Heavy fog blurs my vision, my feet are cold and wet from the never-ending rain, and I feel exhausted from lack of sleep.
My stomach starts to growl pleading with me for a good meal, my body craves a warm bed and a hot shower. However, it’s dawn and my long journey thru Carretera Astral (a road spreading over 1,000 km, some parts are connected by ferry) has just begun as another town can only be reached by boat!
I find myself at the edge of a small settlement Hornopiern, awaiting the arrival of a ferry while trying to adjust my eyesight to the weather condition, to absorb as much beauty as I possibly can. After all, when will I get another chance to stand at the edge of Northern Patagonia again? Vast lands, with the wettest and greenest wilderness known to Chile.
It doesn’t take long to spot a couple of fishing boats sailing away from harbor towards a small fjord. Peace and quiet: the only faint sounds that can be heard are those of raindrops and small waves crashing against the shore. Behind me, Hornopiern is just starting to wake up, and in the background, past the fog boundless gray mountains can be seen, on a good day, providing some spectacular views.
Patagonia is simply everything you have hoped for and more: rich in jaw-dropping natural beauty treasures, countless national parks, active volcanoes, the ice-age glaciers, untouched wilderness, and scenic settlements such as Hornopiren, Chainte, Puyuhuapi, and many others that are worth exploring.
