Mother Nature was kind to Chile, blessing it with stunning glaciers, secluded fjords, and snow-capped mountains. But, where Chile excels in its natural heritage, it falls short in its cuisine, which is somewhat disappointing to me as a gourmand and anthropologist of food.
But before I get carried away with my culinary gripes, let me provide some background on this fabulous trip. We entered Chile by sea aboard a five-day cruise from Ushuaia,
Argentina, to Punta Arenas, Chile. Technically, the first foot I set on Chilean soil was at Cape Horn, which is the southernmost tip of South America. It was cold, rainy, and windy, but the scenery was spectacular -- like an Iceland of the south. From here, we sailed through the Straights of Magellan, visited glaciers hidden deep inside isolated fjords, hiked across rocky mossy landscapes, and met penguins on Isla Magdalena.
Our ship was the charming 100-cabin
Stella Australis, which was pure luxury and struck just the right balance between comfort and adventure. On an average day, we'd calmly sail around some glaciers, jump aboard a Zodiak raft for an excursion on land, and round out the day with a prosecco happy hour and king crab for dinner. I can't think of a better way to explore such a beautiful and remote part of the world!
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The southernmost point of the Americas - Cabo de Horno, 2019
 | | The Stella Australis, 2019 |
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Once we disembarked in Punta Arenas, we set off on a new adventure, traveling 500km overland to El Calafate, Argentina. Along the way, we stopped in Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine to appreciate more of the region's rustic and emblematic gaucho lifestyle. We were also lucky enough to meet some local animals up close, namely the ñandú and guanaco, which immediately stole my heart with their curious faces and playful temperament. We also ate a guanaco carpaccio, but that's another story :)
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| Torres del Paine, 2019 |
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| Guanaco - Torres del Paine, 2019 |
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| Lago Pehoe, Torres del Paine, 2019 |
Patagonia is also a part of the world that takes its barbecue very seriously. Still, they are purists -- no heavy sauces or rubs, just high-quality meats cooked delicately with light dipping sauces served at the very end. Honestly, I'm convinced! A good piece of meat should shine on its own and not need to be smothered in heavy, thick sauces like you might find in other Western cuisines. No, just a bit of salt and tangy chimichurri are all you need to accentuate the meat's natural flavors! And, nowhere is this culture of Patagonian barbecue covered in greater detail or machismo than "El Manual del Asador," which should be required reading for all men who love standing around a fire cooking meats!
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| Parillada de cordero at Estancia Dos Ellianas - Torres del Paine, 2019 |
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El Manual del Asador dice "el asador debe defender la carne y las anchuras hasta el momento en que estén listas, pero debe además ser un perfecto anfitrión y cuidar que todos los comensales tengan las copas llenas, que la charla no decaiga y que todos reciban su corte en el punto de cocción que la prefieren. Después de todo, los artistas trabajan para recibir el aplauso" Por mi parte estoy 100% de acuerdo!
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Centolla (King crab) - La Marmita, Punta Arenas, 2019
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| Calapurca - La Marmita, Punta Arenas, 2019 |
Before ending this blog post, I should devote at least a few words to our fantastic meal at La Marmita in Punta Arenas. We started with an appetizer of centolla magallánica, the famed southern king crab, which was simply deliciously big chunks of crab meat piled high with a squeeze of lemon. In fact, it was so good that we ordered a second plate immediately after! I had a delicious calapurca soup for my entree, prepared with corn, legumes, and slices of guanaco served with a hot stone you drop in to boil it tableside. This was some seriously delicious food, and clearly, this chef knew how to prepare a top-notch meal, so if you ever find youreself in Punta Arenas don't faff about with other places and head straight to La Marmita!
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| With enough wine, everything tastes great! Restaurante Okusa, Punta Arenas, 2019 |
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| Carpaccio de Guanaco - Restaurante Bahía Mansa, Puerto Natales, 2019 |
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| Merengue con manjar blanco - abordo el Stella Australis, 2019 |
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