Chimu Adventures Blog

Easter Islanders set to refuse Moai statue loan to France

Jul 20

Posted by dillon in Antarctica Cruises | No Comments

THE Rapa Nui people on Easter Island are mobilising to preserve their heritage and, in the latest twist, have refused to loan one of their renowned Moai statues for an exhibition in Paris.

During a referendum this year, 89 per cent of the islanders, most ethnic Polynesians, opposed transporting the ancient monolithic human rock figure 13,000km from the South Pacific to the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, where they were set to be put on display between April 26 and May 9.

Chile’s National Monuments Council, which had initially backed loaning the Moai, said it would make its final decision later this year.

But the “most likely” and “foreseeable” outcome is that it would abide by the islanders’ choice, a source close to the institution said.

Easter Island - Off the coast of Chile

Easter Island - Off the coast of Chile

The mysterious basalt sculptures with outsized heads were made some 500 to 750 years ago and have become a symbol of Easter Island, a territory annexed to Chile in the late 19th century.

Italy’s Mare Nostrum and France’s Louis Vuitton launched the project to haul the Moai across oceans for public view in Paris two years ago.

They aimed to introduce the island’s culture to Europe in exchange for helping preserve its heritage with a fund that initially included half a million dollars.

Archaeologists and logistics coordinators had scoped out the site and preselected a statue 5m tall that weighed 13 tonnes. They had planned to insure it for $2.14 million.

The island’s 4000 inhabitants were informed about the project during public meetings before a referendum was held under the auspices of the International Labour Organization’s convention on indigenous people.

Out of 900 people who responded, 789 islanders said they opposed sending the Moai to France, while 94 said they supported the move.

The islanders’ clear refusal is an example of how inhabitants of this isolated piece of paradise are increasingly defending a heritage and ecosystem they say is under threat.

They have expressed worry at the 50,000 tourists who flood the tiny Easter Islands each year and a growing number of immigrants from continental Chile some 3500km away.

Authorities are also concerned about the large number of visitors expected for the solar eclipse set for July 11.

Last year, islanders symbolically closed their island – which is just 24km by 12km – for 48 hours, blocking the Mataveri airport and urging increased awareness of their migration problem.

In October, they managed to obtain guarantees that the Chilean constitution would be revised to reflect those concerns.

Now, they have focused their efforts on preserving the Moai.

“You can understand their reaction,” said Luis Carlos Parentini, a historian specialising in indigenous communities.

“Throughout their history, they saw much of their heritage disappear. They could be suspecting that what leaves the island won’t come back.

“And they don’t have much to gain out of this, as the island is already immensely popular.”

The islanders may have good reason to be sceptical.

A smaller Moai standing 1.2m tall and weighing two tonnes that was offered to a head of state in 1927 travelled from Argentina to Europe for 80 years before it was finally returned in 2006.

Chimu Adventures offers tours and packages to Easter Island, visit our website for more details.

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Lose yourself in the pristine beaches and dive sites of Ilha Grande

Jul 15

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Brazil’s Ilha Grande is indeed, as its name humbly translates, a Big Island. It’s just, well, so much more than that.

Ilha Grande attractions
Why not tell the world of the vast array of assets that it boasts: impeccable white sand beaches; a dense and vibrant Brazilian jungle; azure and aqua lagoons; world-class dive sites;  an adorable car-less township arced by sharp mountain peaks; and its uninterrupted blessedness.

All visitors to Ilha Grande, a three-hour bus and boat trip from a Rio de Janeiro tour, are afforded a spectacular introduction to island life, as the boat slinks into a bay of clear blue waters, slowly revealing a settlement towered over by mountains and seemingly swallowed by jungle. This is Vila do Abraao, a tiny township that from the shoreline resembles only an adorable collection of  rustic hammock-clad beach houses and remnant colonial buildings that stretch along the foreshore.

There is no indication of the fascinating offerings that lie behind. There’s a village back there that follows no clock or schedule, where excitable barefoot kids churn up the dusty streets, where lighthearted locals gather for hours outside the tiny shops, where ageing locals congregate in dimly lit cafes to laugh and gamble over cards, where distant samba beats echo through the trees.

It’s not surprising that this place has an international flavour to its workforce, those who travelled here as wide-eyed tourists only to forgo their former lives and set up camp under the Brazilian sun, having succumbed to Ilha Grande’s charm. They elicit much envy.

The crystal clear waters of Ilha Grande, Brazil

The crystal clear waters of Ilha Grande, Brazil

There are no ATMs, no cars, no neon lights. Internet facilities are scarce and after three days I’m yet to see a mobile phone.

Theirs is a blissful existence, from the hirsute Laurent, a Frenchman who spends six months of the year looking after the Pousada Naturalia guesthouse to affable Peter, who understandably swapped his dull desk job in freezing Copenhagen to operate a funky lay-about bar and barbecue joint on the sands of Vila do Abraao.

Here, night after night, patrons dip their toes into the soft Brazilian sand and watch the sun fade to nothing, as their fresh fish is barbecued to perfection by this gabby Dane.

Getting around
There are two (affordable) ways to navigate your way around – aboard a grand schooner or hiking over the steep mountains in search of glory. And no glory is like Lopes Mendes glory; a 3km ocean beach so white it hurts your eyes, hemmed in by lush green verdure and inviting blue waters.

This stretch of sand is often quoted among the top 10 beaches in the cosmos. Some say it has no peer. The purists love it because of the lack of infrastructure. There are no hotels, restaurants, or even toilets – nothing but three sandwich and beer vendors.

The naturalists love it because the only way into Lopes Mendes is a sweaty 30-minute hike over a jungle pass, an adventure guaranteed to include howler monkeys. Boats are not allowed to land directly on the sand. Myself? After spending a week crushed by the ebb and flow of 100,000 buffed and brown Brazilians on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio, I’m digging the utter serenity.

Everywhere your schooner skipper directs his craft around this isle, an empty white sand beach stands to amaze its guests. After naming 22 coves and beaches, locals simply gave up on the rest, such is the glut.

Underwater delights
Even where sand is not present along the shoreline, this island still serves up delicacies. Snorkelling off the back of a speedboat (less affordable) in the Green Lagoon  yet another underwhelming title that understates its true beauty  we share a treasured moment with a trio of turtles, inquisitive, but gracefully keeping a few feet of distance.

If green is not your colour, the Blue Lagoon is a mere kilometre away and sheltered by a privately owned isthmus. It’s a fashionable parade of who’s who in the aqua realm.

The last dive site deserves mention, not for its abundance of marine life, or the aquatic tapestry of colours. It’s a helicopter. In 8m of water at Laja do Matardz. Rotors still intact. Thankfully, pilot nowhere to be seen.

Smirking islanders will quickly tell you it was a classic life insurance con, executed by a businessman up to his eyeballs in debt, who staged his own death by parking his chopper on the ocean floor.

Nice try buddy. If you really wanted to escape the hazards of city living and flee to Ilha Grande to live an anonymous lifestyle in tropical jungle or hulled up in a deserted beach bungalow, just catch the ferry.

Nobody here would care.

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Painting the Andes – A New Measure Against Global Warming?

Jul 8

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

An inventor has set out to paint the peaks of the Andes white in an attempt to combat the effects of climate change.

By painting the mountains, Eduardo Gold hopes to replicate the effect of Andean glaciers in Peru, which reflect back sunlight and hence heat back through the atmosphere.

The technique is scientifically plausible and, according to some scientists, may be the only method of lowering global temperatures in a crisis.

It is believed that painting the Andean Peaks will slow down the glacier melting

It is believed that painting the Andean Peaks will slow down the glacier melting

“A white surface reflects the sun’s rays back through the atmosphere and into space, in doing so it cools the area around it too,” said the 55-year-old activist. “In effect in creates a micro-climate, so we can say that the cold generates more cold, just as heat generates more heat.”

It is hoped the project will slow the melting of the glaciers and keep in tact the beautiful Andean peaks for tourists on a Peru highlights tour or the Inca trail.

Four workmen have been given the task of painting three peaks, starting with Peru’s Chalon Sombrero peak, which lies 4,756 metres above sea level.

Chalon Sombrero, like many of the Andean peaks in Peru, has seen its glacier disappear within living memory.

The painters who have already completed two hectares of a planned 70 have been recruited from Licapa village, which depends on the run-off from the mountain for its water.

The project is a low technology remedy for global warming. The workers use an environmentally-friendly mix of lime, industrial egg white and water, which is known to have been used since Peru’s colonial times

The whitewash is slopped out on the slopes from jugs.

If the underlying theory, which is known as Solar Radiation Management, works the glacier should re-emerge in a cooler micro-climate.

The £135,000-project is funded by the World Bank after Mr Gold won a “100 Ideas to Save the Planet” competition last year.

The World Bank last year estimated that 22 per cent of Peru’s glaciers have melted since 1980 and there are projections that all the country’s glaciers could disappear in the next 20 years.

While novel the painting scheme is not the only outlandish way of tackling global warming proposed. Firing mirrors into space to reflect the sun’s rays, or feeding cattle garlic to reduce methane emissions have been mooted.

Locals who have witnessed the destruction of the glaciers are strong supporters of Mr Gold’s scheme. “All the peaks here should be painted in this way,” said Pablo Parco Palomino. “That way there would be as much water as there was before the glacier disappeared, and that would mean more pasture to support more livestock.”

But Antonio Brack, Peru’s Environment Minister, told the World Bank that its funding would be better spent on other “projects which would have more impact in mitigating climate change.”

Mr Gold believes he can put the theory into practice and get results. “I’d rather try and fail to find a solution than start working out how we are going to survive without the glaciers, as if the situation was irreversible,”

Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, has endorsed installation of white roofs to help prevent climate change, an idea seen as more logistically feasible than painting mountain peaks.

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Mexico City and the beach

Jul 7

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Versatile Mexico dazzles and delights from the capital to the coast.

Cowboys and Indians, communists and ice-picks, Aztecs, artists, mariachis and masked wrestlers. We saw all of those, as well as colonial mansions, baroque churches, teeming markets and great museums on our great Mexico Tour.

We climbed pyramids, made guacamole and re-enacted human sacrifices. Then we went to the beach on the amazing Mayan Riviera.

I knew that Mexico, a vast and deeply civilised country, might provide the perfect adventure. What I didn’t appreciate is quite how intense that adventure would be from Day 1.

The Pyramids Near Mexico City

The Pyramids Near Mexico City

Mexico City is the sort of place that most people either avoid entirely or leave immediately. That’s a big mistake. This is one of the most tumultuous urban experiences imaginable, a monstrous megalopolis of about 23 million souls, too many to count, certainly, and almost all of them in vehicles that belch fumes and clog the roads.

But it is also one of the most exciting, rewarding and thoroughly cultured places on Earth. If you want your children to learn stuff on a trip, and take away memories that may even enrich them a little, then the city that Mexicans call simply Mexico is ideal.

We came armed with a long checklist to be crammed into our three days in town, and had a guide and a driver to help us to find our way through the insanity to our hotel – the splendidly trendy La Condessa.

First on our list was to check out the museums devoted to Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky, who were neighbours (and lovers) in a leafy quarter called Coyoacán. These museums are the actual houses where they lived, so they were small and personal with great stories to reveal.

Next day was Aztec day. This entailed an early drive (before the heat and the madness) to Teotihuacán, an hour outside the city and one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world.

Even our philistine offspring were slack-jawed at the scale and wonder of this place (especially when we climbed the giant Sun pyramid and volunteered Alfie as a sacrifice to ensure that the Sun would rise). They were even eager to go to the mighty Anthropological Museum, where the civilisation we had clambered over was placed perfectly in context and packed with pre-Colombian treasures.

There were more ruins poking up amid the charismatic mayhem of the Zócalo, Mexico’s tumultuous main square, where heirs of the ancient tribes don Aztec-style garb and dance for the crowds. Later, we had another side order of art as we took in Diego Rivera’s dazzling murals. We came for culture and we certainly got it.

Mexico City is exhausting and inexhaustible. We could happily have spent a week there but after three days we were also pleased to be on our way somewhere a little less frenetic. So four hours heading north in a luxury coach on open country roads, bound for the area known as Mexico profundo, was a dreamy interlude.

We went past sierras, arroyos, mesas and countless cacti, while cowboys on their steeds tended distant cattle. Eventually we arrived in a very different Mexican city. San Miguel de Allende, an elegant colonial Spanish enclave – all ochre mansions, cobbled streets, gabled courtyards and dappled squares – is unremittingly lovely.

It’s also manicured and mollified by the presence of plenty of affluent gringos shopping in its craft stores and sipping in its bars. Still, that didn’t detract from its sweetly Mexican charms.

Our hotel, La Puertecita, on the edge of town, was serenity itself: hanging gardens and translucent pools, and gentle, attentive staff. Time in San Miguel is sumptuous and slow. We began the morning with fruit and spicy huevos rancheros, ambled into town to shop and explore a church or mansion.

To keep the culture quotient topped up we found time for a Mexican cookery lesson and visited a ranch, but we could have easily done nothing but marvel at the charm of this softly alluring town. And we could have kept doing that for a very long time – except that we had an appointment by the sea.

They were just about placated by the promise of a few sybaritic days on the Pacific coast. But even our high expectations seemed understated when we eventually landed in the province of Jalisco, on what has been dubbed the Costa Careyes.

The cacti had been replaced by palms and the hot air was heavy with tropical portent. The hotel, sitting alone on a dreamy sandy bay, was our vibrantly coloured, blissfully laid-back home for the next few days. The kids stopped moaning immediately. This was a shoe-less, stress-less kind of place – we had space and time and sunshine. Our chalky blue casita sat beside an azure sea on the Mayan Riviera.

After all that culture I didn’t mind that we were isolated, because the staff and the ambience were still emphatically Mexican. Gentle, lilting, easy … beach resorts don’t get too much better than this. And nor do family holidays.

Chimu Adventures offers all kinds of package tours to Mexico. Visit our website for more details.

Source: The Sunday Times

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Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue re-opened after $5m face lift

Jul 2

Posted by dillon in Antarctica Cruises | 1 Comment

Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue is back in plain sight after a four-month long $5 AUD million renovation. The news is a welcome sight for the popular tourist attraction and Rio and to the many catholics in Brazil.

As it was unveiled, the monument was lit up in green and yellow to honour the Brazilian football team as it played in the World Cup. The Selecao play Holland tonight in the world cup quarter final which will bring the country to a stand still.

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

Scaffolding had encircled the mountaintop statue that overlooks Rio’s white-sand beaches as workers repaired its eroded face and hands.

The renovation to the 125-foot Christ the Redeemer, which draws nearly two million visitors a year, was funded through public and private donations. In an effort to match the colour of the soapstone, the restorers used more than 60,000 pieces of rock from the same quarry used when the statue was erected in 1931.

In April, vandals covered the head, arms and chest of the 130-foot statue in graffiti. They spray-painted phrases like “when the cat is away, the mice play”, as well as apparent references to Rio residents who were killed or who disappeared in recent crimes.

For more information on chimuadventures Rio de Janeiro and Brazil tours, visit our website.

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Full reopening of railway between Cusco and Machu Picchu

Jun 29

Posted by dillon in Inca Trail Tours, South American Tours | No Comments

28th June 2010, London: Ferrocarril Transandino has announced the full re-opening of the railway from Cusco to Machu Picchu on schedule for the peak season.

Ferrocarril Transandino has announced that as of the 25th June the complete railway line from Cusco to Machu Picchu has opened, with all tourist train services returning to a normal service from 1st July.  PeruRail is commencing all operations on its tourist trains including a refurbished Vistadome, an upgraded backpacker service which is now named Expedition and the luxury Hiram Bingham train. The only restriction will be on the speed limit of the trains from the stations of Cusco, Poroy and Ollantaytambo.

The complete re-opening follows months of intense work on the route, after many parts of the track were severely

Machu Picchu - One of the seven wonders of the world

Machu Picchu - One of the seven wonders of the world

damaged during flooding at the end of January 2010.  Visitors have been able to reach Machu Picchu since the end of March from a temporary station in Piscacucho at km 82 (a station beyond Ollantaytambo).

Machu Picchu is one of South America’s major tourist attractions and was given the title of one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.   2011 will mark 100 years since the rediscovery of Machu Picchu when the American explorer and politician, Hiram Bingham rediscovered the lost city of the Incas in 1911 and brought its attention to the rest of the world.

Chimu Adventures offers many tours to Machu Picchu including the Inca trail, highlights of Peru and South America Circle tours. Visit our website for more details.

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Guatemala: Essential information

Jun 24

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Central America’s westernmost country contains ancient Mayan architecture and some of the most beautiful colonial towns in the region, yet it is not a mainline tourist destination. It is a great place for a Central America Adventure.

Guatemala is rich in history both ancient and modern, containing some of the most impressive ancient Mayan architecture and beautiful old Spanish colonial towns in the region. The capital, Guatemala city, home to a quarter of the country’s 12.6m population, is a sprawling metropolis with few attractions that other parts of the country can’t better. The former capital, Antigua, has much more charm; it is a nice place in which to wander during the day or go out at night.

Guatemala’s countryside is beautiful and unpredictable with large numbers of volcanoes; fascinating to climb, some are also active.

Language

Spanish is the main language; Garifuna, spoken mainly by black Guatemalans, and numerous Mayan languages are also spoken. English is spoken a little in cities and tourist areas.

Health

Inoculations against cholera and dengue fever are necessary. Protection against malaria is recommended when travelling in high regions.

Climate

Chi Chi markets in Guatemala

Chi Chi markets in Guatemala

Hot and humid most of the year round, the dry season is between December and April. Average temperature on the Pacific coast is around 38C (100F). It can get cold in the highlands at night, but is still warm during the daytime.

Events

March to April: Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter) sees colourful Catholic processions in most towns and villages.
July 21 to 26: Coban: Rabin Ajau, a Kekchi Indian festival.
September 15: Guatemalans celebrate their independence from Spain, gained in 1821, with loud music and parades.

What to buy

Beautifully coloured woven scarves, throws and clothes – especially from local markets. Pottery and ceramics: bowls, plates or replica Mayan models. Jewellery – in particular jade, which is found locally and comes in an emerald hue.

Visit our Central America page to find out more on the beautiful country of Guatemala.

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Inti Raymi Festival – A Highlight of Peru

Jun 23

Posted by greg in South American Tours | No Comments

Before the Spanish Viceroy in Peru banned the annual ceremonial events at the Winter Solstice in Cuzco, the native residents gathered to honour the Sun God, and sacrifice animals to ensure good crops and to pay homage to the Inca, as the first born Son of the Sun.

The ceremony traditionally has taken place at the winter solstice, when the sun is farthest from the earth. Fearing the lack of sun and ensuing famine, the ancient Incas gathered in Cuzco to honour the Sun God and plead for his return. The celebrants fasted for days before the event, refrained from physical pleasures and presented gifts to the Inca, who in return put on a lavish banquet of meat, corn bread, chicha and coca tea as they prepared to sacrifice llamas to ensure good crops and fertile fields.

In 1572, Viceroy Toledo banned Inti Raymi celebrations as pagan and contrary to the Catholic faith. Following the edict, the ceremonies went underground.

Today, it’s the second largest festival in South America. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on Cuzco from other parts of the nation, South America and the world for a week long celebration marking the beginning of a new year, the Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun.

Every day has its events, from daytime expositions, street fairs, and people milling and dancing in the streets. In the evenings, live music from the best of Peruvian musical groups draws the crowds to the Plaza de Armas for free concerts. During the preceding year, in preparation for Inti Raymi, hundreds of actors are chosen to represent historical figures. Being selected to portray the Sapa Inca or his wife, Mama Occla, is a great honour for the local people.

The centrepiece of the festival is the all-day celebrations on June 24, the actual day of Inti Raymi. On this day, the ceremonial events begin with an invocation by the Sapa Inca in the Qorikancha, also spelled Koricancha (pictured) square in front of the Santo Domingo church, built over the ancient Temple of the Sun. Here, the Sapa Inca calls on the blessings from the sun. Following the oration, Sapa Inca is carried on a golden throne, a replica of the original which weighed about 60 kilos, in a procession to the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuamán, in the hills above Cuzco. With the Sapa Inca come the high priests, garbed in ceremonial robes, then officials of the court, nobles and others, all elaborately costumed according to their rank, with silver and gold ornaments.

They walk along flower-bedecked streets, to music and prayers and dancing. Women sweep the streets to clear them of evil spirits. At Sacsayhuamán , where huge crowds await the arrival of the procession, Sapa Inca climbs to the sacred altar where all can see him.

Once all the celebrants are in place in the grand square of the fortress, there are speeches by Sapa Inca, the priests and representatives of the Suyos: the Snake for the world below, the Puma for life on earth, and the Condor for the upper world of the gods. This follows the ancient beliefs of the Inca, which held these animals sacred.

A white llama is sacrificed (now in a very realistic stage act) and the high priest holds aloft the bloody heart in honor of Pachamama. This is done to ensure the fertility of the earth which in combination with light and warmth from the sun provides a bountiful crop. The priests read the blood stains to see the future for the Inca.

As the sun begins to set, stacks of straw are set on fire and the celebrants dance around them to honour Tawantinsuty or the Empire of the Four Wind Directions. In ancient times, no fire was allowed that day until the evening fires.

The ceremony of Inti Raymi ends with a procession back to Cuzco. Sapa Inca and Mama Occla are carried on their thrones, the high priests and representatives of the Supas pronounce blessings on the people. Once again, a new year has begun.

June 24 is also celebrated throughout Peru as Indians Day or Peasants Day. This is a festival not to be missed, and a highlight of this fascinating continent.

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Insider’s guide to Havana

Jun 21

Posted by dillon in Antarctica Cruises, South American Tours | No Comments

Ballet dancer Carlos Acosta takes us on tour round his home town of Havana and what you should do on a Cuban Highlights tour.

Where to tap your Cuban heels

Everything in Havana inspires dance. There is music wherever you go. Always music. That’s why people say that even when we Cubans walk, we walk as if we are dancing. One of the best ways to listen to music is simply to find it on the streets. You’ll hear all kinds, especially salsa and son [a combination of Spanish and African rhythms] and son montuno, which is real country music. Look out for the musicians (treseros) playing the Cuban tres guitar, a rhythm instrument which has three double strings.

If you want to dance on your Cuba Discovery tour, head for La Casa de la Música, which has two branches – one in Central Havana and one in the Miramar district They have live concerts most days, pack a lot of people in and the atmosphere’s great. One thing you can be sure of, whether you’re a beginner or if you know how to dance, is that you’re never going to be left out. There’s always someone who’s going to pull you on to the floor and be your partner. And

Capitolio Building in Havana, Cuba

Capitolio Building in Havana, Cuba

that’s important because that’s how you learn.

Where to refuel

Try paladares, small family-owned restaurants. A famous one is La Guarida, which was the setting for the film Strawberry and Chocolate, nominated for an Oscar. Also very nice is La Divina Pastora a restaurant on the other side of Havana Bay – not very touristy, there’s music playing and it gives you a fantastic view of the city.

Watch the pros

If you want to watch dance, the Gran Teatro de La Habana is a great place – it’s the home of Ballet Nacional de Cuba and you can catch contemporary works and flamenco too. It’s where the International Ballet Festival is held every two years. Many of the main figures in dance attend. It’s been around since the 60s and is now a very established, respected festival. Everyone donates their time because of their love affair with Havana. The audiences may not have the money to afford to see the great productions but they are connoisseurs of dance and are very, very warm. If they like the performer, the reception can be overwhelming.

Stretch your legs

One of the best places to go for a stroll is El Prado, a nice avenue linking the centre with the Malecón. The Malecón is the seafront promenade where you go if you want to mix with the locals and people-watch. If you want a bit of peace, go to Parque Lenin on the outskirts where you can picnic and also fish.

Out of town

Pinar del Rio province, west of Havana, is a magnificent landscape. Visit Las Terrazas with its many rivers and ponds where you can also go kayaking, or Soroa, which has a huge orchid garden with many species. This is where you may see the tocororo, the Cuban national bird, sporting the colours of the Cuban flag.

Where to stay

As I have a house there, I never stay in hotels, but I think the Hotel Telégrafo with its mix of period and contemporary features, is one of the most interesting. It’s very central, near Old Havana, so you have plenty of opportunity to soak up the sense of Cuban history.

Chimu Adventures runs fully customizable tours to Cuba, visit out website for more details.

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The Magnificent Torres Del Paine

Jun 16

Posted by dillon in Chile | No Comments

Another satisfied Chimu customer – Bonnie explains her amazing trip to Torres del Paine and Patagonia:

We´ve just returned from the most awesome 24 hour whirlwind trip to Torres del Paines, some of the most beautiful (and remote) mountains in the whole world!  When I emailed from BA we were due to be off on our Patagonia package but after 6 hours in the airport our ¨delayed flight¨was cancelled.  Fortunately the airlines put us up in a nearby hotel (provided transport and meals) and the next morning we left at 7.  The unfortunate repercussion was that it eliminated one of the 2 precious nights at the Torres del Paines National Park (which involves a 5 hour journey by bus followed by 2 more hours of private transport)

We spent the first night in El Calafate, which is a tiny remote townway down south on the Argentinian pampas on a beautiful glacial lake with snow capped mountains all around.  We are in the most adorable ¨chalet¨in a huge room with 2 windows with neat views (Its a real treat to not only be able to open windows but also to cool down our wines!!!).  We loved the little town…we feel like we´re in a ski town.

Torres del Paine in Patagonia

Torres del Paine in Patagonia

Yesterday we got up early to make our momentous journey.  The first surprise was to find out that the sun doesn´t come up until 9:30 AM (we´re that far away..actually 1400 miles from Buenos Aires). So we left in the pitch dark in 3 degrees below zero and within a few miles I thought we were on the wrong bus because I recognized a town that was north (today I understand that hiccup).  After that panic, about an hour and a half later the bus suddenly left the tarmac and was heading about 40km. per hour on a gravel road.  All I could think of was not only enduring that for 3 and 1/2 more hours but also needing to do it 2x.  The other disconcerting feature was that during the first 3 hours we only saw 3 vehicles!! Now how´s that for remot?? ( And when those vehicles pass there´s alot of flashing lights and waving!!!)  We did see some huge birds like ostriches in big groups but mostly sheep and cattle.  As we slowly passed over grates in the road it was evident that these were various properties or estancias. I was so relieved that after 1 and 1/2 hours later we got back on normal road (this turned out to be a ¨short cut¨) and made a pee stop. This was only the 5th ¨building¨we´d seen!!!  What we did see was the most incredible view alreay of Torres del Paines and from then on we could follow it the rest of the way.  I felt so exhilirated.  The trip also involved going over the Argentinian border into Chile.  This was over a mountain pass where it had snowed the night before so it was quite dramatic (and cold).  In fact, all day long we had been seeing frost along the grasslands whose muted yellow grasses and green clumps was so picturesque.

5 hours later we could see the sea, arriving in Puerto Natales a huge bay enclosed by more beautiful mountains.  A man was waiting there with our name on a sign as they have been doing all over the continent.  He had a great vehicle…Ian and I were both able to make the windows go down whenever we wanted a photo.  Well it turned out the guy got into our kamikaze photo session and we had the most momentous 2 hours to our lodge at the end of the rainbow!!  First, Ian spotted our first condors of our trip (did you know they have a 3 metere wingspan?) Not only did we see these 2 soaring giants but just beyond we saw a hillside covered with huge birds as there was a dead carcass that brought in not jus many condors, but vultures, eagles etc.!!!  Next as we passed along the lake we saw pink flamingoes!!!which have always been a favourite.  I was also so excited that at last we had an opportunity to stop and have a closer look at those huge running birds like ostriches. Then the guanoacoes (Like llama) began appearing in ever growing numbers.  We couldn´t get our fill of them and stopped so many times though we were told they´d grow in number as we approached the park.  But I can´t believe the classic shots we got with theose magnificent towers (torres) smack in the background.  We just giggled as these gunacoes stood at the edge of the road lining up for us in the mosrt perfect spots. Ian also spotted a fox and there were rabbits galore too.  But all the while there were those glorious mountains coming closer and closer.  The absolute pinnacle of the day was when we were taken to a salt lake (linda greenish with a white ridge) where there was the PERFECT relection of my belove mountains, The Torres del Paines.  It was AMAZING.  From there we wove around tiny bumpy roads crossing over tiny bridges and coming closer and closer to the entrance to the Park which is the most undeveloped National Park I could ever imagine.  2 and 1/2 hours later we were at the door of our hotel, a huge sprawling timbered lodge that has grown from 9 rooms in the early 19990´s!!!  This was the last night it was to be opend (they take a month off begore the busy July/Aug season) and there were hardly any people there.  In fact, there were only 3 other tables at dinner.  So we had 2 more hours to wander around and take it in.  Of course, the hikes are the way to enjoy it but I felt privileged that we had had such a wonderful adventure coming in!!  And the amazing reality is that had we come on the previous day as we should have, we would have seen NOTHING as it was puring and all the mountains were clouded over!!!  It will always remain as a memorable day….even though we had to get up at 4:30 AM this morning to be taxied back to the 7:30 bus!!!  Such is life but Que Suerte (what good luck) that our flight was cancelled.

Tomorrow we are off to an all day trip to a glacier, the Perito Moreno on our Calafate tour! This has been such an amazing journey.

Chimu Adventures provides several amazing tours to Patagonia and Torres del Paine. Visit our Chile & Argentina page for more details.

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