The Boat from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales
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7-9 April 2003.
The Navimag boat from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales is something of a must do institution on the back packer scene. The combination of transporting us a quarter of the way across Chile through some of the countries most dramatic scenery was beautifully augmented by evenings of bingo, one man band sing-a-longs and numerous wines.
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The boat comes completed with an outdoor chess set which Jason used regularly to try and de-scramble the mush in his head that vino tinto had created the night before.
Remaining unbeaten led to some very enjoyable afternoons on the deck.
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Sadly we have no photo of the chief of entertainment on the boat but it is fair to say he looked and acted like Rolf Harris minus the wobble-board and with the addition of an electric organ. An electric organ that seemed to miraculous continue to play itself when his hands were not touching it!
NB: several bottles of wine were consumed prior to this picture of Jason, Abbey, and Phil singing.
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A good example of joint wine consumption.
This one shortly before an 8 hour stretch of water called the 'Gulf of Sorrows' where the combination of wine and travel sickness tablets ensured we slept all the way through it.
The sorrow was to follow the next day...
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This is what Jason looks like the morning after half a dozen travel sickness pills and a lot of Vodka. He rose an hour after Claire which was just in time to miss the whale jump out of the water by the ship. We did see other whales in the distance as well as a number of seals and dolphins but quite as exhibitionist as the one Jason missed
... Nice scenery too...
The next evening we were playing bingo and we missed all the icebergs passing by the boat!
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The boat goes through the Chilean fiords with one pass less that 100 metres wide.
The wrecked ship on the left is a reminder of why the Captain wasn't playing bingo with us.
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We eventually arrived in Puerto Natales just in time for this beautiful sunset and some excellent fish.
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