Patagonia - Isla Chiloe, Chile

Ship boarding began around 9 pm on Oct. 13. The boat would not leave until the next morning but they wanted all passengers to be ready the night before. Sean and I got real lucky as we got two bunk beds that were separated from the rest and had a window. Ship's capacity was 260 passengers but I think we were under 80 in that trip. The ship also served an important function transporting goods from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt as the only highway that goes up to Puerto Montt is often closed due to bad weather or road construction.\r

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During the three days that it took us to get to Puerto Montt, we spent many hours hypnotized, looking at the Alps on one side and the Patagonian islands on the other side. The weather was windy and cold but here and there the sun would come out through the clouds to put a smile in everyone's face. \r

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For three days, life inside of the ship was also interesting. We met many backpackers from everywhere coming from everywhere and going in every direction. Many people read books, others drank wine and talked about their trips. There were many documentaries and talks on board to educate us on the Patagonian Channels. On day 2 we stopped in Puerto Eden, where the last 7 Kawesquar people leave. \r

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We arrived to PUerto Montt and immediately took a bus to Chiloe Island where we were lucky to see Magellanic and Humbolt pinguins. \r

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