Day 6: Arrival in Patagonia at the Explora Lodge

Our flight this morning to Punta Arenas, the gateway to Patagonia, went off without a hitch.  We even all had seats near each other. Jeri and I had a little scare at the airport in Punta Arenas.  Our duffels were actually the last bags unloaded.  We were sure they had lost our luggage, but all was well when they finally appeared.  We had transport from the airport provided by the hotel, the Explora, which was in reality a half day excursion.  The total driving time was about 4 hours plus a stop for lunch.  Not really easy to get to.

Lunch was served at the oldest lunch spot in all of Chile.  Not sure why they are still in business  The food was marginal at best, but they did have a good dark Chilean beer.

The deeper into Patagonia we got, the worse became the roads.  By the time we reached the Torres del Paine National Park Ranger Station we were on roads similar to what we found in the Atacama Desert, but with more hairpin curves, steep drop-offs, an narrow lanes.  

But we were soon distracted from the scary ride by the scenery.  Even though the weather was less than optimal, the view of the mountains and lakes was spectacular.

We finally arrived at our hotel, the Explora.  The approach and outside was very unassuming, but inside was another matter.  It reminded us of the Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island in Australia.  The hotel was a long strip of rooms all with the most amazing views one could imagine. 

View from the lodge

Waterfall next to lodge

The other remarkable thing we noted was the wind.  We had heard that the wind was fierce here, but until you experience it, it is difficult to understand.  Sustained winds of 35+mph are pretty much constant with gusts much higher.  Fortunately the temperatures weren’t too bad, in the 50’s, otherwise the wind would be bone-chilling.

After check-in, we met with one of the guides to discuss options for hikes tomorrow.  One of the must-do hikes, Grey Glacier, was being offered, so we jumped at the chance.  Unfortunately, it left at 7 am, which meant an early morning yet again (not as bad as 5 for the Geysers in Atacama). 

Internet here is abysmal, so I’m not sure when this will get posted.