14 Bottles of Wine & 1 French Press

As I sit inside my cozy sleeping bag protected from the unpredictable Chilean weather I have come to realize that although we are certainly roughing it, I do have a few creature comforts that make life in a van just a little easier.

Once we arrived to Europe I deemed it necessary that we buy a French press. Sitting in cafes is quite lovely, especially in all of the great European cities, but it can eat into the budget quickly. The plan was to only carry our IKEA Frech press through Europe while we had the van there, but somehow it managed to find its way into my backpack and into South America. Although finding quality coffee grounds (most South Americans drink instant coffee) has been a challenge, I get to start my day in a way that reminds me of home.

So, not only are we backpackers with a French press but we're also carrying a nice supply of Chilean wine...14 bottles to be exact. When we started our trip in New Zealand we met a couple (thanks Dave & Diane!) who were so passionate about food and wine it inevitably wore off on us. Thanks to them we've been tasting wines all over the world the last 13 months and decided we needed an adequate supply before embarking into the Patagonian frontier. At only $2-$4 for a good bottle of Chilean vino, we couldn't help but stock up.

So, maybe we're not the "typical" backpackers, but a little pleasure in no man's land makes this Wicked van feel more like home.

Current Update:

After leaving Coyhaique we continued our journey south to the 173,000 acre Estancia Valle Chacabuco, a former sheep and cattle ranch that will soon be the new Patagonia National Park. Over the past five years countless volunteers have been working to remove all of the fences from the ranch, replant native grasses, and remove all the invasive species. We've spent the last five days here helping out where we can, hiking around the property, and enjoying an asado (basically the Patagonian version of a BBQ).

We'll spend the next few days fishing a few of the rivers around the estancia before heading east into Argentina. From there, it will be a long, dusty, empty drive down the infamous Ruta 40 to Mount Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine Nat'l Park.