Torres del Paine II

Torres del Paine and Chilean Camp.

Yesterday we spent the day exploring the Cuernos, today it's time to... Torres del Paine, the true symbol of the park. This time we enter from eastern sector passing through among numerous guanacos enjoying the morning coolness. We discovered that the guanaco, like the llama, is edible, and from this point on we will be careful about the menus offered to us. The day is still beautiful, although it no longer has the unique splendor of yesterday. We enter the park from the east, at the Laguna Amarga nursery. The first thrill comes when we... crossing a bridge which looks like the bonsai of the one in Brooklyn. Below, a fast-flowing river flows, allowing passage for a car (after careful verification of its data in the vehicle's documents) and the weight is limited to 1500 kg in total, as recommended by the authorities. Following these instructions, we briefly return to the entrance where the security guards are stationed, and ask them for clarification. They tell us that we can cross safely without any problems. We do so with caution, as exceeding the speed limit would damage the sides of the vehicle. We leave the vehicle at Hotel Las Torres and begin a journey of almost 3 hours, covering an altitude difference of 1000 meters. While in the forest below, a light rain is barely perceptible in the hot, humid air, but the trees prevent the water from seeping through. Chilean Camp (there is also a shelter) to reach the Torres's one, which leads to a final steep ascent to exit under the towering bell towers of Torres. Meanwhile, the rain gives way to warm sunshine that illuminates everything except the peak of the Towers. The summits remain shrouded in clouds that come and go, and occasionally reveal the peaks. In the afternoon, the sun takes over the entire park, with the exception of our peaks which are now almost completely free from clouds but with a gray background, which is not uncommon. One can still fully appreciate its majesty, which fully justifies its fame.

Blue Lagoon and Paine Waterfall

Returning, we move on to Blue Lagoon, with the towers strictly in the background. The name gives a clear indication of what we are facing. On the road leading to the lagoon, we find the Paine Waterfall, about which we knew very little but that on its own was still worth the detour.

The shadows start to lengthen and we don't get tired of looking at all the... guanachi that they enjoy this last bit of afternoon together. There are many small scenes, like a little play: the small, sucking the milk from the mother, the young of the pack chasing away the elder while he tries to return, etc. Tonight we will manage to get back earlier and enjoy a quiet dinner: we go to the Don Jorge restaurant and try the parrillada, a mix of grilled meat containing beef, lamb, chicken, blood sausage and spicy sausage. Enough to satisfy our appetite. The desserts range from calafate mousse to flan casero. In the restaurant, while we are about to finish drinking, they are preparing for tomorrow's feast. For this purpose they are using some lambs for the barbecue., which are placed on the stake to be cooked the following day. They say that they should be left to marinate like this in order to become more delicious. We only know that their appearance the morning after is not very appetizing, but we have no doubt that it will become so as soon as the fire is lit next to them. For New Year's Eve, they plan to prepare 6 lambs. The first three will start circling around the fire at 2 pm while the others will do so 3 hours later, which is the time needed to cook the asado on the stake. A restful sleep will certainly comfort us from all the effort.