One of the things that I (N) love about this country is it’s no-nonsense approach to a sandwich. Every restaurant we’ve been to has “Barro Luco” on the menu, which is a winning combination of meat, bread, cheese, and mayonnaise. The meat is pounded flattish and the sandwich served hot. Delightful, drippy, and inexpensive, the Barro Luco has turned into my go-to meal.
Puerto Natales is a three-hour drive north of Punta Arenas, through kilometer upon kilometer of sparsely populated pampas. About 15,000 folks call it home, most making their living off of tourism somehow. It too is a coastal town, but the mountains in the distance loom large. It seems a much cheerier place than Punta Arenas, and brightly colored houses line the streets. Tourists are everywhere, as is the Milodon, the official town mascot.
The Milodon, we eventually figured out, is a giant, prehistoric sloth. A cave with Milodon fossils was discovered about 15 minutes north of town, and ever since the sloth has been proudly displayed all over Natales. The silhouette graces every street sign, a 20-foot tall statue greets people entering the town, and the Milodon namesake is a part of numerous Natales’ businesses. Milodon Taxi, Milodon Ferretaria, Milodon Hostal, etc.
And so it comes as no surprise that I find myself eating a Barro Luco at the Milodon Cafe, reminiscing on Natales highlights. They include:
Teresa—the woman who greeted us as we got off the bus from Arenas. She drove us to her hostel, set us up, and helped us get our bearings. But the nice thing is how sweet she was. She treated us like grandkids, and was affectionate and sweet like a grandmother.
The Elementary School—it has a UV Warning System. There is, of course, a hole in the ozone layer here and UV is a big problem. The school has a system similar to our homeland security terror alert system, but it seems much friendlier. Probably a heck of a lot more useful and accurate to boot.
The Chuchos—are everywhere. None as good as Taxi, though.
The Views—there are a couple of hills in the city that you can summit, and the views of the ocean and mountains are amazing.
The Quaintness/Remoteness—other than the weather (Oy Vey, talk about wind!), Natales is just a charming little town. As Jess put it, it’s the “million little things that come together that make you really like a place”.
The r2d2 trash cans- charming.
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