Yoga in Patagonia

Traveling – it leaves you speechless,
then turns you into a storyteller.”

– Ibn Battuta

"...el hielo hizo ciudades elevadas sobre una aguja de cristal..."

"...the ice raised cities resting on crystal needles..."

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
Chilean Poet

EPIC.  I realize this is a word that has been overused to describe experiences, but truly, my recent trip to South America  was an EPIC adventure.

Shortly after Christmas, I packed my bags and headed on a jet plane bound for Buenos Aires.  Naturally, I would watch Evita on the plane  to brush up on my Argentine history of the era of Peron (who am I kidding...it was really to brush up on my musicals and soak in the chemistry of Antonio Banderas and Madonna).  Arriving in BA,  I met up with 4 friends and our adventure began.  In the "Paris" of South America, we spent four days, including New Years' Eve, seeing the sights of Bueno Aires, and experiencing a traditional Argentine 'asado' . We shopped at local markets, bought some great wine and were treated to a traditional BBQ, Argentine style.  We learned a lot about the history of Argentina, the people, the politics and the customs.  Frank, our asado host, made a heroic attempt to disguise the blood sausage in a form of bruschetta.  Hesitantly, I tried it but was not fooled. (Little did we know that blood sausage would appear several times in our journey, all of which we offloaded onto the Brits in our group!)

Can you find the blood sausage in this grill???

  Hint:  it is almost black!

With our bellies full and Evita tunes well rehearsed, we jumped on plane to the end of the Earth to the southern most point of Argentina in the small town of Ushuaia,   Here we began our 23 day tour with 23 people on a Dragoman Overlander trip.  Our excitement was palpable.  Ushuaia,  the last stop before Antartica boasts expansive and marvellous landscapes...and a much cooler temperature.

Orientation was at 6 pm, whereby we met our travel mates.  People from Northern Ireland, Ireland, England, Australia, Germany, Holland, Norway, Switzerland, France, and Canada.  Our guides were from Holland and fluent in English and Spanish.  As I scanned the group, I couldn't help but wonder WHO  each of these adventurers were, and what motivated them to sign up for this adventure.  I was certain that in 23 days in close quarters, my curiosity would be satiated. 

The next morning would set the tone for the entire trip.  Neill, our guide who happens to be an ex marine was well versed in herding cats: it requires discipline, precision and punctuality.  Instructions for departure and protocols were clear, concise and not to be deviated.  Early mornings would be the norm.  While I am well versed to early morning starts, my usual morning yoga set and meditation would need to be reconsidered and modified.  My commitment to myself was to at least do something each morning.  Just one of the many compromises we would be exposed to during our adventure.  


I can't help but think that this was part of a grand social experiment to invite 23 people together from all over the world, haul them on a truck (it's not a bus), for hours at a time, have them cook meals with questionable ingredients, set up tents in gale force winds, share tents or bunkbed dorm rooms,  climb gruelling hikes for 10+ hours and co-exist with each other. The art and science of connection between people continues to intrigue me. When strangers first meet each other, there are the initial introductions whereby we expose our presentation face, a lovely smile, and a glimmering of the essence of who we are.  A few days into a trip, emotions arise and frustrations surface, in a contained way.  As relationships build and if we are lucky enough, we engage in deeper dialogue where the soul emerges and the truer self shines through, the real emotions, the real struggles, the real concerns, our beliefs, our values.  I pondered a few times on this:  What are the conditions required to dive into the core of who we are?  Trust? Vulnerability?   Courage?  intimacy?  Curiosity?  

"It's not a bus!”

Our itinerary was full and well organized.  Each day brought a new adventure, a new place, a new sleeping arrangement, a new vista, a new issue to solve including:  blisters to manage, good coffee places to source, toilets that worked or just places alongside the road to duck in to, proper layers to wear, tents to set up, meals to assemble with creative ingredients, card games to learn...everyday was new learning, deeper connection and soulful conversations.  

We learned a lot about each other on the truck (it's not a bus!), during the hikes, making meals, doing dishes and helping each other out.  We were a big team with a common goal, a common quest and very diverse personalities. 

Glaciers were part of our everyday in Patagonia.  Our first stop for immersion into awe, was the Perito Moreno Glacier. Just being there alongside this  large dynamic sheet of ice and snow,  smelling the scents of hearty flora  feeling the cool air, seeing the brilliant hues of blue, black and white against a picturesque mountain range, watching the icebergs flowing by was more than surreal. The place was busy with tourists but I managed to find a moment to just be in stillness amidst this magestic force of nature.

Just when we thought we'd seen the most spectacular view on Earth, we made our way North along the spine of the Andes for our next adventure.   Our first big hike was the W Trek in the heart of Patagonia in Torres del Paine National Park.  We hiked the trek from West to East, ending with the grande finale of the towers.  While many do the trek the other way, we felt the finale of the Towers was a great way to finish this epic trek.  The top was a very spiritual and serene place to be.    Pipa, one of our guides, glanced over at me and noted that this was a place of the ancestors.  She shared a mate with us at the top.  our Canadian crew, always up for adventure and glee, celebrated our ascent with a shot of whiskey from the Yeti.

Our three Chilean guides provided us with many history, geography, geology, biology lessons along the trek.  Not only were they amazing guides, they were proud Chileans and loved their Patagonian landscape.  We gained a very fresh perspective of the political unrest happening in Chile from their point of view.  

Back at the camp, our shared experience of accomplishing a hiking adventure of a lifetime brought us closer as a group oozing a sense of  pride with each other. During our time at the camp, I offered to teach some yoga to the group, and managed to fit in a few 'classes' in our open air, rugged studio.  The best thing about being with different people for 23 days is that we see each other for who we are in that moment, in this time of present with no history, no identities, no expectations, and few judgements.  The many opportunities for learning about each other:  the long bus rides, dinnertime talks, late night tent chats, bunkbed talks, sliding down a volcano chats.... Just being with each other in this moment.  We could experience each other in our truest selves. This in itself, was a gift.

Our accommodations were a mix of tenting, hostels, farmstays, family hostels and hotels.  One of the most memorable nights was the bush camp in an enormous canyon in the middle of nowhere/somewhere.  As we exited the truck, we were hit with gale force winds that would not let up for the entire time we camped.  Setting up the tents was yet another team building experience in our grand social experiment.  (I am sure our guides collected some rich data for the researchers!)  As we were setting up our tents, 3 wild horses galloped along and entered the canyon where we set up camp.  They halted, stared at us for a while, circled around each other and then continued on their way.  Our guide, well versed and familiar to this canyon for many years,  has never seen horses here. (He also admitted that he had never experienced gale force winds like this either!).  According to animal totem lore, when wild  horses  grace your presence, it represents freedom, freedom of expression, physical strength, vitality, and emotional ability to go on in life.  Perhaps a subtle force of nature nudging us towards digging deep to make it through this bush camp experience.  In the middle of the night as I made my way through the windy pathway to the "girl's bathroom"  (a rock and a bluff to the left of camp), I was enamoured with the night sky...  a brilliant celestial display impossible to capture in an iphone picture. 

At bush camp, it was our night to cook for 25 people.  The truck provided some shelter from the winds but I am certain our meal had an extra ingredient of canyon sand.  Nonetheless, cooking is inclement weather earned us the "Best Camp Meal" of the trip.  Well earned!

Wild Horses at Bush Camp!

We continued to zig zag our way north crossing borders between Chile and Argentina every few days to our final big hike in Pucon.  As with all volcanos, the slope is steep and smooth, with no undulating trails for reprieve from uphill climbing.  Slow and steady was the pace as we switchbacked our way over a mixed terrain of  volcanic ash, snow, ice and loose rocks.  Our exceptional guides outfitted us with all the necessary gear for safety, learning and for FUN!  When we reached the top of the volcano, we donned our gas masks for the final climb to the edge of the crater where we witnessed this ethereal portal to the centre of the Earth.  For me, the volcano had its own presence and force both mighty and fragile.  The name of the volcano, Ruka Pillan, meaning House of Spirit as it's called by indigenous Chileans known as the Mapuche, is aptly named. 

Now the FUN part..descent down the volcano Chilean style. Gearing up with the winter gear brought back memories of preparing for recess in elementary school in -25 degree Celsius weather for 15 minutes of fresh air and fun. Loading ourselves into the bob-sled like winding gullies that dotted the mountainside, we were instantly transported to our childhood days of snow days on the local hills with toboggans and super sliders in tow.  

Our 23 days together ended in Santiago, Chile.  We celebrated our time together, (I won the 'best roommate award!), exchanged contact info, invited each other to our respective countries, and bid our farewells.  Being in Santiago made Ushuaia seem like a lifetime ago.  It is amazing what 23 days brings to the body (very sore!), mind and spirit.

In Santiago, evidence of manifests dotted the city with continued presence of the people demanding more equality and a new constitution to govern the nation. As it is with most travel, I find I struggle a bit with reconciling the polarity of admiring and appreciating the beauty, richness and awe of nature and the people of a country, with the unrest, inequality, poverty and political upheaval.  As a guest in this country, I feel a responsibility as a tourist to honour the plight of the people who are stewards of this beautiful land that we have the privilege of experiencing.

Our final few days landed us in Valparaiso, Chile about an hour from Santiago.  Valpariaso is World Heritage Site largely because of the architecture and  amphitheatre-like setting,  Valparaiso was a the major seaport of South America until the Panama canal was opened in 1914.  The city was populated and influenced by people from all around the world.  The city has  been infused with a bohemian influence with spectacular street art that adorns the walls. 

Political unrest continues in this quaint seaside city as well.  We experienced the aftermath of a night time manifest as we drove out of the city for a day excursion.  More graffiti, broken steps, defaced statues and police barricades.  At our dinner that evening, we settled into a lovely outdoor table for a nice meal and great music.  the band was setting up at the edge of the deck.  Within moments of hearing loud bangs and noise below, our eyes became watery, a stinging sensation entered our nostrils and our throats felt scratchy.  Many of the patrons of the restaurant hastily left their outdoor tables and moved indoors.  The effect of teargas had made its way to the restaurant.  The most surprising event of the evening though, was the calm demeanor of the restaurant staff.  Seemingly unfazed by the event, they passed out lemon wedges, seated guests indoors, made a place for the band to set up indoors and it was business as usual.  This is their everyday and life goes on. We ended up having a great evening, singing along with the band (I am certain they appreciated back up singers) and appreciating the moment.

“Lo milenario parece fragil. Lo eterno se vuelve efimero.  Una grieta puede ser una metafora de lo infinito
Solo los caprichosos arbitrios de un artista podrian imaginar las asombrosas imagenes que se suceden en el diafano universo de un glaciar.
Es un espacio que parece irreal de blancos deslumbrantes azules profundos, y celestes torrentes de cristal..

Millenia seem fragile. 
the eternal becomes ephemeral, a crevasse resembles the infinite.  Surely only the wild imagination of some great artist could have dreamed up the amazing scenes contained in the diaphanous world of the glacier. 

This is a surreal place of dazzling whites, deep azure blues and celestial torrents of crystal.”

The long journey home to Salt Spring Island would allow me time to reflect, appreciate and integrate back into a life that seems so far away from the one that I just experienced. The gift of traveling is parallel to the constant search we are all on that brings us wholeness and the desire to keep learning through experiences.  To discover ourselves just as much, if not more, than to discover new places.

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.”

– Anais Nin

Back on Salt Spring Island, I feel equally blessed with the grandeur of this place...expansive ocean views, brilliant night sky, tranquil environment, clean air and calm community.

Traveling definitely enhances appreciation for life and where I live.


Sat Nam
Dori 

Dori Howard, Adventure Appreciator, Visionary and Holder of Brave Space, Admirer of Inner Beauty and Strength

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