Shipwrecked!

We are now deep in Chilean Patagonia, close to Tierra del Fuego. We had a great time on the island of Chiloe, spending a week in the friendly hostal in Chonchi where we met loads of backpackers of all ages, many of whom were also planning to travel on the Navimag ferry to Puerto Natales, and some of whom had just returned from there, so we got lots of good info. It was great waking up every morning with a view of the bay, watching fishing boats and dolphins go by. A nice time.

The ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales was fantastic (even Matthias didn't hate it, despite the high cost of $355 each for three nights in a dorm room!) The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was fine, and the facilities were pretty good (fairly private beds, for a dorm situation.) We made a few friends there, hanging out mostly with Edurne from Pais Vasco, Spain. And, Matthias helped himself to at least two servings of every meal - gotta get one's money's worth! We also sailed right up to a glacier (pictures to come.)

Then, on the last night, after the corny but hilarious costume party and bingo in the pub, Edurne and I went out for some air and got a great look at a beautiful starry sky. Edurne was sad the boat trip was ending, and said she wished it would last longer. Just then, there was a brief blackout and smoke came up toward us. I thought it was just the wind changing as we turned about, but then we noticed trees VERY CLOSE - I mean, you could throw a rock and hit one. We had stopped in a small cove and Edurne asked the crew what was going on, to which they responded...we are just stopping to get water. (??) A few minutes later they announced that there was a problem with one of the engines and that they were working on it. Soon after (around 1AM) we went to bed. When we woke up the next morning, just before we were scheduled to disembark, we were still in the same place in the middle of nowhere! As it turned out, we were going to be delayed a day. Those with reservations or those who needed to go were picked up by catamaran, but we opted for the extra day, night and meals on the ship! It was a blast! And Edurne got her wish that she made upon a star!