austral summer

four hours after my arrival in punta arenas, the amarok was loaded with the familia jordan flano and me, all we'd need for a weekend in puerto natales, and we were headed out on highway 9 - a three hour drive would take us to our casita for the weekend, and just a little bit down the road, pizza awaited. my head was awash in the sudden immersion in family and language and friendship after nearly twenty hours of travel. i wanted to see everything as it passed by the truck; i wanted to soak it all in and file it away for my memory to call upon in years to come. el fin del mundo - i was there. so, as the golds, browns, greens, greys, and blues entered my eyes and the whole of the sky was revealed in a way i've never seen, as the road thrummed beneath the tires, i found myself singing along to "hey soul sister" by train - and as cheesy as it might sound, i did indeed feel as though i'd arrived in a place i was destined to be. immensely beautiful, constantly changing, gorgeous and daunting at the same time, the landscape was more than i'd imagined. rain began to pelt the windshield as the sun still shone and a rainbow appeared. soon we passed a lake with flamingos. all this, and the constant chatter of the kids and the language between my friends and me, this was my welcome to summer in the south.

we spent the weekend just outside the town of puerto natales, known as the gateway to torres del paine national park. the town is a very small one - even smaller than punta arenas, and has the feel of being on the edge of just about everything. after checking in to our little house, we went to town for the pizza that had been promised to the boys, ages 4 and 2. mesita grande was as promised, a place with a big table where everyone shares dinner together. we joined a bunch of guys who were just finishing their meal and drinks; they were eager to say hello to the kids and as i took a deep breath, thinking about how just hours ago i was on a seemingly endless flight, i was able to relax and enjoy a delicious pizza - among the best i have ever tasted, thin crust, spinach, plenty of sauce and cheese. following dinner we walked around a bit, looking for ice cream (funny, considering it was cool enough outside for down jackets, gloves, and hats - but summer is for helado, no?).

torres del paine has been a place i have dreamed about for years and years. its iconic peaks and glaciers have played in my imagination for a very long time. it is about a two hour drive along dirt roads from puerto natales and we set off early for a tour of the park. we hiked to lago grey, a huge glacial lake with views of its namesake glacier as well as incredible icebergs the color of blue jewels. this was where i was first introduced to the patagonian wind - i had seen a video of danilo and his friends in the wind, but this was unreal. it made walking across the rocky beach nearly impossible. it was so wonderful to reach a small windbreak at the bottom of a hill on the other side, before hiking to a point to have an amazing view of some of the icebergs. clouds and rain intermittently flanked the mountains on the other side of the lake - on a clear day it would have offered views of the torres above snow-capped peaks... but on this day it just seemed the blue of the icebergs was magic enough against the slate greys of the background. cata and i hiked to the point, and sat in the wind momentarily, before turning around to head back across the windy beach to danilo and the boys, waiting at the truck with snacks, sandwiches, and music.

next on the stop were the cuernos del paine - a view i saw every time i looked at my lonely planet guide to chile. we drove past impossibly turquoise lakes and greens and yellows before entering a zone where a forest fire raged just a month earlier; an israeli tourist had been burning his toilet paper and set the blaze, which burned thousands of acres in the very heart of the park. it was heartbreaking to see. the fragile ecosystem, already hardened by the winds and cold at the best times of the year, will not recover for decades. i have seen recently burned swaths of forest before, but none struck me as soundly as this. the gorgeous waters of the lakes were surrounded by blackened ground where we should have seen greens this time of year. the air still smelled of the smoke. yet, life went on - we saw guanacos (similar to llamas) and even small tufts of grass near some skeletons of plants. danilo and i hiked to a waterfall before taking a short walk to a viewpoint of the cuernos. again, clouds shrouded the peaks, but they were thin at times and the sun was still shining as well. the wind here was just incredible - we took turns leaning into the wind and letting it support our bodies; our jackets and jeans filled up with air; it was nearly impossible to talk, and certainly impossible to really communicate. to stand in that place in those mountains was such a dream.

we drove back to puerto natales, stopping for views of lakes, flamingos, guanacos, nandos (small ostriches), and even some vacas (cows), which tomas (the 2 year old) was eager to point out. that night we joined some friends for a fantastic dinner at a very nice place in town - we all had seafood of some sort, and once again afterward we searched (successfully this time) for ice cream. it had been a long, beautiful day. as i lay in bed listening to the wind shake the house i was already planning my next trip in my head. there just wasn't enough time.

sunday dawned rainy and windy and there wasn't too much of a rush to get going. when we did we went back north of puerto natales to the cueva de milodon, a cave where the remains of a milodon (basically a huge sloth) were found. the milodon is the symbol of puerto natales, you see it everywhere. the danilos and i went on a short hike to the large cave - it was the biggest one i have ever been in. dry and cool compared to outside where it was still raining, it made for a good morning. after photos with a life-size statue of the milodon we were back to the car and on our way to lunch. weather in southern chile changes every five minutes and by this time the sun was out in some spots, giving views of snowcapped mountains over the water. lunch was planned at the brand-new hotel singular just outside of town. it is a hotel built in an old sheep slaughterhouse. the idea of it was kind of morbid, but the architecture and design were marvelous. huge glass doors, walls, and windows were everywhere, giving views of the water outside and the brick inside. the dining area was next to an immense sitting room, full of comfortable couches and chairs and a bar. the food was flawlessly, perfectly prepared and i went along with my "when in rome" approach to chile and ate guanaco. not gamey at all, i liken it to beef and it was tender and delicious along with wheat and mint and a great sauce. along with a coke and, for dessert, a lemon tart and espresso, this was one of the most memorable feasts of the trip (though they were all memorable). after playing with the resident german shepard, rita, and petting one of the cats (much to the kids' consternation) we were back in the truck en route to punta arenas - home. cata and the boys snoozed in the back and donda and i talked in the front, music playing softly and light dancing across the horizon. i don't think i've ever been in such an inspiring place.

home in punta arenas there were the usual trappings of everyday life - work for donda, grocery store trips, and entertaining the kids - but it was all super enjoyable for me. cata is easily the best cook i have met, and lunches were such a treat each afternoon. siestas came next, and i am as good a napper as the best of them, so i was happy for some down time and extra snoozing. by now it was three o'clock, but the day felt to be just starting. with light until ten or so each night, there was plenty of time for adventure. the first day brought a trip to seno otway, a penguin colony about an hour from town. danilito (4 years) joined cata and me for the trip. i was super excited to see the penguinos, but as we drove once again i found myself glued to the views outside my window - we passed an antique car/truck museum and ranch buildings painted bright colors against the ever-changing sky. there is water everywhere and while most of it is salt water it is not necessarily the ocean or the straight of magellan so i was glad to study a map when we'd arrived at the preserve. we'd driven to the west side of the landmass that houses punta arenas and these penguins were in the otway sound. home for them is a little hole in the earth, and as we walked toward the viewpoint to see them on the beach, i found it funny to see penguins on land; whenever i have seen them on tv or in movies they are on ice or in the water. i could sit and watch penguins all day - they are immensely funny as they body surf the waves into shore, shake themselves out on the beach, and waddle to their homes. we spent an hour or so watching them, all the time i was stuck by the colors surrounding the little black and white birds; greens, yellows, blues, greys, and white of the snow on the far-off mountains. once again the wind was our constant companion. it was such a day.

dinner that evening was seafood at sotito's bar, overlooking the waterfront in downtown punta arenas. i had eel (when in chile) with a garlic cream sauce. danilo and cata told me it came covered in chips - not sure what this meant, i figured it came with some fries or something. no, indeed, it was COVERED in potato chips. the eel was the best i've had (i hated it in japan) and i was happy for the chips. dessert was flan con manjar, a carmel-like sweet that was a total indulgence. i went to bed stuffed and happy.

tuesday was another full day, this time spent all in punta arenas. cata and i did some shopping for gifts in the morning, and toured the cemetery. many of the names on the headstones are of eastern-european descent; punta arenas was settled by croatians in the late 1800's. there are amazing wind-swept topiaries marking the walkways and despite the wind it is a peaceful place. minutes later rain broke out as we visited a friend's art studio, once again looking for some gifts, since mom's birthday was coming up. lunch was at home and i fell sound asleep for a nap before heading out for a walk along the water. the boys joined us and we decided a stop in a cafe for churros was a great way to spend some time. this was the first time i would hear english spoken by gringos all week - they were laughing at the boys and the mess they were making with the powdered sugar and manjar. i was happy for an infusion of caffeine in the form of a delicious latte. donda joined us after a meeting and we walked back to the car with the kids, watching the ocean, looking across the water to tierra del fuego, and chatting. donda took me to see his bike shop, just up the hill from downtown, before we headed home to relax and pack a bit - we were leaving for santiago the next day. dinner was a riot - chilean hot dogs (hot dog, tomato, avocado, and mayo on a big roll). it was supremely messy and amazingly tasty. i could only finish one but i was very full once again and ready to finish packing and getting ready to leave the far south.

our flight was in the afternoon so in the morning i got the donda-tour of punta arenas. we started things at kiosko roca for breakfast. this is a tiny hole-in-the-wall place with an undying devotion to the universidad de chile soccer team. there are stools at a counter but otherwise no where to sit and only two things are served: leche de platano (banana milk) and a sandwich consisting of chorizo paste and mayo on something like an english muffin. great. i had two. i'd eaten more mayo in two meals than i'd eaten in five years, so it was time to do some walking, before my heart stopped. we went to the plaza de armas, where it is rumored you'll return to punta arenas some day if you touch the toe of a statue of magellan (i did). we went on a short tour around a hotel danilo's family runs in a 100 year-old building reminiscent of paris, and we went back to the car and drove to the local ski hill. danilo has designed and helped build miles of mountain bike trails there, and we walked through some of the only trees i had seen since torres del paine, big, tall trees, nestled in the wind shadow of the mountain. the air was quiet and smelled so fresh - the green was so rich and deep. i could spend all day there, and would have, but our flight beckoned following one more great lunch and we needed some summer, true summer, for a few days.

i was sad to leave punta arenas but i do think i will go back. there is just so much to see and do and i only just scratched the surface on this trip. it was an honor to have such good friends as tour guides and being with their family was more important to me than the actual places we'd visit on the trip. it is a long way to go, but somehow despite the language difference and the distance our friendship thrives. upon leaving the far south i was struck by how wild it remains, and how lucky i am to have seen it. i'm inspired by it.