Indeed it was. And it was an exceptionally fun day. But yes, with all the At Sea days and weather goings-on, this cruise has certainly seemed longer than just two ports. We are not complaining, mind you. Just noting.
Today was our last day in Chile. And thankfully the last day Rob can say…as the cold ocean breeze makes me shiver… “Wow, it sure is Chile here!”
Har har.
Today’s port was Punta Arenas, the largest city in the region at about 125,000 residents. Its name means “sandy point” which is largely appropriate. We spent pretty much the entire day on a tour. Our only solo activity was walking to a supermarket near the pier in search of my newest favorite condiment.
My latest addiction (since I can’t have banana chocolate truffles) is a chili-based vinegary hot sauce that has been served at both tour lunches. Today’s server was kind enough to let me sneak a peek of a bottle of “Aji Pebre.” She was all covert and looked over her shoulder as she let me take a picture because didn’t really want all the other tourists to know this local favorite was squeezed out of a bottle much like ketchup.
So yes, while other tourists were busy in the booze aisle of the supermarket snagging bottles of Chilean wine and Pisco, I was giddily snatching up two bottles of hot sauce. Mmmmm.
Today’s outing was officially billed as “Patagonia Estancia and City Drive” which forced me to learn two things right off the bat.
First, “Patagonia” is not just a brand of outdoor gear. It is also a region here at the bottom of South America that spans both Chile and Argentina. It isn’t a town or a state or a country; it’s more of an area like we might say “the Midwest.” Patagonia doesn’t get especially warm but it does get especially windy, making the brand name for hearty jackets and boots and such very appropriate.
Second, “estancia” is not just a brand name of industrial wine from California. It is also the Spanish word for “farm.” In today’s case, a sheep farm which was about 50 miles…25 paved, 25 gravel…outside of Punta Arenas.
We boarded our tour bus at about 8:30am and headed north of the Strait of Magellan into the country side. I’m normally not a big fan of arid landscape but the “pampa” (treeless grassland) was unexpectedly beautiful.
The landscape was very flat with occasional slow-rising hills. It vaguely of reminded me of the long flat plains of Arizona. The ground was green and yellow, and the plants were mostly low shrubs in browns and greys and sage. Watching the pampa pass from the bus window was hypnotic.
Rob also pointed out the clouds. They were so strange. Well, the clouds were actually very similar to those high, wavy, rolling clouds we see at home. What was so weird was these clouds were super low. So low I almost felt like I should duck my head. There was still lots of visibility; it was just that clouds that usually feel like they are miles up in the sky seemed like they were hundreds of feet above us instead.
I asked my Weather Geek hubby about this. He was mystified, too. His best guess is the crazy winds down here do things to clouds that we don’t see at home. Between that and seeing my shadow on the wrong side, it’s a bit disorienting down here.
My wonderment about the pampa and clouds and shadows was interrupted a few times by totally unexpected wildlife.
The first general excitement was when the bus stopped so we could all take pictures of some wild rheas. No, not the actress from “Cheers.” These were grey birds that looked a LOT like emus. They are cousins of those tasty critters although a bit smaller. The rheas were pecking around the pampa mostly oblivious to our cameras.
We also saw some black and white birds that we were assured were NOT penguins. And some black-necked swans that were portaging their young chicks on their backs.
Nobody else on the bus came suitably unglued like me, though, when the driver stopped to allow us photos of a small herd of grazing guanacos. GUANACOS!! OMG!!
These are the oft-forgotten cousins of llamas and alpacas. I had only seen photos of these adorable creatures and grouped them with vicunas as “exotic camelids I shall never see in the wild.” Well, the joke is on me! I saw them!! Munching wildly in the pampa of Patagonia! And I got photos! They even started walking towards me (ok, fine towards the bus) because they knew I was their people. I’m sure the alpaca stitched on my baseball hat helped them feel the kismet.
I really haven’t stopped smiling ever since. GUANACOS!!!!!
Ok, fine. Back to the tour.
We arrived at the estancia after about 90 minutes of travel on the highway, on a gravel road, and loading the tour bus on a small ferry to cross an inlet to an island. I don’t recall the tour being described as “off the beaten path” but it certainly was.
Much like the ranch in Puerto Montt, the estancia was owned and run by a large Chilean family. They sort of fell into offering tours after the patriarch’s business partner asked if he could bring some important associates from Santiago because they wanted to eat “real sheep” that was raised on the farm. The meal was such a success, the partner kept bringing urban guests the 1,900 miles for the authentic Patagonian culinary experience. Fifteen years later, the family is now catering to tourists sporting fanny packs, selfie-sticks, and cruise line tote bags. Ah, progress.
The farm and the family were absolutely delightful. I truly felt like I was a guest in their home. They were charming and accommodating and welcoming.
They showed us their father’s eclectic collection of farm tools. The son-in-law demonstrated how to shear a sheep the old-fashioned way using long scissors. The niece told us the sentimental story of the gorgeous small chapel on their property made entirely of logs that the father built for his daughter who had always dreamed of getting married on the estancia. And we all wanted to hug and snuggle with the purring 16-year-old puma that they rescued when she was orphaned as a baby (sadly she was behind a fence so all snuggles were virtual).
With hopes of being able to stomach eating the lamb lunch, I elected not to take the tour of the bar-b-que pit which looked to have sheep carcasses hanging about. Instead, I snagged a welcome glass of Pisco Sour (so totally a fan!) and made my way to our table whose legs were protected with sheep skin booties to avoid scratching the tile floor. I guess when you have so much fresh wool laying around, you start to get creative.
The lunch was very tasty – more Aji Pebre! – and the Chilean house wine was dangerously sippable. As I was standing in line to sample the lamb, the brother working the bar-b-que asked the lady in front of me if she wanted a piece of skin. He waved his tongs with charred sheep skin near the woman’s plate. I’m proud to say I did not act on my impulse to run screaming in vegetarian horror.
Instead, I asked for a very small piece of meat and ladled some more Aji Pebre on my plate just in case.
Although I couldn’t finish it – I just couldn’t get past the intense lamby, gamey flavor – I will say that it was the best lamb I didn’t like. I could tell it was very well prepared; it was moist and juicy and tender. And fresh. So very very fresh. Oy.
Most of us snoozed on the way back to the pier; some of us were still giddy about guanacos. Some of us still are.
GUANACOS!
Tomorrow is a big day. It is our first stop in Argentina. And my first day being 50. WHOO HOO!
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