Puerto Natales - The eighth step ... Patagonia etc once more. - CycleBlaze

January 28, 2020

Puerto Natales

The second day on the boat was much the same as the first except that the weather was worse.  This meant we had the decks mostly to ourselves and a few other hardy souls (which evidently included any nicotine addicts).

With regards to nicotine, smoking and the possession of alcohol on board was expressly prohibited but it was hard to avoid cigarette smoke and the sweet smell of marijuana.

Still, we had an enjoyable day mostly spent chatting to acquaintances met on the boat, birding from the decks and enjoying the scenery.  We picked up Magellanic Diving-Petrels and Wilson's Storm-Petrels in addition to the previous day's pelagic birds and had lots of opportunities to take in the many Black-browed Albatrosses and Southern Great Petrels again.

Streams of Imperial Shags were the order of the day as we entered more coastal waters.
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On arrival in Puerto Montt we quickly cycled up to Camping Guino where we had stayed two years ago but,  alas, they were full.  They directed us to Hostal Jomar a kilometer or so away where we have taken a matrimonial for the next two nights.  Their campsite was also pretty full and the rain started falling as we got there so it was easy to opt out of camping.

After settling in we met up with Eloise and Lewis on their last day in Patagonia before they fly up to northern Chile.  A carnivores feast washed down with a few beers and some wine made up for the epicurean disasters that the ferry galley dished up.  They have been great company over the past month or so and it was pure serendipity that ensured we were always in the same place at crucial times.

Lewis and Eloise - great young couple.
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Today's ride: 3 km (2 miles)
Total: 1,095 km (680 miles)

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