F: Further south with Navimag

Navimag is a cargo ferry that operates between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. For several years, it has also been set up to transport about 100 passengers. The standard is tight and simple, but tiptop. With this ferry, we would be on the road for 4 days and three nights, the route leads through the offshore islands of the Chilean west coast. These islands are the continuation of the coastal mountain range, which sinks from north to south and finally disappears into the sea.

The cargo deck of the ferry, where we got off the bus, was huge, and we were in the middle of the rough sailor's world: huge iron chains, anchorage brackets as big as car wheels, truck containers, men like bears, noise that you can barely understand, ropes and a lot of rust. Our luggage was lifted onto deck 3 with a crane, where the cabins are located. Our four-person cabin was tiny but clean, we shared it with another Swiss couple. Dagmar and Tobias have been on the road for almost a year with a self-converted off-road vehicle, around the world.

The scheduled departure time, we quickly realize, was not taken seriously by anyone except us. We were only half loaded fifteen minutes after the deadline, and trucks were still driving onto the cargo deck. With a four-hour delay, we set off; The port employees drove to the huge buoys by motorboat and freed the thick ropes, the anchor chain rattled loudly during retrieval.

It was four very relaxed days, we slept a lot, read and patched the many holes in our clothes, and spent a lot of time on deck. Islands and mainland coasts passed by, and we were simply amazed by these huge, huge uninhabited, untouched expanses. Lighthouses are usually the only human trace that can be seen. How beautiful must it be to be a fox in one of these undisturbed forests?
It was really relaxing. We didn't have to worry about driving routes, figure out the best next stop, compare hostels, choose restaurants, make program decisions, etc. I did yoga once and Thai Chi once, which was offered by the ship's team. Simon, on the other hand, diligently practices ukulele. Yes, he bought a ukulele :-D By now, the performance of William Tell is almost smooth!

Already on the first morning, as I unknowingly looked out the window from the breakfast table, I saw dolphins. They are Chilean dolphins, which are smaller and black. They jump high out of the water and it looks very playful. We saw dolphins, seals and once we saw blue-violet "bars" coming out of the water, whale backs! But by the time we get on deck, there is nothing left to see... We now imagine that they were blue whales, which have been known to reappear here for a few years.

We talked a lot with the other Swiss people on board. In addition to our roommates, there were two other backpackers who, like most tourists on board, also plan to go hiking in Torres del Paine National Park. On the good advice of colleagues, we knew that we should bring some wine and snacks on board, as they sell no alcohol there. In the evenings, we would therefore have an aperitif (although we had to pour the wine - oh shame - into the flask, because not only do they not sell alcohol, it is also not allowed on board) with a little red wine and olives against a beautiful backdrop :-).

The ferry always sailed through the channels between the islands, where the sea is naturally much calmer than in the open Pacific. But at about the height of Puerto Aysén, there is no passage, the route leads out to the open sea. That was at night and I woke up from the rocking. Thankfully, there's Stugeron! Thanks to this, it was actually quite cozy, like in a huge cradle. But for the poor explorers in their small wooden ships a few centuries ago, that must have been pretty bad.

Villa Puerto Edén is the only stopover of the ferry. It is the only village where the local indigenous people have survived. Today, there are still about 100 people there who make a living from fishing. There is no road connection, only the ferry is their only link to the rest of the world - and 3G from Entel. There is also a military post there.

In the evening of the fourth day, we reached the city of Puerto Montt.