Punta Arenas

13.1. We can take the day easy and Stefi cooks breakfast for us for the second and last time.

We leave behind some food that we cannot take with us and say goodbye to Stefi and her animals before leaving. Today could be our lucky day or unlucky day: we are flying south without a definite confirmation for the rental car or for the W-Trek, and we hope to return our slightly damaged car without incurring significant costs. In the worst case scenario, we fly two hours to the south for almost nothing and then have to return empty-handed towards the north. Fingers crossed…

During the car return, the car is briefly inspected and the damages are not disputed, yay!

The gentleman at check-in is very nice and allows us to take the extra 1.5kg without an additional charge, yesss! The flight is on time and we land in Punta Arenas in good spirits. Here, the somewhat different nature of the Chileans reveals itself once again. Just like they are not keen on letting someone pass while hiking, everyone stands as close as possible to the baggage carousel, making it impossible to see the baggage from the second row. Although there is a taxi stand, the taxis are intercepted by those who wave the most 50 meters beforehand. We also have to participate in that chaos since you won't get anywhere politely. ;) 45 minutes later, we check into the hostel and read the received emails: The car is not yet reserved. Therefore, I try, since we don't have a contract yet, to postpone the rental to avoid paying for the three days that we would be late from the W-Trek. The W-Trek email starts as follows: "We are sorry to inform you that we were not able to reserve all campgrounds for you...". Whaaat?

That's why we have booked a free upgrade to the refugios for you! Unbelievable!!!!

Immediately, we book the hostels and bus connections to and from Puerto Natales!

We explore the city a bit more and eat at the Chinese restaurant.

14.1. Punta Arenas is slightly further west than the other cities in Chile that we visited, mainly because sheep farming and gold prospecting attracted many people here. The past here is quite bloody as well. The indigenous population was killed and displaced by the white man in a brutal manner. Various buildings remind of the city's heyday during the industrialization and the prosperity in Paris and London.

The viewpoint in the higher parts of the city provides a great overview. The cemetery with its family graves of Italians, Croatians, French, and Germans is also worth seeing.

Back at the hostel, the organization continues:

Now the PCR test that we need for crossing the border to Argentina. Where and, above all, when can we take it? When we return from the W-Trek, it will be evening and the next day is Saturday, thus limited opening hours at the laboratories. After about two hours of online searching and phone calls, we find an available slot in Puerto Natales and have to rebook the bus trip again. Meanwhile, the good news arrives that we have definitively reserved the car for us and, above all, for a later date! Boohjaaah! Finally, everything seems to be falling into place! We can also leave the backpacks in Punta Arenas and go on the trek only with the daypacks! What luck! We enjoy the food at La Marmita, which is absolutely recommended!

15.1. Today we visit Casa Sara Braun, the grandest house in the city, which belonged to a Russian immigrant family who made good money through marriages, trade skills, and a good dose of brutality. The house was completely built with materials from Europe and now houses a museum and the Club de la Union. Just like in the rest of Chile, the Mercado de Artesanias is not very impressive. The rituals of the indigenous people are exploited without revealing anything about the backgrounds. The promenade along the Strait of Magellan is well done, although the basketball hoops were installed somewhat riskily ;) We end the evening in a restaurant that justifies its price only because of the atmosphere, but not necessarily because of the food. Fortunately, we still get the last spot and celebrate our six-month journey! Tomorrow we don't have to get up early :)