El Calafate (and a bit more Bariloche)

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While writing the last blog entry, warm and cosy in an internet cafe in Barlioche, we both decided (although perhaps didn´t say it) that we WERE NOT going to take the 48hour option to get to the southern town of El Calafate.

Our first plan was to take the ´Navimag´ferry from Puerto Montt in Chile (a few hundred km west of Bariloche) south along the Pacific coast. From the dropping off point 1000kms south, we could have crossed the border back into Argentina and made our way to El Calafate.

We were almost convinced by the marketing efforts of Navimag and their shiny nice website (www.navimag.com) and were about to flex some plastic and buy the 150GBP tickets for the 4 day journey. However, a quick search of this very website for ´Navimag´and other bloggers´opinions thereof revealed another side of the ´dream journey.´Comments such as:

NAVIMAG: (noun). 1. Ferry that transports passengers on a three day tour of the Patagonian Channels from Puerto Montt to Puerta Natales or vice versa. 2. Chilean torture technique (rumoured to have been developed by Pinochet) to drive people crazy by subjecting them to extreme periods of boredom, cow dung and cramped conditions. It is rumoured that it began running as a tourist venture several years ago after a bet between two naval officers one of whom quipped "I bet if we painted this thing red, charged a lot of money for it and told everyone it was great fun, tourists would flock to use it". The other officer, who couldn't believe people would be so stupid, took up the bet and the rest is history.

(taken from ´jkd´s blog of his / her trip) and

worse than I could imagine .

... put us off somewhat.

Plan 2: Air. The problem was that we were trying to sort things out on a sunday... and everyone knows NOTHING of importance opens on a sunday. So, we made our way sheepishly back to our cabin and asked to stay another night after checking out earlier that morning. At least it was cleaned from top to bottom 😊

On Monday our luck changed slightly, getting up early (checking out of the cabin again) and hitting the airline offices in the hope of a flight to El Calafate later that day. No such luck, but there is a WEEKLY flight leaving on Sundays. After some serious umming and arring we decided we could easily kill more time in Barlioche and went ahead and booked ourselves onto the following sunday´s flight.

Back to the Cabaña we went and requested another night. On Tuesday we left Barlioche for a night in El Bolson, 2 hours south, which was supposed to be a hippie commune in the ´70´s. However, the shaggiest things we saw were the dogs and the weather was atrocious, so after a bad night´s sleep in a bad cabaña we headed back to our trusty cabaña in Bariloche (AGAIN!) and had a cup of tea.

The next 3 days in Bariloche were spent relaxing, hiking some more and going to the cinema - The Da Vinci Code, Mission Impossible and Inside Man, all within a few days. Following the advice of our French Canadian chums - Nic and Audrey, we took a bottle of wine to one of the showings, only to be accosted (sp?) and nearly kicked out by the overzealous ushers. Luckily we had already polished it off, so we denied responsibility for the empty bottle at our feet and upon further questioning proclaimed "no hablar español"! (we dont speak spanish!)

The day of our flight finally arrived and on Sunday we flew with the military airline to El Calafate.

The main reason we (and most others) visit El Calafate is to see the Perito Moreno glacier. Deciding to shun organised trips we hired a car and drove the 80kms to the Glacier the next day.

Perito Moreno itself is impressive as the pictures show, however El Calafate has little else to offer so we planned our departure for the following day headed for the southernmost city of Ushuaia, from where we write this blog.

Lots of love, thanks for reading etc

Chris and Rach x

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Photos

Map
New mode of transport necessitates a new colour... BLACK for flights!

At last...
Our way down south!

El Bolson
We did manage one hike in el bolson... but the weather wasn´t always all that great.

El Bolson II
During our walk (like everywhere in south america) we were ´adopted´ by a couple of dogs who followed us for the entire 2 hour walk up into the forest, all the way from the town centre.

Back in Bariloche
Another walk with the assistance of a cable car.

Great views
After the short ride up (we DID walk down though!)... supposedly the best views in Barlioche.

Wrapped up
well it was very cold!

Posing
I hate having my photo taken.

Us
another generic ´couple´ shot!

Another day, another walk...
Llao Llao national park near Bariloche. It was freezing cold but the plants are bamboo?!?

Llao Llao II
Still in Llao Llao Park. Walked along the lake and had these views. You can´t see it in the picture but the lake was cristal clear... shame it was so cold!

Viewpoint
We got to this one without the aid of a chairlift!

Bus
Argentinian busses remind you that you´re still in South America.

Barlioche - El Calafate
Dirty old Fokker. (for those who aren´t such geeks...it´s a Fokker 28)

View
As per usual, Rachel sacrificed the window seat for Chris.

Patagonia
"Harsh, unforgiving, desolate." The words chris has been repeating in the style of his dad since arriving here.

Patagonia II
Harsh, unforgiving, desolate... you get the idea.

Perito Moreno at a distance
"Glaciers... harsh, icy, unforgiving"
(Rachel: "sympathy emails and cards [e-mail]!!!!")

Perito Moreno Glacier
2 miles across and over 80m tall above the water. It advances 2m a day in the middle.

Perito Moreno Glacier II
Close-up. Huge chunks of the glacier break off and fall into the water every few minutes.

Perito Moreno Glacier III
Last one!

Haaa Caaaa
Or "Hire Car" as normal people would say. the 1.6 chevrolet corsa beast.

Comments

[Nic and Audrey]

wine in a cinema?
Who told you these none sense ideas? ha ha ha, good fun to read your blog. "No hablo espanol" classic.....