Serenity Found in the Chilean Andes

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“Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity”.- Thich Nhat Hanh

I just returned from a little over a week in Central Chile and am filled with the serenity of being in one of the places I love best, the mountains. While I have much catching up to do, I will take it slowly and allow myself time to reflect on what a remarkable experience I had. There is nothing like being outside in the mountains to take you away from all the worries and problems in this world. Far away from the internet, the ugly news and media, I feel so utterly free I could cry in tears of joy. If only I could keep that serenity inside me forever. But we all know it is not possible. The constant bombardment of news is difficult to ignore and hard to bare. So I will work on trying my best to avoid it.

I look forward to sharing my trip with you. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from my six-hour hike to the Juncal Glacier, located two hours outside of Santiago in the heart of the Andes.

“Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people”. –  Jawaharlal Nehru

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.- Reinhold Niebuhr

This post was inspired by the Weekly Photo Challenge: Serene.

29 thoughts on “Serenity Found in the Chilean Andes”

  1. restlessjo – Hi! I’m Jo! Johanna when I’m feeling posh, Jan to my Dad, and Joasiu to my Polish family. A bit of a mix-up, that’s me. The one constant, however, is my restless nature. I love to travel and to explore our world. It doesn’t have to be the big wide world. I can be ridiculously happy not too far from home, so long as I’m seeking new horizons. Of course I have a wish list, and it was to help me fulfil my dreams that I started to write travel guides for a venture called Simonseeks. I’d always kept a travel diary, and it was hugely satisfying to share my experiences and to make new friends who shared my passion for travel. Alas, Simonseeks hit a few troubles, but I still find myself writing about my travels. I’ve become addicted. I’d love to share them, and to make more friends. So, it has to be a blog- right? Or do I mean- write?
    restlessjo on said:

    I hope the family are well again, Nicole? I saw somewhere that the kids weren’t well?

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    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Jo! My son has had a very bad cold and hasn’t been at school now for over a week. I am hoping he is on the mend soon!

      Reply ↓

  2. Pingback: Serene: Washed – What's (in) the picture?

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you Sally! I sure do love being in nature and especially the mountains. My favorite place to be!

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  4. Alison and Don – Occupation: being/living/experiencing/travelling. In our sixties, with apparently no other authentic option, my husband Don and I sold our apartment and car, sold or gave away all our stuff and set off to discover the world. And ourselves. We started in Italy in 2011 and from there have travelled to Spain, India, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia, South America, Egypt, Japan, etc. - you can see the blog archive. We travelled full-time for nearly six years, and then re-established a home in Vancouver. We now travel 2-3 months per year. We are interested in how the world works, how life works, how the creation of experience works, how the mind works. As we travel and both "choose" our course, and at the same time just let it unfold, we discover the "mechanics" of life, the astounding creativity of life, and a continual need to return to trust and presence. Opening the heart, and acceptance of what is, as it is, are keystones for us both. Interests: In no particular order: travel, photography, figure skating (as a fan), acceptance, authenticity, walking/hiking, joy, creativity, being human, adventure, presence, NOW. Same for Don except replace figure skating with Formula One motor racing.
    Alison and Don on said:

    Lovely post Nicole. Is that you being a tree?
    Alison

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Alison! No, I saw this young woman doing all kinds of amazing yoga poses as we were hiking down. She was filming a yoga video and this was the one pose I captured. It was so beautiful.

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you so much Debbie! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  6. Beautiful photos! I lived in Peru for much of my early 20s and spent a lot of time in the Andes. It’s a truly magical landscape 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Wonderful! I enjoyed my visit to Peru and would really like to go back. I am mesmerized by mountains and the Andes are quite amazing!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Amy! I am so thankful that I was able to travel again with my dad. I’m inspired by how active he remains at 75 and hope we can continue to do more hiking. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply ↓

  8. I so agree with you that nothing is like being up in the mountains. Up there, I do stop thinking about the daily rut and worries and just exist here and now. The Andes is such a majestic mountain range, and you captured it (or some of it) beautifully in these images.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes…I wish I lived closer to the mountains as I’d be there much more often!

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  9. I look forward to hearing more about your Chilean trip as this is on our travel list.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks LuAnn! Chile is by far one of my most favorite countries. The first time I went was about 14 years ago with my husband and we did the Torres del Paine trek. It was amazing. This time my dad and I stayed in Central Chile and when I go back someday we are doing the lakes district and heading south as it is loaded with dozens of amazing national parks. I think a month is needed to see it all! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chile.

      Reply ↓

      • So glad to hear. We are planning a trip right now!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Yay! If you want any advice let me know. I think the lakes district is where I’d focus for hiking and then of course all the way to the southern tip. Our hotel in Santiago was AMAZING too.

      • I am all ears. Although I haven’t posted anything yet, I thought I might let my readers know where we are headed so I can get additional tips. We are planning to be there for 3 months, although we are going down on a one-way ticket unless we want to stay in the area longer. We plan to hike in the Lakes District, Torres del Paine, Los Glaciares, and more if we have the time. We are planning to fly into Santiago, then head south asap before the weather begins to change. We are flying to Santiago on 2/28. We will then slowly make our way back north. I would love to hear where you stayed in Santiago and any other tips you have for me. Were you blogging at the time?

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Oh wow LuAnn! So envious! Three months will be magnificent! In Santiago, you must stay at the small boutique hotel called CasaSur Charming Hotel. It is AMAZING! It is also the best neighborhood in all of Santiago and the owner and the staff are incredible which is why they continue to be rated number one on TripAdvisor. You will love all the places you are going to! Are you trekking on your own or hiring guides? Let me know as I have some good guides as well. You will love it!!!!

      • Thanks so much Nicole. I will check into CasaSur Charming Hotel. As for now we are planning to trek on our own but our plans may change as we get further into our research.

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Sounds wonderful LuAnn! 🙂

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Also, you probably should do the very southern tip of Chile/Patagonia right away as I think the prime trekking time is November-February and March may get even windier and wetter than it normally is. The weather down there is insane but if you are prepared for it then all is well! 🙂

      • We are planning to fly into Santiago on Feb. 28th, stay for a few days, then immediately head down to the southern tip to explore, then begin our trek back north. We know the weather will be wild at times and we are prepared for that. Thanks for that tip!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Great LuAnn! It was years ago when we did the W Trek at Torres del Paine however I think you will want to make sure to reserve huts in advance. You can do it alone and stay at the refugios but they are small. We hired Cascada Expeditioccones and they were AMAZING! They are rated number 1 on TripAdvisor and are amazing as they have an incredible EcoLodge and they cook you awesome dinners!

      • Thanks again Nicole!

  10. thestork245 – Aberhafesp Powys Cymru – Hi, my name is Mick, and I'm 65 years of age. I keep Bees, watch and feed wild birds, record moths and butterflies, spend time observing the comings and goings of our bats as they go about their nocturnal activities. I do my best to encourage wildlife into our garden and provide all it needs to thrive. My reward? Its presence. I enjoy history, and natural history watching countless documentaries on the subjects. I read a lot. The only requirement is that the subject matter interests me. If it does, I read it. I'm not a recluse, far from it; I just enjoy my own company, preferring to be in my self made protective bubble of balance and tranquility. I do like to venture out but preferably on my own terms. Tarot card reading also plays an important role in my day to day life. It intrigues me. All of the above help me to distract from the thorn in my side, my disability.
    thestork245 on said:

    Your photo’s allow the landscape to speak volumes. Thank you.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Oh thank you so much!!!

      Reply ↓

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