Sun 3/10. The bus delivered us to Punta Arenas about 8pm. It
was a pleasant evening for a long walk to our hostel downtown. We found it
without difficulty. It was characteristically large, old and unadorned, but the
staff were very friendly and helpful.
Mon 3/11. We enjoyed a slow, domestic morning before we
headed out to secure plans for the next phase of our adventure. Andrés, our
host at the hostel, gave us a lead on a Patagonian agency for a one-way car
rental to Puerto Montt, but it didn’t pan out: the one-way charges were higher
than the rental fees! We walked six km to the port and were delighted to
discover that seniors over 70—including extranjeros like us--get a 50%
discount. We booked a return from Puerto Williams—the southern-most town in the
world—for next Saturday, and struggled online to book an out-bound flight for
Tuesday, tomorrow.
We went back to the Free Trade Zone looking for freeze-dried
dinners but found none. We’ll have to eat ramen. By the time we were done, it
was too late to go to a Claro store to recharge the SIM for my phone—assuming
that that might be the source of my problem getting online. We also stopped by
the visitor center for information about the Carretera Austral.
Walking around town we were seeing and remembering places
from our prior visit eight years ago. We learned to use the bus, though on our
first ride we got off 1.5km short of downtown and our third ride detoured a
long way through neighborhoods before arriving near—not in—the centro.
Tue 3/12. Up early. Taxi to the airport. Plane was delayed
for maintenance. Flight was only 40 minutes. The view from our window was
mostly the wing and turbine, very little of the Beagle Channel. The Puerto
Williams airport doesn’t have a real terminal: they unload the bags directly on
the ground at the head of the short walkway to the road. Good thing it wasn’t
raining! There was a shuttle for 5000 pesos to take everyone to their hotels,
or in our case just dropping us downtown. We had a bit of a wait, but he got us
all in. We were last, standing room only. We walked all over town looking for
camping gas and groceries. Most places were closed for lunch hour. We finally
found both, plus the Carabinero office for our backcountry permit for hiking the Los Dientes circuit.
We headed out about 3pm. It was a 3km walk to the end of the
road where the trail starts. The route was longer and steeper and we were
slower than expected. We got to Cerro Bandera about 5pm. Past that it was
exposed and getting very windy. We found a small lake and decided to camp
there: we were getting too cold and the trail conditions to the next campable
site was uncertain. We set up the tent, cooked soup and ramen with soy protein,
and went to bed about 9pm. We ate protein bars and slept with all our clothes
on. It was hours before our toes were warm. The wind was blowing hard, with
gusts up to 40 knots, so the tent was shaking and pushing against me.
Wed 3/13. The wind calmed down and it dawned sunny. We
stayed in the tent until the sun was on it and it got warm, about 8:30. Simple
breakfast. Started hiking a little before 10. We warmed up enough to take off
some layers. We were traversing a long, shale slope with gorgeous views of the
Beagle Channel behind us, the Dientes mountains in front of us, and several
lakes surrounded with scrubby alpine trees below us on the right. The trail was
not easy: it reminded us of the Goat Trail in Alaska. We are hiking in running
shoes, not as good as real hiking boots for these conditions. It took us
another two hours to reach the mirador and the lake. Glad we hadn’t tried it
last night! We decided to camp two nights here so we can just hike all the way
out in one day (Friday). Also we didn’t want to carry the packs up to the next
pass.
We spent the afternoon hiking around our lake, scouting a
way down to the next lower lake, and hiking around that. There was lots of
evidence of beavers, though we didn’t see them. We saw their lodge, their dam
and lots and lots of cut down trees. Old, not fresh. We saw a few other hikers—three
at a distance and one near the mirador and we chatted. He runs a guiding
business and was scouting for some new hiking tours. Terry’s company was named
Terra Adventures or something like that. He is based in Viña del Mar, but grew
up in northern Patagonia.
It amazed us how warm it was in the sun with no wind, how
cold when a cloud came over and some wind, and how fast it changes back and
forth. We decided that when we hike out on Friday we will take the “trail” from
the lower lake, not return on the high trail that we came on. We were not
interested in climbing back up the loose shale to the traverse.
Had soup. A sprinkle of rain motivated us to set up the tarp
over our tent. More ramen for supper and early to bed.
Thurs 3/14. Waiting for the sun to hit our tent, but it
never did. High overcast. Got up about 9, hit the trail a little after 10. The
trail up to the first pass was steep and watery. Hard. We were glad not to have
full packs. There was a campsite in the first cirque with a substantial rock
wind block—several actually—and one guy camped. The second pass was the high
divide between the Dientes and the next mountain. Descent, then traverse a
steep rocky slope with a lake below. We came out to a lower pass and a series
of lakes. We hiked down to the lower lake and circumnavigated it. Lots of beaver activity. Wind coming up and
getting colder. Turned around about 1:30. I was a bit worried about severe wind
and cold at the high pass, but it turned out okay. There was a bit of tiny snow
crystals in the air.
The rocks are amazing. Lots of layers, lots of colors, some
like marble. Looking up at the pyramid mountain the face was gorgeous.
Sometimes the trail is hard to follow and the cairns and paint blazes are hard
to find, but never get too far off because the terrain where the trail is going
is pretty obvious. Back to the tent about 5pm. Soup, reading, ramen, then
nighty nite.
Fri 3/15. It snowed overnight. At least the air was still,
so not unbearable cold. Stayed in the tent until almost 10, hoping the sun
would warm it up, but no deal: the overcast was too thick. We managed to pack
up, shake off the snow, get wet gloves and cold fingers, but on our way. The
slope down to the lower lake was even more slippery than before. We picked up
the trail markers, but lost them again and had to bush whack around a bit to
find a large muskeg meadow with a clear and marked trail. No more snow but lots
of mud. The trail followed the stream down through the wood back to the
trailhead at the end of the road. Looked at the signage and wished it had more
information about the trails.
Booked an Airbnb. Walked into town. Went to the carabinero
to check out. No confirmation yet on the Airbnb. Looked for a restaurant.
Mostly closed. Finally found a Columbian one just about to open at the town
center. Had pisco Calafate, papas fritas, and a really excellent and big cheese
empanada. Still no confirmation. Walked to the place on the Google map, the
approximate location of the Airbnb, and walked around asking the neighbors
where Alban lived. They directed us. We rang the bell. Alban and her husband
answered, confirmed they had a room, then on her phone confirmed the Airbnb
reservation. All good. Took showers, washed the mud off our pantlegs, put our
shoes and socks on the drying rack by the stove. Made love and rested. Went out
for a take-out pizza. While waiting for it we went back to the Columbian place
next door for a glass of wine. Back “home” to eat. Bed at 10pm.
Sat 3/16. Alba prepared a nice breakfast and told us her
story. Her parents were communists. She finished her degree in social work two
days before the Pinochet coup shut down the social sciences department at the
university and took all the students and faculty away into mass detention. Most
of them were tortured and killed and never seen again. Her parents were
arrested an imprisoned. She married an a-political young man whose brothers
were carabineros. His family took her in. That association provided some
protection for her. She was never investigated.
We left our packs and walked
into town. Sra. Teresa at a local package store solved my problem recharging my
Claro SIM. We bought some souvenirs. We walked to the tiny yacht club. Back to
the Yangun museum which was closed, but got to admire the whale bones. Went
grocery shopping—three stores to find the things we wanted. Looked for
empanadas. The panaderias had none—in fact, not much of anything. Bought
muffins, fresh and hot, and some of the round flat breads that are common here.
Went to the Columbian restaurant for the third time looking for empanadas
vegetales, but they had none. Interesting conversation with a French geologist
on his way to do tectonic fieldwork near Cape Horn, by Zodiac. Back home to get
our packs and walked to the ferry dock. On the way passed a dry marina. Struck
up a conversation with a young Swiss couple with a new 2012 sailboat: Ovni 365
with a beautiful aluminum hull. They sailed last year through the Northwest
Passage, around Alaska, then down to Tahiti. They met an older couple on the
same transit who decided to sell them their boat. They reconnected in Puerto
Montt for the transaction. They will sail to Alaska next year, then return to
Tahiti.
Now we are on the ferry transiting up the Beagle Channel.
The young people sitting behind us just did the Dientes circuit in three days.
They also came to Puerto Williams from Ushuaia on the S/V Austral—the one we
passed up. The girls are Claire and Cleo. Both do ecology studies for the
National Park Service. Clair has worked a couple times in Alaska, in Gates of
the Arctic (this summer?) and Lake Clark. She’ll be doing field work on the
Noatak this summer. (The things these young people are doing with aplomb make
me feel old.)
Sun 3/17. The ferry, Transbordadora Austral Broom, is small,
with an open vehicle deck on the port side, a two-story passenger area with
reclining seats, and an upper open viewing deck all on the starboard side. The
semi-cama seats are the most comfortable yet for sleeping. We were pleasantly
surprised to discover that meals are included. Nothing to write home about, but
better than the provisions in our bag. The 30-hour transit is spectacular:
endless islands, fjiords, rounded hills with a mix of glacier-scoured bedrock
and green, low vegetation, and beyond that an assortment of jagged,
snow-covered peaks. The area of glaciers we passed at night so I did not get to
see them. It was dark and stormy the first half of the night and not conducive
to being outdoors or seeing much of anything. Today is a constant mix of dark
clouds, cotton clouds, patches of sun, some hail, light winds, strong winds,
calm seas, and high seas frosting with spray. The waves crashing on the reefs
send up explosions of brilliant white spray. We passed only one sign of humans:
the ferry made a quick stop at a road-end with no buildings to unload a
forklift of building materials and load a cargo truck. Lots of light beacons
with no visible light, and a Navy ship and Zodiac apparently trying to land on
a rock to repair that light. We have met more interesting people on board. The
latest are a couple from Barcelona, Guillermo and Marina, who are travelers,
trekkers, and wanna-be sailors. Mike invited them to come sail with us in
Alaska.
Arrived at Punta Arenas about 11pm. Started walking, looking
for a taxi. Then several passed us heading to the port. We called a taxi and
waited in front of the Toyota dealership. Checked into our hostel.
Mon 3/18. Spent the day catching up on email and researching
our next moves. Too many choices and not enough information. The tourist office
was totally useless. We finally decided on a TABSA ferry from Puerto Natales to
Yungay, the start of the Carretera Austral (Highway 7). Took the bus out to
TABSA to buy the tickets, a bit of shopping at the Zona Franca, and use the
WiFi. We originally reserved two nights in Puerto Natales thinking the ferry
leaves at 5am, but learned we need to board the night before, so had to cancel
the second night. A bit of souvenir shopping. We’d had salad for lunch and
bought a loaf of onion bread. For dinner we cooked soup and ate the last of our
cheese. PS: also bought Bus Sur tickets to Puerto Natales. Finally found an
open Claro office to resolve my problem with internet.
Tue 3/19. 11am bus to Puerto Natales. Walked to our Airbnb
hosted by Liber. It had a giant king bed, and super comfortable too!. Private
bath and good light. More internet research on our route north. Went to TABSA
office to ask for our senior discount—not available on this route. Did laundry.
Salad and dessert for lunch. Some tourist shopping and the best ever dinner:
salmon ceviche, pasta putanesca and pisco sour.
Wed 3/20. Leisurely morning. Went to TABSA office to ask
about busses. They advised us to disembark at Tortel, not Yungay, to catch the
bus the next day. Grocery shopping and the history museum, then home for lunch:
more soup and bread and cheese. Went to Etnia where Mike had bought his
favorite hat last time we were here, but found nothing. Went to a panaderia and
more tourist shopping. Dinner back at our dessert place, this time Greek salad
and veggie calzone. Went to a bar for another pisco sour to pass the time
before picking up our packs and checking in with TABSA. Slept on board. Our
seats were interior, not window, but we diligently watched until everyone was
on board then switched to the last available window seat.
Thu 3/21. Fall equinox. While not as spectacular as the journey from Puerto
Williams, the landscape of fjords, ringed with scoured bedrock and mature green
scrub, with snowy peaks behind, and lots and lots of waterfalls. The ferry is
pretty much the same but the passengers are quite different: far fewer
international backpackers and more middle-aged Chileans. Fewer cargo truck and
more passenger cars and vans. Some pet dogs too. And the kitchen area is even
smaller. 
Fri 3/22-Sat 3/23.
Continued the passage. Met a USA woman with a Peruvian fiancé. Played cards and
talked and talked and talked. Enjoyed ach others company. They have a car so
are disembarking at Puerto Yungay. All the backpackers got off at 3:30 am in
Caleta Tortel. Most of us slept in a shelter at the ferry dock. Two by two, we
went our own ways in the morning.
Reliable information about the bus to
Cochrane was hard to come by and very mixed. We ended up getting a ride with a
Dutch couple who had gotten off in Yungay, but drove to Tortel looking for
coffee. Never found it: everything was closed. The town is all stairs and
boardwalks. Scenic, but a long slog with packs to the parking area for busses
and cars. The ride in the camper rig/RV they had rented was marvelous, but we
had to keep wiping the fog off the windows to see anything. They let us out in
Cochrane. We walked to the bus terminal, which was closed till 4pm. We ate
lunch on the bench, browed the info at the terminal, learned that two busses a
day go to Cochrane, at 7:30 and 8:00 am. So we are stuck spending the night in
Cochrane.
We walked around until 4:00 and came back to buy our tickets, then
sat and used their WiFi till the terminal closed at 7:30. We recognized some of
the backpackers from the boat and Tortel who finally arrived on the bus. They
looked wet and tired. We went out for dinner. Found only one open option, a
pub/restaurant. We ordered two glasses of red wine, a veggie burger and a
salmon dinner. Nothing very special, but it was still expensive. Went back to
the bus terminal and slept in a covered area outside.
Sun 3/24. Early bus to Coyhaique. Mike had slept very poorly
and was very tired, so he mostly slept on the bus. It was hard to see out the
fogged windows, but the landscape was changing. The road was still dirt until
almost Coyhaique. Got more and more bucolic/rural and developed with
agriculture, cattle and sheep. Also some real forests with big trees and some
pine forests. Several huge lakes and big rivers. Some snowy peaks beyond. Stops
in Rio Tranquillo and Cerro Castille.
Arrived about 2:45. Pretty nice town. Walked to the Airbnb, then went
out looking for cars to rent. Everything was closed (Sunday). Found a couple
outdoor shops in case we decide to buy another pad. Came back for showers and
love making. Felt great! Cooked pasta and broccoli for dinner.
Mon 3/25. No breakfast provided in the “bed and breakfast.”
We cooked oats and hard boiled some of their eggs. Went out to find a car
rental. Checked with half a dozen companies, then decided on RecaSur—the same
company we had been referred to in Punta Arenas. They were closed midday, so we
went shopping for food and a new waffle style camp pad and had lunch. Picked up
the car then fetched our packs from the BnB and were off! Actually, we stopped
by the bus station too for information about buses to Chaiten. Left about 3:45
and drove to Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo. Picked up a trail map from the
visitor center and drove down the road to check out the trailhead. Well,
almost. It was a dirt road with a hill too steep without 4-wheel drive. So we
figured we’d have to walk the last 1km. We camped by the river near the bridge
across from the village. Very pleasant spot on a warm evening.
Tues 3/26. Up at 9. Actually, I had been awake for an hour,
and finally decided it was time to rouse Mike. He’s been trying to sleep ten
hours to more per night. Baby gruel for breakfast and hot chocolate and a
hard-boiled egg. Walked to the trailhead where we were charged $16 each to
enter the park across private property. A two hour hike up through the woods over
cow fences, up to alpine to a park ranger guard station where our permits were
checked again and our names recorded. Then up to the mirador, the lagoon,
hanging glacier, and the dramatic Cerro Castillo. The rules are we have to head
down by 4pm, which left us a couple hours to explore. We followed the trail
down the boulder slope, across the stream, and down valley to ever more
spectacular alpine and glacial terrain. Some fall color too. Back to the
mirador just at 4, in time to meet the young rangers who were carrying a sign
saying its 4:00 and time to leave. Our knees were getting tired on the way
down. We used poles and I took Ibuprofen. Checked out the showers at the
bottom, but they were not operational. Started to walk the road back to our
car, but a pickup offered us a ride. Yes! Dinner and camping in the same spot
by the river.
Wed 3/27. Decided to skip Rio Tranquillo and drive north to
the parks near Chaitén. Stopped in Coyaique to buy to buy bus tickets, yogurt,
wine, another pad for the car, camping gas, and a FABULOUS salmon poke lunch.
The drive was gorgeous! Down a lush valley with tall sheer cliffs on the sides,
down almost to the Port Chacabuco, then up a side valley to a high pass, and
down a very step, windy, dirt road (highway!) to follow another river out to
the fjord Canal Puyu Huapí. We stopped in the Parque NationalQueulat, but we
were discouraged by the $11 per person entrance fee for a piddling 3.3km hike
to see a glacier. We also had sore knees and thighs from the hike yesterday. So
we continued on. Stopped at the visitor center in Puyahuapi to get more
information about hikes, kayaks and hot springs, but decided to drive on.
We have really been enjoying the vistas from the car—so much
better than the bus—and the freedom to stop anywhere, go anywhere, sleep
anywhere. (If only our car bed was more comfortable.)
It was starting to get dark, so we looked on I-overlander
and found a place to stop near a bridge and creek. Lentils for dinner and
left-over poke.
Thu 3/28. Another fine morning. It is getting steadily
warmer as we go to lower latitudes, and less windy too. The forest is getting
more lush, tropical almost, with giant ferns and bamboo. We stopped to hike a
glacier view trail in the southern Amarillo section of the Parque Nacionale
Pumalin, founded and donated by Doug Thompkins. We signed in at the guard
station. The road she directed us to was barricaded, so we drove up to the
Termal road, past the hot springs baths which have been closed since a landslide,
and up to the end of the road about 24km. Beautiful valley with small scale
lumber operations and small homesteads with goats and cows. Back to the guard
station. She told us to just move the barricade and replace it. So we did.
We picked up a walker on his way and our way to the
trailhead. Drove to the Camping Grande where the road was closed and the trails
began. On the mis-advice of people in the parking lot, we walked down the wrong
trail. Our Belgian friend Agustin walked back saying his GPS showed it was the
wrong trail, so we backtracked to the parking lot and walked up the closed road
to the real trailhead. Thinking it was an easy trail, we didn’t take our poles.
It was harder than expected: steep with log stairs. I (we?) was dragging well
before we got to the first mirador. We stopped for lunch. Turned out the “real”
mirador with the glacier view was only 50 feet farther. We saw three condors
flying overhead. Mike and I hung at the 2nd mirador waiting for Agustin, who
didn’t arrive. Getting cold, we decided to go back and tell him we were going
on—it was a loop trail. He had gotten waylaid eating a second sandwich and
talking with some newly arrived Europeans. Turned out the trail down joined
another section of road, so we walked mostly down the road. Augustin is fast
and caught up with us. We drove him to his hostel in Chaltén.
We liked it a booked reservations for our bus
connection next week.
Then we went and bought our bus tickets. Walked on the
beach. Drove past the ferry terminal to a gravel lot for the night. Ate the
best sopa de mariscos ever, at Resturante Flamenco. Also enjoyed the rolls and
pisco sour.
Fri 3/29. We saw lots of dolphins near our beach. Yogurt for
breakfast. Headed out to hike the volcano trail. It was cloudy enough that we
didn’t know whether we would see it, but wanted the hike anyway. Once again, we
expected it to be a moderate trail and left our poles, but then wished we had
them. The trail was in poor repair, wet and steep with broken log steps. Up in
an hour. Sure enough, no view, but the sun was working hard to clear out the
mist. Finally, we got a stupendous view of the still steaming volcano. It had
erupted in 2008. The blast had broken and killed all the trees, so there were
lots of bare, standing large trunks. It had also melted the glacier and sent a
major flood don the river to the town. Lots of photos of the devastation. The forest on the way down was subtropical, very different than southern Patagonia or any place I’ve ever seen.
Augustin showed up at the
summit, took pictures, and hurried back down for a 1pm phone conference. Going
down without poles was less traumatic than I expected. Down in half an hour.
Drove back to Chaitén and had lunch in the benches at the waterfront promenade.
Then continued to drive, heading to Futuleufu, famous for world-class white
water rafting. It had started to rain hard, and we were hoping to escape the
rain. It was another scenic drove up a valley with sheer cliffs on the sides
and green pasture in the bottom. It was gentler by the time we reached the
town. We picked up a hitchhiker, a local woman returning from a hike. Then we
looked for a café for a cup of tea and a pastry. The one we found was very
slow: one worker and a number of customers. Stopped at the visitor center, but
he had no information on road conditions in Argentina or elsewhere. Good thing
I speak Spanish: fewer than hald of the tourist information staff speak
English. Anyway, we decided to continue east toward the Argentine border to see
new territory and get out of the rain. But it turned out we couldn’t get across
the border without a factura from the car rental agency. So we drove back dowb
to Highway 7. It was well after dark by the time we got down, but we had no
trouble finding on I-Overlander a viewpoint parking pad, next to the road,
above the river, but quiet overnight. Not enough water to cook, so we ate
salad, crackers and cheese, hard boiled eggs, and red wine and chocolate for
dessert. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear. Beautiful views of the
Milky Way, Orion and the Southern Cross.
Sat 3/30. No breakfast. Drove to La Junta to fill up on gas.
Had tea and chocolate croissants there. Didn’t find a panaderia, but did find
some good looking cheese and a tomato at a supermercado. Drove on through
intermittent rain showers to Puyuhuapi. Found a great panaderia and bought a
loaf of roasted garlic bread. Called the hot springs resort Terma Ventisquero (“Snowdrift”).
No answer, but they called back and made a reservation for 2pm. We walked
around and found a major community festival at the city gymnasium, with food
stalls, a kitchen contest, a DJ and a little live music. Time for the hot
springs. CP15,000 each. Three outdoor pools. Conversed with a Brazilian woman
living in Australia and a Spanish woman from Catalonia. Got hot enough to dunk
in the cold saltwater fjord. Even Mike went in twice. Finished with a shower
and hair wash and clean clothes. Felt really good. It was mostly sunny while we
were there.
Back to town for our sardine sandwiches, back to the gym for
dessert, then walked around town. Moved the car to a spot by the dock at the
end of town. A popular spot for people to come enjoy the evening light. Noted
that I never felt like hiking today even though local trails are available.
Sun 3/31. It was a bad night. There were partiers nearby
with their music until 8am, and a couple vehicles with lights came and went.
Plus my hips were bothering me in the hard bed so I never got comfortable and
kept changing my position. Baby gruel for breakfast and then hit the road.
Short stop in town to use the public toilets.
It was a beautiful day, though it
never got warm. We enjoyed the scenery. Never found a trail to hike, but drove
a few side roads just to explore and ended up on a long backcountry route to
Coyhaique. Some pavement, but mostly gravel. The eastern side of the divide was
noticeably drier an less green, but the mountains—the highest ones dusted with
new snow—were unceasingly gorgeous. Enjoyed the flat green bottoms filled with
animals an pasture too. Ended up back in Coyhaique. Found a trail for tomorrow
morning—if its not too rainy—and sleeping on the dirt street near the
trailhead, across from a play area, and with four cows wandering around eating
paper garbage.
Mon 4/1. April fools! We weren’t at the trailhead, but on a
street with the same name! Turns out the trailhead for Cerro Fraile is on the
back side of the cerro, 45 minutes south of town. Mike found an alternative on
maps.me, but that was a dud too: private property and new construction closed
the trail. I found an option at the river on the north side of town so we went
there. Not much of a hike. It was a picnic area with a social trail up river,
and another trail down river. We explored both. The most interesting sight was
a huge Kingfisher, and three large birds we couldn’t identify. No rain anyway.
We packed up our gear, dropped our packs at the Airbnb, and returned the rental
car. We celebrated with pisco sours at Tropero restaurant—the same place I’d
bought the great poke a week ago. Shopping for tomorrow’s bus trip and back to
the Airbnb. They have a new baby that cries so we are hanging out in our room
using WiFi.
Tue 4/2. Bus from Coyhaique to Chaitén. Rained hard off and
on all day. The bus windows were fogged so not much scenery., and we were on
the right side of the bus with a post in the window, so not much to look at.
And it was all road we’d seen before. Checked in to the hostel. Power was out
city-wide, so we got out our headlamps. Chilled for an hour. Dinner at Flamenco
with Swiss friends from the boat and bus and a French guy. The restaurant had a
generator which they used until city power came back on.
Wed 4/3. Bus from Chaitén to Puerto Montt, with three ferry
crossings. Rained off and on all day. We are not as impressed with the scenery
in northern Patagonia as further south. The hills are lower, less fjord-like
cliffs, and more dense tree cover. Arrived 9:30pm. Once again, Google
misinformed us as to the location of the bus terminal: actually, the bus
company had some facility near the hostel we had reservations for, but the stop
where we got off was the city bus terminal down on the waterfront. It was late
and it was raining, so we took a taxi. The hostel was more expensive than we
like, and bigger with an extensive motel section. Good breakfast though.
