Americans overuse superlatives yet there are times when superlatives are not only appropriate, they are mandatory. How to describe Patagonia? Amazing, spectacular, awe inspiring, and remote are but a few appropriate descriptors. Mountains and lakes have been sculpted by glaciers, many of which are still active. The weather can go from hot to cold faster than any woman in menopause. The wind comes from the west with no barriers. It is relentless.

I flew with Nancy and David, my sister and brother-in-law, from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego is at the end of the earth other than Antarctica, with Ushuaia being the southernmost city in the world. [insert Patagonia-Tierra del Fuego pics here]

I’m a long way from Woodside

Southernmost Post Office in the world

We boarded a ship in Ushuaia and spent three days rounding Tierra del Fuego. At dawn on the second day, we arrived at Cape Horn where we were supposed to take zodiacs the short distance from the ship to climb to the top of Cape Horn. We could not leave the ship as the wind was blowing at gale force and the sea was too high (check the video).

Onboard was cushy- comfy cabin and wonderful meals. My only hardship was during periodic dashes out to the deck to determine how windy and cold it was at that moment. I can’t help but think of the European explorers who visited this remote and difficult environment with no maps, wooden sailing ships and little understanding of the harsh and volatile weather awaiting them. It gives me new appreciation of people who are driven to explore other places despite the peril. Okay, some of these guys had pecuniary motivation, but still, it took guts and a lot of them died in the process.

Lighthouse on Cape Horn

Staying upright was a challenge

From Cape Horn, the ship traversed inland passages to the Strait of Magellan. The weather was calmer and allowed for a wonderful hike to a glacier.

Glacier hike with sister and brother-in-law

No trip to Patagonia would be complete without seeing penguins. The ship stopped at Magellan Island, a preserve for Magellenic penguins maintained by the Chilean government. I had always heard that penguins are curious about humans. The penguins I observed seemed aware of my presence but decidedly uninterested in me. It could be the time of year—the adult penguins had just sent their offspring out to sea and were in the process of molting. During molting, penguins cannot enter the ocean as it is too cold and they cannot regulate their temperature without feathers. Regardless of their disinterest, I found the penguins to be fun to watch and lacking the stink of which I had been forewarned. 

Feathers from molting

I disembarked from the ship in Chile and took a four hour ride through the Chilean pampas to a lodge in southern Patagonia near the Torre del Paine (Towers of Blue) National Park. The location is very remote with few permanent residents. The lodge is closed for 5 months during the winter as the weather is too extreme. The weather was fine while I was there other than the wind which was a constant presence for the daily hikes in the National Park. It was some of the most amazing scenery that I have ever seen. Hopefully the pictures do justice to the beauty of the location.

The Mountains

The towers that give the park its name

 
The wind is constant, making any outdoor experience a challenge and can produce rapid changes in the weather. 

Standing upright was a challenge

Water devil on a lake

Water devil forming on a glacial lake

The wind causes the weather in Patagonia to change in a flash

Guanacos 


There are four relatives of camels in South America. Two types, llamas and alpacas, are raised for farming purposes- wool and meat (from llamas). The other two other types are wild- guanacos, looking a lot like llamas and vicunas, similar to alpacas. Patagonia is filled with guanacos. Their main predator is the puma, also common to the region. Guanacos live in large groups with two members of the group always serving as sentinels on guard for pumas.






 Other Animals

Patagonia has many types of birds. Condors are high in the sky and can use their massive wing span to zoom across a meadow without having to use their wings. Hawks and eagles are seen frequently. The most unexpected birds I saw were flamingos. I had always thought of flamingos as being found in tropical locations. Who knew?







Rainbows and Sunsets 

The rapid change in weather makes rainbows a frequent sight. It also provides spectacular sunsets.