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Published: January 10th 2009
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I crossed back into Argentinia to spend Christmas in Argentina use it as my launching point down to El Calafate...my entry into Argentinian Patagonia.
Christmas in Salta, northwest Argentinia was good fun. The main meal is around 11pm on Christmas Eve and come midnight, piles of fireworks are exploded. I went to midnight mass in Salta and I pitied the priest...as he tried to vye with the noise of exploding fireworks and scared barking dogs as they ran down the main aisle of the church away from the fireworks! Ahh...you wouldn´t get this at midnight mass in Cork or Sydney....you may have to deal with the local drunks though...not sure what´s worse!
After Christmas I flew from Salta to El Calafate which is way down south in Argentina and home of the Perito Merano Glacier. This glacier is one of the few stable glaciers in the world, ie neither retreating or advancing and it is huge....its edge where it meets the lake is 5km long and it is around 100m tall in places. I was lucky enough to see a huge shard of ice splinter away from the main glacier...the sound it made was thunderous...this piece of ice collapsed
into the lake and caused a wave one could surf on! Then, a few seconds later when I thought it was all over, the ice that had splintered away rose back up to the surface of the lake and finally floated way to become a largish iceberg...a spectacular sight...one I won´t forget in a long time! This is how I spent New Years Day...not a bad way to welcome in 2009!
I really liked the feel of El Calafate...the sun was shining during the day with blue skies but the wind howls down in that part of the world! And it could get cold, very cold! The town itself is small, very alpine in look and feel...full of outdoor equipment shops and chocolates shops...as is most towns in Patagonia! Its the theme here...outdoor sports and chocolate!
Spent a few happy days here in El Calafate, hiking the glacier, crossing into Torres Del Paine for a day where I unfortunately didn´t get a chance to do the W circuit walk...maybe it was best....when I was there the winds were howling between 50-70kmph and the weather was unsettled to say the least! But I hope to come back here again
someday and do a proper trip of Patagonia...am only scratching the surface on this trip.
I then started my travels up Ruta 40 (made famous by either Che Guervara or Ewan McGregor...maybe both..not sure). Stopped off in El Chalten a very remote alpine type village, where I did the best 2 days hiking of my life...the views here of Cerro Torres and Fitzroy are breathtakingly amazing...snow capped jagged granite spires jutting out from a range of lesser spires. These peaks are a famous destination for rock climbers but I was just glad to be able to see them...they were beautiful. I could have spent so much longer in this area (northern part of Pargue National de Glaciers). Lots of trekking to be done. Must come back!
In El Calafate I shared a dorm with the worst snorer I have ever met. After two nights of no sleep I moved into another room not before nearly physically abusing the guy. He was soo bad...the room shook. He admitted he had a bit of a problem... a bit! The guy shouldn´t be allowed in a bed within earshot if any other living human being! The night I moved out I
saw a new girl who had just moved into the dorm and she was practically smothering herself with the pillow in an attempt to drown out the sound...but to no avail. I have learnt from this trip that perhaps dorms are no longer the way for me to go...I do value a good night´s sleep!
2 days of bus rides and I arrived in Bariloche, a very picturesque village on the shore of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Arrived in peak Argentinian tourist season so the town and surrounding areas were really busy but it was fun. Spectacular blue lakes and forests in this region so spent a fantastic day cycling around the Circuito Chico, a 30km scenic loop around the best villages and lakes. Some great hiking here also. A very friendly place to hang out and chill...lots of St Bernards dogs and more chocolate! Also lots of tea-houses which of course I love. One part of Patagonia I didn´t get to see was the eastern part which was settled by Welsh immigrants in the 1800s and is now famous for Welsh tea houses! Well, after completing the cycling aroung Circuito Chico, I was of course gagging for a good
cup of Welsh tea (as you do) and what do you know, there was a Welsh tea house right there. Turns out the lady of the house is married to a descendent of the Welsh immigrants from Patagonia and she and her hubbie have set up this tea-house in Bariloche. Anyways, it was one of the best cups of tea I have had in South America and I was happy to have found it. The lady of the house put on some Welsh music for me...well what she thought was Welsh music...hadn´t the heart to tell her she was playing "The Best of Irish Music Part 1" CD...she was delighted I knew so many "Welsh" songs...anyways I left her to her devices and her Welsh/Irish CD!
And then it was into Chile but not before doing the Lakes Crossing from Bariloche, Argentina to Puerte Varas, Chile. A great day´s journey through some spectacular lakes in this regions, ringed by snow-capped conical volcanos. The weather has been perfect here over the past few days...been so lucky. Puerto Varas was discovered by Germans back in the late 1800s and does have a very Germanic feel. Very ordered! Again another place I
want to revisit.
And now I am back in Santiago! Bringing my blog upto date and preparing to leave for Easter Island tomorrow and back to Sydney in a week...how times flies! I know i haven´t done Patagonia or Chile musch justice but I guess it is somewhere I can always come back to and hope I will some day. I may be old (well older) and grey then but I´ll be back!
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Fiona
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I'm sooo jealous
Hiya, Sounds like you pretty much recreated my journey around Patagonia. It's such an amazing place - the Cerro Torre, Cerro fitzroy hike is definately the best that I've ever done. Would love to be back there. Enjoy Easter Island.