A Passage through Patagonia: People, Places and Penguins!

by Alexander Lancaster (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

I didn't expect to find Chile

As part of my PhD work in Biology, I was lucky enough to travel to the Patagonian region of Southern Chile for their summer season. I set off in early January for Punta Arenas, one of the Southernmost Cities in Chile (and the World), on a very long flight, made longer after discovering the passenger from hell was sat next to me... Well worth it in the end though, Patagonia, and its people, are amazing! Right from the start, my rookie experience as a traveller must have shown. Foolishly I hadn’t purchased any of the local currency (I have travelled abroad before and just used the local cash machines to withdraw cash) and the local ATM at the airport was out of order, leaving me with no option to pay a taxi driver to get into the town. A passing Chilean man clearly saw me looking worried and in a bit of a flap, and asked if I wanted to share a taxi, which he then insisted on paying for me. I offered to withdraw cash as soon as I could for him but he left neither a name, number or address for me to get back in touch with him. Unlikely he’ll ever read this, but if he does I want him to know I am truly thankful. On a student budget, hotels were off the agenda, and so I checked into my local Airbnb about a fifteen minute drive from the airport, a small house with a shared bathroom. It might as well have been the Ritz, I received a royal welcome like no other! The lady who owned the house, Silene cooked the most amazing South American dishes for me each night I was there. A particular favourite of mine, ceviche, fresh fish marinated in tangy citrus fruits, just melts in your mouth. I can still taste the most amazing bursts of flavour from the fresh limes used to season the gorgeously fresh fish, every time I think about it. By the end of my short time in this Chilean household, I felt like a member of the family! As a Biologist, I was there for the wildlife and boy did Patagonia deliver. After catching some sleep at a local Airbnb, I rather spontaneously decided to go penguin watching on the local Isla Magdalena, which boasts a Magellanic penguin colony of over 120,000 strong. Penguins as far as the eye can see, although I was also able to catch a fleeting glimpse of a Black Browed Albatross amongst the rabble of black and white seabirds. A special trip made more so by the passing visitor from the Antarctic. Torres del Paine National Park was the next port of call. On a daily basis we would see a wide variety of unique species including Guanaco (a magnificent wild llama), Skunks, Armadillos and countless other bird species found only in Patagonia. The backdrop for the amazing fauna is even more spectacular. Jagged peaks jut out of the landscape, breaking up the most amazing blue skies, often filled with Condors. Rolling hills covered in the strangest of vegetation, from silver, skeleton like trees, to cactus like bushes, carpeting the landscape. The lago azul (blue lake) of Torres del Paine, is so magnificently blue, that if not for the wild horses seen drinking from the banks of its shallows, it would be difficult to discern where the water stops and sky begins. Truly the Patagonian sunset is one of the most humbling sights I’ve ever seen. As the sun fell beneath the peaks of Torres del Paine, silhouetting a lone male Guanaco who stood watch over the valley, I felt truly privileged to bear witness to the amazing spectacle before me. Alas our fieldwork had to end, and myself and the team headed back to Punta Arenas to process our data, collect our thoughts and reminisce on the scenes we had just been delivered, before packing up and heading home. Chilean Patagonia is truly spectacular. The people of Patagonia are as magnificent as their surroundings. The wildlife is truly wild. I cannot wait for my next trip out to the landscape that captures the heart and imagination of its visitors.