Return To Chile

So on Tuesday, February 7th, we took the bus from El Calafate, Argentina, to Puerto Natales, Chile. Normally it's a 5 hour trip, including checking out of Argentine immigration/customs and checking in through Chilean immigration/customs/agriculture. The border stations were crowded and thus took a bit more time, but we finally made it to Puerto Natales and our next hostel there, Nikos II Adventure. The terrain between the two Patagonia towns is the same wasteland as much of the rest of Patagonia, with occasional glimpses of snow-capped mountains and huge lakes. Puerto Natales is on the Ultima Esperanza Sound ("last hope"), which--I gather, but have not been convinced--communicates with the Oceano Pacifico. Southern Chile has got to be the wildest collection of fiords and islands and lakes on the planet.

Part of the queue at the Chilean border

In our case, Fido was let loose in the luggage compartment
to sniff for drugs; hand-carried luggage was put through an x-ray
machine

Our new home, for 3 nights

Just a block or so from the Ultima Esperanza or whatever this
large body of water is

Big mountains north

In El Calafate, I thought the occasional corrugated aluminum
was an architectural statement; here, it is the norm, retail,
residential, whatever; the norm

Sculpture outside the former Coca Cola bottling plant

Every means of getting here...

Ever watchful feline eyes

I wasted no time in ordering my first pisco
sour; yours were good, Will, but not in Chile

These have to be special-ordered at Safeway, I expect; not here

We decided this was probably smoked/dried seafood; mostly

Pre-made pisco sours; where's the fun in that?

Different flavors too

The puerto

Unusually nice house in Puerto Natales

Cute little rubbish bins

Homer

Alas, in the age of recycling, they will be replaced by these

Interesting pub furniture

In one of several parks