One hell of a frozen river!

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After leaving El Chalten, and saying good bye to the phenomenal restaurant which we frequented every night, we headed the 220 km south towards the town of El Calafate. Arriving in mid-afternoon during the high season it quickly became clear that a reservation was needed and that finding a place to stay for our last two nights as a family would be difficult. Having enough of searching, mom and Laurence stumbled upon a very nice hotel and decided to splurge offering to pay for our rooms in this fancy place (thanks again). The rooms were fantastic and it was like heaven sleeping in the enormous King sized beds. Not to mention a little TV and some movies and we were set for our two days of luxury. Went out for a good lunch and then back to the rooms for some quiet time and siestas.

The next morning we awoke early in order to beat the crowds to the Glacier Perito Moreno and enjoy this natural wonder in peace. The early wake up call was definetly worth it as we were one of the first people to arrive at the site. Rounding the bends in the road on our way to the park, it was difficult not to be impressed by the sheer size and accessiblity of this glacier. This feeling became even stronger after exiting the truck and making our way down the boardwalk to the viewing platforms just in front of this very active glacier. One of the few glaciers holding its own, this river of ice is advancing 2 meters per day down the mountina slopes, eventually reaching the lake and calving gigantic ice bergs into its frigid waters.

The atmosphere was great given the lack of crowds and the continual creaking and ing coming from the glacier. We were even lucky enough to watch as large pieces of ice fell from the glacier into the icy blue waters... very cool.

We stayed for a couple of hours and decided to make our way back to El Calafate just as the throngs of tourist buses began arriving. Very cool site and worth the effort of coming to the southern portion of Argentina. We finished the day off with a great final dinner in a nice restaurant close to the hotel. LAurence and I took risottos while mom and Scott enjoyed one of their last good steaks in Argentina. It was a great day and night and a wonderful way to close our vacation together.

The next day, we packed up our things, swapped some gear and enjoyed a cold beer before making our way to the airport and our final good-byes. It was a hell of an adventure and one that wont be forgotten soon. The addition of Lise and Jean Lemay and then mom and Scott was incredible and we could not have asked for a better time during the last 5 weeks. What a great trip! Saying good-byes were tough and I was sad to see both mom and Scott go, knowing that it will be another 5 months until I see them again, but I guess that{s part of travelling.

Now Laurence and I start our own adventure, heading north to Venezuela over the coming months, however our first stop will be Mendoza to return the amazing Toyota Helix which www.terzia.com.ar rented us for an incredible price. Anyone looking for a truck in Mendoza should contact these guys. Now all we have to do is drive the beast back 3500km and then make our way onto a bus for Bolivia... Piece of cake!

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Photos

Perito Moreno Glacier
Great access to see this puppy

Oh the joy of driving in the pampas
This goes on and on and on......