Two Backpackers

Puerto Natales, Patagonia Chile

| by Jason | 14 Comments » | Chile, South America

Puerto natales 1 371 by Adriuu, on Flickr

If you are planning on visiting Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, you will inevitably arrive to Puerto Natales.  Lying next to the cloudy turquoise glacier shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza, extreme wind conditions are common.  It’s a small town with most buildings only a single story with the main street clearly more developed and groomed than the less traveled side streets.  Like many of the towns visited in Patagonia, they have become entirely dependent on tourism, from the backpacker to tour groups of retirees.  Towns centered on tourism mean you will typically find a modern super market, plenty of adventure rental equipment, touristy restaurants and unlimited lodging. (more…)

Photo of the Day: Magellanic Penguin On Peninsula Valdez

| by Aracely | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

Magellanic penguins dot the Argentina Patagonia landscape along the coast. Peninsula Valdez offers a myriad of sea life viewing opportunities including sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and if you are lucky, killer whales (orcas). As we drove our rented vehicle down the east coast of the peninsula from Punta Norte, we pulled off the side of the road at a penguin mirador (lookout). Signs detailed the penguins migrating and eating behaviors and also explained why they were currently shedding their fur.

Magellanic Penguin On Peninsula Valdez in Argentina

Photo of the Day: Nature in Torres del Paine Patagonia

| by Aracely | 3 Comments » | Photo of the Day

Torres Del Paine, Chile Circuit Trek

Torres del Paine National Park (Parque Nacional Torres del Paine) is a national park encompassing a mountains, glacier, lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The national park (598.593,02 acres) is a popular hiking destination in Chile. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Views are breathtaking. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular “W” route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8–9 days. It is a national park and thus hikers are not allowed to stray from the paths. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites and wood fires are prohibited throughout the park. – Wikipedia

Photo of the Day: Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia

| by Jason | 2 Comments » | Photo of the Day

The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. This icefield is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. Scientist have no idea why. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres (3 mi) wide, with an average height of 74 m (240 ft) above the surface of the water of Lake Argentino, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres (558 ft). – Wikipedia

Perito Moreno Glacier

Photo of the Day: Pink Flamingos in Patagonia Argentina

| by Aracely | No Comments » | Photo of the Day

On the bus ride from Calafate, Argentina to the Perito Moreno Glacier, our driver pulled over just outside Calafate so we could take some pictures of the beautiful pink flamingos in a lake. Flamingos can be be found throughout much of South America and it’s best to have a telephoto lens when trying to capture them up close.

Pink Flamingos On A Lake In Patagonia, Argentina

Photo of the Day: Foxglove Flower In Chile

| by Aracely | 7 Comments » | Photo of the Day

We know we have given you this photo on our Travel Photo of the Day series before, but it is my personal favorite flower picture and I just had to included it in our flower and plant week.

Foxgloves are also called Witches’ Gloves, Dead Men’s Bells, Fairy’s Glove, Gloves of Our Lady, Bloody Fingers, Virgin’s Glove, Fairy Caps, Folk’s Glove, and Fairy Thimbles.  These are biennial plants and are tall, slender perennials at 2-5′ in height and just 1-2′ wide.  It is a very statuesque plant.  It has numerous tubular flowers blooming on a spike, ranging in color from purple to white.  Foxglove flowers appear in the summer months.  The flowers are bell-shaped and tubular, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, flattened above, inflated beneath, crimson outside above and paler beneath, the lower lip furnished with long hairs inside and marked with numerous dark crimson spots, each surrounded with a white border.  ~ Iflorist.co.uk

Foxglove Flower in Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia Chile

Photo of the Day: Massive Sliding Ice In Patagonia

| by Aracely | 1 Comment » | Photo of the Day

We walked by this massive body of ice just before going over the John Garner Pass in Torres del Paine Chile, which is the most feared section of the full circuit trek.  It looked as though it was going to fall on top of us.

Massive Sliding Ice