Vida and Paul's Trip to Patagonia - Page 1

Here's our first photo from Patagonia -- a nice portrait of the port engine, with a glacier slithering along below.	Two more hours of flying, and six of riding on bumpy roads, brought us to the elegant Explora Hotel, where we put down our bags, and saw this from our bedroom! Definitely a room with a view.
The hotel was alive with activity -- mostly folks drinking "Pisco Sours" (roughly, a Chilean Margarita), bragging about their heroic hikes, and choosing the next day's activities. The sun didn't set until about 10 PM, after which we were treated to this spectacular red sunset display.	The dining room has the same spectacular view of the Paine massif as the guest rooms; here's Vida enjoying breakfast on our first morning at the hotel.
Our first hike! We're ascending to an alpine meadow and lake area, a ten mile hike (with too many ups and downs!). These hikers seem confident at the beginning of a long day.	Our first taste of the incredible Patgonian summer winds -- enough to whip up an impressive spray; we found ourselves blown off the trail a few times.