Saturday, December 24, 2011

El Calafate, Argentina to Puerto Natales, Chile...

11/10/11
Puerto Natales is so great!  Walked everywhere and stayed at Erratic Rock 2 hostel on Miraflores for $70 USD ($35,000 CH) per night.  Attended an orientation at Erratic Rock that gave information about the Torres del Paine trek.  Very helpful.




I didn't write much today, I didn't make the time.  I was way too "busy" to worry with writing; for most of the day my face was pressed up against the bus window, mouth gaping at the views.  I was excited and giddy, like a child stuffing a hand into his Christmas stocking, as we watched the Andes dramatically reveal themselves.  We arrived in Puerto Natales after a five hour bus ride.  The border crossing was time consuming.  It turns out that Chile is a little bit more strict than it's neighboring country to the east.  Even our pre-packed, sealed, dehydrated meals we brought from home were subject to inspection.  We lucked out though, and the "just-add-water" meals of turkey with mashed potatoes and BBQ chicken with rice weren't confiscated.

When the bus finally pulled into the not-so-touristy town of Puerto Natales, Chile, it was windy and cold.  And we were tired.  It had been several days now of traveling, and we were ready to find Erratic Rock 2, the hostel where I had made reservations (in advance this time!).  As far as hostels go, this was the Ritz.  It was perfect!  There are two Erratic Rock hostels (1 and 2).  Both had english-speaking staff - a welcome surprise for those of us who hadn't perfectly mastered multiple languages.   Courtney and I both noticed how drawn we were to the simple comfort and familiarity of our native tongue.

View of the Andes from our porch at Erratic Rock 2
Erratic Rock 1 was a traditional, shared-space hostel, and Erratic Rock 2 was their attempt at a "couples" hostel.  It featured private rooms and bathrooms, storage units to stash any unwanted stuff while on the trail, hot breakfasts in the morning, and bus rides into the park every morning at 7:30 am.  I believe Erratic Rock 1 had breakfast and bus rides too.  For anyone reading this who will be traveling as a couple, I highly recommend either of these hostels, but especially E.R. 2.  Both have wi-fi (though Erratic Rock 1 was slightly better in that category) and both were very helpful.  The owners even run an orientation every day at 3:00 pm for anyone going into the park.  The orientation isn't completely necessary, but it was definitely helpful to hear the weather updates, current John Gardner Pass conditions (more about the the pass coming soon on "day 4..."), and route descriptions.

After attending the orientation, we headed out on the town to gather food, fuel, and a knife (we carried-on the whole way so we had to leave our knives at home).  There is an abundance of fuel in Puerto Natales, even the iso-butane canisters that fit most modern stoves.  We have an MSR Pocket Rocket, and had no trouble finding the screw on fuel.  No need for liquid/white gas unless that's your thing.

We shopped for food, and had a great time doing it.  We couldn't find the "one-stop-shop" grocery store that we kept hearing about, so we had to go old-school, stopping at various specialty shops until we obtained everything we needed: salami from the meat shop, cheese from the cheese shop; coffee, cereal bars, tortillas and jelly from the coffee-cereal bars-tortillas-jelly shop; and dried fruit, soup, and a few other odds and ends at stores along the main strip on Blanco Encalada St.  

Walking Miraflores Ave. back to the hostel
We headed back to our room and carefully laid out our backpacks, emptying them for the first time since we left home.  You see, the packing/un-packing ritual before a back-packing trip is very important (I can see my dad and brother knowingly nodding their heads in agreement).  You have to know exactly where everything is in your pack.  Put the heavy stuff towards the middle or bottom of the pack, and as close to your back as possible.  Make sure that rain gear is easily accessible, and food for that day is right up at the top so you don't have to completely dig out your entire pack at each meal.  And finally, wrap your sleeping bag  in a waterproof sack (we went with the highly technical black trash bags) and then stuff it into the bottom compartment of the pack.  That night we packed and un-packed, stuffed and tweaked, arranged and rearranged, all in search of the ideal layering and order of our packed items.  The smallest details become important when you are wearing that pack for a week or more.  Even seemingly irrelevant straps and buckles are key components to your overall happiness and comfort.  We took our time getting everything perfect.

We got great sleep that night.  I nodded off, anticipating the unknown of the Chilean Andes.  As I lay there, I went through everything I could think of that could possibly go wrong.  As far as I could tell, we had it all covered.  From our "Rock & Ice" magazine that doubled as a potential splint, to ace wraps and blister gel, we had it all.  I was confident, with just the right amount of nerves.  I couldn't wait!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Denver, CO to El Calafate, Argentina...

11/8/11 and 11/9/11
Flying standby, last two people to board the flight from Denver to Atlanta!  Through security with fully loaded packs; no problems.  Last two, again, to get on the flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires!  Arrived in Buenos Aires, EZE airport, on the morning of the 9th, paid our $140 USD entrance fee, and hopped a transfer bus (via Manuel Tiendo Leon) to AEP airport for $65 ARS per ticket (around $18 USD per ticket at a 3.6 exchange rate).  Free Wi-Fi on the bus.  Flew on Aerolineas Aregentinas from AEP to El Calafate.  Split a cab with two other travelers to El Calafate, 15 minute ride.  We spent the night of the 9th @ La Overja hostel in El Calafate, Argentina.  Our non-private room cost $80 ARS (about $22 USD).  They helped us book our bus ticket for the following morning to Puerto Natales, Chile.  Cost $100 ARS each ($27 USD).  We ate awesome empanadas in El Calafate at Cambalache, a local spot.  




The above journal entry sums up most of the first couple of days.  We sat on flights, napped in airports, didn't really sleep on planes, watched some good movies (some not-so-good), and finally arrived in South America.  It's a strange feeling, and those of you who have traveled across continents and countries will relate, when you arrive at your destination after an overnight flight.  All of the sudden, you are out of your element.  All of the sudden, you are living in the moment, and the distractions back home melt away.  We couldn't converse very well with anyone on any substantial level, though Courtney did far better than I.  If I wasn't saying, "Hola, como esta?", I wasn't speaking.  We were far from home.

The Buenos Aires airports (yes, there are several) are relatively easy to navigate, despite the language barrier.  There is even a bus company called Manuel Tiendo Leon that shuttles people to and from the different airports.  And, since we had to get from Ezeiza to Jorge Newberry AeroPark, this was a great service to find.  Buenos Aires is enormous, home to about 11 million people, and it was nearly an hour bus ride.  We rode past very ancient-looking buildings, apartment flats and skyscrapers, run-down shacks and the Argentina national soccer team's stadium.  Here, the name Messi is to the locals as Jordan is to us U.S.A. dwellers.

Flying out of B.A. to El Calafate
We arrived at Jorge Newberry AeroPark Airport (wow...let's go with AEP) from Ezeiza (EZE) with plenty of time to catch our connection.  Actually, our flight out of AEP was running late, so we had way too much time to kill.  But Aerolineas Argentinas got us to El Calafate (the small Argentine town named after the Calafate berry that, as I learned later, goes quite well with spit-roasted rack of lamb and a bottle of Malbec) by 9:00 pm or so.  Travel Suggestion:  if you plan on flying Aerolineas Argentinas, purchase a "Club Economy" ticket.  This offers a full refund incase of travel interruptions, a great in-flight meal, and first class seating.  All for about 10 bucks more!



Looking for a spot to stay...after 2 days of traveling.
We split a cab from the El Calafate airport with some fellow English speakers.  The driver dropped them off at a hotel where they had made reservations.  We, however, hadn't made arrangements and had no where to go.  So after exchanging looks that said "hmm, wish we had thought of that," we began wandering the streets enjoying the feeling of lostness and endless possibility.  We eventually found a hostel called El Ovejero and bought a couple of beds and warm showers.  After finding this place, we went back out to get some food and, per the Lonely Planet guide book's suggestion, ended up at Cambalache for empanadas.  Of all the empanadas we ate on this trip (and we ate a lot) these were my favorite!

El Ovejero hostel/campground
When we got back to El Ovejero with our recently acquired pesos from the ATM, we paid for the room and were even able to pay right then for our bus trip out of El Calafate early in the morning to our destination in Chile - Puerto Natales.  The girl working the front desk at the hostel was very helpful and friendly, and we trusted that she was indeed taking down our names and passport numbers to book our bus trip, not for other purposes.  Looking back on it, we really had to put our trust in a lot of people throughout the course of the journey.  Of course, we used discretion as best we could, but in the end we got an incredible, and positive, picture of humanity and community that over-ruled culture and language.

We slept good that night on our dorm room style bunk beds, and other than a couple of late-night visitors to our room at about 2:00 am, the night was uneventful.  Our house-mates at the hostel turned out to be very friendly Europeans who were also out traveling, so we enjoyed some great conversation with them.  We looked forward to the morning, and the days to come!
Super luxury...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

cold...

This past Monday was the coldest 24 hours we have felt so far this winter.  It dipped close to 0 degrees, and went well below that with the wind chill.  This is what happens when the clouds that serve as a blanket suddenly clear out, leaving the earth exposed with no way to retain any degree of heat.  Even during the day, in the sun, the chilled air threatened to freeze any exposed skin.  The moisture from my breath froze into ice-sickles that clung to my beard.  I tried to dream of beaches or the scorching heat of summers back in Texas.  It didn't really help.

No one really stands around chatting when it is that cold.   The chill will creep through the soles of your shoes, up into your feet, until you finally feel it penetrate your core.  Street corners that are usually bustling with vendors and pedestrians sit silent, icy, and lonely.

This may all seem a bit dramatic.  Perhaps it is.  But imagine if you had no escape from the frozen concrete.  Whatever dramatization I or anyone else could possibly come up with, would still pale in comparison to the actual experience of living stranded and houseless in the winter.


I reminded myself that I had only been out there for a couple of hours...


That night, as we do every Monday night, we invited a few friends of ours who are sleeping outside, to spend an evening with us at the Dry Bones apartment/office/hideout.  We sat on comfortable couches, ate delicious, hot, home-cooked food, and enjoyed conversation and a lot of laughter.  We sat for hours, all of us avoiding the inevitable moment when we would have to leave the warmth.  I passed around hand warmers and you would have thought I was doling out gold coins - or possibly stacks of Subway gift cards.  "Put those in your pockets, in your sleeping bags, in your shoes, down your shirt," I suggested.  I have strategically used those magical sources of heat on nights spent in the wilderness, why not practice those same strategies on the streets?  We all swapped stories of our coldest nights.  I think they won.

Eventually, and in no hurry, my friends bundled up and walked out the door.  Unfortunately, their situations didn't change that night.  They trudged to their squats on the outskirts of downtown.  The moment felt much more bitter than sweet.  I think that God feels the sorrow and tastes the bitterness of the circumstances just as we do.  He knows the pain, and no-doubt hates it.  But I also believe that He is good, that He is active and working in the pain and hurt of this world, and that His love can and will change everything.

I pray they left encouraged.  I pray they left with a sense of worth and value.  I pray their stomachs didn't growl for the rest of the night.  I pray they left with motivation to experience life in new ways.  I pray that Monday night was the last straw and that it served as a catalyst for change.  I pray they continue to know their own value.  

Thursday, December 1, 2011

sabbatical, glaciers, and a whole lot of travel...

Yes, it has been over a month since my last post.  Yes, I am sorry.  No, it wasn't because nothing was happening!  So, bear with me while I quickly get you up to speed...this will only take a minute.

I found out after I came on staff with Dry Bones (over three years ago!) that every three years each staff member gets to take a month-long sabbatical.  Our board of directors goes above and beyond to take care of us staffers and this is one of the ways they insure we are "well-fed and happy".  Courtney and I began plans for my month off pretty much immediately after getting married.  We had grand schemes of big travels to far-away places.  We saved every dollar we could and thought of adventures on nearly every continent.  We have friends who have been all over the world - from the Himalayas, to the Alps, to Africa, to Australia, to Japan and everywhere else it seems.  Needless to say, we had plenty of good conversations and stories about beautiful places around the globe to consider.

After much talk and weeks of brainstorming, we decided to forget everything we had been told and go to a place of which we knew very little.

I had heard of Patagonia for years.  Besides being "that awesome clothing brand" that all of us wanna-be mountaineers dream about while we sit at our desks, I didn't know much about the place itself.  I have to admit that if I was asked to point to Patagonia on a map, I may have had trouble knowing where to guide my finger.  It was simply some mystical, magical place that inspired cool clothes and extreme adventures.  I wanted both.

Courtney and I did some research.  It turns out that Patagonia is located in southern South America and encompasses large portions of Argentina and Chile.  It is also beautiful, and is packed with possibilities for the kind of trip that we were craving: gorgeous scenery, glaciers at every turn, zero predators, and the exact right amount of difficulty that deters many, but welcomes anyone who wishes to pound out the miles on rough terrain in order to see some incredible stuff.  We set our gaze on Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in the Southern Chilean Andes and started planning.

Multiple travel blogs and Lonely Planet trekking books later, November finally came.

Our packs - ready for 3 weeks away
from home
Everything was set.  Plane tickets: check.  Necessary gear: check.  Reservations at a small hostel in Puerto Natales, Chile, where we could get a good nights sleep and store a few items while we were on the trail: check.  I e-mailed the hostel weeks in advance in hopes of finding someone who might reply in English, and I got a response within an hour giving me the current conditions and confirmation that the daunting John Gardner Pass was indeed open for the season.  With that confirmation ringing in our ears like beautiful music, we flew out of Denver on November 8th.

Check the blog every few days for the continuation of the story.  I'll divide up the writing because one long post isn't as fun as multiple short ones!  So, stay tuned for lots of posts over the upcoming weeks.  My plan is to set them up like a travel blog with lots of details.  One thing we found during our preparation was that detailed and recent travel blogs were tough to come by, so I am going to provide as much info as I can for anyone thinking of doing this particular "best of South America" trek!

More to come...  

A note to those of you who are supporting me and Dry Bones.  I want to thank you for the sabbatical I just received.  Even though you may not have even known that I was off of the streets for a month, thank you.  I know what a gift time is, and there is no gift I value more.  Time to travel.  Time to think.  Time with God.  Time with Courtney.  Time by myself.  Time with friends.  Time...


Thank you for the way you love me, the street kids in Denver, and the rest of the staff here at Dry Bones.  My time off was amazing in the greatest sense of the word.  I gained new perspectives on the world, God, my dreams and goals, and life with Court'.  I hope you enjoy these simple musings from our trip to Patagonia.  Thank you friends!!