Planner Part 1: Why Chile?

This is my column. It is paired with my daughters column. She just wanted to write one blog, but we’ve morphed it into a series that we alternately write. Two people, two perspectives, narrated in acts, like a play’s script, describing an epic journey that we took as a family to the Torres.

By: Samya Ghosh.
February 21, 2020

“We’re going to Chile this year”, I declared. My wife ignored me because we already had Alaska in our vacation plans and this probably sounded to her like I was thinking aloud.

A little bit of background about us is probably useful at this point.

Our (my wife – Ritika and 2 daughters – Ishani:14 at this time and Shubhangi:12) vacations have typically constituted visits to tourist towns, Cruises, the obligatory visits to the Disney, Universal as the kids were growing up and taking in a few of the major national parks – Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Utah Big 4. Most often, we’ve called vacations a trip back to India to visit the grandparents and keep the kids connections to their roots alive.

The kids were a little older now and it was dawning on me that I had only a few more years to create some lasting memories for Ishani before she flew the nest. Memories that she would retain not just for who she was with, but where she was. It was also the summer / fall when climate change reporting became prominent. It was the UN Climate Conference I think that had driven some of the increased level of reporting. And while I was aware of climate change I was not an active participant in reacting to it.

That changed as I read more and became aware of what exactly climate change was doing to us. I’m not an activist and this awareness might bring some profound behavioral changes to others, but what it did for me was made me aware of my personal responsibilities – consume less, recycle more, drive an electric car etc. In addition I came to conclude that one my legacies could be to show my daughters some unique places on Earth as it existed circa 2019 (and 2020, 2021, 2022) because by the time they were older, many of these places would have changed beyond recognition.

I believe in human caused climate change. I think the generations born in the 20th century will be responsible for a mutilated Earth, before our ashes become a part of it. But, if you’re here you’re probably a friend that was asked to read this travel booklet, or you found us on the 34th search page of a Google search about Torres. Good for you for sticking with it past the first 33, so I won’t bore you with climate proselytizing.

So why Chile? Because Patagonia.

The Antarctic south – which includes (ecologically, I think its called Magellanic and Antarctic Chile) Patagonia share some of the same characteristics as the Antarctic itself. This region along with the Arctic north is perhaps experiencing some of the most visible changes as weather warms. Glaciers are receding, flora and fauna are being driven out. But even as this changes, they still represent a slice of world that is so unique, so diverse and so remote as to merit being on anybody’s travel plans. Torres Del Paine in Chilean Patagonia is also rated as one of the best backpacking trails on Earth. So why not Chile?

Another word of explanation is perhaps due. We are, as my audit of our past vacations might have shown not very outdoorsy. Snorkeling in a calm bay, jetski’ing in Lake George have sort of been the extent of our outdoor explorations. So I can’t explain why Alaska (back country backpacking) and Chile (trail backpacking) came to define our list. But as Ishani writes: thank God it did. This turned out to be one of our best vacations ever. Over and above everything else – the place, the newness of the backpacking experience, I think this has kindled in my kids 3 characteristics that as parents we always want to see develop:

1. Curiousness for the unknown in new places and things, ideas

2. Fearlessness in trying out new stuff knowing some of these may be a failure

3. Resilience: knowing that their personal physical and mental boundaries are maybe just a little bit beyond what they had expected

I’ll let Ishani’s blogs walk you through the narrative of the journey. I’ll pair this with useful information on the logistics of what made that possible.

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