{"id":15701,"date":"2013-02-26T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2013-02-26T11:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottsworld.com\/?p=15701"},"modified":"2024-12-08T15:31:29","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T20:31:29","slug":"kayak-travel-patagonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottsworld.com\/blogs\/kayak-travel-patagonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Kayaking Solitude in Torres Del Paine Patagonia"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A pristine view of Torres Del Paine from the Serano River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I can see it coming. My legs tense up as the kayak rocks from side to side. The wind is a full frontal assault trying it\u2019s best to rip my hat off my head. The brim is blown back and the string it is attached with is pulling against my chin ready to snap. For a moment I wonder if the wind may just win this game. I\u2019m quickly jolted back into what\u2019s in front of me as water sprays up onto my face with a cold splash! It stings like a slap in the face.<\/p>\n

I look ahead and see wave after wave coming each one with more power. Our little blue kayak\u2019s nose goes up in the air over the next wave and lands with a hard thwak! Water once again is sprays all over me. I squeeze my eyes shut hard trying to get the sting of sunscreen in my eyes to subside. I am aware of the subsequent burn in my arms \u2013 paddling, paddling but feeling like I\u2019m making little progress towards the waterfall that Alex pointed out to me in the distance \u2013 our campsite for the night. I\u2019m reminded that without Alex \u2013 I\u2019d be getting absolutely nowhere \u2013 so I ignore my burning arms and just try to put my head down and keep paddling. Another splash hits me and Alex yells up to me, \u201cYou didn\u2019t know you were going to be on the log ride did you?\u201d I laugh and yell back \u201cNo!\u201d with a grin on my face. In some weird way I love this.<\/p>\n

My mind wanders back to my childhood summers taking family trips to Six Flags in St. Louis. We would all fight over who got to be in front in the log flume ride so that we would get the beautiful sensation of being drenched as you plummeted down the last hill. Alex was right – here I was in something millions of times better than the log ride 30 years later. I was experiencing the very real thrill of kayaking in Patagonia, Chile.<\/a><\/p>\n

I smile at the thought as another cold blast of water hit my face and reminded me to keep paddling.<\/p>\n

Video of the windy lake we were crossing<\/p>\n