In and around Torres del Paine

Sunday, 23.02.2020

The first journey takes us to Puerto Natales - a small, somewhat touristy town where it is very windy. Not many people are out and about, but the atmosphere is actually quite nice. We treat ourselves to some delicious empanadas, a beer, and a basil soda and take beautiful photos. On the way, we pick up two young Chileans to the next town because I want to give something back to other hitchhikers if I can. Then we continue to Torres del Paine National Park, where we arrive at nightfall. Sometimes we see a few flamingos standing in dirty, shallow pools by the roadside.

It is a bit confusing where to pay, where we are allowed to drive, and where the hikes start. In addition, the entry fee is enormous. For a proud $33 per person, we are now allowed to walk through the national park for three days. We park at the Welcome Center, where there are toilets, and hope that no one will chase us away at night. Because officially you are only allowed to spend the night at designated campsites, which are rare and also expensive. But we are lucky and have a quiet, relaxed night.

Monday, 24.02.2020

After a hearty breakfast, we do the most famous hike in the park, to the base of the three towers. The ascent is long, strenuous, and windy, but beautiful. At the end, there is a glacial lake between rough stones with a view of the granite towers, which strongly resemble the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Dolomites. However, because of the cold, whipping wind, you can't stay here for long. The way back is quite long, and in the end, we are both quite exhausted, with sore feet and tired muscles. Also, hungry, so we cook a decent meal first. The interior conversion of the campervan has proven to be useful so far, everything is quite practical and easy to use. We are very happy to be able to eat so many avocados here without feeling guilty, as they do not have to be imported from far away.

In the beginning, it was actually very unusual for me to have someone around me all the time with whom I have to share all decisions. I really enjoyed traveling alone and having my freedom in the past few months, even though I was rarely actually alone. And of course, I have also changed, so Ben and I are a bit at odds with each other and argue a lot. After the first few days, however, we mostly fell back into a familiar rhythm and old structures. Nevertheless, I try to continue living the change and freedom and not let myself be guided so much by the old patterns that we have developed over the years.

In the evening, we continue to the next parking spot, a parking lot at Laguna Azul. Here, too, we don't have to pay anything and have a great view. The national park is really beautiful, but other national parks were just as beautiful, but much cheaper in comparison. At the roadside, we see many guanacos and something like small ostriches - called rheas.

Tuesday, 25.02.2020

Today we're not doing a big hike, just a leisurely walk along the lagoon. But before that, I am good and do a bit of yoga, as it always feels incredibly good, and today it's not quite as cold and windy. The landscape is breathtaking, rugged, and mystical, with waving grasses in front of gnarled tree silhouettes, next to the bright blue lake with waves like on the sea. In the background, you can always see the glaciated Cerro del Paine and the three massive granite towers, although the tops are hidden in dense clouds today. I can't help myself and take a forbidden swim in the lagoon for a few minutes. It's not ice bathing, it's too warm for that, but very refreshing.

After the hike, we have something to eat and a free hot shower at the nearby campsite. To get out of the wind a bit, we treat ourselves to a muffin and a piece of cake in the small kiosk. There are hardly any people here, neither for camping nor for sightseeing, and that's how we like it.

In the evening, we drive to the southern part of the national park and at some very windy photo stops, we almost get blown away. We slept for free again in the parking lot of a Welcome Center, and the wind rocked us quite a bit at night. Unfortunately, there is a bit of tension between us, a reunion after such a long separation brings up many feelings and also raises a few questions. But we have to get through it.

Wednesday, 26.02.2020

The weather matches the mood. It is drizzling lightly, and the icy wind whips around our noses as we silently walk to the viewpoint of the Lago Grey glacier. The bright blue icebergs, which broke off from the glacier tongue a while ago, stand in strong contrast to the gray of the sky and the lake. On the way back, we can hardly get through the wet wind, and we sit in the car completely soaked to the underwear for the onward journey. Of course, no one thought of rain pants.

In the afternoon, the sun comes out slowly, and actually, everything is back to normal. After all, we know each other very well and quickly fall back into a pleasant rhythm of living together. The challenge now is to maintain the freedom of thought and feeling that I have learned on this journey, even in a life together.

We find a beautiful sleeping spot in the countryside, right next to a waterfall, and in the evening, we have relaxed time for cooking, reading, and playing the ukulele. Because we are not allowed to take fresh food across the border, we quickly cook the remaining vegetables. Since it mainly consists of onions, we have a very garlicky onion soup, which we may regret a bit the next day.