Leaving for El Califate, Argentina

Trip Start Jan 20, 2005
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Trip End Feb 20, 2005


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Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Itīs February 1st, and we are leaving today for El Calafate, Argentina, the gateway city for our next hike. As we drive off to the Bariloche airport, we say goodbye to the El Bolson beer, the fine chocolate, the great hiking, and the friendy people we have met. The flight south to El Calafate was amazing because we had window seats on the right side of the plane, and we were able to see the entire Andes range the entire flight! Theo was able to point out the mountains and glaciers we had hiked in the Lakes district around Bariloche, and he was able to point out our upcoming hike around Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torres. Definitely the most spectacular view I (Nadine) have ever had on a plane!

We landed in El Calafate in the evening and were amazed how busy the city was with tourists. After initially having some difficulty getting a place to stay, we settled on a nice hosteria (family owned hotel) just 15min away from the center of town. We then ran around town a bit buying white gas and some last minute supplies, and ate a traditional Argentinian pizza which was mostly crust and cheese with palm tree cores (a specialty here!). No El Bolson beer to be found! El Calafate is also over run with dogs, who hang out and beg for food, and who run around in groups like teenagers, playing and sniffing out cool stuff. The area around El Calafate consisted of windswept bluffs and small shrubs, not that scenic, but the cloud formations from the mountains were fantastic! Lots of mushroom shaped clouds, and the sky turned a lovely pink as the sun set. We were to catch a 8am bus to El Chalten tomorrow, where we were to start our hike of the Mt. Fitz Roy area!
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