Isla Navarino to Puerto Natales

31/3 Navarino Island. Recovered from the sailing trip and now an urge to tred on some solid ground. I decide to take it easy the first day and go for a short stroll along the coast, but get bored and make a detour to follow a stream inland. This proves to be a bad idea, as there is no trail and the landscape quickly turns to thicker bush. Not wanting to return the way i came i decide to plough on and get pretty lost. Id forgotton my compass but luckily the sun was out so in the end i just plodded on heading south which i knew would eventually take me to the sea. I squelched through some thick marshland and finally out of the blue came across a dirt road and a holy shrine. I stopped for a prayer and followed the road, which led back into town.

Next day i head up a local mountain for some spectacular views of the island.

More pics..

1/4 Leaving the island required a little patience. There were flights every day to Punta Arenas, but the booking system hardly ever worked so I kept having to return at 4pm, 7pm, next day, when the agent is back from the airport, school drop-off, doing knitting, etc. It seemed that a single mum ran the whole airport and the travel agency. Boarding was a casual affair, and im off in a 20-seater plane cosied up with a small military troupe returning home from a demining stint on Cape Horn.

Through the plane window you can see the marina of Puerto Williams where i had disembarked from the sailing trip. I was a little afraid at first since the pilot said that there maybe some turbulance, and i'd never been on such a small place before.

Early arrival in Punta Arenas leaves me time to head to the local tax/free shopping district for camping gear.. including a rucksack.. finally i am a backpacker!

2/4 A day of depression and art. I spent the day taking pictures of random things about town. The lack of obvious tourist attractions gave a new perspective.

More pics..

And then on the way home.. a council estate for dead people..

3/4 Arrive in Puerto Natales still feeling pretty rotton, and sympathise with the local architecture.

4/4 Spend a day in Puerto Natales preparing for my first epic camping trip in probably 25 years. Buy more camping gear and a lot of porridge.

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