Perito Moreno

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Out of Chile, and into argentinian Patagonia. The sign at the border said 'The Malvinas are Argentinian'- the only really large sign there; maybe to reflect the 25 year anniversary of the lost war. Gary has a UK passport, but mine's Irish, so I told him he's on his own, loyal as ever ! A 5 hour bus journey over the pampas brought us to el Calafate. The pampas was just what you expect, a vast expanse of nothing- no houses, or people, and barely a road. The bus spent half the journey on a dirt road. A few guanacos, rheas, sheep on huge estancias and that's just about it all the way.
Ther hotel in Calafate is very new, all wood, like a big cabin, so we're lucky. The town itself is very much a tourist place, restaurants, and shops, but some very upmarket looking shops too. The attraction here is mainly the Perito Moreno glacier, so that was this morning's trip. It didn't disappoint - massive, splitting away noisly, creaking, menacing and very beautiful- the feeling that nature will have its way whatever man wants. There'a very good boat trip by the glacier too, impressive as you get so close and it's so large as it crackles and pops into Lake Argentina. The climate seems very different to Chile, only a few miles further north that Puerto Natales but sunny and warm, with 16 hours of light- barely needs thinking about home with 7 hours of murky daylight right now, so we're going to enjoy it here to the hilt. But a very short stop, then BA for a day and the homeward leg via few days in Rio. Now where's my Carmen Miranda outfit?

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Photos

Perito Moreno
Is this Perito, or just a tourist trying not to look impressed?

On the boat
the 50m high wall is a bit threatening when viwed from the boat. Every now and then a bit falls off the glacier and crashes into the lake. The strangely green lake and blue parts of the glacier make for an unexpected mix of colours.

Rhea not Rio
A glimpse of the not very visible woldlife on the pampas od southern Argentina