We were told that the weather in Patagonia can change very quickly and you can experience all 4 seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter in one day and it is not uncommon that winds reach speeds of up to 100km/h. Everything you read or you are told is not comparable with experiencing it on your own. We managed to love, hate and then love again Patagonia and its nature. On the first day after we arrived in the national park the weather was somehow ok but in the evening it changed dramatically with very strong winds which we were told reached 60km/h. Spending the night in a tent with less than 0 degrees temperature and the strong winds which made me believe that the tent can take off any second is for sure an experience that we will not forget very soon. When I’m thinking back I can still not believe that our tent resisted the winds as it basically had the shape of a “C”.

The second day we did a really nice hike and were rewarded with spectacular postcard views on the Pehoe and Nordenskjold lakes which have turquoise colors. In the evening the weather again changed but this time we were lucky to reach a camping site which was protected by a forest so our tent didn’t have to fight against the winds again.

The third day was the toughest one and I could say it was our hardest hike ever. We experienced very high winds which knocked me down like a flower a couple of times though I also carried a backpack of 15kg so I was not really the lightest thing around… Diana was holding on to trees in critical situations in order not to be blown away. We somehow reached one hostel just to be told that everything was booked so we had to continue our journey through the wind for another 15 km. I still don’t know how we did it but we somehow reached the camping site after 5 hours of nightmare.

On the last day we woke up early and were amazed by the very beautiful weather. There was no sign of the nightmare from the previous days. We hiked up to the Torres del Paine which gives the name of the park and which stands for Blue Towers in the native language and we were rewarded with one of the most amazing views we have ever seen. After more than 60km and experiences which could easily fill up a chapter in a book we’re now more than happy that we went to this amazing wonder of nature.

Next stop

A hot shower, a nice bed and a 12 hrs sleep

Next stop

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

Then I went rafting on a river with class IV and V rapids which was awesome. The rafting tour was definitely comparable if not better than the one on the Ottawa River in Canada. On another day we went hiking in the National Park Huerquehue. Here we had some spectacular views on snowcapped volcanos, waterfalls and turquoise lakes. (take a look at the pictures)

We also met Jochen and Christina again with whom we did the hike in the Colca Canyon in Peru. So they joined our trip through the Lake District and we rented a cabin on the shore of the Lake Llanquihue at the base of the Osorno Vulcano. We went swimming in the lake and had a perfect view of the volcano.

One amazing thing we’ve seen or done

The whole Lake District is incredible beautiful so basically every day was amazing. But one adventure was by far the best. Near the town of Villarrica lies one of the most active volcanos in the world, Volcano Villarrica and we went to climb it. Because in this region the spring season has just started, the volcano is still covered with snow which made the trip amazing. After we were handed the proper equipment like crampons, boots for walking on snowy mountains and the ice-axe, we started the climb and after almost 4 hours we reached the crater of the volcano and had on one side the view over the whole Lake District and on the other we could look inside the crater and see the smoke from the volcano. And then we sledded all the way back to the base for more than 1 hour and had a lot of fun. This was such a perfect day 

Next stop

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

We felt really well in Chile starting in Santiago which is said to be the most modern city in South America. Its metro system is a lot nicer than ones that I’ve seen in some countries in Europe and Chileans have a big passion for big shopping malls .

After Santiago we went to Valparaiso which is one of the most colorful cities we’ve seen. I would compare it with Burano in Italy because just like there the houses have all the possible colors. Though nowadays it is the poorest city in Chile it was once the biggest port and wealthiest city in South America. But after the Panama Channel was build, there was little usage for this port and the economic decline began. But nowadays Valparaiso is trying to reinvent itself by putting the biggest value on tourism and on holidays and weekends you can find half of Santiago here.

In both Santiago and Valparaiso we found out about guided tours which are free and the guides work only for tips. We thought it’s a really great idea and went for the tour and the stories and the parts of the city that we discovered were really amazing. The tours show you some hidden secrets of the city as well as the well-known places. We also learned some things about the history of Chile with its past under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet which contrary to many of the dictators in that time decided to give up the power and organized democratically elections in 1990.

One amazing thing we’ve seen or done

Around Santiago we definitely wanted to visit some vineyards and we decided to go to the Concha y Toro vineyards which are world famous for the wine with the brand Casillero del Diablo.  It was a great experience and we also did some wine tasting after which I can warmly recommend the Carmenere wine. Carmenere is a grape type that was thought to be extinct because of a big plague in Europe in the 19^th century. But it was rediscovered in Chile in 1994. Chilean growers believed it was a clone of Merlot but now it is recognized as a different type of grape.

Santiago de Chile

Valparaiso