Quiet Travel

A few nights before I was to leave on this trip, I was lying on my couch reading, feeling so nurtured in the sanctuary of my home.  My safe place.  Then thoughts of this trip jolted me out of that comfortable world and into the reality of "having" to leave in a few days.  I texted a friend that the idea of travel is always so much bigger than the actual doing.  I was dreading the hassle of getting to places, long flights and bus rides, the latter of which I wasn't sure I could manage with my limited Spanish. I was also apprehensive about traveling alone.  Lonlieness, really.

But something happened when I got to my first destination, Puerto Natales, and the sweet bed and breakfast where I would be staying.  Quiet. All the noise and busyness of airports, planes, and buses disappeared. I could relax, take care of details for the first leg of my trip, and happily just do my thing.  And with that, I am really enjoying this time on my own.  I don't have to lead, nor do I have to follow. I just get to wander.

Details for the next few days:

Mar 26 - 30 Torres de Paine--most likely off grid, no internet.

Mar 31 back to Puerto Natales, staying at Kau Lodge again :-)

Apr 1 heading to El Calafate, Argentina to see Perito Moreno Glacier, two nights at Hospedaje Lautaro

Cry (You're not expected to enjoy every moment)

"Just as a white summer cloud, in harmony with heaven and earth freely floats in the blue sky from horizon to horizon following the breath of the atmosphere--in the same way the pilgrim abandons himself to the breath of the greater life...leads him beyond the farthest horizons to an aim which is already present within him, though yet hidden from his sight."  Lama Govinda, The Way Of The White Clouds. 

I read this excerpt from The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen, while waiting for my plane to take off. A friend recently commented that this trip will be a pilgrimage of sorts.  Didn't really look at it that way and won't know until it's over. But solo travel is a different ballgame. Fewer distractions means more time for me to look inward. My solo bike trip down the coast was like that. I walked away knowing I could do anything in this world. And over 30 years later, I sat at the base of Mt Shasta for five days, in silence, thinking about what the rest of my life was going to look like. And then realizing it didn't really matter. Life, right now, just is.

Oh.....and the title of this post? I was at my favorite coffee shop this weekend and in the paper was "Eleven Key Tips For FemaleThru Hikers".  Cry was #8  Can't remember the others. 

Next stop: Chile 

Patagonia

Torres de Paine

When I tell people I'm going to Patagonia, most have heard of it but they're not quite sure what is there.  Well, this picture says it all I think.  This, and much more, is what I hope to see.

This is a solo hiking trip.  Just me and my backpack.







I'll be flying into Punta Arenas, Chile and the plan is to catch a bus from the airport to Puerto Natales, the gateway town to Torres de Paine.  I'll spend two nights there at Kau Lodge, recommended by Lonely Planet and promised to be the best place for an espresso, my morning comfort food.

On March 26, I'll catch a bus to Torres de Paine to begin my 6-day hike along the W circuit, starting at Refugio Torre Central. I'll be off-grid re wifi but will be staying in refugios for which I've already reserved.

Refugios:                                                    
Torre Central: 26, 27 March                 
Los Cuernos: 28 March                          
Paine Grande: 29 March
Grey Shelter: 30 March

And this is all I have booked.  The following is a loose guide to allow for flexibility.

Glacier Perito Moreno in Parque National Los Glaciares (southern section) , near El Calafate, Argentina. 1 or 2 days here.

Fitz Roy Range in Parque National Los Glaciares (northern section), near El Chalten, Argentina.
How many days?  Not sure. But this area is the trekking capital of Argentina and I'll stay as long as my legs hold out.

Bariloche will be my final destination.  A challenge to get to but it's along the shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi and "has one of the most gorgeous settings imaginable", according to Lonely Planet.  It's also known as Argentina's chocolate capital.

I'm hoping three weeks will be enough for this trip but if not, I'm sure what I will experience will be pretty darn spectacular.  And as I get closer to take off, my excitement is building.  This is going to be an amazing trip!

One Human Family

While visiting the Florida Keys recently, I kept seeing a bumper sticker:  One Human Family. And I thought "how perfect".  Especially in a time when travel, for various reasons: good and not so good, is becoming more obtainable for so many of us. It reminded me of one of the more touching experiences while hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.

We had 19 porters who carry, by law, a max of 44lbs each up and down the trail.  The first night after dinner, and after the porters had set up camp for us, we (tourists) were introduced to each of the porters, greeting them in their native language, Quechua.  It quickly dawned on me that this was meant to allow us to see these people who carry our tents, kitchen supplies, and everything else to make us comfortable, as human beings.  Shaking their hands and trying to speak their language was huge in removing any disconnect anyone of us might have had. 

And so, those words, One Human Family, are what I carry around with me wherever I go.  Whether it's to the Bay Area to hike/bike or even around my sweet neighborhood. The best part? Those words weigh nothing.  In fact, they lighten the load so many of us carry.

Trust the Road

A few years ago I was finishing a solo hike in Tahoe when I met some hikers who needed a ride to town.  They were from Argentina.  Score!  I love talking to people from other countries, especially when they're in my own backyard....sorta.

They told me about Patagonia, a great place to hike.  Friends had just come back from a trip there and flashing back to the beautiful photos they shared, the seed was firmly planted. Patagonia just moved up to #1 on my list of places to visit.

So in two weeks, here I go.  Solo.  I have a plan but I have no idea how it all will evolve. And, thus, it was so appropriate that I found this sign at a brew/bike pub in Fairfax, Ca.

Trust.