Hotel Carpa Manzano Punta Arenas

Five Alamo employees gathered round a computer screen, each face contorted into an expression of concern. Had they been cast in a sixteenth century morality play they would have taken (and hammed up) the parts of Despair, Anguish, Confusion, Anxiety and Dumb-Ass Stupid (Indifference was standing downstage right).

We'd arrived in Punta Arenas in the early hours of the morning and stayed in a lovely B&B set in woods away from the town. The ...

... choix)
direction puntas arenas a 15h45
je moccupe ds laeroport glacial (trop marrant, ya des poelles un peu partout et ts les gens st agglutines)
2h davion a cote dun americain qui va en artactique, cest chaud langalis, dailleurs qd je sortirai de laeroport, je ne saurai plus prler ni anglais, ni espagnol, francais ok, mais ici personn ne parle cette langue! et moi non plus donc!!!
suite demain!!!

... had stayed in to date. It was warm, clean and very cosy. The lady pointed us in the direction to a tour operator where we booked our bus to Puerto Natales for 7.30am the next morning. She also pointed out a really nice restaurant, La Luna, where we went for tea. The food was really nice and we left totally stuffed and it didn't break the bank either. With a T.V in our room we watched a film and showered before getting another early night.

... keep warm in the extreme weather. Punta Arenas was established in 1848 as a military garrison but now acts as a major jumping off point for explorations of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. During the 1850's the city became a stop for the many clipper ships taking men to seek their fortune in the California Gold Rush. Later in the 19th century sheep were introduced to Patagonia and ...

... 45 check in with Air Canada. We grab a coffee and sit outside for an hour talking about the trip, our futures and how this trip will change us. It was one of our best conversation's the entire trip. We board the plane at 5:45 and are in the air by 6:00. February 5th We landed at 5:55 this morning, I am tired and irritable. The customs official gave me a hard time getting back into Canada, but after a lengthy explanation he understood and allowed me through ...

Over the border to Chile into this quirky town of a very localised working class feel interspersed with enthusiastic trekkers. We discovered a very cosy vegetarian restaurant here in El Living, where i can recommend the veggie lasagne..!! My favourite trek happened here up to Torres del Paine. It was tough and challenging but you were flanked constantly by breathtaking views. Puerto Natales journey finished with an unforgettable massage from the Cordobian Patrizia, hands of an angel..!!

... What do you think I did? I am now in Punta Arenas and I leave for Santiago on the 20th before I catch the flight home on the 22nd. I am now bored out of my mind in the hostel but I really can not be bothered to see any more sights. Punta is 250 kms further south than Pt Natales and is the most southerly town in Chile. The wind is bitterly cold, kids are wearing t-shirts and they have built a beach style resort along the coast. Yeap, pretty odd. I am enjoying watching films ...

Strange is the new norm. Back home we hear of interest rates at 2% and oil below $50 a barrel. Here in Punta Arenas, so far removed from the rest of Chile that the locals are allowed to buy duty free as a concession to their isolation, we end a day of penguin watching by coming face to face with the Presidents of both Chile and Argentina. But first the penguins. Actually, first El Pinguino, the local newspaper. The front page is dominated by a ...

(Version en francais plus bas) No queriamos pasar mucho tiempo en Punta Arenas, una ciudad al borde del estrecho de Magallanes con mucho viento y sin mayor interes, asi que un dia fue suficiente para poder disfrutar de la flora y la fauna que la caracteriza. En una pequeña lancha fuimos a la isla Santa Marta donde pudimos ver mas lobos de mar,muy juguetones que se acercaban para curiosear. Despues fuimos a la Isla Santa Magadalena donde pudimos ver por primera vez ping ...

... que amb la mel als llavis per no haver posat els peus a la terra del foc. Pero al menys la vaig veure. Tenia els dies comptats i l´endemà marxava a Santiago per tornar a casa. Finalment vaig aparaular anar a veure als pinguins, m´havien dit que no n´hi havien molts pero a ultima hora vaig poder junt amb dos israelianes marxar cap a les pinguineres. Vam veure nyandus i una guineu patagònica molt aprop, el paissatge era sorprenent.