Back to Puerto Natales

Breakfast allegedly is 7 to 10am but if you get there any time after 9.20am a lot has run out. I had my mint tea out of a soup cup for example and Andrew managed to secure the last of the scrambled eggs. This hotel had a funny smell of wood varnish in the room. I do wish my nose was not so sensitive. The other curious thing I have noticed is that Chilean workmen must have very short drill cables for putting up curtain rails and hence they position additional electrical sockets in the ceiling or at the top of a wall. Can anyone explain this one to me?

We were ever so glad we did the other route via Lago Toro on the way back which is not only faster but more picturesque or ‘hermoso’ as they’d say here. We were concerned about making it back for the 16:30 agreed time to collect the car from us so it did worry us when we were asked to pull to one side for a good 5 minutes while they built a bit more of road for us to travel on. The weather leaving the park was so different to when we arrived. The rain which had not relented since the day prior had left a nice pond on the cover of our flat bed and as we bumped up and down on the rough road it turned into what looked like a fountain behind us.

Again on our travels we saw right across into Glaciar Grey so took more pics just in case as this really blew us away. No wonder it is visible being miles long. Our regret is not staying one more night in the park so we could have gone up to Lago Grey too. We decided we’d have plenty glacial experiences in Argentina’s National Glacial Park and could overdose on glaciers. We found a great view point to look across the lake to the big waterfall we’d visited yesterday which was made all the better when all of a sudden we found ourselves surrounded by a herd of guanacos. They don’t seem to be scared of metal boxes that move on wheels but people send them running for the hills. Isn’t it time there 4WD manufacturers made wing mirrors which you can move down and out of the way when your wildlife shot requires it?

We discovered the Hotel Explora walking to the Salto Chico falls which did not impress me as much as this fine hotel which was vile on the outside but had beautiful curved wood architecture on the inside to delight me. Photos are in the usual place once I upload them to http://picasaweb.google.com/inmyfootsteps

We just had enough time to visit Cueva del Milodon which is 20km from PN and on the scenic route to TDP which you won’t find signposted. This enormous cave used to be home to a prehistoric 3m tall sloth as well as dwarf horses, macrorodents and cervids whatever they are. It feels like you have stepped back into the time of the dinosaurs and was an awesome experience. We nearly did not bother after seeing a postcard of it but the real thing is incredible in my book. Little did I know what a cavewoman at heart I am!

We pulled in to fill up the tank. I might add that we actually filled the tank unlike the fake full condition it was given to us. As we left the bencinera (petrol station in Chile which reminds me of the Polish word for petrol ‘benzina’) these two big black dogs chased us 2 blocks barking like mad. We were anxious not to run over them. There were two tourists stood on a corner laughing themselves silly at this spectacle. I now understand why I have seen no cyclists here if these dogs chase great big pick ups instead of rabbits, what chance has a cyclist got! It has been a great place for getting over my fear of dogs passing me as they are everywhere. If you stop for a second to soak up the town you’ll see both cars and dogs crossing the intersection.

Our last Puerto Natales meal was in La Mesita Grande on a street amusingly (only for me) call Prat and near the square. It is a lovely pizza parlour with a wood burning oven, crimson red walls, high ceilings, wooden floor and long tables with benches for communal eating. We loved it. Food was so good after Andrew had had his salad and vegetarian lasagne he ordered tomato and basil pasta fearing when food might be this good again and making up for 2 nights of sandwiches on the trot. Yet again we can’t understand why the guidebook said it had no atmosphere. I really have many bones to pick with Christabelle Dilks who wrote our Footprint guide as she seems to have been in another country called Chile. I shall have to post our photo of the view from the Hosteria Las Torres rooms which she said didn’t have a good view.

At Hotel Aquaterra we were bemused by all the drumming and cheering. Must be a football match going on. The fantastic web access we enjoyed here 2 days ago has now gone pear shaped – it’s the rain clouds as it comes by satellite. Web access is hindered in all hotels I am sure by bored staff chatting to their buddies via MSN Messenger who don’t do well at hiding this and seem eager to serve you to get back to their online conversation. Cheeky! The car has been returned – not sure if we added a scratch to the wheel arch but as it was suitably caked in mud who could tell?

Hmmm – Andrew has cut himself shaving the 2^nd day running and it looks like a big mole on the side of his face. I worry I’ll wake up tomorrow and he will have turned into an old woman with a huge hairy warty mole. Now I worry for the neighbours. The walls are paper thin and Andrew has taken his noises to the bathroom.

Anyway that’s enough from me. I feel content now I’ve finally done my blog after a week on the move. Signing off from Chilean Antartica!