Wildfire in Torres del Paine National Park

As you may have heard, there is a large forest fire burning in Torres del Paine National Park. The fire started on December 27th in the evening and is still burning in four different locations. It all started when a group was camping in an illegal area, and proceeded to build a fire in the forest. A young man from Israel is the suspect and is required to stay in the region for three months so that the police can investigate the situation. Below you will find some of the latest news and statistics form the fire.

January 02, 2012, 11:00 a.m. (Chilean Standard Time)

• Until now, more than 12,000 hectares (almost 30,000 acres) have been affected by the fire in Torres del Paine National Park. 1/3 of this being native forest, and 2/3 being grassland and steppe.
• There are 753 fire fighters working on the control of the fire.
• There are 6 seats of fire, 4 of which are being controlled, although it cannot be excluded that they may expand again, due to the strong wind.
• The other 2 seats of fire are not growing, but work still continues to control them.
• The Government is preparing and is taking all measurements to partially re-open Torres del Paine National Park from Wednesday, January 04, if the conditions maintain the same as until now or get better.
• This re-opening will be initially in the Northern sector of the Park, corresponding to Laguna Azul, Laguna Amarga, Campamento Cuernos, Campamento Serón, Campamento Perros. In the first stage, 100,000 to 150,000 hectares (about 250,000 to 370,000 acres) will be re-opened, which is the area with most tourists visit.
• The objective of all of this to maintain the tourist season as normal as possible.
• On top of this, the Government will put special emphasis on protecting the existing flora and fauna in Torres del Paine National Park.

The information has changed in the last two days. The areas of the park that are unaffected by the fire are open as of today. However, there are still 4 fires burning and they are very difficult to control with the strong winds. Needless to say, it is a tremendous tragedy for the flora and fauna of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Moreover, it is a tragedy for tourism and the people of the region who lives rely on tourism. Please send thoughts and prayers for the park, the animals, the firefighters, and the people of Chilean Patagonia.

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!