滞在していたプエルト・ナタレスからマゼラン海峡に面したプンタ・アレーナスまでバスで３時間。そこで南極への船は見つからなかったものの、ガイドプックにも載ってない世界最南端の村、プエルト・トーロへの漁船を見つけ便乗することにする。その際、漁船会社のMario Donoso氏には出航を待つ間、家に泊めてもらったりして大変世話になった。フィヨルドの中を船は進む。船員さんたちと一緒に食事をいただき、一夜明け最南端の居住区プエルト・トーロへ。ここはアルゼンチンとの国境管理のために設けられている、わずか数世帯の村だ。ホテルも何もなく、軍の基地に世話になる。駐屯しているのは若いチリ兵４人だけで、暇をもてあましていた。テレビも無く、楽しみといえば船で運ばれてくるビデオを見るぐらいだった（日本製機器で欧米のB級映画）。はるばるやってきた地はこんなものだったか、、、プンタ・アレーナスに帰る漁船に乗れず、１週間も待つことになるが、皆よくしてくれたのでそれなりにのんびり楽しく過ごした。ある家族に子供の似顔絵を頼まれたりもした。やっとのことで乗った帰りの漁船は大きなカニを満載していた。（日本にも輸出するらしい）

駐屯兵のGuido君と
With Guido, a soldier on duty.

It took 3 hours by bus from Puerto Natales, where I was staying, to Punta Arenas which faces to the Magellan Strait. Although I could not find a ship to the Antarctic, I found a fish boat to the world's southernmost village, Puerto Toro, which is not shown even in guidebooks, and decided to get on. I owe Mr. Mario Donoso a lot with the fish boat company for letting me stay at his house. The boat sailed in fiolds. I had dinner with crews, and next morning we arrived at the southernmost residential district, Puerto Toro . This village is located exclusively for the inspection purpose of the border with Argentina, and there are only a several households. Since no hotel was there, I stayed at a military base. There were only four young Chilean soldiers on duty, and they were very bored. They had no TV, and the only entertainment was to watch video tapes carried by boats. (Japanese VCR and European and American B movies) Coming from a long way, after all, this was the reality of the destination....

I could not get on the fish boat going back to Punta Arenas, and ended up waiting for a week. However, everybody was very nice to me, I could spend some relaxing time. One family asked me to draw their portraits. The fish boat I finally managed to get on had tons of big crabs. (They are exported to Japan, too.)

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