Naviamag and The Route Down

A few folks from the hostel in Puerto Varas were also catching the Navimag from Puerto Montt down to Puerto Natales. We caught the bus down to PM which only took twenty minutes. Upon our arrival I realized that Heather´s advice about stayng in Puerto Varas was spot on. Puerto Montt is not that nice and I´m glad I spent the two days elswhere. The Navimag is the ferry which ships passengers, cars, and other goods down throught he fjords to Puerto Natales. The entire trip takes four days. Although you can buy everything on the boat, It was recommended that we buy snacks and alcohol ahead of time since those things were expensive on the boat. I ended up buying a 1.5 liter box of wine. Yes, wine in a box! My intention was to share the wine, but this would prove to be a big mistake later on.

I was located in¨the ¨C¨ berth which had the cheap beds. Our bunks looked like book stacks in the university library. Beds were small but surprisingly comfortable. Even the huge Dutch girls could fit comfortably in the beds. I shared my section with an Irish couple making their way south from Peru. Rosie and Louie had worked one year in New Zealand, so I immediately started bombarding them with question for my next trip. The passenger space on the three decks is actually small. It took 5 minutes to see pretty much everything. For more detail, you can see this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfBQ_OBBzOM

Our route took us out of Puerto Montt into the Gulf of Ancud. The breeze was strong and everyone was at the bow looking forward out towards open waters. As we went further down, the temperature started to get colder and the days longer. The weather was constantly changing. Rain in the morning turned into sun two hours later, then turned back into clouds, then mist, then back to sun. The weather is so unpredictable that people here don´t even pay attention to the reports. On occasion, the boat was escorted by seals and dolphins. We could also see whales in the distance which brought all of the passengers to one side of the boat all at the same time. The boat made a couple stops along the way. The first was Puerto Eden which is a small colorful fishing village. The second was at the glacier Pio XI. After seeing the glacier, I wondered if it was worth going to El Calafate after all. Before I knew it, it was day three and I had not started on the box wine. So I started drinking the box at noon hoping I could finish the entire 1.5 liters by the end of the bingo party that evening. Remember, I said that my intention was to share the wine, but the Irish couple only drank beer (big surprise). I don´t remember too much after the bingo party, but I woke up in my bunk the next morning with purple lips and a stained toungue. During breakfast, I only stirred my eggs around on their plate and went up to the bow to see if the cold air would help cure my hangover. I was like that dog who sticks his head out of a moving car. It did bring some relief, but I would be wrecked for the next 24 hours.

I could see Puerto Natales in the distance. We were finally here. From the looks of the city, I can see how this place would be totally deserted in the winter. However, it is now high season and the streets are filled with people, most of whom are arriving to see Torres del Paine. This would be the closest I´ll ever be to the end of the earth I thought to myself. Of course Ushuia is even further, but due to the time constraint, I had to make a compromise. Looking forward to meet up with Heather again and see the greatness of the park.