This is somehing of a punishing schedule- Got back from the Glacier tour late and then had to do  a small cambio for some Chilean pesos and then get up at 6am today for the trip to Torre del Paine.  Got here somewhat late and have to get off early tomorrow with the first leg of the W (which is supposed to be 8 hours).  When does the vacaation start I am wondering (or who planned this thing).

I ended up doing another private cambio with this other American in the bus station.  He was some poor looking backpacker who wanted to get rid of his Chilean pesos and so we exchanged.  He is now set up nicely for a cheap refugio in the US.  Funny how I met him- I must just exude cambio.

The transfer from Argentina to chile was actually a tour, which I did not expect (I just thought a bus ride).  At the border, you have to give them a number of papers.  I had about 20 and just kept handing them to Chilean customs agent until I got the right ones.

The tour guide was really good.  He showed us different features of the park and the Towers or horns for which the park is famous.  He said virtually everythinig in the park is called Paine- which he said meant blue- but that nothing was actually blue.  Kind of my kind of tour guide....

And yes, the Towers or horns are indeed very striking- the whole Torre de Paine massif is truly spectacular.  If I could download some pics, it might make sense.  Anyway, we hit most of the highlights of the park today... so i am wondering why am I hiking the W exactly?  The rest of the people on the bus just returned to a nice comfortable hotel room in El Calafate tonight when I am staring at the Refugios tomorrow and for the next 3 nights.  On the bus transfer to tonight hotel, there were a bunch of the Refugio crowd.  The over/under on the last time one of them showered might be interesting.