Robin's Adventures

Condors are the largest flying land bird in the western hemisphere. They have a wingspan of about 11 feet and are very graceful when they fly. These birds can live to be more than 50 years old and they mate for life.

Watching these graceful birds soar and glide above us was really a kick. We found a comfortable place on the hillside below the cliff face to sit and observe the antics of these amazing birds. The sun came out, but the air was crisp and cool. The birds were sharing this perfect day with us.

Most people do not visit Patagonia during the winter months. I can't however, imagine a more beautiful landscape than what we were experiencing. The snow covered mountains and the clear blue glacial fed lakes were breathtaking. Everywhere we looked the view was amazing.

The fjords provide a wonderful habitat for a variety of different birds. We saw flamingos and upland geese everywhere. There were also black necked swans and a variety of ducks.

We spent one afternoon hiking across the hills down to one of the fjords that had a large concentration of birds. Our journey began near the Eberhard farm, which consisted of a large expanse of grasslands surrounded by breathtaking snow covered mountains. We explored an old shed that was used for cold storage of foods in the days before refrigeration.

As we climbed the hills, the farm got smaller and smaller and the wind picked up steadily. The eagles soaring above us didn't seem to mind the wind at all.

As we reached the crest of the hills and began to make our way down the other side to the fjord below, we were astounded at the large number of birds hanging out there. The black and white swans, the brightly colored pink flamingos, and the black ducks created colorful patterns along the surface of the water. As we got closer, many of the birds began to fly.

We fished for about an hour surrounded by the snow covered mountains, the grassy hills, and the peaceful blue waters of the fjord. The catch of the day was a large Chilean sea bass who kindly posed for photos before we released him back into the water. As we hiked back over the hills, the sun rapidly disappeared and we finished the last leg of our journey in the twilight.

The name of the national park, Torres del Paines, means the "towers of blue" and it refers to the three granite spires located in the park. The tallest of the towers is just over 9,000 feet high. The towers are visible from great distances and are a striking feature from every angle.

We saw lots of animals during our visit to the national park. An armadillo that was swimming across a small stream stopped to pay us a visit. We saw many rhea and guanaco and a beautiful grey fox.