Chile: Santiago, the Marble Caves, and Patagonia

Molly and I met in Chile on October 27th, 2022, for our 5th continent together. Santiago was a welcoming, bustling city with a surplus of restaurants. We settled on Borago which is known as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world and it did not disappoint. We had 14 sizable courses paired with three glasses of wine. The presentation was just as impressive as the taste. Detail was not spared in every mouthwatering dish.

Santiago also offered some beautiful views from the top of a chair lift as well as at the Japanese Botanical Gardens. Although the temperature was warm enough to walk around in a tank top, the temperatures plummeted as we headed south. After sitting on an airplane for five hours for a two-hour flight to Balmaceda, we took a 4-hour road trip to Puerto Rio Tranquilo. The landscape was a color palette of marble. It was white through a blizzard, blue along glacial water, and green through the lush forest. We drove by the aftermath of an avalanche which was followed by clear blue skies. When we looked left, we missed waterfalls to our right and when we looked right, we missed cows to our left.

As we meandered up and around the mountain, sliding on the gravel road, motion sickness got the best of me and the potholes got the best of the back left tire. My head bounced off the head rest like a ping pong ball when I briefly dozed off from sleep deprivation. Ten minutes after arriving at El Puerto Hotel and 12 hours after eating anything, we were informed that our kayaking tour was cancelled due to our late arrival and strong winds. Determined to see the Marble Caves, we inquired about chartering a boat. There just happened to be two openings on a boat leaving in 10 minutes. We skipped another meal and ran to the harbor to catch a small fishing boat that took us through Rio Tranquilo to the Marble Caves. We were accompanied by a handful of guys from the US and Canada who quit their jobs, bought a car in Chile and decided to drive from South America to California. The boat ride was cold and the water was choppy. The boat that would have seated eight comfortably sat 10 of us. It was worth the discomfort because the caves were out of worldly with the blue marble reflecting off the clear turquoise water.

We drove around them, through them, and drank from the fresh water lake. The boat ride back was cold, rainy, and the choppy water turned into large curling waves that we aggressively bounced over, getting airborne at every peak. When we finally made it back to dry land we found a place to warm up by a fire and devoured our first real meal of the day. The following morning, after breakfast, we were informed that the weather improved, the winds were calm, and kayaking was on. It was a much different and welcoming experience in a kayak. We were able to feel the smooth yet jagged marble and kayaked through the caves. Before arriving, we were advised against going to the caves since weather often cancels tours and they are very difficult to get to. While the advice was accurate, it was worth the risk.

Louis picked us up at 5:45am with a little pot of coffee brewing in the van. He kept repeating, “Un cafe es necessito” as the birds slowly started to wake up. We zig zagged around the narrow dirt road next to cliff faces once again passing waterfalls while the sun rose from behind the mountains. Two flights and a three-hour bus ride later, we made it to Puerto Natalles, the hub of Patagonia. The wind was so strong, it not only cancelled our penguin tour, but it was also shattering windows of store fronts. It was just shy of hurricane force winds. All roads to and from the town were closed due to a drag race occurring that afternoon. We cheered on “Spa.” Some cars were going on two wheels and others like “Slow Car” were living up to their names. We were accompanied by condors, rheas and flamingos on the next part of the journey. Guanacos appeared alongside the towering mountains of Argentina. We experienced four seasons in this land of extremes. To say these places are difficult to get to would be an understatement. We finally took the route to the end of the world to one of the most beautiful places on the planet…

Hiking in Patagonia is not for the faint of heart. The sun beats down intensely but being so close to Antarctica, the air has a bone chilling cold. The wind has the potential to body slam you to the ground. Mother Nature is a beast here and she will eat you alive if you are ill prepared. Torres del Paine, meaning “tower of blue skies” was anything but blue yesterday. The rain, snow, and hail made the towers almost impossible to see. Today, however, we could not have asked for better weather. The 11 mile trek to the towers ascends through a forest, over several waterfalls, and up a steep, rocky incline. Each stop was more beautiful than the last. We drank from the springs when we were thirsty and pushed on when we were tired. The beauty here comes with a price. It was one of the most difficult hikes I have been on but one with the most incredible views.

We took a catamaran across Lake Peohe with an incredible backdrop of Torres del Paine. We hiked a beautiful seven miles on the “W” trek to Refugio Grey which is one of the stops along the hike that people camp, shower, eat, and stock up on supplies. The directions we received to get here were more like a scavenger hunt. We crossed several waterfalls, walked through a forest, and alongside a glacier. Molly pointed out so many waterfalls I thought she was starting to recommend them. Birds flew over, fish swam under, and the wind persisted as we pressed on. My blisters on my feet needed attention but the views were so distracting I didn’t notice. A few hours later we reached our destination. I immediately purchased gauze, bandaids, and antiseptic wipes. We spent the night in bunk beds in a shared room with a couple from Mexico and a woman we never saw. Everyone we met was from a different country than the last. We had a group dinner and shared bread and stories. One couple from Australia had taken six months off to travel the world. Another woman from Canada arrived solo to hike the trail alone. Even though we all came from very different backgrounds, cultures and countries, we all shared a love of adventure and travel. A short walk to the water exposed the sun setting over the lake while we listened to the thundering sound of glacier ice crashing into the water. The following morning when I didn’t think I could take another step, we put on crampons and hiked across Glacier Grey. We had to think about each step and not hesitate while jumping over the deep crevices. Our guides held onto us as we peered over the edge to see a waterfall and allowed us to walk through ice caves. A stretcher was off to the side, just in case.

We were accompanied by a physicist from Sweden and an engineer from Chile on the next seven miles of our journey. After our hike, catamaran, and bus, we flew three hours back to Santiago. A trip to Chile wouldn’t be complete without a wine tasting. Our driver, Ramon, picked us up after breakfast to take us to the Santa Rita Vineyard. He was a sweet man who giggled often and was very excited that Molly spoke Spanish. We met a man who said he was from “everywhere,” but we concluded that he was American. After learning all about the wine making process, we tasted five different wines in a cellar. One of the drivers was translating for English speaking guests and he did such a great job he started riffing. We took his recommendations and purchased a bottle for Ramon. Our driver was so touched he took us to a friend’s house for enchiladas on the side of the road. While it was a kind gesture, I felt uneasy when Ramon went back to the car leaving us with a man who wanted to show us inside his office space. I expressed my gratitude for the meal and hurried back to the car. We said goodbye to the Andes as we made our way to the airport. Chile is not a country to be missed. From the people, to the culture, to the spectacular views, there is no place like it. Patagonia is wild and it will show you what you’re made of. The most difficult destinations yield the best rewards. After the long trip home, I replaced my tank tops with gloves, hats, and a winter coat for the next trip of a lifetime…