In Patagonia

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Its 1st December, and am in El Calafate

This trip is just amazing......am here specifically for the Parc Nationale des Glaciares.......

Back to yesterday morning which had me visiting the strangest place for me on a trip......a jail!!!!!
It was considered one of the worst places anyone could be sent......all the worst murderers in Argentina were sent to Ushuaia.....they have kept it prety much as it was......it felt very chilling and jarring being there....anyway made for some contrasting images.....

It was so cold and wintery.....this was coming on for their summer remember....that when I left the airport I wondered if the flight was going to leave. As I said El Calafate is about 1000kms north in Patagonia, so it seemed strange to see all this barren desert again.......

Landed and transferred to a really nice hotel where they had already booked my trip for today to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
This morning at 8.30 the small ( 9 ) group of us headed to the glacier. I found out that we were taking a boat trip on the lake to see the glacier up close.........it was freezing!!!!!!........I had four layers on but no gloves.....and my hands could barely use the camera.....then we went for a two hour trek.....my trusty north face boots again....late lunch and back to the hotel for 5 pm.....it is about 100kms to the glacier face.....and a deserved 2 hour sleep!!!

Big day tomorrow as I leave at 5am and travel across the Andes again into Chile for the Torres del Paine National Park ending in Puerto Natales at 8pm. Thursday travel to Puntas Arenas where on Friday get my flight to Santiago...............Can I have a holiday when I get back!!!!!
Am reading Isabel Allende's The House of Spirits.....excellent book!
Off to dinner...

adios,

Mario

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Photos

PMG
Glacier has this very blue look...with dark blue veins....there is an explanation about refraction and compression...blah,blah,blah...all i know it looks stunning

Fatima
this was our tour guide...when I said that she didnt look Argentinian...she told me her father was Lebanese...look at the eyes...beautiful!!

Comments

[lara]

amazing images
the images of the glacier is absolutely amazing - and the moonrise. Sounds like you are still having a fantastic time - i can almost hear you speaking when i read your post. bet you are looking forward to coming back to gateshead and all the fantastic images you can take here!!!!

[Carlo]

Hate to say this, but....
Less than one week to go. Make the most of the remaining time....'cos there's loads for you to do when you come back !!!! Ciao.

[Mazza21]

back in less than a week
Trust Carlo to put the dampers on everything

[Maria Luisa]

Just found out about this blog
Might have known that you would find some beauty on your travels, good to see some of the places you've been to, we will get in touch when you get back. Love from Caterina, Bianca, Maria Luisa and Ossie P.S. Thank you very much for the vouchers for my birthday, I have used them all already! Love Caterina