Airport musings

It's one thing to go into an airport during peak hours when you're surrounded by hundreds of fuming people and every step you take is egged on by the mutterings of an angry crowd. It's another thing entirely to go in off hours. There were no lines, no people, no rush. I ducked under the queue dividers in the scanning room and went straight to the head. The guards were much more laid back and even asked where I was going. I cracked a couple jokes and juggled for them. They thought it was fun.

(It's a little interesting making jokes in Spanish. Given my grasp of the language is two steps below "pitiful" I can't tell complex narratives or play language games or convey complicated remarks. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of a combination of a few choice words and a lot of pantomime. The latter's been godsent in general. Since I keep on forgetting the words for "allergic" and "die", I explain that I can't eat nuts by saying "Nueces" and making clutching my throat. I can get some pretty detailed ideas across with only body language. This must be what it's like to not have autism.)

Aeroportuario Williams is totally unlike the other ones I've been in. I could charitably describe it as 'functional' and less charitably as 'collapsing'. Most of the walls are plywood and corkboard. I could probably knock it over with a strong kick.

I'm presented with my first dilemma within minutes of landing. I wanted to spend Friday seeing Torres del Paine. The standard way to do that is to take a three hour trip to Puerto Natales, do it at 8 AM, then head back around 6. But I found a tour that leaves directly from Punta Arenas. Sure, it's slightly more expensive and has longer hours (5 AM - 10 PM), but I wouldn't have the Natales hassle. Plus I don't have to find two hostels and get to spend Thursday in Punta Arenas, widely considered to be a more interesting city. In the end cost and curiosity beat convenience. The guides I spoke to said launching from Natales gives a better tour, and I'm inclined to trust people who've been doing this their whole lives.

The first bus to Purto Natales leaves at 8 AM. I'm writing this at 6. I vaguely consider napping, but then I discover the free internet. I can upload my first post before I even set foot in the city. Looks like it's gonna be a long day.