27th February 2012 Travelling to Chiloe, Chile

It was a lovely, comfortable bus but we had paid extra for seats as we couldn't get a bus with normal seats. I was supposed to be watching the scenery across to Chiloe but I slept a lot down to Parga. We then got on the ferry and some people stayed in the bus while going across in the ferry. I briefly went on the deck of the ferry and probably got in someone's shot as I suddenly wanted to take a photo off the deck and I think I stepped into someone's photo. After spending a bit of time on deck I couldn't see a lot so I went and joined my mum in the bus. When we arrived on Chiloe I looked up to see a dogs face looking at me in the bus. It was the sniffer dog that had come aboard and I hadn't seen it till it was up close to me. The dog and police checked people's luggage and then we were free to continue our journey. We looked that what Ancud was like as we were passing through and we went on to Castro.

We then walked around with rucksacks to find a hotel. We had left our main luggage at the hotel in Puerto Varas as we were going back there so we had light loads. We got in the pink hotel on the coast and in front of us were also old trains etc. On the menu the mashed potatoes were called smashed potatoes. There are often some weird translations on the menu so it's always interesting to look out for that. The restaurant had more than one level and we were upstairs so it was quite good for people watching and looking over the market. We then walked to the Palafitos as I wanted to see them and also I had been in contact with someone in a tour agency there. The Palafitos are quite interesting-they are made out of wood and one side of the house looks normal and the back of the house is on stilts on the water. We walked around the back of them and quite a lot of them were in bad condition apart from ones that were used for business.

We then walked back to the main town of Castro and went into the tourist information there. There were all dogs lying in there too. We were told how to get to the national park and different places independently but mum thought we might be better doing a tour which suited me as it meant it was easier on me. This time mashed potatoes on a menu was mushed potatoes.

28th February 2012 Chiloe National Park, Chile

We walked down to the tour agency and I dropped mum off at tour agency before going to get us bottles of water. We got in a mini-bus with driver and guide as well as two people from Santiago. Our first stop was at a beautiful lake where we took photographs. Our second stop was at the beach on the Pacific Ocean. There we looked at shells and seaweed-the usual for a beach but the seaweed did look different especially when the guide or driver was spinning it around them. Our next stop was to walk around the national park on a small trail. We talked about the trees along the trail and it was a lovely little walk. After lunch we went to Conchi and had a look around the market. When they saw me looking at the jumpers they began to ask me about them but I don't have room in my case for them. On the top floor my mum tried the local tipples. I only had the strawberry drink which tasted of cough medicine. When the guide said lambs it came out as lamps instead. We went back to the tour agency and we booked another tour tomorrow as we had enjoyed the tour. Unfortunately they weren't running a tour to where I wanted to go but the guide had recommended another tour. I was thinking we might be able to do that tour ourselves but we did learn so much more about the island with a guide. When I got back I planned to do my journal but then we talked to dad on skype and he had bad news about laser. He was taking her to vets tomorrow as she was still not eating and she had begun to bleed so he thought chances are she would be being put to sleep tomorrow. After that my mum and I didn't want to go out and we were crying together. We thought we'd better have something to eat but we didn't want to go out. We ended up ordering room service and had cheese and ham sandwiches. This time on the menu it was meshed potatoes.

29th February 2012 Delahue and Quinchao, Chile

Well neither of us were in the mood for a tour as we were thinking of laser and dad. It probably was the best thing for us though as we couldn't spend all day in the room. We were both thinking about what was happening at home but we didn't mention it much apart from when the guide and driver picked us up. They asked had we gone in the restaurants they had recommended and we explained we hadn't as we hadn't been in the mood last night. They were both lovely to us but mum said that the driver kept helping her out of minibus more and more. The guide was very into saying look at those shingles or wood nails. Our first stop was outside a little church on the way into Delahue. At Delahue we first walked around local restaurants in Delahue. It was a large food hall with different restaurants inside and you could see them all cooking. We then went in a small museum which showed how people used to live. We then went up to the wooden church in Delahue and sat on a bench waiting for the church to be opened up. I went to take a photo of the model fishing boat and fisherman in the square. On the way down to it I met the 2 men from the tour yesterday and then they had a little chat with my mum and the tour guide. I think it was Delahue that had serpent models around and there is a legend about that.

We then crossed over on the ferry and it was a very short journey across to Achao. I was glad that we were on a tour rather than have rented a car. I wouldn't like to reverse onto a ferry- it would take me all day. It was a nice square in Achao and then we visited the museum on the square. After the museum we went into Achao church-it was all made out of wood and was very ornate. Guide in his element again talking about wood nails. After that we went to a local restaurant and has the restaurant was full we had the food in the family dining room of the owner's house. We then walked along shore of Achao and went into the market. We were given some drinks to try and I tried a mint drink there. We stopped at a viewpoint on the way back and there an Alsatian was very friendly and he was lying on his back while I tickled his tummy. We then crossed back over to the mainland before going to see another little church. It was a nice little church but wasn't a UNESCO church. It made you wonder how they chose them. It began to rain a bit then and after that we got back into mini-bus which took us back to the hotel.

When we got back we checked out of hotel and got bus ticket printed out before I checked my e-mails for news about laser. The news was as we expected but I was glad that she was in the garden where she belonged. Both mum and I cried but we were less distraught than we had been the night before. We knew she was no longer suffering and we expected the bad news. We managed to get out and just have a walk around the market and then go for dinner. We didn't talk too much about it as we didn't want to set each other off crying in the restaurant.

1st March 2012 Returning to Puerto Varas, Chile

Well it wasn't an easy journey. When we arrived at the bus station and showed the conductor/driver the ticket. He said the bus might not go out today-the road may be open tomorrow. I didn't understand it in the fast Spanish he spoke. Luckily there was someone who translated for us from Ancud, Chiloe. It was protestors on the road through the island and they had closed the road off. We were rather worried as our cases were in Puerto Varas and we had to catch a ferry tomorrow which had cost a large amount of money to book. We just waited around at the bus station to see whether there was any further news. At first nothing was happening and all the buses were stationary, then something was said about the police being called and then suddenly he said we go. We were delayed by an hour leaving the bus station. We began the journey and then the police sent us the other way so the driver parked the bus down the road for a bit. We then went back along the road and we could see fires along the roads from the protest. It may have been about energy bills but we are not sure. Then there were roadworks so that slowed us down.

We were relieved once we were back on Chile mainland as we knew then we would probably make the ferry as there were a lot more roads available if protestors closed anymore roads down. There was then a bad accident so we were stuck in traffic on mainland. We were supposed to leave at 8:50 and due to arrive 12:50. On the bus there was a weird snorer and a cute little kid who kept taking photographs of people randomly. He obviously didn't like the look of us or maybe sound of us as he didn't try to take photographs of us. We got to the hotel in Puerto Varas at 4:10.

After dinner we walked around most of the German houses in Puerto Varas following the route on the map. We didn't quite do all of them as it was getting late and some of them would take us far away from the hotel. The church was beautiful in Puerto Varas and another German house. The others didn't really stand out even though they were very old buildings.

2nd March 2012 Getting on Navimag ferry, Puerto Montt, Chile

We ordered a taxi from the hotel to get us to the 8:50 bus from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt. This time though the bus was pretty horrible but it was fine as we were only on it 20 minutes but the bus was going all the way to Castro. I wouldn't have liked to have been on it all the way to Castro. When we arrived at the bus station we managed to get a taxi on the metre down to the port. It wasn't far just a little down the road. At the port we collected the ticket and then had to queue up to hand in bags. We were told to return at 2 so we had plenty of time to see some of Puerto Montt.

We walked and we went in a little cafe up the stairs from a small tour office. We then went down to the supermarket and bought a coke and some water for the ferryI left mum at the till while I went to change the coke I had picked up as it felt sticky so I didn't know whether it had leaked. When I look at the other coke bottles they all felt sticky so I gave up trying to find one not sticky. When I returned mum said she had put up a barrier between her food and someone else's like at home on a supermarket conveyor belt we would put a sign to say that it was next customer. She didn't understand what was on the sign but she said she presumed that was what the sign was for. I looked at it and she had put a sign on the till saying that the till or checkout was closed in Spanish. I looked at it, laughed and explained what the sign said. She said the checkout person had looked at her weird.

We then went back to the ferry terminal for 2:00 and waited in there for further instructions. The guide came a bit later than 2 and explained that we would be loaded into buses before getting to ferry as we couldn't walk in the port area. We got into the 1st bus and then walked up the ferry ramp. As we were in the top cabin AAA we were treated very well and weren't one of the cattle herd. We were shown our cabin and then shown our exclusive dining room only for people in cabins AAA. Made me laugh as my mum always say she didn't want to go on a cruise where people in better cabins had a separate dining room and when we go on a ferry we get a separate dining room. I then followed my mum into the French couple's cabin instead of our own. My mum was also being nosey looking at another dining room which had lovely views outside. I looked this time before following and this time it was the officers dining room. We then were waiting for ferry to be loaded up whilst we sat on deck and in the bar. We got waiter service and also drinks included in the dining room by having the top cabin. There wasn't much difference in price between us and some of the other good cabins. We met Ingrid and Kai who were lovely people. Originally from Germany but had lived out in S Africa for 40 years. We finally left port at about 8:45 (6hrs 45 minutes after the time we were supposed to leave-2:00). The only problem with that dining room is you can't hear the announcements in there so I would go and listen in the corridor and then repeat back to the others what the guide said. We then watched a documentary film by national geographic in English but the only problem as we had arrived late there wasn't any decent seats. Having to try and look around people's heads and pillars. As usual you get a person's head right in middle of the screen where all the action is happening.

3rd March 2012 Sailing on Navimag ferry, Chile

Well we had an 8am announcement welcoming us down for breakfast and we then went to breakfast. Today we sailed through some islands. After breakfast mum and I spent some time on the back of ferry which was a little noisy as a car alarm kept going off. After spending some time on deck we went in the bar. My mum had just gone down to the cabin to sort some things out when the guide welcomed us on to the open deck. Everyone rushed out on deck and it was only to see another ship go by. We thought it was something of importance but it was only to wave at a ship. Mum and I were then mad as we watched the transfer of supplies from our ferry to another ship in bad weather. There was also the transfer of staff to watch and both mum and I were glad we did not have to change ships in the little tenders. After watching for a long time we decided we would go down a deck as it would probably be more sheltered than the top deck. We then found out where everyone else had been watching the activity. In the dry on the bridge. We decided to join them but not long after that the transfer of supplies and staff finished. We are still not sure exactly what was going on and why. We went for a warm up in the bar with a lovely hot chocolate. The guide was then doing a talk on the fauna so I went down to the main dining room-first it was in Spanish and I did my journal while that was on as I wasn't sure he would announce it when he began doing the English version. I understood quite a bit of the Spanish version even though I wasn't really paying too much attention to it. It's easier when you know what sorts of topics/words are likely to come up after studying geography at university. We had a very enthusiastic man near us when English version was on and mum kept saying he ooh and ahhed.

Sheila and Roger (lived in Derbyshire) joined us for dinner from the other table so we had a table speaking French in the dining room and a table speaking English. Before the film I went to find my sickness tablets for Ingrid and Sheila as we were expecting rough seas and the ship had run out of sea sickness tablets. After giving them away I thought oops I hope both mum and I won't need them as we only had one between us. When the film March of the Penguins was half way through the rough seas began. It was rough that night with crash, bangs and wallops as well as the rocking. I probably didn't help mum sleep by saying I wonder whether it's so noisy because of the cargo. The ship rocked me to sleep but a few times I did grab the handle above my bunk bed or make an exclamation as I was scared of falling off the bed. In middle of night everything fell off our table and we were lucky that the bottles of wine didn't smash.

4th March 2012 Sailing on Navimag ferry, Chile

After breakfast we went out on deck and watched the whales. At first we couldn't see them but we did begin to see the blowholes. I got some good views of the whales but I'm not sure that mum ever did. I don't think I've ever seen whales before- I usually miss them when other people see them. After lunch we went in the pub and I read the lonely planet while mum slept in a chair with a glove over her face. Mum was in a deep sleep. I then went to get laptop and not long after beginning writing my journal the announcement said that we were approaching the glacier. I went back to get changed into warm clothes and get into my Selopats. I stayed outside watching the approach to the glacier even though it was bad weather again but it meant I was in prime position for the glacier. The glacier was beautiful and stunning with grey, stunning blues and white. Mum said stay there don't move as we got near the glacier everyone came out but only me and another couple had waited at the prime position.

After the glacier it was like I was in India again as everyone began taking pictures of me and laughing as my hair had gone static. For those of you who were with me in Rio-you will remember what it was like and it went the same again. We were called up on deck just before dinner to see a large ship wreck which looked normal until got close to it and I realised it was a wreck. After dinner we had announcement to say we were picking up people at Wellington Island and sending some supplies onto the island. They rely on the ferry for their supplies. We missed them coming aboard but when I got upstairs after dinner they were all passing me on the stairs. There were lots of them that came aboard.

5th March 2012 Sailing to Puerto Natales, Chile

Well we had a smooth night last night with no noise of crash, bang, and wallops. After lunch I had only put about 2 things in my case when an announcement came over that we were going to sail between islands and go down the narrowest channel of the navigation- 80ft in the narrowest part. It was beautiful. Afterwards I packed and then went up on deck.

It was a lovely end to our sailing it was sunny with lovely scenery. It did get cold as we were sailing into Puerto Natales so mum went in to the bar. I went in, got a hot chocolate and then thought I should be out on deck. It wasn't too easy being out on deck with the hot chocolate as it was windy. I didn't get too close to bow of ship with it as if I had begun drinking it there I would probably have got a hot chocolate nose. I was glad once I had drunk it and then I watched us sailing in. We docked and then went down to cabin then up to bar before going to get cases from room. We still had to wait for ages to get off ship as they had to unload some of the cargo first so we could get down the ramp. We finally were allowed off and mum gave her case to a boy to carry. There weren't enough people for carrying everyone's cases so I carried my own down the stairs. When I gave mum the money she had given me for the tip she said didn't you tip them for carrying your case. I said I'm not going to tip myself. She hadn't realised that I had carried it down myself. When we got off there were no taxis so we were wandering aimlessly up the road following Kai and Ingrid. We finally got a taxi after walking a long way through the town with cases. We arrived at a lovely lodge and our room and its own little lounge with spectacular views over the coast.

6th March 2012 Puerto Natales, Chile

There was an odd looking bird in the lodge garden. When I came out of the lodge down the steps I scared the yellowy orange necked bird away. We begin our walk along the coast into the town which was 1km away. Not long after starting off mum realised her shoelace was undone. She tried to rest her foot on a pole to tie her shoelace but it wobbled. It was just outside the army barracks too so I'm glad she didn't break it.

We then walked around the town looking in the tour offices. We then went into a café for some food. Mum was really annoyed as it said that it accepted credit cards on the door and then after having the food they said the credit cards weren't working. The toilets were interesting as the sign for the mens and womens toilets were drawings of mens underwear and womens underwear. I had been comparing the tours over lunch and we then went to book tour at Tur-express.

7th March 2012 Torres del Paine National park, Chile

We had breakfast and at 7:45am we began our tour of Torres del Paine National Park. Chile's most well-known park and for a reason too. There were some beautiful rainbows on the mountains but I couldn't get a decent photo of them through the window. It wasn't helped by I wasn't sitting next to the window. We then saw eagles and falcons on the journey before stopping at cueva de milodon- a massive cave which had a replica of milodon (a giant ground sloth-herbivore-like a large bear). The cave was so big-there was no chance of feeling claustrophobic but it was a little dark so mum had a little trip as she went down a slight change in level on path where there was a slight hole. Walking back to the bus we saw Sheila and Rodger with another trip. We then went in Castillo Cerrado which was a shop and café before carrying on towards the park. There were some fantastic views and our first stop was a viewpoint over Torres del Paine. Mum didn't get out as it was very windy. It was so windy in the national park and the guide said at times there were stronger winds in the park. We stopped to see the Chilean animals like the ostrich like bird-rhea and guanaco which was like a cross between a llama, vicuna and camel.

Our next stop had flamingos on the lake in the distance and then views behind of the Torres del Paine mountains behind. The Japanese tourist (he may not have been Japanese but he was from a similar area) with his massive camera went right down to the lake to take photographs of the flamingos. Some others followed. I then asked mum do you think I've got time to go down and take photos down by the lake. Well I went down and began to go back up again before he even left the lake. He only left the lake when the driver started making a joke by hooting the horn etc. As we left the Torres del Paine behind some more views began and I was trying to get photo across mum's knee through the mini-bus window. The challenge of getting a decent photo was also exaggerated by going around bends. We then had a photo stop where he warned us to keep hold of our hats and sunglasses. He wasn't kidding. Mum didn't get out and I tried for a short time but was being blown around everywhere. We then had a walk up to the waterfall Salto Grande at the next stop. It was so windy. The force of the gravel blowing against our legs and a few times we had to turn around for a moment till the wind was less strong again. We made it up to the waterfall; it was beautiful but still very windy. Walking back down I was thinking I don't want to be walking this fast but the wind was blowing me from behind. Once I caught mum up again we linked arms so we then kept together. I couldn't control my speed in the wind. I've never felt wind like it. The wind made me think about the trek that I wanted to do over a couple of days in Torres del Paine but I didn't have time for whether I would have been blown off the side.

We then had lunch which was a picnic consisting of cheese and ham sandwiches at a campsite. There was a restaurant there but the tour office had said bring your own lunch. We thought of Izzy as she likes picnics. We sat with French couple and they had brought their bottle of wine from the ferry so they were drinking that. We were all having to hang on to the food like crisps etc. When dropped some crisps all these birds came down and I tried to get rid of the scavengers afterwards. After lunch we walked over a wobbly suspension bridge and only a certain number of people were allowed on it at once so there was someone on duty there to make sure the maximum number wasn't exceeded. The camera tourist again was trying to take photos on the bridge and was being told by the park worker to keep walking. We then walked down the path down to the beach next to lago grey and the glacier grey was very much in the distance. On the path down to the beach we met Kai and Ingrid so we began talking to them. Then we met Rodger and Shiela again on the beach as they were walking back. The strong winds were behind us walking along the beach but I forgot how hard it would be to walk back. Glacier grey we could only see very much in the distance but the icebergs from it were a lovely blue colour. We then left Torres del Paine on the newer road so it was quicker going back to Puerto Natales than on the way.

We got dropped off in town so we could book our bus ticket for tomorrow. The internet was down all over the town so we went to two bus offices and neither of them could book us tickets to Punta Arenas without the internet. I said why don't we have dinner in town and then go back to bus offices after dinner. The lodge was 1km out so I was trying to save having to go there and back again. After food we went back to bus offices again. The internet was still down so they weren't booking tickets. I got the phone numbers so that could maybe do reservations on the phone. We then tried to get a taxi outside the bus station. Think there was a bit of a scam going on there. We asked a person (we think owned the taxi with a metre on) and he said he didn't own it. He referred us to someone else who took us to an unmarked car. I asked him the price to the lodge and he said 3000. Well we knew this was too much as the other day we had got a taxi to the lodge for 1500. So we began walking and then got a taxi for 2000. We talked to the boy on reception about the problems of getting a bus ticket. He rang up the bus companies for us but they still wouldn't sell tickets so he rang another bus company. They said they would book tickets if we went down to the bus office. They ordered us another taxi and we had an honest young male who used his metre, waited for us while we bought our tickets and then drove us back to lodge. We then sat having drinks in the lodge and mum said to the waiter his English was very good. It turned out he was from Mumbai, India so I talked to him about my experiences in India. It was nice to be reminded of India.

8th March 2012 Punta Arenas, Chile

At 9:30 we had ordered a taxi but the receptionist had decided that she would order it for 9:45. It meant we were worrying about would we make the bus on time. While waiting for our taxi a sweet dog came and rested his head on my leg. The taxi driver difficult to understand- I swear he said 2500 in Spanish and I thought that's expensive. Apparently he had said 1500 but mum said she thought she had heard dos mill too. When we arrived the bus was there so we got straight on the bus.

When we arrived we walked just down the road to our hotel. Our room wasn't ready so we left our luggage in left luggage. We finally found Comapa tourism and after walking across the main square which was full of schoolchildren. I thought it's not that different from England with all these schoolchildren hanging around smoking. We bought our tickets to see the penguins in Comapa tourism and we didn't have much time to get to the ferry terminal. We then tried to get a collective 15 and they were all full. Comapa had suggested we get a collective and we were worried about getting a normal one as we thought they would be a fortune. We didn't have much money on us either. We managed to get one collective but it only had one seat. In the end we signalled a normal taxi down and it didn't cost much and it didn't take as long as tour office had said to get there.

As we were waiting to board the ferry we stopped at bar/café in terminal. In walked Sheila and Rodger again. We had a 2hrs navigation where Rodger and I saw some animals- I think sea lions in the wake. We also saw a massive animal but we are not sure what it was-maybe a whale. When we arrived we walked along the penguins and I walked up to lighthouse. I love watching penguins-they are amusing to watch. They were digging holes so just saw sand flicking out of hole. Some were cleaning each other. There were lots of squawking going on and some seemed to be very proud of their burrows-these penguins were standing just in front of burrows. We were told to keep our distance from the penguins but sometimes this wasn't easy as they had made burrows very close to or on the path. I watched one penguin keep tilting his head from one side to the other. Then saw a group of three sort of pecking each other. Two of these penguins seem to have got together as one chased the other down a burrow and they emerged a bit later on. I got a photo of a baby penguin right at the end and then all these penguins came out of the sea just as we were about to get on the boat. The tour guide herded us all back on board so we were on time. We then had 2hrs navigation back. We got a minibus taxi back and then we did a bit of research on the internet. I wanted to go to Ushuaia but I was worried it might get a bit too much for mum as I knew we had lots of long bus journeys coming up. Also we were there such a short time and if the weather was bad- it would have been awful. After discussing it we decided we would miss out Ushuaia.