For a European, walking along the shore with the view of the Strait of Magellan it must mean that I am travelling again as my mind wanders back to the history books from school lessons. Along with the Egyptian pyramids, suddenly those places take shape in my mind and what until then was just something printed on paper. It is now fuelling the imagination of my current adventures. The explorer’s utopia becomes reality before my eyes. Time stops, and this is the feeling that pervades my entire stay in the southernmost region of the world.
Since childhood, I have always had a fascination with the mountains, their mysteries and the sense of freedom that I feel from them. Maybe because I was born and raised near the sea, they say you want what you have not got. So the closer I got to the Torres Del Paine the more I felt the excitement, building within me. Facing for the first time these mountains, my expectations are immediately exceeded.
The site leaves me speechless from the moment I enter the park, the silence, and the colours of sunset painted on an unforgettable canvas. Excited I wake up early to take advantage of the day and start out along the “W”, a path between the towers so that I can admire the splendour of this unspoilt place. Yes, unspoilt, a word we can not use often in Europe as year after year, it begins to lose its meaning.
I remember the mountain village that I used to visit as a child, it has changed rapidly: the stables began to make way for the construction of houses, hotels and buildings, asphalt roads through the woods and the bars and restaurants have taken spaces alongside nature and have become the resting place for the trekkers at the end of the trek.
The Torres Del Paine maintains and preserves the spirit of the mountain. A spirit that infects the minds of people who visit them: We are all friends, travelling the path and sharing the experience of this beautiful wilderness or enjoying a coffee or hot chocolate upon arrival at the shelter. We hear stories of travel, life from the new acquaintance who happens to find themselves in your company, a new friend with whom you are sharing these unforgettable moments. Yes, time stops at the Torres del Paine.
WRITTEN BY LUCA MATTESCO
