January 30

First day journaling today. We had six beautiful days at the NOLS campo near Coyhaique. The views from the campo were incredible - rolling green hills with jagged snow-covered peaks in the background. The sun sets around ten pm so the days have been long and wonderful. One of my favorite moments thus far was going on a run with Kate and Matt on the dirt road across the valley. We followed the road for as long as we wanted to go, passing scattered campos. The sun was setting and illuminating the pristine surroundings.
I love my group so far. My fellow ladies are great: Liz, Devin, Kate, and Natalia. We are all different personalities but get along surprisingly well. Kate, Devin, and I have already done several nights of beautiful sunset yoga.
Last Friday we drove eight hours south, camping for the night in the small town of Cochrane. The drive was so beautiful. There is only one main dirt road that goes south in Chile, the Carreterra Austral. During the eight hours on the bus, we probably only saw a half dozen small campos. I'm beginning to understand the remoteness of this beautiful place. We made a lunch stop at the second largest lake in South America on the border of Chile and Argentina. The water was bright turquoise from glacial silt with towering mountains in the background. Again, pretty unreal. When we arrived at Cochrane, we said our farewells to the mountaineering group before they continued on towards the mountains in the bus. The next day we drove three more hours south to a tiny fishing town called Caleta Tortel. The town is made up of predominantly boardwalks and only in the past 5 years did the Carreterra Austral connect to Tortel. Before then, the town was completely isolated.
The past days we have been camping along the Rio Baker outside of Tortel. The wind and rain can be depressing at times but also weirdly fun. It is a constant battle to stay warm and dry. I'm learning that the key to survival is staying dry. We are launching tomorrow and I'm very excited. A little nervous because this is all so new to me but I'm looking forward to absorbing all the new skills and taking in the beautiful views.
The landscape here looks very similar to how I would imagine the Amazon or Central America - very wet and lush. If it wasn't for the giant glacier in front of me I would think that I was in a rainforest. The pace of life in Patagonia is slow and natural - I could definitely get used to this.
This transition has been harder than expected. My mind is restless at night, sending me into altered realities of being back home with friends and family. I would never wish to leave, I'm just wishing I could call my family and tell them everything I am seeing and experiencing. It is so strange to be completely disconnected.
The rain has returned so I'm heading inside the quincho. The sun was wonderful for the hour it showed its face. We are getting in the kayaks for the first time this afternoon - should be interesting.