Tierra del Fuego

Finally our luggage arrived! We quickly organized our things (all 5 bags) and set out for the backcountry of Tierra del Fuego for a short one night trip. The bottom image is of the Beagle Channel and the tip of the continent, the middle is a scene from the mountains (eyes wide shut) and the top is the ferry we boarded to cross the Strait of the Magellan.

Patagonia is full of contrasts...the mountains are distant and huge. On the Argentinian side is an enormous scrub desert, reminescent of the eastern slope of the Cascades as they slowly climb from plain to alpine. The Chilean side is the opposite: the mountains appear to fall directly into the Pacific. We´ve seen the casual llama grazing in high winds, ranches (estanchias) whose acreage dwarves even a large Kansan farm and mountains seemingly in all directs but never close. Good wine is less than $3 a bottle. The best Malbec I´ve had.

In closing...a little note about yesterday´s meal. Parrillada: Steak, Chicken, Blood Sausage, Tripe, Sweet Breads and Kidney. Kori couldn´t even look at it. No more of that for awhile...time for dried noodles and Clif Bars...

From what we hear its worth it. Off to Torres del Paine for nine days...we´ll check back in around the 18th.

Hope all is well...