%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |    My random thoughts and reactions to my everyday life. The voices like a forum. |
| Dress for work we're going to get dirty. I volunteered our services to help with the branding. Aug. 21 ---Day 2: Puerto Natales -- Balmaceda and Serrano -- Puerto Natales (B, L)After breakfast at your hotel, a full-day trip starts with an early morning cruise from Puerto Natales to Ultima Esperanza Fjord. The three-hour cruise takes you through stunning Patagonian scenery to the 1,000-year-old Balmaceda glacier, home to cormorants and sea lions. At the head of the fjord, disembark to take a short 80-minute walk through a forest to the foot of the Serrano Glacier, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and walls of ice. Stop for a late lunch at Estancia Perales, a traditional cattle ranch, on the return trip to Puerto Natales, where the rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to explore on your own. Accommodation: your same hotel I felt somewhat like an exploring Viking this morning as I boarded our ship the Agunsa Orca bundled in warm clothing. Huh, it's summertime back home, and I'd be wearing shorts and flip flops not a toque, mitts, and warm woollies. Yeah, yeah there was no fur just the wonderful, bright Chilean ponchos. Apondia  , BlueMoon  , and I unashamedly flaunted our new tourist gear. Our theory was that we couldn't possibly be lost with all our hiking if we wore colours that would jibe with the white of a glacier. We cruised from Puerto Natales to Ultima Esperanza Fjord. To the Spanish, this is Last Hope Sound, or Inlet of Last Hope.Oh, the scenery and the temperatures were breathtaking. This inlet is a tidal basin in which waters drain. We saw streams that cut a swath through green forest and tumble over cliffs in fine cascades. The water of this sound is a lovely shade of green. All around us was intense blue sky, towering rock, and blue/green water. The Balmaceda Glacier is an immense spire of snow and ice. Every surface seems to be covered with cormorants and sea lions. We huffed and puffed our way through a forest to the serrano Glacier. It's a hanging glacier. Despite the sun, it was cold and brisk. people were actually brave enough to venture forth in kayaks. Pieces of floating ice reminded me of a giant slushie. We wondered at ice caves. After our hike, we returned to the boat where the staff offered us bracing glasses of whiskey served over ice originating from the glaciers. Our leisurely cruise ended at Estancia Perales. What was Lyn's a Witchy Woman  thinking volunteering us as ranch hands? Branding animals? I don't even have a tattoo. All I could think of was the Billy Crystal movie, 'City Slickers.' We were world travellers bumbling around a working ranch. We were at best, guests of a dude ranch. The cattle seemed to recognize my hesitation. More than once, my toes were trampled. Unlike, Billy's character, I did not adopt a calf and name it Norman. Yes, we ended up filthy, and I for one have a new-found respect for these cow hands. I was pleasantly exhausted after today's adventures. I mustered enough energy to limp to a café for some much-needed coffee, and people-watching. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
