in the past 9 years I've become sporty, out doorsy and apparently even a masochist. And to me, this trip feels as last step in the transition. I've lost 20 kg's on the way and spent hours of working out, so to keep it simple: Im god damn proud (and ready for next trip).

Well, actually this post was supposed to be about Torres del Paine and from now on it will. The Torres is beautiful, wild, overwhelming, colorful, thought provoking and picturesque.

Day 1, I took the bus to Torres Central, dropped my sleeping bag in the refugio and started climbing to Torres Mirador. It would have been at least as expensive to rent tent, carry mat and cooking equipment, so I stayed in refugios (dorms) even if it meant some extra hours of hiking on the way.

4 1/2 hours upwards with amazing views as rewards.


Torres del Paine from the ground


View from a break


End of trail... Torres del Paine


Double up of torres del paine - the Chilean and my Danish towers (bottom left) - torres del paine means towers of pain.


Day 2 was a fairly easy, but nonetheless beautiful, walk along Lago Nordenskjöld. I'd been the first to leave in the morning, so the animals hadn't gone hiding yet. This little cute owl being one.


Soundtrack of the day was Beethovens piano sonatos with David Barenboim. Very suitable...


The destination of day 3 was Valle Frances (The French Valley). The location of the refugios added an extra 2 hours each way, which was easily made up for by the rainbow and the sunrise.


Campo Italiano was followed by a very steep and rocky climb. Unfortunately, my left hip couldn't cope with the uneven climb (it's been a bit wussy since the Futa - and I know hips can't be wussy, but mine has...), so I had to give up on the very last climb. Still a very beautiful hike of about 20 km.



In the evening, we were rewarded with one of those sunsets you just need to take pictures of, even if the pics will never be the same as the real experience.


On day 4, I got up and left while it was still pitch dark. I had to catch a ferry at 12.30 pm and had to walk 4 - 5 hours to reach the ferry point. (5 hours according to the map, 4 hours realtime).

Hooray for the sunrise! The entire valley was gloating in the morning rays of the sun.



A huge forrest fire had burned 128 square kilometres in December, due to a hiker who had lit a fire in spite of the rules against it. The last part of my hike was through a part of the burned area. Crasy. When the fire hadn't burned everything to the ground, you could see the bare black tree trunks and smell the ashes while walking. Beautiful, though scary.


The fire had almost reached the fairly new refugio Paine Grande, set out point for the ferry. You could see on the terrace, that the fire had reached there. That close!



And then finally... the ferry crossing with even more views.


And a guanacho for Jens (my not-god-son) and other animal lovers - it's peeing, which can be told by the lifted tail - and the fact that I could see it pee.


To end the story, the very last view at the towers of pain...

Location:Barros Araña,Natales,Chile

A river wedding

This blog post was written while I was still in Bariloche, but I wanted Lorenzo and Terry to approve before it was published, therefore the sligthly wrong chronology.

As mentioned in my earlier blog post, I stayed in camp for an extra day. Or well, I actually didn't stay for an extra day, the others had to leave earlier because their flight would leave Bariloche too early for it to be managable to get back on the same day.

I was allowed to stay back in the camp, because there were no place in the entire world, I would rather want to be and my flight onwards, doesn't leave till tomorrow.

The extra "quiet" night in camp made Lorenzo, one of the co-owners of BioBio, to spontaniously initiating a Futa wedding with his girlfriend, Terry. They had been very much in love all week (and before that). And the place and opportunity made them arrange a wedding ceremony. Everything was planned within a day. From Lorenzo asked Terry if she would meet him for a ceremony at the yoga platform the next evening, when she boarded his raft Friday afternoon, till the actual party Saturday night.

Therefore, a gigantic wedding and season ending party for employees and local friends could take place. The camp was filled with Chileneans instead of Indians. And the party could continue. To new levels.

There were no formal representatives present, but no doubt this was a real wedding. As good as you get them.

Suddenly, it all became even more magical in new ways. The ceremony took place in open air on the yoga platform. For the occasion, beautifully decorated with flowers from the surroundings.

The bride wore a crown of flowers on her head and the groom a flower garland around his neck.

One of the guides, Matteo, made the formal wedding speech, very appropriately and naturally about marriage as a river - the Futa. The kitchen staff had created an enourmous wedding cake. Champagne turned up. A lamb and a pig were grilled. And suddenly, all river guides were newly showered and shaven, in nicely ironed formal shirts. I wore my nicest dress.

And I cried. Over the romance, the beauty and for feeling so lucky to be allowed to be present at this exact place at this exact moment. I didn't take any pictures, for I wasn't a close friend nor was I a tourist. So I chose to just enjoying being present. But it was so beautiful. And the party continued all night with hindi music, smiles and laugther everywhere, guides, Chileans, kids of both origin, and then one little lucky Danish girl, who went traveling.

On my departure next day, I realised that Lorenzo himself (with Terry by his side) had chosen to drive me the 3 hours to the nearest bus stop on the Argentinian side of the border, where busses depart on a Sunday, with all the effort it would take for them to get back again. Just for appreciating my instant love to the place he has been building over the past almost 20 years. I will never be able to repay that gesture!

I am so grateful that I was allowed to participate in this magical night. And wish all the best to Terry and Lorenzo. Full stop.

Location:BioBio camp, Futaleufu, Chile

Note to self

Remember to check if Lonely Planets hotel recommendations still exists before asking to be dropped at a specific hotel...



Cerrado means closed in Spanish...

I managed to find one - hotel that is - not too expensive and the bus ticket for tomorrow is bought. It's too late to go to the glacier, so it ended up being an afternoon in the sun. Sun block in the face and beer on the table...



Ready for new adventures. And the hotel for tomorrow in Puerto Natales is booked - recommended by Ulrik (one of my former bosses in the Ministry).

In El Calafate most things are blowing in the wind, and Im smiling in the sun.

A week in paradise

It's Sunday. Im in the bus on my way back to Bariloche; just like I was driving the opposite way a week ago. But unlike a week ago, I have now lost my heart to a piece of heaven on earth and a group of people who made wonders together for a week.

The first of all purpose of my trip was to raft the river Futaleufu - one of the best and hardest rafting rivers in this world. It turned out to be much more than that.

I don't know where to begin or end, when trying to describe the magic.

Perhaps the arrival to the beautiful camp, which is situated just next to nowhere. Being welcomed by a smiling, enthusiastic team. Shown to our tents with view to the clear turquoise Futa. Getting a tour in the well equipped camp: hot tub, warm showers, open air yoga platform, sauna, open air bar, hill top fire place, jumping rock, open kitchen-fireplace-hangaround place, coffee shop, library etc. Considering how far away this camp is, it's amazing, what they have been able to build. Actually, it's amazing even if it had been situated in the middle of everywhere!



View from the tent

It could be one of the nights sitting by the fire under the glooming starlit night in the Southern hemisphere. Leaning my head back and counting the loads of shooting stars that still couldn't keep count with the number of dreams being fulfilled right there and then.

Or outdoors morning yoga with the Futa running by below and the first rays of sunlight reaching over the mountains giving morning warmth.

The 30 seconds it took to go through the Entrada rapid in Inferno Canyon, where we hit the first hole perfectly, but then got a bit to far to the left and went straight through a bigger second hole, where the boat was completely full of water, but somehow resurfaced, though way too close to the canyon wall on the left side. With our raft floating backwards at this point, this meant high siding right for the 5 - 10 seconds it took us to pass the wall. And we did it. We actually got through. Upside up. And the post rapid group hug. Relief, happiness, pride.

Nights in the bar with Indians dancing everywhere, drinks floating as generously as the Futa. One Dane dancing along, smiling, laughing, head notting, drinking. Parties ending in the hot tub.

Me swimming in the Rio Azul below the Cheese Grater the day we went duckying (inflatable cayaks) because I thought, I was safe through the rapid and therefore stopped paddling just a second to early. And then looking up to see Alex filming. And feeling so much on top of the situation that I remembered to give the camera one big fat smile.

Our day on a horseback through the Patagonian views and wonders. Crossing fields, looking at glaciers. Hiking the last bit to a beautiful waterfall, creating the pool, that cooled us. Having lunch by the river side. Chorripans (the South American version of hotdogs) barbecued and white wine cooled by the river. Crossing the Rio Azul on a horseback and the water almost reaching my feet. Even if my horse chose to lay down and roll over while I was still sitting on it (and I managed to jump of just in time, so nothing happened). Pretty much also the only day, I took any pictures as the river is not very suitable for bringing a non water resistant camera.












Or the fact, that we passed the river Pinilla everyday, which must be my river because of the almost same names. As Vaibhav so sweetly put it, then I deserve having my own river, as I so truly love rivers.

The small bruises that seems to have appeared everywhere from being out doing things all days. I call them souvenirs.

So many things that adds up to the experience and neither words nor pictures will ever explain it fully. I feel like I have been part of one big intense week of love and life. It suits me very well with a quiet rainy day in Bariloche to recover back to the so called civilised world before going on my next adventure.

In the next post, I will try to describe my last night in camp, without the Indians but with as much love. Perhaps it will enter tonight, perhaps tomorrow.

There are more pics to see from camp at BioBio Expeditions website: http://www.bbxrafting.com/futaleufu-photos

Location:Bio Bio Camp, Futaleufu, Patagonia, Chile

Roses on a rainy day

Sometimes it rains in Buenos Aires. Tuesday it was a huge thunder storm, that went on for hours. I got caught in a (luckily good) museum: MALBA - Museo del Art Latinamerica de Buenos Aires. The rain was so heavy that it was even impossible to run the 10 meters to the bus stop without getting absolutely soaked. I got home during a break in the storm and spent the night in the living room with the balcony doors open, looking and listening to the rain and thunder over the Buenos Aires skyline.
It also rained a bit Thursday, when I did the bike tour of the northern parts of the city. Just a tiny little shower that left tiny little drops on the flowers in the rose garden we visited on the tour. Tiny little drops looking fantastic with the the sun rays shyly returning to the city.




We also visited the Recoletta Cemetery again. It absolutely is a photographer's paradise!



And then just a little evening light from

Now it's time to leave Buenos Aires. I love this city. She has in all ways been very welcoming to me. My well used map shows it.

And also time to say goodbye to the best balcony in the world.

Location:Julieta,San Carlos de Bariloche,Argentina