Stranded

Once again, I´ve been really lazy and am now running about 3 weeks late on my blog so lots to cram in today! It doesn´t help matters that I´ve got an awful hangover and would really be more happy lying down in front of a film with a dose of painkillers and a tub of ice-cream... but hey ho...

After spending the last couple of weeks in Buenos Aires and travelling south through Argentina, our current location is the Patagonian town of Puerto Natales in Chile and our official status is "stranded". The people of the cold south have, quite rightly so, taken exception to a proposed hike in gas prices in the region, deciding to go on strike and block all access in and out of the region in protest. What this means for us is that there is no way of getting out of here.. and we are stuck here for foreseeable future.  Luckily for us, though, the shops in the town have started opening up now so no more rationing of pasta portions for the time being!

Fortunately, too, it seems as though we hit the jackpot with the hostel we chose to be stranded in. The owners and staff have turned out to the most hospitable (and fun) we could have hoped for.  We have been spoiled with asados (BBQs) and all night partying sessions with our fellow stranded travellers...hence the hangover now. It does feel a little bit as though we are Groundhog Day though ...we wake up, bum around, make some food (pasta), bum around, play cards, start partying, dance around a bit, go to bed...not the worst cycle to be caught up in I guess.  

The initial reason for our visit to Puerto Natales was to complete the "W" trek in Chile´s most famous national park "Torres del Paine".  After arriving in the town about a week ago, we stocked up on high energy goodies, rented some camping equipment and headed off enthusiastically to embark on our 3 night, 4 day adventure around park. Not being the most fit individuals on this planet we didn´t quite manage the whole "W" (it was more like a lowercase "v") but still managed to see some gorgeous scenery and enjoy the delights of riverside camping. The towering mountains, turquoise lakes and lush forests were all wonders to behold but the cumbersome and very heavy rucksacks we had to lug around with us detracted somewhat from the experience.  Evenings were mostly spent hobbling around the camp, drinking cheap red wine to numb the pain. We wisely chose to leave the park after 4 days, meaning that we got back into town just in time for the strike to commence. Given the lack of transport in the region, had we not left then we´d still be there now, trying to make our last ten pounds stretch to food and shelter for an indefinite period of time... not much fun!

Before arriving in Puerto Natales, we visited Puerto Madryn in Argentina and the Chilean town of Puntas Arenas, where we saw penguins, dolphins and whales. We were extremely lucky to spot the latter, as apparantly they don´t normally hang around in that area. Even the guide on our boat was so shocked that he shed a tear when he first noticed the spurts of water rising out the sea (this may have just been the wind but I´d prefer to go with my version of the events).

I can´t remember now whether I have written about Buenos Aires yet in this blog but, if not, think it may be a task for another day. My eyes are tiring and the steak sitting in the plastic bag next to my feet is crying out to be cooked.  Hopefully next time I write we´ll have managed to continue on our journey up north and escaped the throes of this political unrest....if not, it´s Chile for the next 5 months...Que bien!