Puerto Varas

Just arrived in Puerto Varas, which is on the way back to Santiago (where I will meet Toria when she flys back from the UK)

Really nice here, its an old german colony sited on a beautiful lake. I just arranged a kayaking tour and white water rafting tour !

Torres del Paines

I went on a day trip to Torres del Paines, a really scenic national park in Chile, with glaciers and some jagged peaks ("paines"). Here are some pictures. Would have loved to do some trekking if I had the time:



Guanacos !


The Peaks


Waterfall


Glaciers

Onwards to Chile

Leaving the Amazon jungle wasn't quite as easy as getting in. They overbooked the 12-seater plane (!!) and there was only 1 space for 2 of us. So Toria got on ... she is actually flying home for a week to do a PhD funding interview (which she got !! ... she's now a Fellow of the Royal Exhibition 1851 ... very plush). So I ended up having to get a river boat and do a night drive through the jungle (this ranks as one of the most dangerous things I have ever done ... won't be repeating it in a hurry)

Anyway, I made it back to Cuzco & made my morning flight to Chile.

I flew straight onwards South to Punta Arenas, right in the South of Chilean Patagonia. Not so far from Cape Horn, but that's only possible to get to by boat.

Quite a temperature change ... from Jungle humidity to biting Patagonia winds in less than 2 days ... its only 18 degC around here.

Into the Amazon Jungle

We sorted out a trip into the Amazon jungle in Cuzco. We planned a 4 night trip, staying in Jungle lodges and campsites.

We headed out on a 12 seater plane ... that it turned out we had all to ourselves as the rest of the group we were going with decided to take the bus/river boat instead. Our own private jet !! It was quite a bumpy journey as the plane was so small ... even had to put on oxygen masks at one stage ... but apparently that happens all the time ...!?!



The accomdation was pretty basic, but it was a great tour ... saw lots of monkeys, mackaws, parrots, tapir ... alot of insects ... there was a Tarantula on the wall of the lodge on the last night ... nice ... probably time to leave at point !

We also met some of the indigenous tribes ... which was amazing. They are still hunter/gathering people living in the jungle. They are quite afraid of some of the white people since they were enslaved by Fitzcarldo during the rubber boom. But some of them sell handicrafts, which we bought.

Here are some pictures from the week


Macaws


Me & a local tribal boy



Liking the jungle food



Tarantula