From Mendoza we flew through Santiago and down to Punta Arenas.
Punta Arenas is a sleepy city on The Straits of Magellan. You get the feeling that once upon a time this was a major stop for the shipping industry and sailors alike. Most people we met spend a night here before and after their long treks in Patagonia. We decided to spend 3 days here, relaxing and exploring. Two would have been plenty and after seeing Puerta Natales, I wish we had spent a night there.
The most memorible part of this portion of our trip was visiting Isla Magdalena to see the penguin colony. This little island is home to between 150,000 and 300,000 penguins. We took a two hour boat trip, one way, through Comapa to get there. We were not disappointed. Since it was Feb, the penguin couples had already had most of their babies for the year; so there were 300,000 penguins when we visited. The baby penguins were learning to swim and it was quite entertaining to watch.
The penguins are fearless and walk right past you, as if you are not even there. You watch them guard their nests, make mating calls and generally just look funny walking. I'm so glad we took this trip!
We absolutely loved the bed and breakfast we stayed at Hotel Ilaia.
The minute you walk it you are immediatley at ease and relaxed. The rooms are modern and spacious. You can walk just about anywhere easily. But the overall vibe here is hard to explain. Sayings about happiness, travel, opening oneself to the universe can be found everywhere. Home made chapati, avocado, fruit, and yogurt served with a smile at breakfast. Hot tea any time of day. And on the top of the hotel is this adorable sitting room with a great view of the city.
We spent the rest of our time here wandering. We loved the street art which covers most buildings. We ate out several meals and didn't really have a great one. Most restaurants play a hilarious compilation of American music from the early 1990s. Enjoy the pisco sours, visit the fish market and relax!
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