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Published: August 7th 2007
written by Miss Wendy O Hello Antartic Conditions, Hello Sunsets, Goodbye Sunshine.
Our last stop, and the coldest stop bbbbbrrrrr, in Argentina was El Calafate and El Chalten in South Patagonia. After muchos research and frustrating broken spanish conversations with various bus companies we decided to cop out of the 3 day bumpy bus ride from Bariloche to El Calafate and instead jump on a one hour flight! In hindsight we probably can't really afford it after Stuart spent AG$96 in the postoffice posting a letter back to Oz (don't ask but let's just say there may have been a breakdown in communication)
We spent the next day visiting Galcier Perito Moreno. Despite it being a bit of a tourist trap with an elaborate construction of boardwalks around the glacier, it was still amazing to see the largest glacier in Pategonia. It was surrounded by icebergs and huge boulders of ice that had recently broken off the glacier itself. You didn't need to stand listening for more than a few minutes before hearing the roar of huge chunks of ice breaking off the glacier and crashing down into the icey blue lake. Unfortunately we weren't lucky enough
to see a dramatic collapse of part of the gracier as had been witnessed by almost everyone else we have met in argentina who have been there, but the deafening gun shot sounds of ice callapsing within the glacier was still pretty kool!
We were given 3 hours to hang out by the glacier before heading back into El Calafate and after a few happy snaps and a walk on the boardwalks we were kinda done. I know I should really be writing about the amazement of witnessing a natural wonder of the world but it was a bit like a waterfall effect - once you've seen it ... you've seen it. So instead we wondered down to the jetty for some silly pics instead.
El Calafate itself was a cute wee town geared up for the mountains and the glaciers. It almost felt like a Swiss mountain village with lots of hot chocolate cafes and cozy restaurants with real coal fires.
That night we caught a bus to El Chalten. We rocked up at around 11pm into a one-horse frontier town invented less than 20 years ago. It was kinda eerie arriving late at night with
no street lights, no people but only 100 stray dirty beasts falling us around. The streets were dirt roads and it almost felt like something from a country and western movie. We checked into our tiny quiet hostel where everyone appeared to be asleep in the dorms when we arrived apart from the freaky weirdo serial-killer who ´welcomed´ us with his stares!
With only one day in El Chalten we were determined to get up early to go trekking in the Los Glaciers National Park and get a glimpse of Fitz Roy (at 3441m) and Glacier Torre. Once again it looks like Stuart and I have just missed the season here as things are starting to close down for the winter and the bad weather is coming in fast. Despite the rain and the freezing temperature we wrapped up and set off. The trail led us up the mountain, alongside the blue icey glacier river, through an alpine forrest and eventually to Glacier Torre. Although only a fraction of the size of Morena, it felt way more natural and breathtaking. With no-one else around we sat in silence for a while at the edge of the glacier lake taking
Moreno Glacier
.. from the boardwalk!in the view and eating our lunch. Below the lake is a moonscape of rubble deposited by the glacier over millions of years. This sand stone and gigantic bolder morraine looked like something from Star Wars. When the feeling had finally left my fingers and toes we set off back to the village for some warm soup.
Tomorrow we leave Argentina and head West on the bus to Puerto Natales in Chile. It is both sad and exciting to leave Argentina. On to our next adventure .....
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Carina
non-member comment
WOW!
I have read every word at least 3 times! and nooooo this does not mean i have a poor reading skill level.... just enjoying so much every word and every adventure - more so when it comes to my home country! Hope my fellow argies have treated you well! xxxx carina