Happily Ever After

After a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast of eggs, cereal and tea, we packed our own bag lunches with all of the Chilean basics (cheese, avocado, tomatoes, salmon) and headed out on our first trek to Lago Grey (Grey Lake). On the way, we stopped at Salto Grande and spotted a waterfall. As we approached we saw a rainbow right over the falls! On to Lago Grey, but before we headed onto the boat to reach the massive glacier we stopped at a local hotel to hit the bathrooms, and spotted two gray fox cubs playing just ten feet away. They barely knew we were there and Jay caught them in a picture mid-air! While we were still in shock with how close they were, we heard a deep rumbling and all of a sudden, a huge chunk of glacier fell off an iceberg! Everywhere we turned it seemed, was an incredible act of nature to be witnessed. Once on the lake, it was amazing to see just how grey it really was from all of the rock sediment. The glacier was massive, beautiful and majestic and as we approached, we were served pisco sours on the deck with glacier ice!! Jay toasted Glacier Grey, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. On the drive home we saw another amazing sunset AND a full moon. Jay would tell me later that was when he knew he would propose that night. The usual inky blackness of the Patagonian night was so lit up by the moon, we could have literally hiked in the darkness. Dinner was beef and potatoes – a welcome meal after such a long day and then we headed back to our cozy hut. Once inside, we sat in our chairs by the fire looking at the Torres Del Paine through our floor to ceiling window. After a bit, Jay asked me to come outside with him to see the full moon again before we went to bed at about 11:30. I was getting cold quickly and turned to go inside, but felt a tug on my arm, turned to face Jay, and found him down on one knee, proposing. I will never forget the awe I felt as I said yes to marrying him under the Patagonian stars at the base of the Torres Del Paine range. We went to bed with the fire burning low, ready to start the rest of our lives together.