South America - Chile Torres del Paine, Cleopatra's 'Blue' Needles

I was very tired after so many days of traveling and trekking since the long journey crossing the Strait of Magellan.  Yet, a 6pm bus back from El Chalten and arrived El Calafate at 11pm, another 5am bus the next morning.  I felf a bit "zombie-nized" as I headed to bed.

The first thing to learn about anyone who works for the Chileano, they will always be earlier than stated. The bus came to pick me up first, 30 mins early, and then another 6 Argentinean. There we headed off to Nacional Parque Torres del Paine (Towers of Blue).

I most likely the first person among all my friends in Malaysia who came to know about Torres del Paine.  Everyone I talked to reacted - uh...where?

In 2004, my sister Evelyn bought me a book as a Christmas present, titled "The 50 Places You Must Go in Your Lifetime".  Torres del Paine is 26 on the list.  The day I read about the Tehuelche, the way they couldn't use a more appropriate word "Paine" to describe this place, I felt the journey. Well, not surprisingly "Paine" means "Blue". Due to the number of glaciers on the Patagonia Ice Field, the lakes and the rivers contain a rich amount of minerals.  On top, a type of algea grows in the lake making the water presents a different kind of Blue.  It can, especially, see in Lago Pehoe.

The trip to Torres del Paine was my second crossing to Chile, but first to visit. It was also my time to learn how expensive thing is in this country, everything.

As we crossed the border, it was drizzling with cold rain and a cloudy sky.  It was not a good day for photography.  But nothing can conceal the beauty of this Biosphere Reserve. As we entered the national park, the bus stop in front of the Laguna Amarga.  We were so joyous that I couldn't help but to join for my one and only one group photo.

with 6 sweet Argentinean "youth" and Los Cuernos (background)
Laguna Amarga, Torres del Paine
Chile, Apr 2010.

Our guide is a serious Chileano.  From here, he leaded us to a non-stop hours of trekking.  Even though he is a huge fellow with a beer belly, he walked really fast and all of us were having problem catching up and breathless.  After an hour of trekking, we arrived at the Mirador Cuernos and Nordenskjold. Los Cuernos and Paine Grande revealed themselves to show why these 3000M granite spires are globetrotter's Kubla Khan.

Los Cuernos - Torres del Paine, Chile Apr 2010.

Paine Grande - Torres del Paine, Chile Apr 2010.

Paine Medio - Torres del Paine, Chile Apr 2010.

Now, you probably have not imagined yet how big is this biosphere reserve under UNESCO, imagine now 181000 Hectares of forest and nature.  Many comes with admiration, but there were 3 incidents that trekkers burned down 150KM, 155KM and 128KM square of park respectively over the year in 1985, 2005 and recently in 2011.

So, if you love nature, please do not start another fire so that whoever due to come to trek the 250KM of tracks gets to enjoy the serenity here!