The pleasures of Patagonia

We arrived in Punta Arenas, at the southern end of Chile (the world's southern-most city at 53 degrees south), a port and stop-off point for trekkers and Antarctic travellers. It was a five-hour drive from here to the Torres Del Paine National Park where we spent four days. Anticipation was high as we drove towards our destination.

We stayed at the Patagonia Camp, a misnomer if ever there was one, as this was, in fact, a luxury resort. Twenty yurts are discreetly hidden on a hillside overlooking Lago del Toro and snow-tipped peaks. Gourmet meals were served and the Chilean wine flowed freely.  I became addicted to Pisco Sours (a Spanish brandy liqueur with lime juice, egg whites and bitters).
Spot the yurts in the following photo.

A range of activities was offered, from wildly adventurous extreme sports to gentle strolls. We opted for three walks rated easy-to-moderate. It took us an hour to drive into the park, with tantalising glimpses at every turn. At the park entrance we all hopped out for a photo op.

Walk 1 took us around Lake Nordinskjold. Here are some random shots along our walk.

The lake was sparkling in the sunshine. We had been warned to take ponchos, warm hats, gloves, fleeces and  down jackets to ward off the extreme cold and howling winds. As it turned out we got warm sunshine, a blue sky and not a hint of a breeze. Methinks the mountain gods were smiling on us.

Walk 2 was a one-and-a-half hour steep climb. On the way, our guide Ignacio spoke to us about the vegetation.

Great views at the top.

A view away from the lakes and snow.

Walk 3 was the Fauna Walk.

A guanaco, native to South America.

A fleeing fox

Not a great shot, but I spotted two condors resting in a rock crevice.

We climbed a steep incline and came upon an overhanging ledge where Indigenous people had painted hand stencils and figures of men and animals, over 6,000 years ago.

On our last night, we had a lamb feast!!! It had been slowly cooking all day.

The next day we were taken back to Punta Arenas from where we would fly to Ecuador. We had a lovely meal at this restaurant, a former corner shop.

Note for those interested in history: When we were exploring Punta Arenas we came upon a chapel. In 1916 Ernest Shackleton had arrived in Punta Arenas after rowing with two of his crew to get help for his remaining crew who were stranded on South Georgia Island. Shackleton and his two crew had been picked up by a Chilean ship and taken to the port. A plaque outside the chapel said that Shackleton gave a series of talks here to raise money for the subsequent rescue of his crew.  I liked the idea that I was walking in his footsteps.