North to Patagonia

Back in Punta Arenas, we get up very early on Christmas Eve to go and visit Magdalena Island to see... more penguins!

Actually, it was interesting to see the Magellanic penguins who are slightly larger and burrow in holes, rather than building rock nests like their relatives on the Antarctic Peninsula. With a large vegetation-free field of nothing but honking penguins and holes, the island feels like some surreal Dali-esque landscape:

We also spotted the sweetest penguin couple ever:

We spend the rest of the day making a long trip north into Patagonia. Along the way we stop at Cueva del Milodon, a large cave where the remains extinct giant sloths have been found. It is not until late evening that we arrive at our eco-camp in the shadows of the famous Torres del Paine peaks for a Christmas BBQ in one of the domes.

I'll be impressed if Santa manages to find us tonight; we'll have made him come a long way.

(Written on Dec 24.)