Day 2 started out with a beautiful sunrise and enjoying our blackberry tea from the day before.

Today was all about seeing the historical sites of Istanbul. We were originally planning on seeing The Blue Mosque first and doing Hagia Sophia the next morning, however, The Blue Mosque was closed until March 1 for renovations. So it was off to see Hagia Sophia! Thankfully the line had died down a little bit by the time we joined it. For those that may not remember learning about Hagia Sophia in history (trust me I didn’t…), it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. The one that is still standing today is actually the third building (as the first two had wooden roofs and were burned to the ground in 404 AD and 532 AD). This building today was completed in 537 AD and has been passed through many hands throughout history from the Greek Orthodox faith to Islam and even Catholicism for a short period. From 1935 to 2020, the legendary structure was operated as a museum by the national government. It was only reclassified as a mosque in 2020. Walking into the Hagia Sophia, women must wear head coverings and everyone must remove their shoes prior to entering the central area. Once in, you could marvel at the beauty of the dome and the intricate details that were put in place so many years ago. It amazed me the amount of detail in every column, tile, and wall these workers put into this building. It was also interesting to see the influence from both religions in the art within the building. Angels were located on the four corners of the building (3 of which had their faces covered and one had been recently revealed during renovations in 2009). We did notice the mural of Mary holding baby Jesus on the throne was purposely covered by white tapestry.

After spending some time walking through and reading about the history of Hagia Sophia, it was off to explore Basilica Cistern. And we had thankfully made it into the mosque before they closed it down for prayer time. The cistern turned out to be a few years older than the Hagia Sophia and also played an important role in Istanbul’s history as it provided the water system for the city during the Constantinople (Roman ruled) period since the surrounding seas are saltwater. The cistern was recently renovated during COVID and was just reopened to the public a few months ago. There were pieces of modern art scattered throughout the walkways along with the ancient structures, particularly the inverted Medusa head. You could tell they added stabilizers to the columns as a good chunk of the columns had large cracks near the bases.

Adding on to our tourist events of the day, we ended in Topkapi Palace where Ottoman sultans lived in the empire’s strongest days. Grant offered to head back after we grabbed lunch at the cafe on the first lawn in the palace grounds to warm up (as I was freezing). But we (mainly me) pushed through the cold to explore what the palace had to offer. Again the detail and beauty they put into their buildings during the Ottoman period is amazing. I enjoyed walking through the small galleries they had (mostly for the warmth they provided) but also for the various articles they displayed from clocks, swords, armor, jars, and fine China given to the sultans from different countries as gifts. The garden near the back of the palace offered a beautiful view of the Asian side of Istanbul across the Bosphorous. Grant enjoyed taking several photographs and trying to get that perfect panorama.

We also had noticed a bunch of birds that we were pretty sure were parakeets but we felt were out of place given how Istanbul is not exactly tropical. We were correct and found on the internet that there are a number of urban legends surrounding the parakeet population in Istanbul: some theorize they got out of an old trading ship centuries ago, while the less fun theory is people had them as pets and didn’t want them anymore so set them free and they multiplied.

Thankfully we were done with our tour of the palace before it started to rain on us. Though the rain made for a slippery walk down some of the cobblestone streets. The walk back to the Airbnb included walking on the rails of the metro. The video below shows just how close you get to them as they pass you by.

Again the jet lag caught up to us and our night ended early. Thankfully we feel we have finally time adjusted after this night.

Random tidbits:

• People have no fear just crossing the street without the green go ahead sign
• Another crazy driving city- cars really don’t pay attention to the lanes

Hello from Istanbul! These long hour flights have been killer for us. The 13 hour flight to Istanbul was rough as Grant and I maybe received a good 4 hours of sleep off and on throughout the flight. However, we did enjoy some fun before hopping on the plane in LAX. After getting drinks and dinner at the Centurion lounge, we found a CPR training machine right by our gate. Grant did pretty well for not being CPR certified, but hopefully we won’t need to use any throughout our travels these coming months. Here’s video evidence of Grant’s attempt:

Upon landing in Istanbul, we continued to wait on the plane for another 1.5 hours as the runways needed to be de-iced prior to arriving at our gate. At that point, we were ready to be done with the airplane and lie down in a bed. Needless to say after an hour taxi drive to the AirBnB, we dropped our luggage off in the room and fell right asleep at 10pm Istanbul time (11 am PST).

The first morning in Istanbul, we were startled awake as we heard a loud voice coming through speakers outside our window. I wasn’t sure at first what was going on, but then Grant remembered the first Muslim call to prayer begins prior to sunrise. After grabbing another hour or two of sleep, it was time to begin our first “touristy” day. We decided to do Hagia Sofia and the other mosques on Day 2 and spend the morning walking through the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar. But first to grab a coffee and pastry at one of the local cafes up the street from our AirBnB. We had the barista teach us how to say “Thank you” in Turkish, though we couldn’t quite get it down. We also noted how many cats there were along the streets and even in the storefronts. As we were enjoying our coffee and croissant, we were joined by what seemed to be the cat of the cafe. She was super sweet and wanted to enjoy our cappuccinos with us. However, Grant quickly shooed her away when she tried to get up on the table.

Walking through the Spice Bazaar, you are bombarded with multiple vendors trying to get you to stop in their booth. We finally stopped in one booth and ended up staying there chatting with the owners for 30-45 minutes. When he asked our names, he noted that his girlfriend and him have been watching the Harry & Meghan special on Netflix. He noted there was a resemblance in our looks to the Royal couple (although Grant’s hairline is more like Prince Williams). One of the older gentlemen working in the store began talking to us about the best places to get authentic Turkish cuisine and noting some history on Istanbul and the multitude of cultures living cohesively in the city. He also noted that during the Ottoman period, the citizens built things beautifully and made to last for centuries to come whereas nowadays we are just focused on building the next highest skyscraper. Grant also noted how people of a particular country will talk in a negative light about their surrounding countries. We ended up buying some blackberry tea and some almond treats (still not sure what they are called) to enjoy for the next few days.

Then it was off to the Grand Bazaar to see what all the hubbub was about. There were multiple vendors selling the same variety of spices, Turkish delights, knock off designer bags, coats, and jewelry. We encountered various tactics from the store owners trying to get us to stop in and see what they were selling. But when you are one of many storefronts selling the same thing, I guess you have to find the best way to stand out. The trip through the Grand Bazaar ended up being a quick one, but was worth the visit. The hard thing about having a weight limit traveling through the first few legs of Africa is it leaves no room for any souvenirs from Turkey. Before landing in Istanbul, I heard one of the passengers talking about how the Spice Bazaar was better than the Grand Bazaar and I would definitely have to agree. Though both are worth the visit!

After a quick lunch break at a Doner Kebab spot along the street, we headed back to the apartment for what we thought was going to be a quick stop to warm up and read a little. However, the jet lag caught up to us and a quick stop turned into a 4 hour nap (at least for me). Grant was better and only napped for about an hour or so. And was able to catch one of the call to prayer on video.

We got up only to grab a quick dinner so that we would not be waking up starving the next morning. Then it was back to sleep to prepare for Day 2!

Random tidbits:

• Definitely more stray cats present than dogs
• Restaurant owners try to persuade you to eat at their restaurant
• Porters help move large items with a backpack looking device (see photo here)
• Miles traveled: 7,043 (1 airplane)
• World trip miles: 26,249

The day is finally here to embark on our 3 month journey across the globe! These past two weeks flew but were definitely busy.

Grant got some work in (though if there’s anything I’ve learned being with Grant the work is never truly done at SpaceX). I was able to complete my licensing and send it off before we left for our trip and get some time in seeing friends in LA.

We were able to get a quick snowboarding trip in at Mountain High with Grant’s brother, Dane. Finally starting to connect heel and toe side together, but still spent plenty of time on my butt.

I was also able to make a quick trip out to Texas to surprise my sister for her 30th birthday! Visited the Fort Worth Stockshow and enjoyed some ice cream with the family at Braum’s. Then it was back to LA to finish packing for today!

Packing for 3 months (especially as a female) is tough especially when there are multiple climates you are headed to. And to add on keeping it under 15kg for our flights in Africa was another task. The amount of times we had to unpack things we “don’t necessarily need” and weigh ourselves was over the top. Needless to say we’re still slightly over the limit Ms have decided we can try to pay for the extra kilos or just toss things we feel we can lose. At least we have room in our backpacks for souvenirs! But we took our pile of stuff from this…

To this…

Getting to the airport and checking in, we saw plenty of people with multiple bags weighing close to the 50lb limit and probably headed out for less time than we are. Maybe I’ll learn how to pack lighter after this trip (though I doubt it…)

Now to enjoy some dinner and drinks in the Centurion Lounge before we head out on our 13 hour flight to Istanbul!

After two long travel days between a bus and three flights, it feels nice to be back home. Even if it’s just for the next two weeks. Lots to do between now and January 29 between PA licensing, work, and prepping for the big trip. We’ve made a list of things we need to add to our packing list like hand sanitizer, chapstick, and more sunscreen.

Here’s a couple time lapses of our plane rides in Punta Arenas, Santiago, and Bogotá. Travel days are long but gave me time to type up the blog posts!

Miles traveled: 19,206 miles across 9 flights and 4 buses, along with 43.5 miles hiked in Patagonia

If you guys have any comments or suggestions on how to improve the blog, please leave a comment or message me! There is a whole “Travel Photos” page that I am trying to make more visible to everyone. We add more pictures and videos there that I don’t always include in the blog posts.

Thanks to everyone who’s been following along these past 2.5 weeks and we look forward to sharing more with you over the next three months!

Day 4 was another day full of a range of emotions. That 2:30 am alarm was a rough one to wake up to as both Grant and I didn’t get the best of sleep. We quickly grabbed our things and headed out of the room as to not wake the others. The lodge had left out some food for us to grab for breakfast and then it was off with Kim (our new friend from Seoul). He had previously done this trail the day before, but was trying to catch it for sunrise. We were hoping the weather would be nice enough and not too cloudy so we could see a decent sunrise at the base of the famous Torres del Paine rock features the park is named after.

The trail was less than a 5k, but with the gains in elevation combined with utter darkness it took about 2 hours to reach the base. Thankfully it was dark so I never really had the chance to analyze the hills that were coming up ahead. The trail wasn’t too bad until we reached the rocky portion. Then it was almost game over for me. I have a pretty intense fear of edges and feeling like I’m going to fall over/slipping off the edge. The last portion became almost rock climbing, especially over some large boulders. The darkness, steep edge, and potential for slipping rocks became too much and I had a panic attack. But thankfully Grant helped get me through it and we made it to the top for the view. [We realized in the light that we had gone completely off the trail so could have missed some of the bouldering.]

We still had about 45-50 minutes of sitting in the cold and gusts of wind before the sun began to come up on the towers. Unfortunately, we only got a short view of the sun on the towers before the clouds came back in. It was a pretty view even if I wasn’t a fan of sitting up there in the freezing cold.

On our way down, we ran into a couple of friends we had made along the trek who stopped to ask how the sunrise was. It felt that the way back down took longer than the way up with all the conversations we had along the way. This is one of the cool parts of doing this trek in that by the end of the week all the faces are familiar and everyone chats! We grabbed some coffee back at the refugio to warm up and packed up for the last trek of the trip. Unfortunately, heading back down meant we were running into a bunch of day hikers on their way to the base of the towers. Grant called me “Twinkle Toes” that day as I was just bouncing down the trail saying “Hola” and “Buenos Dias” to everyone that passed by… and there were literally hundreds of day hikers that passed by. There’s just something about knowing you’re almost done with the hike and your legs just keep moving forward.

Once we got down to Central Camp, we stopped to rest and hang out before the shuttle bus would take us back to the park entrance. There we met another hiker from Seoul who was backpacking with her mother. She was from Buenos Aires and went to university in Europe before moving to South Korea. She told us she was fluent in Spanish, Korean, and English but also knew some Portuguese and Italian. We got some good tips on where to stay in Seoul along with day trips to do.

Then it was two crazy bus drives through the park to the entrance and then off to Puerto Natales. These bus drivers have no qualms with passing other buses or cars along the road and just whipping around corners like they are in a compact car. It is actually quite impressive how they can maneuver the busses, even if at discomforting speeds for some of us passengers. As we arrived in Puerto Natales, it was time to say goodbye to the friends we had made on the trail and head back to the Airbnb to prepare for two big travel days back to the States.

Day 3 started out with another early morning for breakfast. Some more scrambled eggs, ham and cheese, and coffee. That morning we talked with a couple from Chicago along with another from Sydney. We were able to get some tips on where to go in Sydney when we head there in April. We would see them a couple times on the trail that day as we were headed to the same campsite for the night.

After shifting some weight around in our packs to take a little bit of the load off me, it was again off to the trails. It was again another beautiful sunny day with winds that would come and go. After that first windy day, we didn’t realize how much we would want a nice breeze through some parts of the trail. The trail started out with a pretty steep down hill (thankful we weren’t having to go up it) before opening onto the shore of the lake. It was a great pit stop to relax for a couple of minutes. Some people waded into the lake to put their feet in while others further down were trying to skip rocks. After some more rolling hills, we reached Camp Cuernos. Grant had planned to grab lunch there as it would still be around 7-8 miles before we hit our lodging for the night. He ordered a meat pizza as there was only a meat or vegetarian option. Turned out to be the best meal we’d have on the trail. It had some sort of brisket meat which was very unique but tasty.

The next 11km wound up from the lake into the forest before opening up into the grasslands. At one point in the trail, it became really swampy and couldn’t tell the best path to take. Grant realized his tennis shoes were probably not the best hiking shoes as they weren’t exactly waterproof. I had suggested he change out his socks to some dry ones, but thankfully he didn’t listen as there were a few more sections further along the trail that got his shoes even more soaked.

Again the views were stunning. Every day offered something new to take in with the scenery. And offered multiple opportunities to refill our water bottles from the rivers and streams. The fresh glacier water was definitely refreshing and cold. When we hit the “Windy Pass”, we came across a lot of day hikers who were headed down from viewing the famous Torres del Paine rock features. And thankfully this meant we were close to Camp Chileno to grab a drink and put down our packs. When Grant booked all the campsites for the trip, the tent sites were all full that night and ended up having to stay in the lodge. Honestly, it was nice to have a night to sleep in a bed with a pillow. (Although we didn’t get much sleep that night due to waking up early next morning).

While waiting for dinner, Grant was hanging outside while I grabbed a shower. When I came out, there was a medical event going on. Turns out a day hiker headed back down the trail must have slipped or fallen and possibly sprained his ankle. Park rangers had carried him in on a stretcher and ended up placing him in a tent for the night to see how he felt in the morning. (A group of 7 or so park rangers then carried him back down the trail the next morning).

Dinner was great, although we’re not exactly sure what we had. It was some sort of soup, slice of meatloaf with some sort of yellow mash, and dessert. We met a couple from Santiago, a couple from Egypt and Poland now living in London, and two Dutch women. We were able to give our tips for the trails that we had just finished as they were all on their Day 1 of the W circuit.

Our room shared two other bunks where we got to meet a nice couple from DC (one of which was from Texas!) and South Korea. Jose and Patrick from DC were on their 7th of 8th day of the O trek. Very impressive! It was cool to hear about their experience of the trail and sounds like those doing the O Circuit form a camaraderie as the other side is a little more desolate on the trails before you reach campsites.

It was then prepping our bags for the morning as to not disturb those not waking up at 2:30am for the sunrise hike. Although it’s hard to actually fall asleep early when you still have groups of people hanging out in the lodge, but having the bed made it nice.

Day 2 started off with breakfast in the refugio. We had scrambled eggs, ham, cheese, toast, and yogurt. Probably the best fuel we’ve had before heading out on the trails. Usually it’s either oatmeal or a Cliff bar. Following breakfast it was time to pack up the tent and our packs before hitting the trail. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day with a slight breeze.

As soon as we hit the trail, I knew it was going to be a long day. It had been over 4 years since I’ve backpacked and it’s definitely different hiking with a pack. I knew I would be in decent shape to hike over the 4 days after just finishing training for a marathon in December. Plus I didn’t grow up backpacking like Grant had. He made it seem effortless on the trail that day. Meanwhile, I kept having him go in front so I could go my own speed…which was slow.

The views on the trail were again beautiful. Mountain views to the left of us, multiple river crossings, meadows. We learned that there had been a forest fire back in 2011 started by someone trying to burn their toilet paper. Still baffles me that someone would try to do that. They didn’t alert authorities quick enough and the fire burned through over 17,000 hectares. On our route to Camp Italiano, there were a couple of bridges that had been constructed by REI to help with reconservation of areas that had been burned in the fire. The hike to Camp Italiano was only 7km but it felt so much longer that morning.

After reaching Camp Italiano, we grabbed some snacks to refuel and refilled our water bottles before heading up to Mirador Britanico. The trail had quite the terrain varying between a rocky path with several boulders to climb over or through along with a dirt trail through a valley of trees. The first viewpoint was Mirador Francis which offered us the opportunity to hear the cracking of the glacier ice and some small avalanches. The video below shows a bigger one Grant was able to catch on camera as we were headed back down the trail. Upon close inspection of the glacier we could see numerous pathways of running water not quite powerful enough to call waterfalls but amazing in how the water melt was enough to create small streams that flowed underneath the ice at the bottom.

After a quick stop for water and sunscreen, it was off to Mirador Britanico.

This was when we realized we couldn’t really listen to the trail markers as their distances seemed to be off. One said we were only 1.8km from the outlook, however, it seemed to be closer 2.5km. By the end of the trek we realized almost every hiker had the same realization that they didn’t trust distances on signs the whole way. Getting up to the top was another climb through some boulders but once there offered an almost 320 degree view of the surrounding mountains around us. And of course was a hit spot for those “Instagram shots”. We sat at the top and admired the scenery a bit before taking our own pictures and heading back down. As we started to work our way down, we dunked our water bottles into a stream to refill on fresh glacier water – this is one amazing part of Patagonia in that nowhere on the entire mountain do you need to filter water!

The trail back down seemed to take just as long as going up especially through the rocky portion. It was then back on with the backpacks for the last 2km to Camp Frances, our campsite for the night. Grant will say my mood instantly shifted as soon as the pack was back on. I may have turned into “Grumpy Meghan” as Grant called me and it especially didn’t help when I took a spill on the trail. Thankfully that last portion went quicker than the morning and got to check in for the campsite.

Patagonia definitely has a great setup with these refugio sites. Where else could you get a nice hot shower on the trail plus a delicious salmon dinner?? And it was also nice to set up our tent on a platform to help reduce the amount of dust we were already accumulating on our stuff. Although it was a hike from our tent to anywhere else in the campsite, it was a nice quiet night to get some sleep before another long day of hiking.

Now it was time to hit the road for Torres del Paine. Arriving at the bus station that morning, it was a complete mad house full of backpackers trying to figure out what bus to get on. Turned out there were several buses headed to the park entrance spaced 5-10 minutes apart. Grant overheard a worker tell one of the backpackers to follow him over to the 7am bus and yelled over the crowd to me to follow them. We also didn’t realize there were two stopping points once arriving to the park: Laguna Amarga and Pudeto. Our stop was Pudeto so the driver pulled our bags and put them in a different compartment away from the others. Our driver could have been plucked from a movie – buffed out with long hair kept back by a handkerchief and stunna shades on. He had two Monster energy drinks in the cab and we could hear the bass of his techno music blasting the whole way through the Patagonian desert. Some German travelers behind us likened him to the Rastafarian bus driver from the crazy bus ride in the 3rd Harry Potter movie. After a 1.5 hour bus ride along a very bumpy gravel road and some crazy driving, we made it to the entrance where we had to get off to scan our park tickets before re-boarding to head to the Pudeto stop. Pulling in to the National Park we saw lots of guanacos (similar to llamas or alpacas) and a flock of flamingos in the lake.

At Pudeto, we grabbed a quick Cappuccino before I realized the boat we needed to be on was already boarding and the next one wasn’t going for another 6 hours. Grant was worried that we wouldn’t make it on as we were one of the lasts in line and the boat was filling up quick. However, they crammed all of about 75-80 of us on with our backpacks and headed out to the Paine Grande port. The 30 minute boat ride was pretty smooth for how windy and wavy the water was outside. Being the last ones on, we were pretty excited to get off first. Unfortunately, we needed to have purchased a boat ticket prior to leaving the boat. The guy had not been available when we first got on so we had to head back to his booth in order to purchase the ticket. Thankfully it was a quick process and were able to get off before the big rush of people.

Making it to Paine Grande, it was time to check in and set up our tent. It turned out that being last on the boat had the advantage of us getting to be first in line for check-in since we were some of the first off the boat. The woman checking us in said it was first come first serve on specific campsite locations and recommended claiming one as close to the main building as possible for wind protection.

Setting the tent up in the wind was pretty tough but luckily we had practiced setting up our tent in the Airbnb in El Calafate beforehand so the process was fresh in our minds. We used our backpacks and rocks around us to hold the tent down while we went around hammering the stakes in as fast as we could. After putting on the rain fly we tied it to a wind blocking fence next to our tent with the hopes it wouldn’t fly away while we were out hiking. Our staking skills ended up working great!

Then it was off for our first hike of the trip! Grant wanted to make it to Grey Glacier before we needed to be back for dinner at 8pm. So it was off to the hills as it was to be a 23km (14mi) round trip hike. I hadn’t done much research on Torres del Paine prior to this trip and did not realize how windy it would be. As you can see in the video we took on the outlook at Mirador Grey, you can barely hear Grant speak. Though it was chilly with the wind, the views on every hill leading up to the viewpoint were spectacular. We made it a little past the viewpoint before turning around as it would have been another 3 miles to Refugio Grey. I didn’t want to push the mileage the first day as we had a long day ahead for Day 2, but we got in all the amazing views we wanted regardless. Other photos/videos can be viewed here.

After our 9.5 mile hike, we grabbed a drink and some Pringles at the bar over the cafeteria to hold us over until our 8pm dinner time. Who knew we would be able to do that daily on a backpacking trip? At dinner, we made friends with a great couple from Ohio who were nearing the end of their W circuit trek. They gave us great tips for the rest of our trip that we were able to return the favor later on in the week for other guests. They also gave us some good tips for things to bring on future backpacking trips like the PissOff towel (you guys can look it up). And it turned out they were also a COVID wedding couple and were calling this trip another “honeymoon” as well. After dinner and drinks, it was time for us to turn in for the night and prepare for Day 2! On the way back to our tent we had a fox sighting! There were signs around the campsite noting to keep your shoes in your tent as foxes like to take them, and we saw one on the prowl weaving between tents in the 11PM dusk light as backpackers were mostly retreated into their tents.

Splitting up the last portion of our trip into several days of posts as there’s too much to write about and it would be a lot to read in one sitting (if any of you are actually reading all the way through…).

The weekend starting out our Torres del Paine leg of the trip had us bussing from El Calafate and crossing the border into Chile to head to Puerto Natales. The border crossing was quite the process as we all had to get off the bus and head to the building to get that passport stamp. They had pulled the luggage out from the bottom of the bus and had a dog sniffing around for particular items. They had a sign inside talking about what agricultural items you can and cannot bring into the country. As many of the guests were backpackers, many bags were pulled in to be scanned and searched. We witnessed some get their food items back while others (especially if they were in plastic baggies) have them taken away. Thankfully we had waited to buy food for the trip while in Puerto Natales so our backpacks stayed under the bus. Once everyone was loaded back up, we headed in to the city. We did have a “What would you do moment”, as the couple in front of us had not returned to the bus after customs and weren’t sure if we needed to inform the driver. We later saw them on the trail so somehow they made it to the park. Our theory is that they had just coordinated a more direct shuttle from the border as the bus to Puerto Natales is a bit out of the way of the park, though is the main jumping off grounds.

After arriving in Puerto Natales, we tried checking into our Airbnb which turned out to be a frustrating process as we had arrived there an hour before our 3pm check in. Based on the instructions Grant was given from the host, we tried getting our keys from the workers in the ice cream shop that was connected, but they acted like they had no clue what we were asking for. Turns out if we had walked around the corner, there was a window we could have went to in order to check in. But in the end it all worked out (as Grant always tries to remind me). Some silver lining on the frustrating checkin was that we walked into an unassuming restaurant-bar to get some food while we waited. It had two employees, a waitress who also played hostess and bartender, and a cook. The menu was 4 items that the cook decided were on the menu for the day, so we chose the chicken – it ended up being one of the best marinated grilled chicken either of us had in a long time. We hadn’t had time to go to an ATM to get money yet, so Grant went on a scavenger hunt for money to pay for the meal with while I watched the stuff inside the restaurant. He found a bank that required a fingerprint scan to open the door to get to an ATM.

After the meal and finally getting checked in, we walked around the city and down to the water. We found a Venice Beach inspired skate park to sit for a few minutes and watched some tricks on skateboards and bikes. It was cool to see the skateboard culture complete with Vans shirts / skate shoes, and a guy filming for a hype video on his phone, had made its way so far from home. Then it was off to complete our “chore list” before prepping our bags for the backpacking trip. As it was a Sunday afternoon, a lot of stores were closed and we were limited to few options in order to get some food and supplies for the trip. The grocery store was pretty picked over so we ended up with some plums, oranges, crackers, bread loaf, sour candy, Pringles, and Oreos. Such healthy options….We had paid to have breakfast and dinner at our refugios so we knew we only needed snacks throughout the day during hiking. All of these grocery store items and two faux Nalgene bottles came in at only $15 USD! We grabbed dinner at Mesita Grande for pizza, which turned out to be a great suggestion by one of Grant’s coworker who had previously done the W circuit trek. We split two pizzas that were probably some of the best we’ve both ever had and I tried their Calafate Sour (which became my drink of choice the next few days).

Then it was time to pack our bags for the next four days. Thankfully Grant planned the trip well and booked the same Airbnb for our return stay in Puerto Natales so we could leave some luggage (and weight) behind. Needless to say, when you’re carrying your stuff with you over a course of a few days, you begin to realize what you should have left behind. But hindsight is always 20/20.

With bags prepped, we were ready for our next adventure backpacking the W Circuit!

Day 1 of our trek coming tomorrow!

Flying into El Calafate, we weren’t sure exactly what we were getting ourselves into. Outside the window, the river flowed into a large teal colored lake with a barren desert-like environment surrounding. However, after the 30 minute ride in the airport shuttle, it transformed into a city center surrounded by several pine and beech trees with a backdrop of snow covered mountains in the distance. Grant likened it to a “prettier” Palm Springs. As we couldn’t get into our Airbnb until 2pm, we stopped in for a drink and some food at Patagonia Brewery. We could tell with the prices we had entered a more touristy area than we had been in previously.

After dropping our things off in the Airbnb, we headed to a lavaderia to have our clothes washed before we head into Torres del Paine next week for our backpacking trek. As evidence in the picture, Grant proceeded to explore the city in a button down shirt, athletic shorts, and sandals in order to have most of his clothes washed. We explored the city, walking around seeing what it had to offer even ran into a group of people taking tango lessons in a plaza area. However, as we looked around for a decently priced meal we ran into the dinner rush hour and had to find a place that would easily seat us without a 20-30 minute wait. Even then, we realized here in Argentina to not expect quick service when it comes to eating at a restaurant.

Day 2 was an early morning wake up as we had to be at Hielo & Aventura at 7am for our bus ride to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Once we got through the national park entrance, we headed down to the port where it was a 10 minute boat ride to the south face of the glacier. I had looked up pictures of the glacier prior to the trip, however, nothing fully prepares you for the shear size of it. It was truly a magnificent site and pictures really don’t do it justice. After getting on shore, they split us into two groups: English guided tour and Spanish guided tour. They took us on a 30-minute hike explaining where we were at in terms of the glacier and allowing stops for people to take pictures. We even got to witness a small portion of the glacier crashing into the water. The splitting of the ice before it falls kind of sounds like a gunshot. Then they led us to a small hut where we put our helmets on and crampons. This was my first time ever wearing them and walking with them was tough on the gravel trail. Once we got onto the ice it was much easier.

The mini trek took about an hour to do as we traversed up and down various parts of the glacier. The guides pointed out and explained the different mechanisms that caused the crevices, sink holes, and fissure lines. We even got to take a look down one sink hole. The deep blue color of the ice was incredible and hard to capture through our lenses. At the end of our trek, they surprised us with some chocolate candy and a glass of whiskey. The whiskey was pretty stout and I’d say most people didn’t finish their glass (but we both did 💪🏼). Then it was off the glacier to take off the crampons and take a quick picture in the cave. Our guide told us that at the beginning of the season it was 10m wider but was melting pretty fast. They have to constantly keep an eye on it to ensure the safety of the guests coming in to trek. After hiking back to the refuge cabins, we grabbed lunch for an hour with a picturesque view. Getting back on the boat, they allowed us to stay on deck and take more pictures and videos of the glacier (you can never have too many!) as we headed back to the port.

Last portion of the trek was a short bus ride up to the balconies to get a view of the north face of the glacier. It was crazy to see that we only hiked a very small percentage of the glacier when viewing the whole thing. Getting back to the city we grabbed dinner and some gelato. Grant with the more sweet flavors of Dulce de Leche and Tramontana… while I chose the fruity flavors of Frutilla de la crema and Calafate, which is the berry the city is named after. It is a berry similar to a blueberry, however, I was slightly disappointed in the ice cream as it lacked flavor. At least the strawberry was delicious!

Day 3 was a rest day for us as this next week includes a lot of early morning travel days and backpacking for three of them. I had seen this place called “Waffles Como en Casa” on our ride back from the glacier and wanted to give them a try. I got a fruit with granola waffle while Grant got the Nutella, banana, and ice cream one. We both ordered the grande one not realizing how big they actually were going to be (don’t worry we definitely looked like American pigs compared to the rest of the guests). We ended up sitting next to a very nice Portuguese family who were traveling to El Chalten. We talked with them through the entirety of the breakfast going through various topics including sites to see in Brazil, Zion and Yellowstone along with Starlink and working during the pandemic. We told them we were headed to Torres del Paine and they described Chile as the “Germany of South America”. They also described Argentinians as nice and smiley just like their flag. They headed off to continue their travels as we began our walking adventure for the day. We walked to the bus station to get eyes on it for the next morning and then headed to the El Calafate sign to take some pictures. Grant got to pull out his drone to take some shots, although one of the dogs nearby wanted to knock it down when it was headed back to land.

Then it was off to try and find Laguna Nimez where there were wild flamingos to see. Getting to the reserve, we decided we didn’t want to pay the fee to go walk the trails and just took some pictures outside the fence. Thank goodness for that long zoom! Then it was another mile or so walk along the lake for a quiet place for Grant to use is drone once again. Again, our lens could not quite capture the bright color of Lago Argentina but was still a beautiful sight to see. Lago Argentina is the largest lake in the country and has a depth of over 700m in its deepest parts.

Now on to a couple bus rides to Torres del Paine to enjoy the nature of Patagonia on the Chilean side. And going off the grid for the next few days as we backpack the W Circuit.

Ciao til the end of the week!

Random tidbits:

• Learned about “blue money”- means better exchange rate to pay in cash over card
• Popular vacation spot for Germans (as well as some Australians)
• Police roam the streets constantly, but seem very friendly
• Total miles: 10,812 miles across 6 airplanes