El Calafate

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Leaving El Chalten we were looking forward to getting to El Calafate to see some civilisation and of to see the Perito Moreno glacier. To be honest I was really fussed about seeing the glacier....it´s just like a big iceberg isn´t it? However it is one of the must see things to do in Argentina and we have to pass through it in order to get back up North.

The bus journey from Chalten to Calafate is only 4 hours (we were delighted!) and we got to stop at service station run by a friendly family that seem to keep every animal under the sun. They have a pet cow,puppy,cat a,dog and a friendly guanaco (a smaller version of a llama) that keeps himself occupied by standing behind the counter to help serve the tea much to the amusement of all the customers.

Arriving in El Calafate we went to a hostel that was full but they told us we could stay in their sister hostel which was re-opening for the season that day at a very special rate of 30pesos. It wasn´t however that special because whenwe turned up we were given dirty sheets, the lockon the door didnt work and thie ´fully equipped´was only fully equipped with a stove! Also the shower was a trickle of water that wouldn´t get a hamster wet! Fine for Bolivia but we are in Argentina!

Anyway after getting over the hostel trauma we hired a taxi and headed off to the see the glacier. So much for a big iceberg! This thing was incredible! Spanning 14 by 4 km and 60m high it was possibly one of the most spectacular things we have seen! It is constantly advancing whilst bits are breaking off and the sound of what appeared to be only a small bit of ice from our persepective sounded like a bomb going off it was so loud. Trying to get a video clip of the ice breaking off was pretty hard and much to Seamus annoyance he missed a huge chunk falling off because I was taking a photo of a bird....oops!

We stayed at the glacier for 2 hours but to be honest could have spent a whole day just listening to it creaking and cracking and just taking it in its sheer size!

Since arriving in South America we have seen so many amazing things that each time we go somewhere new we figure it can´t possibly be as good as the place before, but it just gets better and better! The glacier would definately be one of the highlights. With only three weeks left in South America we can´t imagine what else we are going see...surely we have seen it all except the beaches?

Our next stop is Bariloche in the lake district on the boarder of Patagonia. It will be the longest bus ride yet! We leave at 3am Thursday morning and arrive at 10.30am Friday morning......ouch!

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Comments

[Jordana]

Bird
That is the most beautiful bird shot Tash!!