Travels of a Lifetime VBlog Series: Southern Patagonia, Chile

-

Series #5: Torres Del Paine National Park, Southern Patagonia


I caught my first glimpse of the distinct peaks (Torres) from Lake Sarmiento, an interesting lake that looked as if it had a ring around it. Leading up to Lake Sarmiento, we passed the Deciduous Magellan Forest with poplar and conifer trees but mostly dominated by Lenga trees. Then on to Patagonian plains and plateau covered in pampas and walled by rocky hills: a landscape said to be lower than sea level and created by glacial movement. And of course, the famous symbol of anything Patagonia, the horn-shaped towers (the jagged mountain peaks) dominated the horizon and could be seen from all directions. With the changeable weather, the snow-capped mountains suddenly appeared with glorious blue light or buried under a shroud of dense, gray clouds. The sky was vast and dominating. Milky aqua waters of Rio Paine and lakes were part of the surreal landscape. While I expected to see glaciers near the mountain, I was surprised to see some vegetation, flora (yellow lupines, Calafate/blueberry) and fauna (wild turkey, geese, and neandus). Guanacos dominated the animal landscape.

Torres Del Paine National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is a massif, a mountain system independent of the Andes mountain range in Patagonia. It centers on an alpine massif of three imposing granite towers (Torres) reaching more than 10,000 feet, together with several lesser horns, or cuernos, formed of black shale, and a variety of glaciers, lakes, and wild rivers.

Here's a video of my Patagonian adventure (long version).  Click  HERE to watch it on YouTube or click the thumbnail below.



 Press play to watch a short preview of Torres Del Paine.




NOTE:  All photos and videos by the author

Comments

Post a Comment

NEW POSTS

The Chilean Forest: Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and the Petrohué River/Falls

-
Image
Our drive takes us along the stretch of the road sandwiched between the tranquil Lake Llanquihue set against the looming Osorno Volcano and miles of green valley dotted by farm animals, walled by spring flowers (yellow lupines), and bordered by the Andean Mountain, which rolls and soars in lush waves.  We are heading towards Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park for a walk around the Petrohué Falls. Since leaving Puerto Varas , our guide keeps looking out the window from the motor coach to check if the cloud hanging over the tip of the Osorno Volcano has dissipated.  She wanted to show us the ' breathtaking view of the Osorno Volcano ' advertised in the tour brochure, I guess.  But even screened by clouds, I see in astonishing detail the overwhelming beauty of nature that it excites my awareness. Mirrored in the clear waters of Lake Llanquihue, one of Chile’s largest lakes, are the reflections of the clouds and snow that cover the Osorno Volcano.  T
Read more
-
Image
 Auschwitz (Repost) "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana Auschwitz I - The Main Camp In 1940 Himmler, the head of SS ordered a former garrison site in the town of Oswiecin (Auschwitz in German) to be taken over and held as a concentration camp. The camp has been left almost untouched, just like it was when the Nazi left in January 1945. Like most visitors to Auschwitz, I joined an organized tour group. After meeting our guide and collecting our audio set, we headed to the gate, the main entrance to the camp. The mood was subdued as we entered the main gate that read “Arbeit Macht Frei” which means “Work will make you free.” Our guide’s voice began to tremble as she described how the prisoners thought they were going to labor camps, but in reality, the camp was designed for mass extermination. We walked through the tree-lined street between rows of brick buildings reminiscent of a college campus to see the original barrack buildin
Read more

#9 Study Tour: Lessons Learned

-
My sister and I were supposed to leave for a European Study Tour on Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. But this trip did not materialize. Our itinerary supposedly included a visit to Munich, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw and Medjugorje, and to see the ‘Passion Play’ at Oberammergau.  Yes, we’re among the hundreds of travelers who have fallen prey to Mr. Francis (Frank) Gonzales DBA: American Academy of Family Medicine travel scam.   BUSINESS NAME: Gonzales, Francis MD - American Academy-Family Mdcn (AAFM) TELEPHONE NO: (714) 432-7000 ADDRESS: 1525 Mesa Verde Dr E, #203, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 WEBSITE: http://www.aafm.com/ OTHER BUSINESS INFO: Has a travel-related business in the Philippines. Website: http://fegonzales.ahyer.com/ In retrospect, Mr. Gonzales and the American Academy of Family Medicine’s practices were telling signs of a possible travel scam. So my goal is to share some of the lessons that can be learned from this whole experience. I’ll spare you from having to read the details o
Read more