Day 12 - Torres del Paine to Tierra del Fuego
Visiting the “Land of Fire”
Internet situation has been resolved. Pictures now are posted. Enjoy!
Distance traveled today: 285 miles (450 kilometers)
Today, again, dawned overcast and rainy, though after a short time the rain abated, and the roads turned drier. Nevertheless, excitement was in the air as we all chatted over breakfast, looking forward to our day’s destination of the island of Tierra del Fuego.
Once en route, we made a brief stop at the Mylodon Cave, a natural formation where remains were discovered of bear-like creatures. This cave also served some of the earliest human inhabitants of Southern Chile some 10,500 years ago. The cave was truly impressive for its breadth and height. The statue of a reconstructed milodon provided a Kodak moment for many of us.
We were back on the road within a short time, as many more miles (fortunately of paved, well-maintained roads) lay ahead of us today. In the city of Puerto Natales all the bikes and cars were washed clean of many miles' worth of mud and grime, which gave me the chance to take some nice pictures of birds and even some black-necked swans.
A brief stop for coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich around 2 p.m. and we were on the road again, this time turning away from our trip terminus of Punta Arenas, in the direction of the ferry landing for the island of Tierra del Fuego, but first we passed the former Estancia San Gregorio, focal point of the Menéndez family’s wool production from the early 1890s through the 1930s. This site included the rusting frames of 2 ships formerly used to transport supplies and products for this estancia.
A quick roadside pause at the highway turnoff for a picture showing the road sign for the island, we waited for the ferry, along with a Papa John’s Pizza tractor trailer. The ferry trip was impressive, with the sun setting, as we could see the strength and speed of the current in the Strait of Magellan. We also picked up several hitchhikers along the way, as dolphins were riding on the waves created by the ferry.
We are visiting the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. The late afternoon ferry crossing introduced us to an even flatter, vegetation-sparse land, that goes on for miles and miles. The tiny enclave of Cerro Sombrero is our stopping point for the night, and it boasts one bank, one hotel (ours), a handful of meagerly stocked shops, and a cinema (according to my tour book, though I have yet to find the cinema!).
I should mention that the name “Tierra del Fuego” (the Land of Fire) was given to this island by sailors passing by on ships as they turned north after rounding the very southern tip of South America. They observed these fires on the shores, and so named the island. I wouldn’t classify tonight’s sunset over the Strait as fire, but it certainly was impressive.
Until tomorrow, ciao,
- Bob
PS: For good measure, here is another picture of the black neck swans.
Internet situation has been resolved. Pictures now are posted. Enjoy!
Distance traveled today: 285 miles (450 kilometers)
Today, again, dawned overcast and rainy, though after a short time the rain abated, and the roads turned drier. Nevertheless, excitement was in the air as we all chatted over breakfast, looking forward to our day’s destination of the island of Tierra del Fuego.
Once en route, we made a brief stop at the Mylodon Cave, a natural formation where remains were discovered of bear-like creatures. This cave also served some of the earliest human inhabitants of Southern Chile some 10,500 years ago. The cave was truly impressive for its breadth and height. The statue of a reconstructed milodon provided a Kodak moment for many of us. 
We were back on the road within a short time, as many more miles (fortunately of paved, well-maintained roads) lay ahead of us today. In the city of Puerto Natales all the bikes and cars were washed clean of many miles' worth of mud and grime, which gave me the chance to take some nice pictures of birds and even some black-necked swans.
A brief stop for coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich around 2 p.m. and we were on the road again, this time turning away from our trip terminus of Punta Arenas, in the direction of the ferry landing for the island of Tierra del Fuego, but first we passed the former Estancia San Gregorio, focal point of the Menéndez family’s wool production from the early 1890s through the 1930s. This site included the rusting frames of 2 ships formerly used to transport supplies and products for this estancia.A quick roadside pause at the highway turnoff for a picture showing the road sign for the island, we waited for the ferry, along with a Papa John’s Pizza tractor trailer. The ferry trip was impressive, with the sun setting, as we could see the strength and speed of the current in the Strait of Magellan. We also picked up several hitchhikers along the way, as dolphins were riding on the waves created by the ferry.
We are visiting the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. The late afternoon ferry crossing introduced us to an even flatter, vegetation-sparse land, that goes on for miles and miles. The tiny enclave of Cerro Sombrero is our stopping point for the night, and it boasts one bank, one hotel (ours), a handful of meagerly stocked shops, and a cinema (according to my tour book, though I have yet to find the cinema!).I should mention that the name “Tierra del Fuego” (the Land of Fire) was given to this island by sailors passing by on ships as they turned north after rounding the very southern tip of South America. They observed these fires on the shores, and so named the island. I wouldn’t classify tonight’s sunset over the Strait as fire, but it certainly was impressive.
Until tomorrow, ciao,
- Bob
PS: For good measure, here is another picture of the black neck swans.
posted by Robert Sette at 10:00 PM
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