We Don’t Always Know Where Our Trail Leads

I was not able to upload any daily posts while on the trail but, I took lots of notes and pictures and will soon be uploading them. But first, I must tell you this adventure did not go the direction I had imagined. That’s good. That’s what makes it an adventure. It’s the discovery that calls the traveler. 

The thing is; sometimes you need to travel inward; into your heart.  That can be a tricky trail. As I packed my bags in Dallas, I was looking forward to just getting away and leaving my everyday life behind for a couple of weeks. My mother’s funeral had just been a few days before my departure and I was thinking this trip would offer me an escape or at least a little relief from reality. 

But, you don’t always know what awaits you on the trail. What’s over the next ridge?  What’s around the next bend?  The trail has many surprises. 

After exploring Puerto Natales, I returned to the hostel where I would meet my guide and fellow hikers. I was looking forward to meeting some new people and establishing some new relationships and not thinking about the ones lost.  So I thought, until our orientation began with self introductions and my fellow hiker, Sam, introduced himself and his mother, Maggie, who would be hiking with him. His introduction was an unexpected sucker punch to my gut.  The trail has its rewards but also comes with its pain. 

It seems as though I would need to travel to the bottom of the earth to discover something hidden in my own heart. We all hike our own trails and sometimes we’ll meet along the way.  Of course, my trail began with my mother but her trail and mine would go different directions after I completed seventh grade.  Some trails are tougher than others and both my mother and I had some tough parts along each of our trails. Fortunately, fate would unite our trails about forty years later with the wind to our backs. My mother and I had a great adventure together those last few years and these last five days have surely been a great adventure here in Patagonia. The trail offered so many discoveries and every step had an amazing view of our Mother Nature. Even when the trail got tougher, it would take you somewhere that took your breath away; someplace beautiful, someplace heavenly. 

  

 So, keep checking-in as I share my discoveries along Patagonia’s W Trek. 

Puerto Natales

After two days of travel with long layovers in Panama City and Santiago, I finally arrived in Puerto Natales. The airport is tiny. All I could see from the plane’s window was a brush covered valley with mountains on either side as the planes touched the ground. Eventually the plane came to a stop in front of a small building with tarmac steps that would be rolled out for us to exit the plane.  Once off the plane and in the building, I purchased a bus ticket and waited for my luggage.  It was about a ten minute bus ride to my hotel

I got to the hotel around noon but my room would not be ready until 3:00 so, I just walked around the streets for awhile.  This was Christmas Day so, not much was open. I eventually found a place to get a hamburger, then walked around a little more.

Let's Get Serious

Nurse West and her students had fun making a hiking advice video.  It was good for a laugh but, now it's time for Coach Rose to talk a bit more seriously about the sport of hiking.

Nurse West and Company on Hiker's First Aid

According to the Boy Scouts of America, one should always "be prepared".  This is definitely true for hikers.  Lots of things can happen on the trail and smart hikes will pack the right items to be prepared for whatever might happen.

Nurse West and a few students had a little fun with this idea as they put together a little video for me.  This is good for a few laughs but, you might want to consider another source before you back for your next hike.

Many Reasons to Travel

There are so many reasons I like to travel.  I suppose I most often talk about how much I enjoy meeting lots of different people throughout the world.  That is, indeed, what I would probably say I like most about traveling.  But, some of my travels are more about the actual places; the natural environment.  That's another thing that inspires me to travel; especially sense so much of the environment is changing.  While I'm sure I'll meet some amazing people on my Patagonia trek, it's the natural environment that has me most excited.  This is a pretty good video that shows just some of the places to which I will be hiking over the semester break.

The first ten people to respond to this post and tell me what makes them want to travel will get  100 house points.

Fun with Flags

I usually try to find the cheapest flights possible when I travel and when it's international travel, that often means I'll have a few lengthy layovers.  While that adds more time and inconvenience, it can sometimes add an extra adventure opportunity.  If the layover is long enough, I can sometimes leave the airport to get a brief cultural experience and maybe taste a bit of the local food.  It all depends on what the visa requirements might be, time of day and availability of public transportation.

I'll have a layover in Panama City, Panama on my way to Chili and a layover in Batoga, Columbia on my way home.  I haven't yet looked into the possibility of being able to leave either of these airports to explore those cities.  Will I need a special visa to leave the airport?  Will I be able to easily take a bus or train from the airport into the city?  I'll find out.  In the meantime, I think it might be fun for you to look up the flags of Panama, Columbia, and Chili.  As Texans, I think you will find one of them very interesting.  To earn more house points tell me which one looks very familiar to you and why.

Time to Win Some House Points

My hike through the Patagonia mountains of Chili is just a few weeks away.  In the meantime, you should keep an eye on this blog for opportunities to earn house points.  In these final weeks before I head to the southern most tip of South America, other BOMLA teachers will be posting short video lessons about Chile, Patagonia and other topics related to our global citizenship.  Answer their questions and you can earn house points.

Today, I'm posting some pictures of the wildlife in the Patagonia regions of southern Chili where I will be hiking for five days.  Be one of the first ten to correctly identify these Patagonia locals and earn 100 house points for each correct answer.

Don't forget to identify your house when you reply to this post with your answers.