If our two-plus days touring Torres Del Paine proved anything, it was the old saying that if you don’t like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes, and it will change. After alternately experiencing benign conditions for a morning hike on our first full day at the park, followed by howling winds for our afternoon “beach” walk (see prior post), we awoke the next day to cloudy skies and some rain. The mountains that had been clearly visible the prior day were largely obscured.

But our tour leader Carlos and local Chilean guide Jacqui had a plan for the next leg of our trip, which was a drive to Puerto Natales, a port city on the southern Pacific Coast. The skies cleared as we drove out of the park and we were able to enjoy a few more stunning views of the mountains and glaciers within it, highlighted by the above photo.

We also did a short hike to another glacial lake before setting off for our planned afternoon activity, a visit to a ranch for horseback riding and a lamb barbecue. Those of us who weren’t interested in riding (Pat and I were among the non-riders) got to take another short walk and best of all, sample the lamb while it was still on the spit.

We would tell anyone who says they don’t like lamb that you haven’t had Patagonian lamb barbecue. The meat has a much subtler, less gamey flavor than what is commonly found in North America. The only seasoning the Chileans use to prepare the lamb is salt. Nothing else, though the ranch’s barbecue chef did have a bottle of water with some garlic cloves at hand, which he used to douse the meat to keep it moist until being served.

The food was simple but delicious. We asked to taste some of the roasted skin, and it was like lamb bacon. Outstanding. Before dinner the staff put on a demonstration of how the gauchos use dogs to heard sheep and cattle, which was fun. The dogs respond to different whistles telling them which way to move the farm animals.

After that we drove about 30 minutes to Puerto Natales, a small port town on a Pacific fjord for an overnight stay. It reminded us of some of the small coastal towns we have previously seen in Norway. Another Patagonian town with gorgeous views. We had clear skies and could see the Paine mountains in the distance.

As is our M.O., we found our way to a local brewpub for a taste of a locally made pale ale. We also had a nice chat with the bartender at our hotel about the nuances of pisco, the spirit claimed by both Chile and Peru as their own.

Puerto Natales is not a large town but it is popular with tour operators as a stopover spot before heading to Punta Arenas, where we will board an expedition ship for a four day cruise through the Strait of Magellan and Cape Horn. We will be off the grid, with no internet access for the first time in years. That will be different!