Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 20: Detained as Political Prisoners in Puerto Natales.
This morning the streets are quiet. There is black smoke from a bonfire to the east. There was a note under my door that said to have our bags ready to leave by 09:00. I don’t know if that means the roads will be open? If I don’t add more to this post, it may mean that we are moving — but that could be towards Punta Arenas or back to Argentina.
More info. The Red Cross list is now over 1000 stranded here in Puerto Natales. An additional 4000-5000 are stranded in the National Park.
An update from the Mathre family regarding the status of the photography trip to Patagonia: (taken from David Mathre by Erik via a phone call)
As of 6:30 EST, the Red Cross has gotten the photography group along with about 1,000 others into a Red Cross temporary refugee center in Puerto Natales where they are awaiting transfer by bus to a local airport and then by Air Force transport planes to Punta Arenas or Calafate Argentina. Hopefully, from there they can catch a flight to Santiago. Starting Monday, the Red Cross hopes to start getting the 5,000 or so out of Torres del Paine National Park.
Standing in Line. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 5.1 mm, f/2.2, 1/100 sec).E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 10.7 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec).Waiting with our Luggage. E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 5.1 mm, f/2, 1/13 sec).Waiting in the E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 320, 5.1 mm, f/2, 1/60 sec).Certificate from the Gobernador of Southern Chile Documenting that we have been Detained in Puerto Natales. E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 160, 10.7 mm, f/2.8, 1/80 sec).Chile Red Cross Worker in the E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 19.2 mm, f/3.3, 1/125 sec).Waiting with our luggage in the E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 160, 5.1 mm, f/2, 1/60 sec).Sharing food from a Grocery Store Run in the E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 160, 5.1 mm, f/2, 1/60 sec).Pasta Lunch in the E 3 School Auditorium. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 400, 10 mm, f/2.6, 1/20 sec).Red Cross/Chilean Military Buses and Truck. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 7.5 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec).Chilean Military. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 17.1 mm, f/3.2, 1/200 sec).Chilean Military Luggage Transport Truck. Red Cross Refuge Center, Puerto Natales E3 School. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 6.4 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec).Passing the Road Blockade in the Red Cross Bus. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 125, 6.4 mm, f/3.2, 1/500 sec).Red Cross Buses at the Puerto Natales Regional Airport. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 125, 5.1 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec).Puerto Natales Regional Airport Terminal. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 250, 5.1 mm, f/2, 1/60 sec).Luggage Carts Outside the Puerto Natales Regional Airport Terminal. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 5.1 mm, f/4, 1/800 sec).Chilean Pilot Outside the Puerto Natales Regional Airport Terminal. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 13.9 mm, f/2.9, 1/160 sec).Chilean Air Force B-737 Refugee Transport at Puerto Natales Regional AirportAerial View of Puerto Natales. Snapshot taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 7.5 mm, f/2.5, 1/100 sec).
22-January-2011 edit: Check out Thom Hogan’s blog about being held hostage in southern Chile.
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 19: Detained as Political Prisoners in Puerto Natales.
Another day and nothing has changed much. The locals are still patrolling the town in cars with black flags (black garbage bags) or the local flag. The vehicles range from old pickup trucks to high-end sports cars. We checked out of the hotel at noon, but will probably check in again in a bit. The locals tell us that we are not hostages since we can walk through the picket line and then walk 20-30 km with our luggage to the Argentine border (but don’t go off the road because of the minefields). They have not been letting ambulances through. There is a doctor here to do two kidney transplants in Punta Arenas that cannot get to the hospital. News has made it to the BBC, but we don’t see much if any coverage in the US press. There are several hundred tourists stranded here in Puerto Natales, many more in Punta Arenas, and 4000-5000 stranded in Torres del Paine National Park. The protest is over the repeal of a fuel credit of ~$6/month for this region. All of the cars and trucks driving around for the last several days checking to see if each house has a black flag flying and making sure that we don’t try to sneak out have already burned through much more money. This is going to devastate the economy in the region once the word gets out and tourist stop coming. The US Embassy in Santiago did finally issue a press release today to a Chile travel site (and not on the US State Dept site) — but no guidance or help getting out of the country.
Black Flag Protesters Patrol the streets of Puerto Natales (David J Mathre)Strikers on Patrol, Driving Through Puerto Natales. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 125, 5.3 mm, f/5, 1/500 sec).Strikers on Patrol in Sports Car, Driving Through Puerto Natales. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 125, 5.3 mm, f/5, 1/500 sec).Refuges Living Rough on the Street of Puerto Natales Cooking Lunch. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 49.2 mm, f/4.9, 1/250 sec).Hotel and Rainbow. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 5.1 mm, f/5.4, 1/1000 sec).
22-January-2011 edit: Check out Thom Hogan’s blog about being held hostage in southern Chile.
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 18: Detained as Political Prisoners in Puerto Natales.
We are still sitting in a hotel in Puerto Natales. The roads continue to be blocked, and we have no idea when we will be able to get to the airport in Punta Arenas. In essence we are being held political prisoners since we are not able to leave this small town and this country. Does anyone remember “Missing”.
Update as of 3 PM local. We were looking at an option to return to Argentina and fly back from Calafate. A bus would bring us to the road block and we would have to walk across with our entire luggage. Another bus would pick us up on the other side. The protesters told the driver we could walk across the line, but they would then destroy the bus. So we are probably spending another night in Puerto Natales. The harbor was also closed due to the strike, so that also was not an option.
Update at 5 PM Local. We just checked back into the Hotel.
Fishing Boat in Pureto Natales Harbor. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (David J Mathre)Hotel Australis in Pureto Natales overlooking the “Fjord of Last Hope.” Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (David J Mathre)
22-January-2011 edit: Check out Thom Hogan’s blog about being held hostage in southern Chile.
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 17: Travel from Torres del Paines National Park to Punta Arenas.
We had been hearing about a general strike in southern Chile. Today we found out it was real. Our bus took a back route out of the National Park to avoid a road block, since shutting down the park was one of the strikers objectives. This doesn’t make sense since tourism is a major source of income for the region. We ran into our first road block near a small airport. Several cars blocked the road, and the people ran around in the rain with their black flags (plastic garbage bags). After 15-20 minutes, the cars withdrew and raced down the road to presumable the next road block. The next road block at the intersection of the highway to Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas was more significant. Trucks were used to block the road and a big pile of wood was being set up for a bon fire. The Guardia watched but didn’t do anything. A strike leader who appeared drunk came up to the bus and told us we couldn’t go through to either Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales. He did have a solution for us – we could carry all of our gear and luggage through the strike line and catch a ride to the next town. As we walked through, the cars honked, people jeered, and wave their black flags. Once we were through the line, we realized that all of the local taxis were part of the strike, and no local busses would come to pick us up. It was going to be a several mile walk into Puerto Natales in the rain. I was having a really hard time with a residual cough and being run down from a respiratory infection earlier in the trip. Finally, a farmer with a pick-up stopped and took a couple of us and most of our luggage. I would not have made it without his help. During the walk into town, 125 vehicles passed us – many honking. This farmer was the only one that stopped to help. It was clear that there was no way we would be getting to the airport in Punta Arenas for our flights on Wednesday. I called AMEX and had tentative flight reservations made for the following two days. At this point it is not clear how much longer I will be stuck in Chile. This is a lousy way to end this photo workshop, and has really soured any interest in visiting Chile again. Rob is doing the best he can to find out when we can get to the airport. In the mean time, I should be able to catch up on some of my images.
Roadblock outside of Pureto Natales Chile. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (David J Mathre)
22-January-2011 edit: Check out Thom Hogan’s blog about being held hostage in southern Chile.
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 15: Hosteria Lago Grey.
Early Morning Rainbow from Hosteria Lago Grey, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Composite of two images from a Nikon D3x and 24-120 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 sec) combined using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
