The Chilean Pipeline

While in Chile with Chris and Lacey, we decided some surfing was definately in order. We went to the only surfshop in Vina del Mar, and they didn't rent boards but suggested we call a dude named Pato who rents them and gives lessons. So we got all hooked up to do some surfing the next day. We were a little concerned about getting cold cause the ocean was FREEZING!!

So we all load into Pato's awesome surf van and drive for about an hour down the coast. We passed lots of beautiful beaches with pretty good waves, but kept driving. Then we entered an industrial park... we look at each other... Pato stops the van, everybody out. The beach from here is covered in litter and there looks like the remains of an old metal boat washed up in the shallows. Pato assures us that we're not surfing right here, we have to walk for a bit to get to his secret spot.

We walk down the beach towards a huge pipeline that was part of the industrial plant. This is the spot. "The Spot" was right next to a pier supporting the pipeline, which had huge tanker ships at the end of it! There was steam coming off of the water... it was like a bathtub! And although I should have been appalled by the probably toxic hot water, it was the first time surfing that I haven't been totally freezing! And the waves were amazing, we all agreed it was one of our best surf days ever!

Then we found this huge dead squid on the beach! Yummmm...

So, I'm back in Vancouver now... still pretty out of it with some jet lag and culture shock. Sorry if I haven't gotten in touch with you, don't have a phone at the moment. But I will write more about readjusting to North America momentarily... like once that occurs. If it ever occurs...

Chao!

Kate

let me reminisce once more...

Sorry, I really am obsessed with Patagonia! Here are a few more examples why!! By the way, I did write a real blog entry, see below.

This crazy looking formation is called the Shark Fin and apparently it´s one of the "easier" places to start climbing. Gulp!

The next supermodel for Black Diamond (climbing equipment company)?

Maybe I have already found my dream job!

the final countdown...

Wow... only 3 days left of my epic voyage! I´ve been meaning to write, but the last couple weeks have been pretty busy with surfing (hillarious surf saga including photos to come!), drinking lots of vino and cerveza, biking around in Mendoza winery land, eating steaks, wandering around Buenos Aires, and watching crazy thunderstorms in Uruguay! Unfortunately my camera broke, hence the recent lack of photos. I took these with a disposable camera but luckily they turned out alright! The super sweet photo above is me with Mt FitzRoy in Patagonia... if I ever go missing, this would probably be a good place to start looking for me!!I´ve been having a great time, especially hanging out with Chris and Lacey again, a good segway to returning back to real life in Vancouver. Speaking of which, anyone have any job ideas/ openings for me??!! It´s hard to believe I´ve been gone for almost 6 months... in some respects it feels like yesterday, but in others... ie I´m pretty ready to have more than 3 tshirts and not have to repack my backpack everyday! I feel like I should be writting some deep insights into life and globalness and all that sorta stuff. I´ll let you know once that inspiration comes!!

But anyways... check back soon for my awesome Chile surfing story! And rest assured that I will not return emaciated or with an iron deficiency... thank you Argentinian bovines!

Chao! Kate

Patagonia part II

So I guess I should tell a little bit about those photos I posted. Been in Patagonia for 3 weeks now and I LOVE it! I seriously want to live here! Spent a week backpacking in Torres del Paine NP in Chile (where those pics are from), then another week hiking around El Chalten. That´s where Cerro Torre and Cerro FitzRoy are... pictures hopefully to come soon! The craziest, scariest, and most beautiful mountains I´ve ever seen! It´s even more impressive, because the Patagonian landscape is really flat and boring and kind of depressing to be honest, and then there is this range of insane peaks!

Right now I´m in Bariloche, in the Argentinian Lake District. This place is pretty touristy so I decided to get out and do a few more days of backpacking. The trail I chose ended up being 1500m climbing up loose skree slope, 1500m sliding down loose skree slope, 1500m climbing back up... etc. So, I now have 2 enormous water blisters on the bottoms of both of my big toes, which makes me walk kind of like I imagine penguins walk.

Last night where I camped ended up being the stomping grounds for some pack horses. I could hear them all night and I was a little afraid they were going to trip and fall on my tent and kill me. Luckily they did not. In the morning there were tons of hoof prints everywhere! To reward myself for some hard days of hiking, I just went out and had a Lomito, a sandwich that included: steak, eggs, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayonaise, and bacon! They sure do know how to eat down here!

Then I walked around town a bit, everyone and their dog is out on the street for Good Friday. The highlight was a chainsaw wood carving show, apparently this is related to Easter? Jesus was a carpenter? Not sure of the connection there. One guy was carving a shepherd, nice and Easter-ish. I didn´t really get the platypus the other guy was making though. Well, it´s art.

Tommorow I´m off to Santiago Chile to meet up with my two awesome Vancouver girls, Chris and Lacey, for my last 2 weeks. Sure to be good times ahead!

Chao!
Kate

PATAGONIA!!!

"...the real Dread Pirate Roberts has been retired for years and living like a king in Patagonia!"