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Today we had a slightly later start - up at 0430 - as we were going to photograph sunrise from around the hotel. The light was not as good as yesterday so we stopped at 0630 which gave us time for a rest and breakfast before heading out for a walk at 0930 up over a ridge with great views and where condors often fly. A couple did oblige but for some reason I also seem to have my settings for landscape when they appear and forget to change them! We also saw two kinds of beetle, a very hairy red caterpillar, a caracara nest with a maturing youngster in it ( home alone ) on the edge of a sheer cliff face so he had to be careful not to fall off!
As we looked towards Torres del Paine and the mountains all, unusually free from cloud, we could see etched into the cliff face the profile of a man - amazing the power of erosion.
As we descended the slope was quite steep but as long as you zigzagged it was fine - worse for me was the gravel as my boots do not have large grips on them and every now and again I would slip.
At the bottom we had a cool drink before returning to the hotel for lunch and a siesta - before heading out again we stopped on the lake shore to photograph the formations left by early anaerobes that still live in the lake and make coral like formations. We then travelled onto a working estancia, stopping and trying to take photos of several flying buzzard eagles. As we arrived the horse-riders,from the hotel, were just returning. As we walked around I took some photos of the gaucho leading them, a young man energetically chopping wood, some of the old machinery, and a flock of geese which were grazing on the grass in front of the house.
We the slowly walked towards a wood being passed by the horses who after their days work were now released to graze and we're off to the wood already tasting the succulent grass - their decision was a good one as they were good photography subjects with the light of the slowly setting sun shining through the trees into the glades where they grazed.
Our next surprise was a lovely fluffy pair of black and white skunks ( today's photo) foraging for supper but as they came closer and knowing their reputation for spraying you I had to run to the side as one seemingly oblivious to me ran I my direction - I wasn't taking any chances so was off!! We the saw another type of caracara on the ground eating something it had caught and I located a bird I could hear calling - it was a lovely flicker. As we arrived at a barbecue area where we were greeted by the estancia owner and Jorge offering a pisco sour (traditional drink) - the family were barbecuing a lamb- traditional style - for the meat eaters.....which was eaten with roasted potatoes and salad....I had the roasted potatoes, salad and some tortilla that had been brought for me. The starter was chorizo with homemade salsa type sauce in doughnut style rolls - mine without the chorizo was delicious. We stayed as the sun went down - admiring the views at the front of the building - erected for the views and if too cold to eat outside - it was complete with a very effective wood burner. Paine Grande the tallest and most imposing mountain was magnificent - there were blue skies around it and it wasn't shrouded in a shred of cloud - which is very unusual.
We made our way slowly back - the sunset was amazing and the skies beautiful shades of red, purple, orange and yellow.Although it was late it didn't feel it as the light made it feel much earlier. We finally returned at 11pm and it was just dark!
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