Advertisement
Published: August 4th 2015
Edit Blog Post
Sorry for the long hiatus! Many things to tell you, so be ready for an influx of blog posts.
First of all, the main reason for the hiatus was how much in the middle of nowhere we were. Southern Patagonia is pure tundra and mountains, so getting services can be difficult. There's no suburbs of cities; there's the city and then nothing for a while and then the city. When the internet cut out on this day, it was out for the entire city for at least 15 hours.
Anyway, on to the backfill of blog posts:
Today was quite an incredible day. Although we had to get up at 6:30, we had a delicious and filling breakfast buffet waiting for us, and a bus that left at 7:30. We were taken to Puerta Bandera, a nothing port in the middle of nothingland. When I say nothing port, I mean it: there were 3 boats there, one dock, and it was all for tourists. The closest house was in El Calafate, an hour drive away. We hopped on a boat with a handful of other tourists and headed onwards to Glaciers National Park. We visited two glaciers and
cruised by a third.
On leaving the dock, we were bathed in fog. However, Lake Argentino is a unique lake, as it's fully glacier-fed. So although the body of the lake appears normal, as you head towards the national park, you hit a branching area. Each branch could almost be qualified as a river, feeding into the body of the lake. They're thin and winding, but fun to navigate. And interestingly, as soon as we turned on to them, the fog disappeared. It was almost instantaneous.
First, we went to Upsala Glacier. It's one of the largest in the park, and from the front of the boat alone, you could tell how massive it was. Combined with a veritable ice field of sky blue icebergs, and perfectly reflective waters, it was an incredible - if cold and slightly windy - view. However, we were just getting started there.
After Upsala, we cruised by another quickly - I don't honestly remember the name - before making it to Spegazzini. This is the tallest glacier in the park, measuring between 200 and 300 feet above the water. And we were taken a couple hundred yards of it. It was
the most imposing and impressive thing I believe I have ever seen. For both of these glaciers, neither words nor pictures will do them full justice, but pictures are better in this situation.
On returning to the hotel, I, crazy person from a crazy family that I am, went for a run in the balmy 30-some-odd degree weather. In typical fashion, I ran a new route and got lost and ran more than I meant to, but hey, I got back all right. A shower and dinner at the hotel and I was ready to turn in, as tomorrow, we get to visit Perito Moreno, apparently the most famous glacier in the world!
NB: photos are up for the 28th and 29th!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.58s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 41; dbt: 0.4064s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb