Glaciers and Flamingoes
Trip Start
Aug 30, 2009
1
12
23
Trip End
Mar 01, 2010
El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina
Monday, November 2, 2009
Having read Duncanīs latest travel blog entry Nadine had to admit that it was a pretty entertaining read. It was when Duncan said: "We canīt all be such geniuses" that Nadine thought to herself: "So ein Angeber, das kann ich jawohl genauso gut!" and decided that she would attempt to craft the next chapter for their epic travel blog in a similarly irritating style in the hope that their faithful travel blog followers may enjoy it just as much.
Chapter 1: El Calafate
Following Benīs very sad departure back to the rainy shores of Great Britain, Duncan and Nadine set off to their next adventure visiting the glaciers in the South of Argentina, El Calafate.
They successfully managed to hail a cab which even had seat belts and directed it to the correct airport in Buenos Aires. "Should we really be driving into the corner of that bus do you think?" Nadine wondered upon hearing a strange bang and scraping sound when when the taxi driver tried to maneuver the car swiftly across six of the seven lanes of the manic Avenida de 9 Julio in an attempt to shave off about 37 seconds of their drive. "Yes, I believe that is the correct way to drive on this road" Duncan replied.
They arrived at the airport with only a minor dent in the side of the cab and happily proceeded to secure the emergency exit seats for their four hour flight to Calafate. When the plane touched down after two hours into their four hour flight Duncan said to Nadine "Look, I shouldn't have worried so much about us not going to Barriloche , we get to have a brief stop here after all and it's raining anyway, that wouldn't have been any good for the big hike I had
envisioned."
One the way to El Calafate, rather windy day
Barriloche
They had no difficulty in finding their bags at the tiny Calafate airport and quickly arranged a transfer to the Sir Thomas hostel. Here the friendly owners helped them book a glacier trip for 9am the following day leaving them with most of the afternoon to wander around the pretty streets of the town.
Our hostel in El Calafate
"My Spanish teacher said that we should really try some Patagonian lamb" Duncan announced when Nadine expressed a slight feeling of hunger "And my backpackers' bible, the Lonely Planet, says that this place makes the best Patagonian lamb stew in the world." The pair were in luck that day even though they were very early for dinner at 7pm by Argentinian standards and found the said restaurant not only to be open for dinner at such an early hour but was also still serving the infamous lamb stew which they promptly ordered and thoroughly enjoyed.
The amazingly tasty Patagonian lamb stew
Chapter 2: Big ice!
The following day the bus picked them up for the much anticipated trip to the Perito Moreno glacier. "I am really enjoying this beautiful pan pipe music, I should really ask for some for Christmas", Duncan declared as the little bus was winding its way up the narrow road into the National Park. "If you are very lucky someone might hate you enough to get you some", Nadine
distractedly replied whilst staring at the blue piece of ice floating in the giant Lago Argentino they were driving along.
First piece of (blue!) ice
In the National Park
Duncan looked very put out when the crazy tour guide switched the pan pipe music off to put on a dramatic piece of classical music instead and excitedly shouted at the six tourists on the small bus to look out for the first view of the big Perito Moreno glacier. The crescendo was timed to coincide perfectly with the bus edging its way around the last corner to reveal the truly awe inspiring view of the glacier.
First photo of the Perito Moreno glacier
Nadine was first in line for the boat, ha!
Perito Moreno Glacier
More Perito Moreno
Perito Moreno
The glacier had already grown onto the peninsula
Look at that view
Nadine eating the glacier
View from the Pasarelas or walkways
On the walkway
Look at that!
Duncan doin' a bit of polar exploring
Blue ice!
Just amazing
Nadine forced Duncan to pose
South Argentina
Glacial lake - it was turquoise!
Chapter 3: Snow and flamingoes
"I really enjoyed the glacier but I am not sure I could spend an entire day on a boat talking more pictures" Nadine said the following day. "Let's hire a car and ask the hostel owners what we should go and see other than the glaciers the surrounding area. "Good idea.I am glad I have such a clever wife." Duncan said.
They purposefully walked up to the reception and enquired about things they could explore. The landlady was perplexed at their seemingly unusual question: "What do you mean, you want to do something other than visit the glaciers? There is nothing else here!"
Despite the locals' surprise at their wish to see anything other than the glaciers the pair set off to explore the area only to discover there truly wasn't anything there apart from sheep, cows, the beautiful turquoise lake and, as it turned out, a lot of snow. So they entertained themselves by chasing some flamingoes in the snow (Duncan, ably assisted by Nadine who spotted them with her eagle's eyes) and cuddling some lambs (Nadine, expertly instructed by Duncan
to pick one up - view with sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnLbyYkyNCA).
It was snowing!
At Lake Roca
The cutest lamb even though without ears
Flamingoes in the snow!!!
Flamingoes
Messing in the snow
Duncan's early Christmas card photo
El Calafate airport
The following day they returned to Buenos Aires where they were glad to be discarding the wooly hats and gloves.
They had arranged to meet Diego and Maria, whom they had only very recently seen in Ecuador and who were in BA that week on holiday, for dinner. Diego said: "We have some news: We just got engaged!" It was thus that the intrepid pair whiled away their penultimate night in BsAs with some celebratory drinks amidst lots of excited shrieking on Nadine's part and lots of manly hugs and slaps on the back on Duncan's part.
Dinner with Diego and Maria (in BsAs)
