Originally my winter getaway thoughts were warm and Gringo-user friendly Costa Rica. A country featuring tropical rain forests, belching volcanoes and balmy beaches where the locals "Habla ingles."
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
That game plan got the boot after I received a phone call from Lisa.
"Want to spend Christmas and New Year's in Patagonia?"
She sent me links featuring Steven Spielberg-ist landscapes with oddly shaped mountains. I'm a sucker for pretty pictures. She might have failed to say the region's incessant winds plus eons of time made those peaks angular and spiked. Oh yeah, it rains a lot too. Glacier like winds plus wet equals hyperthermia. Wow! What a great winter escape!
Now about Lisa: I met her on my 2013 Camino de Santiago walk across Spain. We had two things in common. We were both American Jews on a Christian Pilgrimage. I was there to drink beer with people from all over the world, while her Camino was more spiritual in nature. Typical men vs. women stuff.
We are friends who are quickly becoming a team of brother and sister with different last names. I drive, while she calls out directions. Somehow we get to where we want to go by dead reckoning.
We are now slowly making our way to our jump off point to Patagonia. We're seeing National Parks and beautifully warm places along our way. I like that. The Patagonia journey is a process of planes, buses and one catamaran. It's a logistical hazard just waiting for an unexpected tumble. The realist in me sees possible problems while Lisa plays Polly Anna and sees blue skies and toasty temperatures.
So now you are caught up, sort of. I'll let the photos talk.
BTW: The Chileans are extremely friendly people, although I haven't a clue to what they are saying. For all I know they might be calling us names, but they are smiling while they cuss us.
I'll take this moment to say Hola Jenny.
Cheers from Chile,
Jeff
