As soon as we got to Chile, we forgot to be sad about leaving Australia. Flying into Santiago, we were wowed by the flat top mountains that seemed to float among the clouds. Excited to get to the southern patagonia of Chile to indulge in glaciers and national parks before the end of summer, we flew straight to Punta Arenas, near the southern tip of South America. We cranked our necks out the window to glimpse the jagged Andes Range that dominates the country. Snow capped volcanoes, rivers of glacial flow, and rock towers gave us a jaw dropping in-flight show. After a night in Punta Arenas, a three hour bus ride north took us to the town of Puerto Natales, where we are now enjoying the slow life very much. The Chilean and Patagonian culture of these parts is very distinct and we are loving every minute of it.

Chilean towns are easy to navigate, with street signs everywhere and perfect grid layouts. The Plaza de Armas is always the center of town, a square with greenery and benches surrounded by beautiful old churches and important buildings. In Punta Arenas, a giant statue of Ferdinand Magellan dominated the square, paying respects to the man who discovered the strait that Punta Arenas sits on. A violinist played romantic suites for coins while vendors sold striking blue lapiz lazuli jewelry and alpaca scarves, the soft fur of the llama-like animal perfect for winter clothes. In Puerto Natales, the square is a maze of tall pine bushes, with young teenagers, military men and couples passing the evening in the warm summer sun that doesn't set until 10 pm. The bigger draw in Puerto Natales, though, is the waterfront, where cormorants (sea birds) and black necked swans enjoy the deep blue waters in front of stunning snowy peaks. The towns themselves are quaint and simple with small shops, family restaurants, quiet streets and artistic wall murals. Tourism doesn't seem to have changed the towns or the people too much, just created extra business with timely bus companies, friendly tour operators and cozy hostels.

Unlike many other countries we have visited, one of the best parts of staying in Chile is the accommodation. More than just a place to sleep, the hostels and residenciales are the homes of locals, so you always feel like you are staying with friends and family. The homes are country style, warmed with large windows, skylights and old gas stoves. Fresh sheets, wool blankets and patterned bed spreads cover the comfortable beds, and most of the kitchens are available for guest use. This saves us a lot of money, being able to buy and cook our own groceries and breakfast is usually included in the priced of a room. Basically, it's like staying in a bed and breakfast for a fraction of the price and double the hospitality. We are spending the majority of our time at "home" with our new families, eating home cooked food while sharing stories in Spanish and English. In Puerto Natales, Hostal Alcazar was our first home, where Alejandro, his wife Sandra and two young children share their home with up to 29 guests. A long table in the front room is where we relaxed under the huge, warm skylights, reading, having a meal or chatting with other guests in various languages over glasses of Chilean wine. The rooms are cleaned daily and are very comfortable, some with TVs or views of the snowy mountains. Alejandro's family treated us like their own and gave us a warm Chilean goodbye with kisses, hugs and ciaos. Our next home, the Alma Gaucha let us be a part of two families with co-owners and friends, Isabel and Johnny, who have created cozy lodgings in four rooms of a campo style, or ranch style home. Johnny and his sister are great hosts, cooking homemade food and teaching us about Chilean culture and folk music, while Isabel's teenage daughter helped us greatly with our Spanish. For dinner, everyone including the two dogs and cat, got together in the large backyard for an asado, or barbeque. It was quite an experience to spend time with Johnny and Isabel's husband, Marco, who are both campesinos, or ranchers. Johnny serenaded us with his amazing voice and guitar playing, then Marco showed Brad how to drink Sangria from the bota. The only other guests were a young Chilean couple, Natalia and Fransisco, who told us about their 8-day trek in the national park. We are eager to embark on our own adventures in the beautiful surrounds, but it's easy to get comfortable in Puerto Natales, just enjoying the genuine hospitality.

Travelers Tips:
**If you will do a lot of your South American travels in one country, such as Chile, it's better to get the Rough Guide just for that country, as the maps and town detail are much greater. But if you will travel quickly through all of South America, go for the Rough Guide to South America.

**Make an effort to learn some Spanish before you get here or when you arrive. The majority of tourists here are European and can speak some Spanish so the level of English in the tourism industry here is not that high. Spanish is fun and easy to pick up!