The Long Way Down

We awoke Friday morning, had breakfast in the little guesthouse we were staying at, packed up some things and then out of nowhere the little old lady who owned it announced we had to leave. I told her we have to go to the bank, we don´t have enough money to pay you at the moment, to which she simply replied "no", clearly not realising her 2 options: let us go to the bank or be shortchanged.

Eventually she devised a plan that involved us going to the bank, returning with the 2500 chilean pesos we owed her and giving it to her neighbour, as she wouldn´t be in. Fine. So we do just that, dropping our bags off at the ferry port. To our dismay the Navimag people tell us that due to short space we´ve been upgraded to a private cabin with a window and a wash basin. Aw no! So we won´t be in the engine room afterall.

We get some food, mate (thats mah-tay), and head back to her place with our ducats. She is not in, so we give it to her neighbour, and make our way to the port. We board the ship (late...have to walk through the hold with all the trucks and animals and cargo, the rest of the passengers were treated to an elevator ride), find our cabin, and we´re off.

See the map below for our route (number 1 to number 9).

We sail through lakes past the island of Chiloe, and on the second day sailed into the open Pacific. It was a tad choppy and there was much vomiting all around. Let´s just say the wash basin in our room came in useful afterall.

At one point we enjoy tremendous miscommunication, crazy hand gestures and the heavy consumption of Pisco with some Chilean fellows who speak no English. One of them looks like the murderer from Zodiac. Another plays accordion.

On the third night, as the ship is navigating the maze of fjords and tiny islands, we experience really heavy rain, which is fun. Followed at 6am the next morning, as we are going through the Wide Narrow, by lots of snow.

We arrive at 9am in Puerto Natales, the most south Steve and I have ever been (so far). We disembark, wave goodbye to our floating home (and curse its stinking baños), and make our way into town. Needless to say, it´s quite cold and windy here.

Tomorrow we´re going camping in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.