When I started to make research on which destination in South America I would visit, the sceneries in Torres del Paine were the turning point and I was convinced more than ever to get here. I had high hopes about this place and the day before we got here I was really excited.
The night before it was snowing and I was hoping that it would be clear enough to enjoy the beautiful landscapes. I knew that it was a gamble that most probably I would lose, given that in the middle of August it is highly likely to have bad weather. I woke up several times during the night looking at the sky and hoping to see the stars and the moon, but I was never able to see them. From the early hours of the day I could sense that we were getting a beautiful sunny day. I was overwhelmed by the hues of pink as the sun was rising on the snowy peaks of the mountains.
As all trips to this park we started with a visit to Milodon Cave, where remains of extinct mammals like the Milodon have been found. However the highlight of the trip started a couple of kilometres away as soon as we started getting closer to the mountains. Apart from the breath-taking landscapes we were accompanied by viewings of wildlife like the numerous guanacos, condors and rheas. The wind is a constant presence in Patagonia and sometimes it was difficult to stand still. However our guide was experienced enough to avoid dangerous stops since we have been told that it is not unusual for cars being toppled over by the strong winds which can reach the 250 km per hour. Our visit to the park ended with a hail storm on the beach of Lago Grey where we were supposed to see the icebergs. We just got a distant glimpse of the icebergs as right in the middle of the walk on this beach the storm became too strong and we had to go back to our van, as we had become dripping wet.
Torres del Paine did not fail to meet our high expectations and was without any doubt the highlight of our visit to Chile. We experienced the power of nature on our very own skin, from the warm sunshine in the morning, to the strongest of winds that sometimes stole our ability to move and finally the hail that scratched our skin as we were trying to make our way back on the deserted beach of Lago Grey. I am far from being a religious person, but in front of such awesomeness I could net help thinking that who/what created this must be truly great!
