When we first started thinking about a trip to
South America Chile was probably number one on my
list of places to see. I'm not sure what it is
about this long, thin country that holds my
fascination but it is certainly a mystique that I
find irresistible.
At this stage, we have an option to fly out to
Easter Island, a five our flight west into the
Pacific. Our decision will depend partly on our
finances and partly on our timing. We don't want to
leave it too long before we arrive in
Patagonia.
At the moment, the driving option is probably our
preferred option as the road is meant to be second
to none. However, the logistics and cost of this
option are potentially prohibitive as the rental
companies charge a fortune for one-way trips. If we
do go, we will head down through the island of
Chiloe, across multiple short ferry rides to Villa
O'Higgins before swinging briefly into Argentina
and then heading back to Puerto Natales.
From Santiago we will wind our way down through the
Lake District to Puerto Montt where we will have
another choice to make. One option would see us
taking the Navimag ferry down through the fjords to
Puerto Natales. A second option would have us
hiring a pick up truck and driving down the
spectacular Carreterra Austral.
As it stands, we plan to arrive in Chile through
the Atacama desert. After spending a few days in
San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis town and fabulous
site for stargazing, we plan to make our way down
to Santiago. From Santiago we expect to make a
couple of trips to local vineyards and possibly pay
a visit to Valparaiso.
From Puerto Natales we plan to head into the Torres
del Paine National Park to do the W trek and
possibly take sea kayaking trip into the Patagonian
fjords. From Puerto Natales we plan to head down to
Punta Arenas and then down to Ushuia in Tierra del
Fuego. Once in Ushuia we will investigate whether
it is possible get a cheap trip down to Antarctica.
We suspect that it will be too late in the season
but you never know?