Patagonia

Kristy, excited to reach Puerto Natales, nails everything except the back bend.

Stopping to enjoy the sunset on the way to El Chalten from El Calafate.

Leanna, doing stunts only slightly safer than her usual handstand on precarious surfaces move.

Lago de los Tres.

Hike to Lago Torres.

Setting out on our first day of hiking the “W”, the most famous hike in Torres del Paine national park.

The incredible “torres” (towers).

Lunch at the towers. When the hike is hard, sometimes the sandwich feels as epic as the destination.

Team work.

This rainbow was actually nature’s way of apologizing for the next 10 hours of rain we were about to experience.

The bark on these trees was like copper.

Watching for distant avalanches in Valle Frances.

Leanna, conquering the rock.

One of many “enchanted forrests” on the “W” hike. This one was in the Valle Frances.

Trying to show how windy it is but only succeeding in looking like the Michelan Man.

Looking out at Glacier Gray our last day of hiking the W.

View of electric blue Lago Pehoe on our last day of hiking the W.

Hanging out in the tool shed that we used as a house during our volunteer project. This is why you should travel with a tent.

Posing with the most useful tool of an unskilled Workaway laborer: the shovel.

The “before” photo of the trail we built as part of our Workaway volunteer project.

Kristy working on the trail we built as part of our Workaway volunteer project.

Our Workaway hosts’ house, built with earth bags as insulation.

The “after” photo of the trail we built for our Workaway project.

Fellow Workaway volunteers making pasta from scratch.

BFFs hanging out in La Junta.

The “dome” where the volunteers had meals on nice days.

Kristy stretching outside our “house” (aka the storage shed).

Our Workaway host Paul showing Kristy where he plans to put his next house.

Glacial stream on their other property where we spent our day off.

Our Workaway hosts Paul and Konomi, relaxing on our day off.

Kristy at the little bridge we had to cross to get to town from our project.

Kristy and our Workaway host Paul, walking through his land in Patagonia.

Sunset walk to Paul and Konomi’s home.

The “before” picture of the garden terraces we created for our volunteer project.

Kristy looking like a pirate after a lot of digging.

Showing off one of our finished terraces.

La Junta, one of the few places still giving a shout out to Pinochet. One hour round trip to/from town.

Group shot of the volunteers at our project, from 9 different countries.