Leaving Puerto Natales and the Erratic Rock Hostel, I was immediately struck at how the town unfolded into a large estuary, and eventually in the distance, Torres del Paine.

I had been pouring over maps of this area since the summer and it was interesting to see how the shapes and contours translated into real life. While I can look at the map's scale I wasn't exactly sure how expansive the Ultima Esperanza estuary or Rio Serrano would be.

We were lucky enough to take the shorter route to the park and our drop off point. Along the wat we were treated to amazing views of the towers of Torres del Paine. Totally breathtaking and I can't wait to share some of my pictures upon my return.

Because of our shorter route, we arrived early at the River and promptly set about waiting - Patagonia style - building comfortable recliners out of Granite Gear duffels.

Eventually, we loaded everything into a large zodiac and sped down river winding wildly back and forth to find deeper channels. The landscape here is surprisingly lush and green and compared to Colorado it feels like as rainforest.

Tomorrow, we will load up our gear on Pekin's horses and ride to our base camp. But for now we are relaxing in our MSR tent to the sounds of rushing river water and singing birds.