HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

For all of my friends and family, I am sending greetings and wishes for the happiest of holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Patagonia!

Lots of love and big hugs :)

News from Natales

It's December 2nd and I have no idea where the time has gone. I've been living abroad for over six months now! Amazing! I'm still living and working in Puerto Natales, although I've made some changes to my work schedule. Monday was my last regular night working in Baguales. I will still fill in when they are short staffed, but I will not have a weekly schedule. Instead, I am working six days per week in the office of Kayak en Patagonia, which gives me more free time for climbing, gardening, and biking in the mornings.

I went on a three day kayaking trip down the Rio Serrano (the river that drains Torres del Paine national park). My role was the assistant to the guide...mostly helping with cooking, moving and preparing gear, and translating for the clients. It was an amazing adventure, however, we only paddled for one hour on the first day. The famous Patagonian wind was too strong and made the waters very dangerous for kayaking. We were forced to abandon the kayaks but managed to "hitch hike" down the river in a Zodiac boat, until we arrived at Puerto Toro. Once in Puerto Toro, we had a ship scheduled to take us back to Puerto Natales (this is part of the regular trip), but once again the wind was too strong. The port was closed and there was no navigation possible on the waterways between the river and Puerto Natales. Somehow, we managed to keep the clients entertained for 2 days despite the lack of kayaking...they were all happy in the end. Whew!

Another aspect of my job at Kayak en Patagonia is photography, which is one of my great passions in life. We are trying to take photos of all of the clients during their kayaking adventures, and then we upload them to our Facebook page so that they have access. I have also made several videos and slideshows, which play on the television in the office. This gives the clients a chance to see what they can expect on one of our kayaking trips. And on top of all of that, I'm learning to kayak!!!

My friend, Carlos, is also using a few of my photos on the website for his guiding company. You can check it out at: http://extremochile.com/. There is still the idea to start my own website for my photography, but I'm thinking that might have to wait until I have some free time at the end of the season.

So I'm still loving my time in Patagonia. I've made so many wonderful friends and amazing memories since I arrived in June, and the summer has just begun! Sending big hugs and lots of love to all of my family and friends! Hope that everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday!

LIfe is good!

Spring has arrived in Patagonia and the weather has been incredible! Perfect for kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, bbq's, and just about anything else you would want to do. I have been staying busy with all of the above, as well as working a lot. With the arrival of Spring, comes the arrival of tourists...and so the season begins. I'm working at Kayak en Patagonia in sales and as an assistant to the guides for the English speaking clients. It's pretty amazing that I get to go kayaking for "work" :) Besides the kayak gig, I'm still working in Baguales three days a week in the evenings. It's a sweet deal! I'm still focusing some of my energy on the beach clean up as well. Hopefully I can set a concrete date in the next couple of weeks, for sometime in early December.

My posts have been less frequent and a bit shorter than in the past, but I guess that is evidence that I'm spending most of my time outdoors. I am living an amazing life here in Patagonia! Sending lots of love and big hugs to all of my family and friends! Speaking of family and friends, when is somebody going to come visit me???

Time is flying by...

The days are flying by so quickly and I can't believe that I left the U.S. over four months ago. It's crazy when you think about it. Still, everything is going amazing for me in Puerto Natales. It turns out that the money I donated to the Patagonia Foundation in April was never used for anything, so they have given the money back to me. I've spent the last week meeting people and starting a project for cleaning the beaches in Natales. This was actually my dream when I decided to move Patagonia...I wanted to make a difference somehow. And now, here I am, starting a program with the businesses and schools in Natales to help the environment. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's all going to be worth it in the end. I'll post another blog when I have more of a concrete plan, but I don't have much time right now. Sorry for the short update but I figure it's better than nothing :) Big hugs and lots of love from Patagonia!

Great News!!!

Just a quick update today because I have some great news to share. I have my Temporary Visa to live and work in Chile for one year!!! I went to the office of PDI this morning, and was able to complete the interview alone! I'm incredibly happy and relieved to have this step of the process behind me. There is still one more step before I receive my Chilean ID card and my RUT, which is like a social security number, but I'm almost there! This is cause for a celebration! Cheers to all and I send big hugs from Patagonia!

Where does the time go?

Seriously? Where does it go? It seems that the older I get, the faster the time passes. My days are filled with the simplest things in life...walking along the coast, working in the garden, studying Spanish, baking, climbing, and working in the pub. So it's safe to say that I'm staying busy, but I have to wonder how three weeks has passed since I last posted on my blog!

I guess the biggest news is about the garden...we broke ground at the beginning of the month, and it's great! We have a lot of work to do with removing the grass and the roots, but the soil beneath is rich with nutrients. I've planted lettuce, carrot, and cilantro seeds in the house, and the sprouts are coming up after only one week. I also have pepper, squash, parsley, onion, and few other veggies to get started this week. It's super exciting for me to have a garden in the back yard of my house in Patagonia! The plan is to move the plants outside some time in November, depending on the weather.

Chile's Independence Day is coming up on September 18th, which will be a humungous celebration. My friends have been talking about it for weeks now, and the town is preparing for the festivities. Flags now line the main streets in town and there will be a carnival of sorts with games and food. I'm confident that it will be an amazing experience to celebrate this very important holiday with the locals, so I'll be sure to report back after the party!

There is big news from the brewery that I work at as well...we won a bronze medal at the Copa de Cerveza (the big beer competition in Santiago). This is an incredible honor, especially considering the size of our brewery versus the size of the competitor's breweries. The publicity from this will bring business not only to the pub, but also to the entire town of Puerto Natales. This past weekend the pub ran a two for one special to celebrate the news and spread the word around town. Fun was had by all!

I made another trip to the park with a few friends this last weekend as well. We ventured to Lago Toro, which is an incredibly large lake just south of the park. One of my friends is a geologist who is interested in creating a 'Paleo Park' near the shore of Lago Toro, which is littered with fossils. The only catch is this...you have rappel down three different rock faces before bush whacking through a jungle of bushes and trees covered in thorns. On top the difficult terrain, it was raining, which made for a very long, wet day. Still, it was an amazing adventure until the end, even as we were racing the light to reach the top of the cliff. My friend Sverre, who is one of the scientists I introduced in a recent post, accompanied us on this particular adventure. She is convinced that her friends back home won't believe the story, so I'm her 'eye witness'. Sverre, just have your friends send me an email if they don't believe you :)

Today I'm off to visit the PDI, which is equivalent to the Social Security Office in the United States. I'm in the process of applying for a temporary work visa right now. This visa will allow me to live and work in Chile for one year, where as my tourist visa only allows me to legally stay in the country for three months. My Spanish is coming along quite well, however, it's still intimidating to have meetings like this one. Wish me luck!!!

After the interview with PDI, I think I'll waste away the afternoon working in the garden and planting some new seeds. It's a pretty tough life down here in Patagonia, but somebody has to do it! Big hugs to all of my friends and family! I miss you and think of you everyday!

Torres del Paine

I've made three trips to Torres del Paine since I arrived in mid July, and every time my eyes see the gigantic massif of rock and glaciers, I am humbled. The view is constantly changing with every passing second. Whether it's the wind blowing the clouds into a new pattern or the ice crashing down the side of the mountain during an avalanche, there is always a new perspective.

During my last adventure, I joined three environmental scientists from the National Science Foundation as they collected water samples from Lago Sarmiento. They are here from Stanford University to gather data from different bodies of water in Patagonia to study climate change over several thousands of years. This lake is one of the few bodies of water that has no inlet and no outlet, and so the water is completely contained within the sprawling shoreline. Another special feature of this lake is the calcium carbonate (Bioherms) that grows beneath the surface of the water. Bioherms are a coral like growth that continue to die as the lake level decreases, however, it makes for an incredibly beautiful white shoreline around the lake's perimeter. I've been told that Lago Sarmiento is one of the few lakes that have these special characteristics, but the most amazing part of the story is that boats are not allowed on Lago Sarmiento. The scientists had to apply for special permits and received permission from the National Park to use a boat on the lake to collect data for their research. So basically, I am one of the select few who have traveled on the majestic blue water of this enormous lake! I spent the entire day collecting samples of water, samples of soil from the lake bottom, and reading the depth of the water (the lake is over 350 meters deep in some spots). Needless to say, I learned a plethora of new information about geology, climate patterns, and the evolution of the glaciers that filled the lake thousands of years ago.

So why me? Why did I receive the invitation? Well...I was asked to join the project as the photographer. Which means that my photos will likely be published with the results of the research! The scientists will work for another two years, collecting and studying the data, so please don't hold your breath for my big break...I'll keep you posted once the findings are actually available. But even if my photos are never published, it's likely that I'm the only photographer that has ever taken pictures from Lago Sarmiento. It was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity!

In other news, I've been talking with a board member from the Fundatión Patagonia about my ideas for the trash clean up along the coast of Natales. I'm not making much progress, as most of the board members are on vacation for the winter months. I'm hoping that we can set up a meeting once they return to Natales for the tourist season. Until then, one of my friends and I are planning a trash clean up day of our own on Tuesday. We will walk the coast in town until our bags are full, which probably won't take long. Who knows if I'll end up working with the Fundatión Patagonia, but I'll get that garbage cleaned up one way or another!

I'm also planning to create a website for my photography. Again, please don't hold your breath, as this is a huge project, but it is in the works. A few people have asked to purchase my photos for their websites to advertise for trips to Torres del Paine, which will be great publicity. That, in addition to the opportunity with the scientists, is a red flag that it's time to put a little more time and energy into my photography. It's really quite exciting!

And so I continue to fill my time in Patagonia with amazing experiences! It makes me wonder what is in store for me in the future? Only time will tell...

P.S. I tried to upload photos but the internet down here is a bit slow. I'll try again next time! Big hugs from Patagonia!!!

Update from Natales

The weather here in Natales has been gorgeous this last week! There seems to be a misconception that the winter in Patagonia is unbearably harsh, but this is not the case at all. On the contrary, it’s quite comfortable to spend the day biking along the coast in the sunshine, which is how I spent my afternoon yesterday. Earlier this week we awoke to rain in Natales, but by mid-day, when we arrived at in the park, the clouds parted and the sun warmed our skin. Torres del Paine is absolutely incredible in the winter, covered in a blanket of snow. The perspective of the rolling hills leading up to the gigantic massive of rock has an entirely different dimension. It’s difficult to find words to describe the beauty of this wonder of the world. Simply, it’s breath taking.

Even more amazing, are the animals that survive in the extreme climate of Torres del Paine. The nandu, guanaco, condor, and several other species of birds are just a few examples of the fauna we witnessed that day. The nandu is a large land bird that makes its home in the southern region of Patagonia. This ostrich like creature can run at speeds near 60km per hour, but lacks the ability to fly. The guanaco, like the llama, is blanketed with thick wool to protect it from the ever-changing weather of Patagonia. And the Andean Condor, the largest bird in the world, has a wingspan of 6-9 feet. I couldn’t even begin to count how many condors we watched soaring through the blue sky on our drive to the park.

So you may have concluded, from reading my last few blog posts, that I’m enjoying my time in Patagonia. Indeed, I find myself in a world that is wild, exciting, and filled with adventure. Every morning I’m grateful for the vista of the sea, dwarfed by the towering, snow covered mountains. Every day I appreciate the smell of the salt water blowing up from the coast, filling the air with a richness that warms the soul. And every night I enjoy taking dinner and tea with my friends in a warm house, filled with laughter. For these things, I am thankful for my time in Patagonia.

Let There Be Work

During my first two weeks in Natales life was pretty quiet, but this last week has proved to be a bit more eventful. I'm meeting many new people, so it's nice to see some fresh faces and make some new friends. One of my housemates has returned from vacation and I enjoy having company in the house. Living in a big house, alone, for two weeks can be pretty...well, lonely. I appreciated having time to get settled and become comfortable, but it's great to have someone to share meals and practice Spanish.

However, I have even bigger news! I started working a new job on Saturday night!!! I'm working in Baguales, the local brewpub, and I'm super psyched about it. It's equivalent to the Southern Sun of Boulder (which most of you know was my second home), so it really couldn't be more perfect :) The food is great, my co-workers are friendly and helpful, and the beer is AMAZING! More than anything, this will be a great way to help learn Spanish. Until November, the bar is only open on Friday and Saturday, which means that I can go camping, climbing, and kayaking during the week and still make some cash on the weekends. It's a pretty sweet deal, especially considering I've only been here for three weeks!

Yesterday I received an invitation to Patagonia Camp, which is a hotel just south of Torres del Paine. Patagonia Camp is a beautiful hotel, built from Lenga wood, which sits in the middle of nowhere next to an enormous lake. The rooms in the hotel are actually yurts that are scattered along the hillside. And with views of Los Cuernos, the setting is more than ideal. I spent the day walking in the rain, taking photos, and just enjoying in the beautiful nature that surrounded me.

My friend Angie and I are hoping to leave for a three-day trip to Torres del Paine tomorrow. I still need to repair my tent, so that is the plan for today. Hopefully it doesn't take me all day to locate and buy the supplies I need for the repair. I decided that the duct tape idea wasn't going to hold up to the wind and weather down here. So instead, I'm going to stitch the holes before sealing it with seam grip. Hopefully this idea will hold up to the extreme conditions.

So all in all, everything is going great for me in Natales. I have a nice house, amazing friends, a job, and all of this is surrounded by the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen. Life is good!

A walk along the coast

Wanted to share a few photos from one of my favorite walks around town. The coast is beautiful in the winter! The water is calm, the mountains are covered in snow, and birds fill the shoreline. Can you believe that pink flamingos live here in the winter? I always thought that they were a tropical bird but obviously that was misconception! There are hundreds of them along the coast, along with swans, ducks, and many other species of birds. If the birds can survive the winter weather in Patagonia, then I will be just fine :)

Most of my time is spent studying spanish, going for walks around town, reading, exercising, and cooking. Each day that passes brings a little more daylight with it, but the nights are still very long. Although it is snowing today, the temperature is not terribly cold and it's still comfortable to go for a walk along the coast. I wonder if the flamingos will be out today?

Hola de Puerto Natales!!!

I arrived in Natales last night and I could not be happier! The air is brisk and fresh, the mountains have a blanket of snow, and my house has heat! More than anything else, I'm so happy to have a space to call my own. It's such a relief to unpack my bag and know that I don't have to pack it again tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong, I love this traveling gig but it can be exhausting at times. Even when I was staying in Santiago, I never felt completely safe or comfortable. It was always a big event to travel across the city alone, being the blonde girl and all. I constantly had to be aware of my surroundings, so there is never really a time to take the big breath of relaxation. I had to sacrifice so many amazing photos because I was nervous about taking my camera with me while I was alone in the city. It was an amazing experience and I learned so many things, but now I can finally take that long, relaxing breathe of fresh air.

Seven months ago I visited the most beautiful place and I felt a peace that I had never known. Since then, I've worked so hard to return to that place...to that feeling of peace. I quit the best job that I've ever had, I sold most of belongings, and I left the friends and family that I love so much. I made the choice to change my life, completely, so that I could discover more about the person I want to be. And here I am, in the middle of nowhere at the bottom of the world...feeling more peaceful than ever. Sending lots of love and hugs from Natales :)

Going South

I've spent the last week hanging around Santiago, climbing with friends, and preparing for the big move to Puerto Natales. My flight is not until Tuesday morning, but I need to spend the next few days packing and preparing my gear to be shipped via truck. One thing I've realized since arriving in South America it that I brought way too much shit with me. It's mostly gear for climbing and mountaineering, which I will use once I'm in Natales, although lugging it around the city is a gigantic pain in the ass. It will be a huge relief to buy this infamous blue barrel, pack my gear, and send it off on the long road south. On top of that, I came down with the flu Thursday night, so I spent the last 36 hours trying to rest and recover my strength. I suppose it's just part of the deal when you're traveling and I should have expected to be ill at some point, but that doesn't really make it any easier when it hits you. I am feeling a bit better today but I think it's time to head back to the house for some soup and an afternoon nap. Hopefully the next blog post will be from Natales and I'll be feeling strong and healthy again. Until then, big hugs for all!

Back in Santiago

After two weeks of traveling in Argentina with Katja, Miguel, and many new friends, I finally arrived back to Santiago last night. My time in Argentina was absolutely amazing! I know that I've said this several times, but there are no words that can describe the generosity of the people in South America. At every new hostel, we made new friends who shared their time, stories, food, and laughter with us. These people open their hearts to us and I've cherished the short amount of time that we shared together. I've learned so much and have so many wonderful memories, that I don't even know where to begin. There was the truck driver named Nelson, he drove us from Dean Funes to the middle of the desert, who shared stories about his family and his life on the road. And the guys that we met in Cordoba, who were from Rosario, took us on a picnic to the river near Carlos Paz. We sat next to the water all day...playing music, eating cheese and salami, drinking wine, and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful day. Lo De Chi Chi, the hostel in Cafayate, was filled with great people as well. Tony, Claudio, Chi Chi, and so many others joined us for dinner and music nearly every night. My mind is filled with beautiful memories and my heart with happiness, when I think of these amazing people. And I've only been traveling for a month! I still can't believe that I've been here for one month already. The time just seems to fly by!

As for the future...who knows? I really enjoy waiting to see what the day has to offer before I make the plans for my next adventure. I do need to start thinking about when I will travel south to Puerto Natales. The weather in Northern Argentina, and here in Santiago as well, is pretty nice during the days. However, the nights have been consistently colder and colder. I can only imagine how cold it's going to be down in Patagonia! Nonetheless, I will probably buy my ticket to Punta Arenas in the next few days and leave Santiago in mid July. My friend Drew arrived from Puerto Natales this week, so I'm looking forward to catching up with him before he heads back to the States for five months. Other than that, I am just going to wake up every morning, with a smile on my face, and be thankful for the amazing opportunity that I have to travel. I am so fortunate to have the chance to explore South America! So until next time...I'm off for another adventure.

Cafayate

We stayed in San Marcos Sierras for a couple of days before heading north. Katja and I hitch-hiked over 500 km in two days to reach the small town of Cafayate. Cafayate sits in the middle of a desert valley, surrounded by huge mounains. We traveled through salt deserts, small towns filled with fields of sugar cane, and canyons that looked like jungles. It was absolutely beautiful! One night we stayed in Tafi del Valle, which is a quaint little mountain town that sits next to a huge lake. We bought some delicious cheese and salami to accompany the amazing wine from the area. I bought two bottles of the most incredible Malbec for only $12! Life in Argentina is very affordable, to say the least...especially when you hitch-hike. Now I know that some of you are thinking that I´m crazy, but it was totally safe with the two of us together. All of the people that picked us up were so kind, and we never waited more than 30 minutes for a ride. Go figure :)

So all is well in my world. The weather is turning a bit colder every day, but the sun still makes for beautiful days in Cafayate. I´m not sure of my plan, but I think I will head back towards Santiago de Chile in the next few days. Until next time...big hugs and lots of love to all!!!

On The Road

Last Thursday, my friend Miguel and I left Santiago de Chile via bus for the long journey to Cordoba. This is my first adventure to Argentina and riding in a bus through the Andes was quite exciting. It´s a bit difficult to sleep when the driver is passing semi trucks on blind curves over the mountain pass! Needless to say, I did not rest much on the trip to Mendoza. Besides the crazy driving, we spent four hours at the border waiting for the gaurds to search our bags. In the end, it took us about nine hours for the trip to Mendoza. The layover left us with seven hours to kill, so our new friend Nico invited us to stay at his house for the night. His family welcomed us for dinner and gave us warm beds to sleep for a few hours. The people that I meet continue to amaze me with their hospitality and generosity.

The next morning we caught the bus to Cordoba, which took us close to twelve hours. We quickly found a hostel in Cordoba and waited for my friend Katja to arrive from Cafayate. It is so great to see her and we spent hours catching up on our latest adventures. Cordoba is a beautiful city and we met some wonderful friends at the hostel. We all went out dancing together on Saturday night, so Sunday morning we were moving a bit slow. The group decided that it would be best to buy some cheese, bread, and salami so that we could spend the day picnicing in the mountians. So seven of us piled into the car for the trip to Carlos Paz, where we sat next to the river for the afternoon. The day was absolutely beautiful, filled with music and food and conversations with our new friends. We ended the evening with a huge bbq back at the hostel. We had fifteen people join us to celebrate the end to a wonderful weekend.

Monday morning we all bought bus tickets in different directions and said our farewells. Miguel traveled back to Santiago, while Katja and I headed north to a small village named San Marcos Sierras. It´s a lovely little village in the mountains that is filled with hippies. We decided to camp just outside out town, which ended up being a bad choice. While we were cooking dinner, a dog tore gigantic holes in my tent. Ugh! I tried to repair one with duct tape, but I ran out halfway through the job. Does anyone know if they sell duct tape down here? If not, somebody will have to mail me some so that I can finish the repair and continue using my tent :)

So here we are in San Marcos for the day. In the morning we will make our way towards a small town in the northern part of Argentina. Katja stayed in Cafayate for three days and loved it, so we will go back for a while to relax there. She will be flying back to Germany soon, but it´s so wonderful to be traveling with such a great friend. We are having an amazing time together!

Sending love and hugs to all!

Spirit of the People

I’m amazed at the spirit of the Chilean people, in both friends and complete strangers. The welcome I’ve received from my friends in Santiago is so generous that I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. For the moment, I’m staying with my friend Claudio in a suburb outside of Santiago. He has opened his home to me and introduced me to friends around the city. Their hearts and minds are open to helping me find my way in the city, as well as correcting the numerous mistakes I make when attempting to speak Spanish :) In strangers, I see the enormous amount of respect that Chilean’s have towards women and the elderly. On several different occasions, I’ve seen both children and adults give up their seat on the subway for a woman or an elderly person. However, there are also a few crazy people on the subway. Last night, for example, there was a man who was singing at the top of his lungs. He was singing the fight song for the national soccer team, but he switched the lyrics up so that the song was funny. The whole ordeal was quite amusing! A woman and I kept making eye contact, causing us to explode with laughter! By the time we exited the train, both of our eyes were filled with tears!

To elaborate more on the character of Chileans, the protest last week was truly amazing. Nearly 300 people gathered in Plaza Italia to sing, dance, play drums, and express their discontent over the new laws regarding seeds for local crops. I witnessed a unity between people who are not afraid to stand up for their beliefs. Even children attend the protest, carrying signs and dancing next to their parents.

Last Wednesday some friends and I traveled to Las Chilcas, a beautiful climbing area outside Santiago. I’ve experienced some pretty gnarly approaches to climbing areas over the years, but few compare to the approach to Las Chilcas. Navigating the buses and subways from Puente Alto to downtown Santiago can be exhausting when you’re carrying a large pack. The subway is usually as full as a can of sardines, so I was constantly bumping into people and excusing myself. Once we made it downtown, there was still another hour-long bus ride to Las Chilcas. The climbing area is well worth the journey though, as it's a playground for sport climbers. The conglomerate rock is solid, clean, and the routes are long. We climbed for three days, while camping in the garage of a local farmer. Again, a very generous family opened their home to us. The journey home was a bit easier, but equally as crowded. A very kind friend agreed to give us a ride back to the city in her car…her very compact car. It is quite possibly the smallest car I’ve ever ridden in, especially when you consider that we smashed six people and six huge backpacks in the vehicle. My knees were crammed into the seat in front of me, as I rested my head on the backpack that my companions held across their laps in the back seat. It was comical to say the least, although I found it to be a superior mode of transportation in comparison to the buses and subway :)

Other climbing adventures include attending a local competition in Santiago. Professional slack liners entertained the crowd and the public participated in a bouldering competition. Local climbers presented slide shows on climbing safety and nutrition for outdoor athletes. Raffle prizes included hats, quick draws, and new rope. There were no La Sportiva shoes given away in the raffle, although there were many Sportiva supporters in the comp. Even though Sportiva no longer employs me, I’m still proud to support and represent the best outdoor shoes available!

Tomorrow I will travel to Cordoba, Argentina to meet up with my friend Katja. She is a German woman that I met in January while trekking in Torres del Paine. She has spent the last seven months traveling around Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Needless to say, she is a huge source of inspiration and support for my own travels. I’m super psyched to reconnect with her and to visit the beautiful city of Cordoba. I'm unsure of how long I'll stay in Argentina, as I purchased a one-way bus ticket, but I'll be sure to write again when I return. Until then, I'm sending big hugs to all!!!

Another Day, Another Protest

The title says it all! Unfortunately the protest on Sunday was canceled because it was raining, but there is another reason to protest today. The farmers are protesting Monsanto; a worldwide corporation that produces genetically modified seeds for crops. In the past, the Chilean people had the choice to use seeds that were free and local. Recently, a law was passed that states Chilean farmers must buy the seeds for their crops from Monsanto, which means the seeds are now being imported from other countries. This poses many environmental problems for the region, on top of the obvious problem that Monsanto has it's hands in the pockets of the Chilean government. I am very excited to join my friends at the protest.

I'm sure that everyone has heard about the volcano that erupted in Chile. Puyehue Volcano is located about 800 km south of Santiago, so I a well out of harms way. However, my plans to visit Bariloche have changed a bit since the eruption. The ash floated over the Andes and landed in Argentina where my friend is living. I think I'll postpone that part of my adventure until everything settles down.

Learning to make my way around Santiago is pretty exciting! Moving around a city with over 6 million people can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm becoming more comfortable every day. The buses could use a little tender love and care, but the subway system is awesome and very user friendly. I still prefer to walk to bike whenever I can though.

My friends and I had plans to climb San Jose Volcano (5856 m) but I need to train a bit before an adventure that grand. Also, one of my friends is very sick so we are planning to rock climb and camp for a few days instead. Hopefully we will have time for San Jose Volcano before I head South to Patagonia.

Well, I'm off to the protest! Sending big hugs to all!

Santiago

I arrived in Santiago on Wednesday safely but two of my bags decided to stay behind in Michigan. The plane that took me from Detroit to Toronto was very small so all of the luggage didn't fit in the cargo area. Instead of making the trip to Toronto with me, my bags went from Detroit to Chicago to Miami and then finally to Santiago. Both of my bags were delivered to me at Claudio's house on Friday night at 11pm. Needless to say, I am so happy that all my belongings are back in my possession.

I have been very busy since I arrived in Santiago. Claudio and I went for a hike on Wednesday outside of Santiago, although the views of the city are very poor due to the smog. The smog is so terrible that the schools won't let the children practice sports some days. On Thursday we went down town to the market and met up with some friends for lunch. In the evening we went to a concert with live dancers and very traditional chilean music. It was beautiful! And today we went climbing at in Maipo Canyon with Miguel and Natalia. It was a wonderful day and I'm so happy to be out hiking and climbing again!

And tomorrow, I will attend my first protest in Chile! I'm very excited to support the people in protest of several dams that the government will be building in Chile. There is so much that I want to write about but my internet time is very limited. Hopefully I can share more tomorrow, including details from the protest. Until then, I hope all of my family and friends are doing well! Sending love and hugs to all!

The time has come!

Tomorrow I will board a one-way flight to Santiago, Chile. Tomorrow I will continue my adventures in Patagonia! I'm filled with excitement, but the emotions are bittersweet. Leaving my family, especially my Mother, will not be easy. This last month has reminded me that nothing in life should be taken for granted, whether it's the short walk to the mailbox with my Mom everyday or the long journey to Patagonia that will begin tomorrow. Our time on this earth is precious and I'm going to live my life to the fullest. I am truly blessed with so many amazing friends, and a family that offers endless love and support.

For tonight, I'm off to celebrate! My favorite band is playing, which I'm sure they planned as a farewell for me :)

Sending love and hugs to all!

Back to Reality

It's official, my vacation has come to an end. I arrived in Boulder this afternoon with many amazing memories that will last a lifetime. It's not easy to leave a place like Puerto Natales after spending a month immersed in the culture. I've decided that this is the first of many journeys that I will make to Patagonia. In looking back at the big picture, I realize that the adventure has only just begun. Thanks to all who followed my words and my photos along the way. I'll post the remaining photos as soon as possible.

The Strike is Over

Yesterday morning the people and the government agreed on a temporary compromise for the increased gas prices. The road blocks came down, the shops opened their doors, buses resumed their regular schedules, and the people paraded around town in celebration. There are many questions left unanswered regarding the decisions that will be made between now and October, and the locals fear that the tourism industry will take a big hit this season. Still, Natalino's are very resilient and life seems to have returned to normal for the time being.

So my journey home will begin tomorrow night. I will take the bus to Punta Arenas and then fly to Santiago early Friday morning. My time in Natales has been amazing! I am sad to leave such a beautiful place filled with so many friends. Although, this is only the beginning...there are many more adventures for me in Patagonia!

Stranded in Natales?

Since I've arrived in Natales, the Chilean government passed a law to raise the gas prices 17% in Southern Patagonia. The people of the region have responded by protesting in the streets and closing the businesses in town, including the airport and the bus station. The bus drivers and taxi drivers are on strike, the grocery stores are closed, and tourists are stranded in Natales. They are not allowing people to enter Torres del Paine, and it has been difficult for many people to find transportation out of the park. I was lucky enough to catch a bus from the park to Natales yesterday afternoon, after waiting only a few short hours. There were hundreds of people camping, waiting, and hoping that the buses would return to transport them back to town. All of the roads in and out of town are blocked with buses, trucks, fires, and groups of people protesting the increased gas prices. It's quite exciting to be here during these times! I'm suppose to fly out of Punta Arenas this Friday, so hopefully everything is back up and running by then. If not, I suppose I'll just have to stay in Natales a little longer :)

My time in Torres del Paine was incredible! It is hands down the most beautiful place I've ever seen. We hiked for four days along rivers, lakes, glaciers, and gigantic snow covered peaks. I'll have lots of photos to share with you very soon!

I'll try to post again when there is more news available about the strike. Much love to all!

Kayaking, Climbing, and Hiking

My days have been filled with many new adventures! I've discovered a new passion for kayaking, and have paddled across the gulf a couple of times with my friend Cristian. He owns Fortaleza Expeditions here in Natales and guides clients across the gulf for lunch and a bird watching tour. The distance is not far, but the amount of time it takes to cross the gulf always depends on the weather and the wind. On my second day out, the wind was so strong that waves were crashing over the kayak, making it difficult to notice our slow progression across the sea. The return trip was obviously much easier, with the wind at our backs. And I was lucky enough to paddle next to a dolphin who was only ten feet away from my kayak. It was incredible!

Yesterday, I went climbing with Drew and Andre at The Middle Cave. This is the third climbing area that I've checked out, and all of the climbing is super fun. The friends that I'm climbing with have put up most of the routes around Natales. The local climbing areas have just recently been developed in the last few years. Most of the rock is conglomerate, but there is also some limestone at Laguna Sofia. The view from any of the climbing areas is spectacular, with gigantic mountains, turquoise water, and endless sky in every direction.

Most days I walk the 40 minutes from Chino's house (El Patroncito) into town. I might meet up with friends to eat lunch, do some shopping, take care of the laundry, or go drink a delicious micro brew at the local pub, Baguales. This morning I decided to walk the long route into town, along the coastline. The wind is so powerful that it nearly knocks you down, but the views make up for the extreme conditions. Swans and ducks float the swells, broken shells and driftwood litter the beach, and the winds causes huge waves to crash into the shoreline.

The next plan is to head back to the park tomorrow or Wednesday with Claudio. We're hoping for good weather so we can hike to the French Valley and to Glacier Grey. The weather has been perfect since I arrived on the 26th, so let's hope it stays that way!

Long Days in Natales

Literally, the days are so long down here! With dawn at 5am and the sunset around 11pm, there is more than enough time to sleep in late, run some errands, catch a nap, go climbing, and still be home for dinner before dark. I've been climbing at both of the local crags, Laguna Sofia and Dorotea. I went hiking in Torres del Paine with Chino and Clayton, which was absolutely spectacular! Today I ventured off on a bird watching tour, and tomorrow I've been invited to go kayaking. I can't keep up with all the photos I've taken, but I did upload another slideshow of the more recent pictures. Enjoy! Happy New Year!