The Lake House

A small house stood just outside the city of Puerto Natales, nestled on the shore of a lake in Almirante Montt Bay, in Chilean Antarctica. And, as one might expect in Antarctica, it was cold, bitterly so. The house was warmed by a wood-burning stove, its steady heat a quiet comfort against the chill.

But the real warmth came from the windows, which opened onto a world of breathtaking beauty: shimmering lakes, rugged mountains, and an endless flurry of life. Ducks by the thousands, along with countless other birds, filled waters, their presence a vivid reminder of the wild abundance of this remote land.