Into the wilderness

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/emmadick13/latin_america/1170702960/tpod.html - map update

We left the hotel about 6.30 in the morning to get into the queue for the ferry. Luckily we made it, I couldn´t bear sitting looking at the cafe begging it to open any longer. Sunrise was spectacular, strange watching it over a mine field. The Bahia Azul was calmer and the crossing was good. Waiting to board the ferry Bridget (21, student from Brisbane, scarily reminded me of myself at the same age, say no more, big gob but good fun, spoke her mind which rattled a few cages, including mine a couple of times) managed to get her intonation and tenses slightly wrong and suggested to a truck driver that ´we share a hotel´instead of explaining that as a group we shared a hotel. Truck driver looked keen, Bridget became the butt of easy jokes for a couple of days.

The journey to Torres del Paine was okay. Rattling windows, bit chilly but the view of the Torres (towers of pain) when we arrived was pretty amazing. My first night camping was traumatic. Woke around five imagining that I´d be the first UFO spotted over Chile this year, thankfully was still grounded, if a little spooked. Layers of clothing finally kept the cold at bay, not much room left to move in my sleeping bag and boy I wished for my human hot waterbottle to be next to me so I could snuggle and get warm.

I wasn´t fit enough to go all the way to the viewpoint. Managed to walk for a couple of hours but a 3foot wide,max, path with a steep drop on the one side put me off making the hostel and the forest walk. Headed back, got sunbunt arms and took the time to enjoy my surroundings. Felt quite proud as people looked at me and smiled like I´d been up already and was heading down, what they don´t know.... First paddling experience in a cool blue stream, felt at home next to the water and thought of my mum giggling next to me.

If the first night hadn´t been quite so unsettled, would perhaps have pushed myself more. Sunshine and a lolly was a good substitute and I wrote a couple of more postcards, which as usual over 2 weeks later I´ve still to post.

Day 2 in TDP was spent at Lago Gray and my first experience of a glacier. The boat trip was full, but took that as a meanign of saving cash. Walked to a better view point and saw some amazing blue icebergs which had broken off the glacier. Everything looks so close, but an hour later was still walking to what at first looked like a 30min round trip. Was well worth it and I did it with Anna and Roger, who are so lovely. No gooseberryness was had and enjoyed my time with them walking.

Day 3 I ventured onto the back of a horse. First time since I tried it in Cleethorpes about 15 years ago after helping at a disabled horseriding session. All went well, fell in love with Safido and his big brown eyes (horse not gaucho before any rumours start). All was well until on the way back down the hill Safido decided to show me a short cut. Stop in english didn´t work, panic set in, heart pounded and thank f@#! the gaucho behind me at the end shouted something at Safido in spanish whih stopped him short. He turned round, gaucho blocked him (us) from heading straight over crest of the other hill and a slightly panicked little dick made it safely to the bottom. Ached a bit the next day but not massively.

Following day set off for El Calafate, a touristy town further up Ruta 40.