My flight arrived into Punta Arenas at 5:30am. Puerto Natales is 150 miles and a 3 hour bus ride from Punta Arenas. I caught the 7am bus, which arrived 10am. The weather was cold and drizzling rain but I was tired of riding and decided to walk 10 blocks to Yagan House, (Guest House or Mini Hostel). The walk was not what I would call scenic, with the exception of the view overlooking the Ultima Esperanza Sound. I must have passed a dozen stray dogs on my walk from the bus station to the hotel.  Answers to all of your questions about Puerto Natales, including the stray dogs.

Yagan House, Piskol and Soul in Cusco and the few other small guest houses I stayed at, played a critical role for me in meeting other backpackers and travelers. Many of the people I met at Yagan House I ended up hiking, camping, sharing meals, and stories with at both Torres del Paine and later in Argentina. Yagan house is a converted cozy house that has 2-3 private rooms and 2 dorm rooms with 2 bunk beds in each room There are 4 shared bathrooms. The owner lives in the house with her 6 year old daughter.

Yagan House Kitchen

I booked a reservation in advance through Hostel.com for a single room, 1 night $21.0 and for 1 night upon returning from TDP. There is a common kitchen, dining area and living room and a a computer for guests to share. Guests can purchase food from the grocery store in town and prepare their meals in the common kitchen. A small refrigerator is stocked with wine, beer, soft drinks for guests to purchase on the honor system. Fresh baked brownies are on the kitchen counter and available for $300 CLP, chilean pesos = .50 cents ea.  I gave the owner all of my clothes to wash for $4,000 CLP = $6.50. My single private room was night 13,000 CLP = $21. They kept a bag for me in a locked area for 8 days while I was at TDP. After I checked in and gave the owner my laundry, I went to the grocery store and bought food for dinner and food for my backpacking trip to TDP the next day. When I returned to the guest house I unboxed and pre portioned all of my food for 5 days backpacking. (I only packed food for 5 days thinking that I could purchase meals or at the Refugeos during my 8-9 day trip). Afterwards I went up to my room and packed my backpack, then walked around town. When I returned, the house was full of guests from all over the world and by the time I went upstairs to bed I had talked almost all of them. I especially enjoyed meeting a couple in their early 30’s from Vermont, Tom and Cindy who quit their pressure packed career jobs one year earlier and began traveling the wold. They had been to Nepal earlier this year, where they did the Everest Base Camp trek.

Tom ad Cindy, world travelers

In the morning after breakfast, 6 of us walked together in the rain to the bus station where we would all catch the 8am  bus to TDP.  I was the only one hiking the Q but I would end up crossing paths with most of these people over the next 8 days. It was a cold rainy morning. On the walk to the bus station I spoke with Chris who was from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chris was in his mid 30’s and  grew up backpacking throughout the Southwest. including the Grand Canyon. He said he lived a very frugal, simple life, working various jobs throughout the year to pay for his backpacking trips all over the world. He had also backpacked in Nepal, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

While waiting in line to board the bus I spoke with Mariele, from Paris. She worked for French company  expanding into South America. So she was taking 2 weeks off to travel before doing an internship in Santiago. I would end up hiking with Mariele for 3 days later in my trek.

The bus ride makes 3 stops once inside the park entrance. My stop for the Q Circuit was the last, so I didn’t start hiking until 12 noon. It was a LONG morning!

Susan sleeping on the bus

On the bus ride I sat next to Susan from Chicago. This was her first backpacking trip. She had never slept in a tent or gone camping before! Susan also quit her job as a marketing VP for a large company three months earlier to travel trough out South America. She rented all of her equipment for the W Trek from the Erratic Rock Hostel in Puerto Natales. She also attended their free information and trekking seminar the evening before. I estimated Susan to be in her earl 30’s and about 5’2″ tall, weighing no more that 110 lbs. She needed help lifting her backpack off of the bus. As I lifted it and helped her put it on, I couldn’t believe how heavy it was. It MUST have weighed 40 lbs. Ouch! I took her picture with Mariele and wished her well as she took off in the rain.

Mariele and Susan

Chris and Mariele