Bye Bye Patagonia
From Torres del Paine on Day 502 of the Vagabond Adventure
For Life is a Journey Through the Wilderness
“I have never seen any part of the world that looks like this. The water, the land, the sky all around, as majestic as anything earthly could be. I struggled to hold it in my mind. I did not want to let the feeling go, though I knew I would and I knew my words could never do it all the remotest justice; no photograph or memory could possibly keep a grip on it. I realized in one stroke how happy I was to witness this, and how sad to know it would pass.”
Those words inspired me one evening aboard the Navimag Ferry that Cyndy and I took from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales in southern Chile. But they could have been said anywhere in the stunning Patagonian landscape we eventually explored. We counted 40 days and over 4200 miles wandering its steppes and mountains, fjords, and lakes south of latitude 39°S. They say here that below latitude 50°S there is no law. Below 40°S there is no God.
When Magellan sailed through this region, just over 500 years ago, he named the inhabitants Patagon. He claimed they were giants, nearly twice normal height. He wasn’t the first European to reach Patagonia, but can claim credit to being first to fully explore its Atlantic coast before crossing the strait bearing his name. Though those aboriginal people are all gone today, modern inhabitants welcome the Patagonian demonym. Now, recent research speculates that Magellan’s appellation may have been inspired from an interest in early 16th century Greek romance fiction.
What memories will endure the most? Navimag, certainly. Our hunt for Butch Cassidy’s Patagonian reboot. Puerto Natales, hiking to the Milodon Cave, source of the giant sloth that inspired Bruce Chatwin’s unconventional, yet famous travelogue (In Patagonia). Ushuaia, of course, for the anticipation of our great Antarctic expedition. And the winds, the winds… We’ll never shake those incredible memories!
Through it all, there has been time to reflect and appreciate this place. There isn’t a stop I wouldn’t recommend. There is a story at every destination. If you follow us on social media or PolarSteps, you’ve seen a few. But there is far more to explore in our Vagabond Gallery and Library. And there will be more to come as we expand to create our Vagabond Journal, because we are still on the move. Even after traveling nearly 100,000 miles, we have a very long way to go.
Do you have your own Patagonian stories to share? Leave your comment below, or on any of my Dispatches.
Finally, a belated (posthumous) birthday reflection for Bruce Chatwin (May 13, 1940), author of In Patagonia which remains some of this Vagabond’s favorite travel writing. In Patagonia is said, by biographer Nicholas Murray, to have revitalized the entire genre of travel writing. Chatwin passed in 1989, but his words remain true: “For life is a journey through the wilderness.”
As always, we are grateful for your support!
Hope to see you sometime, somewhere soon! In the meantime, crack on and check out some recommendations below!
Chip & Cyn
C-Squared
Three Great Vagabond-Adventure Reads
Inspired by our Patagonian adventure, here are three related reads…
Traveling is wonderful, but there are some places you simply can’t explore because time has left them behind. Luckily we have writers, adventurers and books. Over the years I’ve read a few. These are my 10 favorites. Each one changed the way I looked at the world. My guess is they’ll change your life too.
If you have a favorite travel book you’d like to add to our Vagabond list of classics, drop us a comment or send us an email and we’ll happily share them!