Torres del Paine 2.0

This morning at breakfast...low and behold, I ran into Ruth and Q once again. I was even their Uber driver so they could go and pick up their rental vehicle in town. The day started out raining and windy...go figure! But remember....wait 15 minutes and things might change.

Road Trip Time. 'Ralphie" and I (my rental car) embarked on a driving journey into Torres del Paine (TdP). The drive took a couple of hours but the scenery is stunning. Once in the park, cell service does not exist, so be prepared. No gas stations either - so fill 'er up! The roads out of Puerto Natales are nicely paved, until they are not! Dirt roads make up the majority of the road network in TdP. Most places the speed limit was 90 km/h, down to 50 km/h...but 30 km/h in the construction zones, so of course the locals are whizzing by me. That was OK with me...I didn't want to get caught speeding...and besides, I am on vacation, so I was not in a hurry! The main road into the park will be a newly paved road soon...it's already there, just not open yet. In the meantime, one must drive next to it on gravel roads.

My destination today was Laguna Azul which was located in the east side of the park and thought to have one of the best views of the iconic towers. Local buses do not service this area, so having Ralphie was the way to go!

The wind...again, the wind was crazy! Ralphie almost lost his door when I opened it up at one of the view points on the way to Laguna Azul.

There was a bit of cloud covering the Towers, but the view was still spectacular. I thought I was going to be alone out there until I saw the car park when I arrived filled with mini-buses and cars. It helps when there are other people on the trail because hopefully the talking scares away any pumas in the area! I went on a hike around one side of the lake and then up to the lookout. After my hike I enjoyed a lunch break next to the lake with the towers in the background. Amazing! There was also a small restaurant there if one arrives without any food.

Hiking/Driving Hint...always remember to look behind you - sometimes the best views are from there!

The driving was very fun today especially on the paved roads - the gravel roads, not so much. I was definitely sticking to the speed limit and watching out for pot holes. The last thing I wanted to have happen was to get a flat tire. People kept passing me, but that was OK. I wanted to get Ralphie back to the car rental agency in one piece.

Stunning views at every turn...and the guanacos were everywhere once again. Quite the checklist today:
> see wildlife
> drive in Chile
> hike in Torres del Pain National Park
> see the iconic Towers

I love travelling. The life experiences are priceless.