December 21 Tuesday

Yesterday we did a full day hike, in spite of my thoughts before coming that we would only do half day hikes. But the hike sounded so fantastic that we couldn’t resist. Indeed it was a full day, and indeed it was fantastic.

The weather was marginally cooperative, with a bit of rain on and off, trading with a bit of sun on and off. We first took a quick boat ride to the starting point, and then did five hours of hiking. The last part of it was along Lake Grey, where we could see in the distance the Grey Glacier, which we eventually approached. This is the third largest glacier in the world, and it is one of the most spectacular sites I’ve ever seen. At the end of the hike, we took a two hour boat ride to see the glacier up close. The edge of the glacier is about 200 feet high, and it’s far more jagged than you would expect. It’s also white with brilliant streaks of blue, almost looking like it has blue lights inside shining out. We returned to the hotel around 7:30pm, exhausted but thrilled with our first day choice. I have to say that Marina is an incredibly strong hiker …. she was the only kid in this group (there are a few others at the hotel) … she never complained, in spite of being wet on and off, and seemed to be having a great time.

Today we decided we needed a break after the long hike yesterday, so we did a pleasant one hour horse ride in the morning, and then a 2 ½ hour hike in the afternoon for a sensational view of the Torres del Paines mountains. Marina was thrilled to be on a horse again, and I actually managed to do it, overcoming my longstanding discomfort (I still don’t really see the point of sitting on the back of an animal doing nothing other than praying that the beast won’t lose its footing). Then the gaucho (cowboy) served us Mate, a very strong tea, which is a Chilean tradition. On the hike, we saw a large waterfall, Salto Grande, and then went to a lookout. The highlight of the hike was the high winds which gusted up to 60 mph. We kept holding onto Marina hoping that the wind wouldn’t lift her up and carry her away. But it also was sunny, and we found ourselves stuffing our multiple layers into backpacks and enjoying the rays.

We capped off the day by a quick dip in the pool and hot tub, which is awkwardly located down a long flight of stairs from the hotel, facing the river behind. We did manage to sip some champagne, and have a quick toast to our great good fortune to be in such an extraordinary place.

Now, it’s pouring rain, proving that these guys are not joking when they say that you can experience all four seasons in one day in Patagonia.

-- Donna