A Few Days In Puerto Natales
Day One: Making friends
We were all in the same dormitory room at The Singing Lamb Hostel, an accommodation in Puerto Natales I highly recommend. In the dorm were seven of us: a very chill Aussie Dude, a Swiss mountain mongrel who serenaded me with many tales of her parasailing off peaks around her home city of Bern, and a group of four young women traveling together.
The Aussie, Swiss and I broke the ice by joking about going to bed before sunset. After three very different but equally exhausting days of travel, we were all showered, tucked into bed and ready for sleep before 9pm. We were far south, farther than any of us had been before and January being midsummer there, the sky would be light blue for another hour at least. Jokes aside we said good night as the four girls who had not joined in our introductions headed out for a night on the town.
Too few hours later in the early morning, I woke to the sounds of packing bags. Then someone turned on all the lights in the room, the first of many dorm room faux pas to follow. For the next hour zippers zipped open and closed, items crinkled and scratched as they were shoved into pockets, locker doors creaked open and slammed shut, and whispered voices frustratingly futile amidst all the noise. Finally, one by one they rolled themselves and their massive bags out of the room, flipping off the lights behind them.
In the morning, the three of us left in this dorm room lounged around in our respective beds and had a good laugh about this breach of dorm room etiquette. Perhaps one of us should have spoken up, but I thought it was a good sign that we could all laugh it off. Together we got ready for the day and enjoyed some coffee together in the hostel’s dinning room. Feeling quite bonded by the shared outrage of this early morning disturbance, we spend the day together exploring the city.
The Proper Etiquette:
For those who have yet to experience a hostel dorm room the considerate thing to do when leaving late at night or in the wee hours of morning is to gather and pack your belongings well before. Do not turn on lights while people are sleeping unless utterly necessary, like you’ve lost something and cannot find it, but then again, most of us have phones with light for searching under a bed or in a pack.
Waking people up should be avoided.
Day two: Snaps of the neighborhood
When arriving in a new place the first thing I do is head out for a walk around the neighborhood. I’m endlessly fascinated by the architecture of dwellings, shops, and the downtown, along with the types of plants that are around. So I spent this afternoon walking aimlessly around studying the homes and gardens of Puerto Natales.
The general style felt unique, and at the same time probably shared amongst settlements far north and far south in the world. For example, I saw roofs, fences and even some walls made or reinforced with corrugated sheet metal and lots of bright colors, most likely to compensate for what must be a long, dark, harsh winter. Probably also weather related, things felt well worn. Lace curtains seemed to be a style or theme there, and some gardens included tall bright pink flowers resembling fireweed. Fireweed is an icon of Alaska, a very far away land but I imagine a place that shares many traits.
Another trait shared by human structures nearing the poles is low structures, just one or two stories. This very much effects the experience of walking down a street, you can see so much of the sky.
Day three: discovered a vegan brownie
On Happy Cow, a website dedicated to cataloging vegan and vegetarian dinning around the world, I saw the cafe attached to the Hostel Amerindia mentioned. So I headed off to see what vegan treats they might have on offer. At a cozy seat in the corner, accompanied by my book, I enjoyed coffee and a brownie. The chocolate square came warmed with some type of fruit jam on it, perhaps not to everyone’s liking but I was very content. For the rest of my time in Puerto Natales, I visited Cafe Amerindia for an afternoon treat and they never disappointed.
The cafe has lots to offer with a substantial menu for lunch and I believe dinner, a beautiful shop selling local, handmade products and most importantly, a very cozy and relaxing atmosphere. I continue to recommend visiting or staying in their accommodations to friends who had since visited Puerto Natales.
Day Four: A Walk Along the water
Puerto Natales is a base camp from which people explore the surrounding areas. Most people are heading to Torres Del Paine National Park, some on day hikes and others for multi-day ventures. The town is an excellent place to provision for such expeditions, perhaps stop into a shop or two for some local souvenirs, if backpacking maybe treat yourself to something fancy at one of the upscale spots. But there isn’t a ton to see and do there.
Instead, for the weary traveler, it is a place to recuperate, especially after the W or O trek. A place to enjoy brownies, brews and good company, to swap travel stories over pizza and perhaps run into to a traveler you met back in Ecuador. It is a place to walk along the beach, buy a nice bottle of wine to share, and take it easy.
I returned from the W trek with an injured knee and feet aflame with blisters. My discomfort was such that I had decided to postpone departing Puerto Natales for another two days to try and heal my feet. Very so slowly, I hobbled down to beach to stand in the freezing water and ice my sore knee and feet. A kind stranger took my picture.
