end of the world, anyone?

greetings from way down here in the wonderful world of patagonia. i don´t think i can explain to you the immensity of the terrain down here. the plane ride (which i captured on film and will post in 12 days or so) was jaw-dropping. i never removed my forehead (much to the dismay of the cleaning crew) from the window because the view was always different and dramatic. fields of volcanoes. crumpled mountain ranges. glaciers tumbling into valleys and massive lakes and rivers. huge rivers and wide open tundra. it´s all here. currently, i´m in the tundra part, right on the edge of the land of peaks, glaciers and fjords.

little puerto natales is a cute little city and i´m slightly enamored because it´s filled with my kind of tourists - adventure-seeking folks from all over the world. tomorrow, christine and i head into the Torres del Paine national park for 10 - 12 days of backpacking. we´ll return to puerto natales after that, unpack for a day and then embark on a two-day kayaking/camping trip in a fjord, amongst the glaciers. should be absolutely spectacular...if you don´t dwell on the ridiculous winds and rain they have here. perfect kayaking conditions. you can all comment on my arnold-sized biceps after this paddle.

the backpacking will be somewhat of a new experience for me because you must camp in campsites and there are refugios that have showers and some even with restaurants along the way, so i won´t have my ultimate wilderness experience that i usually strive for when backpacking. this spells disaster for my competitive side as the little european bastards, with their tiny backpacks, are going to fly right past us as we lumber along with our 10-days worth of food, tent, stove, and sleeping bags... but no copping out and taking shelter in refugios! we´re hard core. and we will love every single moment of hiking in the wind-driven rain and chilly temperatures. the mileage won´t be the main challenge here. it´s absolutely the weather conditions, which change instantly...they say...though since i got here, it hasn´t been anything but wind and rain :) maybe they mean it changes from wind to rain back to wind again...and then a little of both to make it interesting.

ok. off to enjoy night #1 of the banff film festival. nothing like some extreme-sporting movies to get you ready for the patagonian wilds!

back in a flash...