Chile: A Night with the Milky Way

Stunning, isn't it? 

We were in Palena, Chile working with Patagonia Sur Foundation and made friends with a local guy who happens to be the coolest, nicest Patagonian (along with his friend, Fabian) fly fisherman. Ricardo not only took this photo but he invited me along with Sarah and Heather into his truck for a ride out to see the stars. You may be used to dancing until 5AM at a Santiago disco or going to the movies with your significant other in Anytown. This trumps most music festivals and fine dining nights.

We piled into a truck at the Fondation house and took wine and fancy cameras to check out God's brilliance. Poor beyond-pregnant Esmeralda the house cat was left behind with a wood burning stove. Patagonia late summer nights are chilly: I had on 2 pairs of pants, socks, 3 top layers and a hat and on the way out there we laughed and sang, without any idea of how marvelous and stunning of a night sky we were about to see.

Just a few minutes out of town and we were surrounded by clean, pure air and the silhouette of jet black mountains. Staring into one slice of the sky was like having God turn a kaleidoscope for me; more and more stars appeared.

Heather captured the Milky Way on her camera & uploaded it to Instagram

Within minutes shooting stars shot across the curved sky and the Milky Way loomed overhead, the brightest and most incredible rainbow of stars. There is just no way I can describe how amazing this night was - to see so many stars, no lights and be surrounded in all directions by mountains.

Song lyrics streamed through my mind… "You placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name." Indescribable. There isn't anything like seeing such a luminous, unfiltered and curvaceous Milky Way, feeling like it I could walk across its arch or I could reach up and polk a star.

Blue and red, bright and clear. Sarah, Ricardo and Heather each had fancy cameras; I've got an iPhone.  They had a holiday shooting and we had a blast setting some fun photos!

And had an encounter with the local police. Of course. Drinking in public in Chile? Not okay. Shoot! Once the gentlemen found out we were with Ricardo and just taking photos, they left us in peace. Ricardo mentioned that their department has an outstanding balance at his store; so, Ricardo is the boss of the police right now! Good man to have around!

I felt like I was wrapped in a blanket of twinkling stars, protected by the strength of the mountains and that all 4 of us were filled with a magical energy from the far away heat of Blue Supergiants and White Dwarfs. We danced, we strained our necks and we soaked in the millions and millions of white, blue and red stars that danced above us.