Ports, Passages and Prophecies
Lots of people travel between Argentina and Chile so we were surprised that the border crossing was little more than a hut at the end of a long dirt road. Our impression was that the bus driver was attempting to sneak us into the country! The idea seemed exciting but risky. Our destination was Puerto Natales, a small town created in 1911 to support the sheep industry. The main two buildings of interest are the simple yet pretty Cultural Centre and Maria Auxiliadora Church.
Puerto Natales is located on Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) Sound. The body of water got its name from an explorer who happened upon it after weeks of searching for the western entrance to the Strait of Magellan. Today it is a port of call for cruise ships. The Navimag freighter offers travelers a popular three day passage through the Chilean fjords to or from Puerto Montt. We'd considered the option but since the seas are often rough the schedules are uncertain and our time is too tight.
During the early days life centered around the meat packing plant. Tourism has raised the standard of living but the majority of people still appear to eke out a modest existence. Simple homes on small lots are huddled together in rows for protection from the strong winds. Most dwellings look well cared for but others are ramshackle and weather beaten.
The main reason to come to Puerto Natales is that it's the closest town to Torres del Paine National Park. Eateries, outdoor equipment stores and hostels abound. In Puerto Natales it's not a question of what you're seeing but what you're doing! This all comes at a price: Chile is the most expensive country in South America, and Puerto Natales is its most costly city.
Ferdinand Magellan organized the first trip to circumnavigate the globe. He was killed during a fight in the Philippines and the expedition had to be completed by Juan Elcano. While rounding the tip of South America they had observed "a giant dancing and leaping and singing". It was almost certainly a Tehuelche native who despite their size and strength were rather peaceful. The Spanish would later claim that they ran faster than horses, ate raw flesh, lived in tents and were incessant wanderers. Upon first seeing them Magellan supposedly shouted "Ha, Patagon!" meaning Big Foot and this is how the land got its name.
Alberto Maria de Agostini was a missionary who settled on Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), an island off the southern coast. He was also an explorer, mountaineer and photographer who was the first person to reach several Patagonian mountain peaks, glaciers and sounds. Agostini built a long and constructive relationship with the "Big Foot" Tehuelche.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for those who came after him. Farmers grew weary of the Ona on Tierra del Fuego rustling sheep and offered one pound sterling for every Indigenous ear. People were rounded up and put in missions where they died from disease. On Dawson Island, natives who were miserable in the mission became mutinous and refused to work. When they suddenly became compliant and tired it was discovered that to escape they'd been secretly building a canoe at night. The Fathers waited until it was just about complete then cut it in half while the builders were enjoying their Christmas dinner.
Puerto Natales has a life-sized statue of a 10,000 year-old Giant Ground Sloth. Just 24 kilometres away is Mylodon Cave National Monument. In 1895 pioneer Hermann Eberhard found a human skull and very large piece of fresh skin there. The prominent paleontologist Florentino Ameghino published a sensational paper saying that recent mylodon remains had been discovered. In London the Daily Express financed an expedition to look for the creature. Human and mylodon bones were indeed buried there. It was claimed the cave had been a corral in which early man domesticated mylodons and kept them for winter rations. It didn't prove to be true - the skin was likely from a sea mammal that had been carried to the cave.
Further south is the port city of Punta Arenas which began as a penal colony. We visited a museum which has exact replicas of four famous boats including Magellan's Victoria and the HMS Beagle which Charles Darwin was aboard when it explored this part of the world. We were amazed by the limited spaces for men, animals and cargo. The complexity of the rigging also caught our attention. We had the place mostly to ourselves and spent the time sailing the Seven Seas, dodging icebergs, discovering previously unknown species, outrunning a Spanish warship and rescuing some shipwrecked sailors.
I couldn't resist dipping my toes in the Strait of Magellan. There was a boat stranded on the beach and I imagined the journeys that have taken place in these seas which are among the most dangerous in the world. During the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (1897-1922) seventeen major expeditions were launched with limited resources and technology.
There was also a replica of the boat the James Caird that Ernest Shackleton relied on during the greatest feat of survival in maritime history. Nancy used to read the story to her students. Despite grave warnings, in 1914 Shackleton and twenty-six men set off with the goal of being the first to cross Antarctica on foot. As had been foretold, the Endurance got trapped in ice and sank ten months later. Fortunately, the crew had rescued supplies the night before. They lived on an ice float for the next five months before it was split by an iceberg. Three lifeboats made it to Elephant Island with all the crew. Far from any sea route, Shackleton took five men and set off again. The deck got covered in fifteen feet of ice; a huge wave caused by a hurricane nearly filled the boat. Miraculously, they covered the 1300 km to South Georgia Island. After walking thirty-six hours they reached a whaling station. It took four attempts and the help of the Chilean navy to rescue the rest of the men.
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