We last wrote from Puerto Aysen. It’s ironic that Terry, my sister-in-law, had made a comment on our last post about a salmon on sale in Massachusetts being labeled Patagonian Salmon. The irony is that when we read the comment, we had no idea that Puerto Aysen is actually the salmon capital of South America. From here, the fish is indeed shipped all over the world.
From Puerto Aysen it was a beautiful, if grueling ride further south to the tiny town of Puerto Tranquilo.
I had used the word grueling, because for most of the way, the Carretera Austral was unpaved and rough. The occasional truck left trails of dust, and the road being exceptionally curvy and arduous made it all but impossible to pass. The place, however, is surely a tranquil hamlet (pop. 504). That is in winter. But when summertime arrives, hundreds of tourists from the world over arrive here to see the magnificent icons that are the Marble Caves.
While the caves are not exactly made of marble (they are made of Limestone), these natural formations deserve to be more well-known. They were formed over 300,000 years ago on islands in Lake General Carrera, the largest in Chile. It takes a boat journey of some 80 kilometers, and the wind and the cold are a bear, but once you see them, you know it was well worth the discomfort. Now I will bore you with too many pictures, but from a photographic point-of-view, it is hard to find an equal.
Last night we arrived quite late. Consequently, we could not find any suitable lodging. We ended
up renting a small single room with a small bed. There was no other choice and we had to make do. Since we decided to spend an additional night here, this morning we found a more suitable place and we are so happy. It is large, modern, clean, and there is a million-dollar view from our very large window.
We hope you have enjoyed our photos, let us know.
Have a wonderful night.
Beautiful places, I'm very glad you're having a blast and sharing your marvelous experiences.