Yesterday morning, we packed up and grabbed lunch before heading to the bus station in El Chalten. The wind was violent and dust was blowing everywhere. We had booked these bus tickets ahead of time, and therefore, paid the market conversion rate for Argentinan Pesos. Although the tickets were thus pricier, we did get to sit on the bottom deck of the bus which is where the roomier seats are. First class indeed. Could definitely get used to this.
Unfortunately, the comfort only lasted from Chalten to Calafate where we had to switch busses. The second bus to Puerto Natales was probably the most cramped we have seen so far. Poor Hunter and his long legs for this 5 hour ride. The scenery was like driving through Kansas, so I had plenty of time to read today.
The international checkpoint along the bus route was very strange. First off, it was in the middle of nowhere farmland off a dirt road. Secondly, we had to stop twice. Once to scan our passports leaving Argentina and another to scan our passports entering Chile. We got to Puerto Natales around 9:30pm and it was still plenty bright out as we are now even further south. The hostel we booked is called “Last Hope.” How refreshing. We barely got here in time to check in and by the time we got into the 6-person dorm, people were already getting ready to sleep. We dropped our bags, got a quick dinner, and went to sleep. My favorite part of the night was the older woman sleeping below me who sounded like she was breathing on a ventilator. I hope she at least got some good sleep.
Dorm rooms are always harder because of the cramped spaces, but also fun because of the people you get to meet. One guy in our room is from India. He lives in Portugal now and is traveling for 4 months. Always fun to meet other Indian people. The hostel overall is super nice. They serve breakfast, the bathrooms are really clean, and they have laundry services and gear rentals.
This morning, we had breakfast upstairs and met so many German tourists that it felt like we were in Munich. We then hit the town and went on a shopping spree of food and gear for the 4 day W-trek starting tomorrow through Torres del Paine National Park. Because we found the budget trip version of the trek, we have to pack and make all of our own food as well as guide ourselves. This is gonna be fun. I sure don’t want to pay 40 US dollars for a pizza at camp 1.
I also think it funny that all of the US branded snacks and candies all have at least 3 warning labels on them stating the excess sugar or sodium and other health risks.
We are all packed up and ready to go! The next post will be after the trek is done. Nearly 50 miles and about 8000ft of vert. Nice.
Sounds like fun, good luck on the trek, hopefully you can find some time to relax!
Siddie — i cant wait to read about your experiences on the hike! I do think the best part of travel is meeting people from all walks of life!