Patagonia--the water

The water in Patagonia defies standard adjectives. It is well beyond aquamarine or jade. Maybe super size "turquoise." Sometimes silty, other times crystal clear, always frigid and pure. It must be one of the few places in the world where it is safe to drink the water from the lakes, streams, and rivers. And there is water everywhere you look.

Lake after lake appeared on our drive from Coyhaique to Puerto Bertrand. Rivers and streams abound. And bogs—oh yes, the marshy bogs that we often found on our hikes. Perfected my pole-vaulting technique to make up for a stride that can't possibly match that belonging to a 6'5" husband. We were lucky to not see much water falling from the sky during our time there, at least not until our drive back to the airport in Balmaceda.

Between our hiking and horseback treks, we opted for a whitewater rafting outing on the Baker. I heard "Class III," and I thought, "Yawn. I've been on a Class V or two on the Futaleufú." But exciting it was, even more so because of Cooper, our rafting "dude." Cooper had most definitely imbibed in a little more than mate at breakfast. I first wrote him off as a caricature, but he was for real. "That's sweet, man. 100 percent!" Those words, over and over, until I could hardly contain my laughter. Cooper had graduated from Appalachian State and was drifting through South America from rafting venue to rafting venue, kayak in tow. Sweet, man.

Neither Casey nor don Moncho had ever been rafting before. Witnessing don Moncho in full rafting garb was priceless. He couldn't understand a word Cooper was saying, but it would have been impossible to wipe the grin off his face.

Casey, don Moncho, Julie, Tom

After our rollercoaster ride on the Baker and our guanaco-seeking drive, we drove to the Confluencia, where the Baker meets the Nef. Two rivers of very different colors, the Baker far prettier and filled with thundering rapids. I could probably spend the better part of a day there, mesmerized.

the Baker in the foreground, the Nef in the background

Sadly, there is a proposal for dams on the Baker and Pascua Rivers and a nearly 2,000-kilometer transmission line for a hydrogeneration project in the Aisén region of southern Chile. "Patagonia SIN REPRESAS" (Patagonia without dams) is the motto that has risen from those opposing the project. The project has been approved by the Chilean government (a majority of the citizens disapprove), but it is unclear whether it will truly happen. The landscape of this stunning region would be forever marred. The project is so exorbitantly expensive that we can only hope that plans stall and eventually disintegrate.