A classic, In Patagonia. Almost 40 years after much may have changed, but the empty and inhospitable Patagonian landscape described by Chatwin remains. Fortunately.
I started this blog because – like Chatwin – I feel I got stories to tell. In 2006 I traveled to Patagonia for the first time. The trip was not planned for but sort of came my way. How could I have known that this first encounter with Patagonia would change my life. Now I don’t belief in coincidences, so somehow the universe must have conspired to make this happen. And to what extent!
From day one I felt there was something special about this place. I remember every day unraveled another highlight and around every corner awaited another spectacular view. And every year I came back. I climbed mountains to take in the expanse, the amazing skies, the silence and the overwhelming beauty of the landscape.
Since that first time I spent more than half of my time working, living and traveling in Patagonia. I roamed and explored remote parts of this immense region to experience the real Patagonia. I hiked, sailed, learned, drove and got lost. In the end lost my heart too, to a handsome Argentine at the end of the world, of all places. And even though sometimes love don’t last, my love for Patagonia is still very much alive. I have never been disappointed. I feel a deep connection to this land, its people, its nature. Patagonia never ceases to amaze me. I truly feel at home here, casted by her spell forever.
Long ago this land was under the sea, in other times it was green and fertile with dinosaurs roaming and today we see the remnants of the ice age, the receding glaciers in an endless, mostly dry steppe land. Patagonia offers a wild variety of natural highlights, including still magnificent glaciers, snow-capped volcanoes, icy blue lakes, ancient forests, huge mountain ranges and unique wildlife. And still this land got so much more on offer.
If you really want to get to know Patagonia, take the dusty gravel road and get lost in the solitude of the immense steppe, where there’s no humans, but you’ll find sheep, guanacos and rheas. Lay on your back watching the great ever-changing cloud formations and maybe a condor flying overhead. Visit a rural estancia and drink a mate with the gaucho. Sit with the elephant seals and watch their awkward manners. Admire the tiny flowers that grow on the harsh desert floor and be swept of your feet by the fierce Patagonian wind.
I wish to share my stories of travels in Patagonia. To document and record my experiences on and off the road in this amazing region. To pay right to thousands of photos, many of which I forgot I even had. To relive the memories, which are still very much alive in my head and my heart. I’d like to share these authentic experiences with those who see what I see, who feel what I feel, who share what I feel is the essence of traveling.… This is me. A Patagonia addict.