We’ve hit 10 weeks of being abroad! When I reflect on first arriving to Chile, it feels like a lifetime ago and I can’t believe that yesterday marked exactly one month left of my program. I’ve learned so much about Patagonia as more than just a place that backpackers dream about visiting, and I’ve also been able to learn a lot about myself. Even if I return to Patagonia in the future, the experiences and memories I’ve made here so far will make it impossible for me to compare to anything else.
I’ll talk more about this in a few weeks when my program is coming to a close 🙂
Last week my group and I traveled to Patagonia Bagual (photos above), a privately-owned research park that borders Torres del Paine National Park. It’s an absolutely beautiful place that values the concept of keeping the area as natural as possible, so there is a very limited crowd that comes to visit, and there aren’t any established hiking trails. Due to this, Bagual is definitely one of my favorite places that I’ve gone to during my program. By combining scientific research and controlled guided tours, the amazing people at Bagual are showing guests the importance of enjoying the area while also conserving the landscape. Another special part about Patagonia Bagual is that it’s the only place that you can still see wild horses! (They are referred to as “Baguales,” which means ‘feral’ in Spanish). We camped on the property while we were there, where I was able to spend PLENTY of time with the owner, Victor’s, own horses.
While we were there, Victor took us around the property on day-hikes and told us about the history of the park as well as their conservation efforts. We also took some of our class finals in the field. We’ve only been back to Puerto Natales for a few days, and it’s mostly been packed with finishing our final assignments and getting ready for Directed Research to start. I’m currently done with all of my assignments (woohoo!), so these past two days have mostly been me taking the time to myself and putting mental health first. I’m actually leaving tomorrow for a week to start my Directed Research, which is back in Patagonia Bagual. My project is going to be reconstructing the glacial and geologic history of the area using core samples taken from a peat bog!
“But Giuseppe, what in the world is a peat bog?” Yes yes, beloved readers, I was just getting to that.
A peat bog is a type of wetland or swampy area that accumulates peat, which is a deposit of dead plant material. Scientists love them because they do a great job at preserving sediments and other things like volcanic ash to then put together a timescale of past climate and weather events. Are you all jumping out of your seats yet? BECAUSE I AM. Get ready for a variety of photos of me in the bog. My partner Phoebe and I are already working on a “Beats for the Bog” Spotify playlist.
“What kind of music do you listen to in a bog?”
Great question. I’ll let you know in a week. Adios! I leave you now with a photo of me right after falling up to my waist into a hole of mud.
Abroad Patagonia. 