Advertisement
Published: February 15th 2008
Edit Blog Post
El Calafate Nature Reserve
The local park in El Calafate with Pink Flamingoes. End Jan 08: Dates are now beyond us, in fact we had to check the internet the other day to figure out what day of the week it was. Although this may not be surprising for two people who went through Paraguay and Uruguay while still on the wrong time zone. Having said that I´m not sure the Paraguays knew what time zone they were on.
Anyhow, on checking out of the camp ground in Puerto Madryn our transformation into proper backpackers continued as we walked out of the camp ground and down the road to the bus stop. Granted this was after making an attempt to call a taxi but none the less we were still getting public transport to a bus station for the first time.
When we got to the bus station we went up to the first counter to enquire about tickets to our next destination El Calafate in South West Argentina via Rio Gallegos. We were advised that 2 cama (1st class) tickets were available but no semi-cama. As I turned to go to another counter to see if they had any semi-cama tickets I heard a voice I recognised ordering 'dos, por favor´(two,
please). Seems Niamh did learn some Spanish after all and wasn´t going to take the risk that another company might have cheaper, lower class tickets available when 2 perfectly fine 1st class tickets were on offer. So cama it was.
To say this journey was a pleasure is an understatement. In fact don´t be surprised if at the end of this trip Niamh says her favourite thing in South America was the bus trip from Puerto Madryn to Rio Gallegos. You see, buses allow Niamh to indulge in two of her favourite pasttimes, eating and sleeping, without fear of being interrupted.
Before we get on the bus Niamh goes down to the local supermarket to pick up supplies for the next 24 hours, and gets me a bit worried when she doesn´t show up again until 2 minutes before the bus takes off. Long queue in the shop apparently. It would have been a shame to go on such a nice bus without her. The supermarket run was it turned out a waste of time as the second we sat down a roast chicken dinner was placed in our laps. This wasn´t your usual airplane crap this was
Andes at first light
The view as the sun hits the Andes at sunrise from our camp site in El Chalten. the nicest chicken I´ve tasted in years. And the mash was tops too. Once this was consumed Niamh made herself comfortable and dozed off for 12 hours while I took in the view. We had the upstairs front row seats, perfect for site seeing. Unfortunately Patagonia loses it´s appeal after about 4 hours of flat barren landscape so I doze off as well.
Stopped in Comodore Rivadavia for an hour on route and met an English girl, Caterine (Irish parents), a Texan Danielle and another English lad travelling on his own, David, who´d just spent the last month going from London to Buenos Aires in a freight ship. End up spending the next week hanging out/trekking with this lot.
As we get onto the bus for the next leg an announcement is made. Not having a clue what is said we look at each other and nod knowingly. Two seconds later supper is dropped in our laps. A bread roll, small salad and a desert. No time to waste so we start into it, and I swap my salad for Niamhs desert. Never was much into salads. Just as I am finishing my second desert the waiter guy
Sunrise in El Chalten
The view from our tent at sunrise in El Chalten. comes around again with a full steak dinner, sees me finishing my second desert and laughs. Guessing the announcement might of alerted us to this, but not ones to waste food we dig into another smashing dinner.
Another bus later and a full days travel we arrive in El Calafate. Out with the Lonely Planet and we map our route to the nearest camp ground with David now in tow. Nice little place out the back of some house. That night we meet up with the 2 girls and head down to the Nature Reserve not expecting much. When we get there it´s a beautiful little place complete with a load of Pink Flamingoes and the sunset is unreal.
Next day we get the bus to the Pertito Merino glacier and spend a few hours transfixed as large chunks of ice fall off the front of it and crash into the lake below. The sounds as they echo around the valley are huge as is everything about it. 60m high at the front but another 120m below the water and it´s also, no thanks to global warming, one of the few glaciers that is still advancing at about
Andes View
On the walk to Cerro Fitz Roy. a rate of 2m per day.
Next morning we pack up and head for El Chalten with the other 3 in tow, none of whom had any intention of going to El Chalten when we met them a few days ago. After a couple of hours up a largely dirt road we get to beautiful and dusty El Chalten. Great place, free into the National Park, free camping (but no showers and a pit toilet that Niamh tells me was like something from the film Trainspotting, but I managed to avoid the pleasure), free ice cold water as you can drink from all the streams and incredible scenery. We set up camp and hit the road for an 8 hour hike to Cerro Torres. No time to waste as the weather is perfect and in these parts it can go from perfect to snowing in minutes. By a mile the best hike I had ever done up to that point, although it is surpassed pretty much everyday for the next week. Next morning it´s up early for another 8 hour hike to Cerro Fitz Roy. Better again and another perfect day.
When we get back from the hike
Cerro Fitz Roy View
Cerro Fitz Roy is the tallest one. we go up to one of the local hostels so Niamh can shower. I´m sticking with the wet cloth wipe method of washing for now. After that we decide to try and book our tickets to our next destination but seen as there is no agency in town we have to attempt this by phone. With great confidence in my abiity to speak Spanish I dial the bus company. First question is 'do you speak English´, to which I get a resounding 'no´. So I plough on telling her where I want to get too, and when, and the responses seem a bit negative so while she´s still talking I say 'Mucho Gracias´(many thanks) and hang up. When I step out of the phonebooth I tell Niamh they don´t go the way we want and maybe it´s better if we wait until we get back to El Calafate so we can book face to face to get our tickets to Puerto Natales. Next day it´s the bus back to El Calafate (camped again) for a night on our way to Puerto Natales and Torres Del Paine in Chile.
Adios
Advertisement
Tot: 0.096s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 12; qc: 65; dbt: 0.0613s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb