NEC Patagonia

Day #4 Part - January 7th, 2010 - Lago Grey, Patagonia, Chile

Last night we drove into Torees del Paines National Park, the heart of Patagonia's beauty. We arrived at the Hotel Lago Grey around 6PM and checked into our rooms, which are in a simple wooden cabin style, but quite comfortable. We gathered in the dining area around 7:30PM and chatted about our day until our 8:30PM dinner seating. The view from the dining room is something to behold!

It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that this is the nicest view from a hotel I've ever seen!  Here is a view of the hotel I took later. You can see how it is situated among some beautiful landscape:

We had dinner (pumpkin soup, beef or mushroom risotto, and flan) divided into two tables and spoke animatedly about our day. By the end of dinner at 10PM, many of us welcomed the respite of a good night's sleep.

We awoke for an 8AM breakfast, which was a fairly simple continental-style affair (plus eggs and sausage):

But, again, it's the view that makes the experience!

Our big purple bus rumbled away from the hotel at 9AM and drove us a short distance to the entrance to the Lago Grey park and trail area. Our guide Francisco prepared us for our 2 hour hike:

We began by walking across a rather wobbly suspension bridge (only 6 people at a time!):

A short hike through forest led to a wide open beach area with a broad pebble berm that bisects Lago Gray lake:

We walked along this exposed area (occasionally crossing small streams), drawing ever closer to the deep blue ice bergs that had calved from the glacier (visible 10 miles in the distance). Each ice berg lasts about 10 days before melting into the lake. This walk presented our first views of the real Patagonia, with jagged rocky exposed irregular rock-faced mountains towering above teal-green glacial lakes that hosted the occasional deep blue-and-white iceberg. The views were vast and breathtaking.

Everyone spent a lot of time taking in the beauty of our surroundings and appreciating the fact that we were here, at long last:

The students were particularly interested in trying out the glacial ice (from some small chunks that floated ashore). Tasting million-year-old ice is a rare treat!

At the far end of the beach, we followed a trail a mile or so up a small mountain to a point on a peninsula. It offered some pretty wonderful views of the lake and the distant glacier:

We followed the trail back along the cliff, looking down upon the green lake. We eventually snaked back to the same pebble beach:

We stopped at the end of the beach for a rest, some water, and snacks (from the bottomless bag of snack bars that are part of every trip I run). We realized that we had hit our 10,000 steps for the day, but it wasn't yet noon!

We loaded into our bus and drive about 45 minutes to Hotel Pehoe, located on a lake of the same name. We were all quickly struck with the reality of this spot: that it was, perhaps, the most beautiful place any of us had ever seen.  The azure water lapped on a black sand beach. Across the way majestic mountains loomed above. The red hotel was surrounded by plants with pink and yellow blossoms. We were all gobsmacked by the scene before us, so much so that many of us left lunch just to look at the scene and take more photos:

After lunch, we continued to take in the scene. A few people laid down to rest on a lawn overlooking the lake, and soon everyone had joined them. We relaxed and enjoyed the sun and meditated. Without warning or preamble, the sound of a Tibetan bowl began to fill the air, adding a wonderfully harmonious vibration to our quiet time. This continued for 15 minutes or so until we began to stir. The source of the sound was a woman who had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and took it upon herself to help us relax. It was an incredibly meaningful and memorable experience, the very type of magical moment that traveling produces when one encounters the world with an open mind and heart. It wasn't planned, it wasn't on our itinerary, but none of us will ever forget it.

We loaded back into the bus and drove about 20 minutes through the park. The roads are twisty and bumpy and so scenic:

We drove to a trailhead to set out on another 4 mile hike (our second of the day). This first led to a waterfall:

We continued on from that spot about another 2 miles along a gravel trail that led through scrubland, large lakes, and magnificent mountain views:

The trail ended at a lookout point over the lake:

For the second time today, we were able to relax, listen to the wind and waves, and commune with the spirit of Patagonia. It was relaxing, mentally refreshing, and a valuable experience for all.

We turned around and walked back the 2 miles to the bus:

We drove back an hour to the Hotel Lago Grey (where we are staying 3 nights). We arrived around 6PM, a bit sun- and wind-burned, pretty tired, and utterly fulfilled. According to my fitness band, we climbed 100 flights of stairs today and walked about 13 miles. Everyone was thrilled by the experience. To a person, each and every student is embracing the opportunities that this trip has to offer. They are participating, reflecting, writing, and generally taking everything in. I am proud of them all!

Everyone is happy and healthy and doing just fine. Thanks for reading, and I'll try to be in touch again tomorrow!

- Prof. Eric Simon