15/03/23

I wake up early to catch the bus back to Puerto Natales, Chile (with a transfer in El Calafate). The bus ride through the Patagonian Pampas feels like a safari: wild horses, foxes, rheas (similar to ostriches), and numerous guanacos, as well as their meticulously picked-clean skeletons by condors, adorn the landscape. There's even a movie playing on the bus monitor (the first time I've seen it in operation). It's a Korean action film with extremely blatant BMW product placement. Without sound, the poorly CGI-laden movie feels even more absurd.

At the rest stop in the middle of nowhere, there's complete chaos. There are six people behind the counter and they're all doing different tasks haphazardly. I have to explain what a Café Americano is.

The bus driver is a lovable grump who hands out cookies and overly sugary peach juice boxes to all the passengers after the rest stop.

After going through a thorough customs and border control check in Chile, where they meticulously search all carry-on bags for fresh fruits, vegetables, or meat, we finally arrive in Puerto Natales at 6 PM. This is my third time here and it already feels like home. The Casa de Barro hostel, located in the middle of nowhere, is highly recommended. It is decorated with great attention to detail, has a warm host, is clean, and has atmospheric lounge music playing.

In the well-equipped kitchen, I cook myself a huge portion of pasta with tuna and tomato sauce, with too much onion, and try to ignore the conversations of the Germans and French people around me.

The room has a whopping 12 beds, and I climb up to the third floor where I inevitably smash my head against the ceiling beam. At least there's a large ventilation system that draws the sleep-inducing and foot-reeking air out.