A little over a month ago, I had my first Rotary Trip in Chile with the other exchange students in my District. We went to the Patagonia Region (Most southern part of Chile) for one of the best weeks in my entire life! It was the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life but more importantly I was with the best people in the world for the entire trip, which is what made it so unforgettable. It's hard to put everything into words but I will try my best:
The first day we all met up in Santiago at 3 AM and went to the airport. When we landed in Punta Arenas 3 hours later, and our day started immediately. It was freezing! Our hotel was right across the street from the beach, and the view was incredible. We went on a lot of tours of the town and to one of the world's most beautiful cemeteries. One morning we all rented bikes and rode around the town; this morning taught me an important lesson in the Europeans are amazing at navigating bikes on the rode and using signals. While my biking skills are anything but perfect, I ended up falling off my bike while trying navigate the difficult terrain of a playground for kids. I decided I should probably stick to walking. On the second day we went to Fuerte Bulnes, which is was full of history of how Punta Arenas originated. Fuerte Bulnes was built on a giant rock, so it was almost impossible for the original settlers to grow and harvest crops. It was so interesting to hear all about the history, and I have respect for the original settlers at the Fort because it was painfully cold! The views were breathtaking and the water went on for miles and miles.
The next day we drove on the bus a few more hours south to the very small town of Puerto Natales. We walked around and had lunch and from there we headed off to the "5th most beautiful place in the world". After a few hours, we arrived in Torres del Paine. Our hotel was on a very small island in Lake Pehoe, and the only way to get the Island was walking across a very small bridge. It was so beautiful. The island was surrounded by huge mountains and water so turquoise that you would have to see it to believe it. We stayed here for the last half of the trip. Our days were full of hiking and exploring the National Park. On one of the last days we woke up at 5 AM and went to Lago Grey. We took a boat around the water around mini glaciers which took us to the end of the lake where Glacier Grey started. It was incredible, and seriously reminded me how lucky I am to be here in Chile having this once in a life time experience. I cannot say how thankful I am for everything, everyone, and all of the experiences that have made up my exchange.
On the last day we went to the actually Torres Del Paine sight ( 3 giant stone mountain points connected) and to an observatory for penguins. But when we arrived we found out that a stray dog had gotten in the night before and ate 5 penguins and scared off the only 2 left. I was very disappointed, so thank you stray dog for being selfish and eating 5 penguins. After, we spent our last few hours in Punta Arenas and then headed back to the airport. This was the best week of my life and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with any other people in the world!
