Punta Arenas

I stepped off the bus in Punta Arenas, eager to change my traveler´s checks due to my fast-dwindling cash supply. According to my moon book, Scott Cambio would do it. They would not.

NOTE TO SELF - TRAVELER´S CHECKS ARE A THING OF THE PAST. NEVER BRING TRAVELER´S CHECKS TO CHILE. ATMs are all you need. Long Sigh.

So I continued on to Hostal Fitz Roy, which felt cold and unwelcoming. The host lead me to my single room, which was the size of a dorm, with three beds. I picked the Queen bed in the middle of two twins, and decided to get lunch.

Earlier I had strolled by Pub 1900 - a very european feeing bar adjacent to a fancy hotel. I ate a vegetarian sandwich and drank a cappucino. Stuffed I decided to skip dinner, buy a bottle of wine, and relax back the hostal. Punta Arenas, Patagonia´s biggest city, wasn´t very pretty in my opinion - it was crowded, dirty, and cold. The wind blew street dust into your eyes.

I was ready to head back north to my favorite city in Chile - Puerto Varas.

The next morning, eager to sit down for, according to my guidebook, the best breakfast in town, but all I got was cold coffee and that christmas bread everyone in the states makes fun of - with green fruit in it. I was told to catch my transfer bus to the airport at 8, and it arrived at 845 - the time I was supposed to BE at the airport, which was 30 minutes away.

I turned some hair grey waiting in the long line, but made my flight, and was in the air headed to Puerto Varas at 10 a.m. I was pleasantly surprised by the airplane breakfast - a crepe filled with eggs, kiwi muffin, cup of fruit, bread and jam, juice and coffee...the best food I´ve had on the trip has been on planes. Go Figure.