El Calafate Hotels
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Newsflash for Rick - we found snow!
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Finally left for El Calafate....after our annoying days delay. Had to leave early.....but the lovely woman in the hostal prepared breakfast for us before we left....was too early to eat breaky for me tho! Got our bus.....
Was a pretty straightforward journey.....took hours at the border into Argentina. The guy collected our passports...so we thought it would be quick, but it probably took a lot longer...still we kept him happy by having a laugh at all our photos when he handed them back!
Eventually got to El Calafate....about 1pm.....checked into our room....when we eventually hiked the 6 million miles to it that was! It was an okay place, but quite a way out of town. It was an HI and was monstrous....our room als looked like it hadnt been built yet, but it was cheap and had beds! We dumped our stuff, and headed all the way back into town to get some money to pay for our room.....except all the cash machines were broken and we had to walk right to the other end of town to get money! We were starving and despite thinking there were loads of places to eat....we couldnt seem to find anywhere. Ended up in a little teashop....expensive but quite nice. Our bellies finally full we headed back to hostal to pay our bill and book a tour of the glacier for tomorrow. That done we had the rest of the day to waste. Tried the internet but it was complete pants and after neil got annoyed with every internet cafe owner in El Calafate, we decided to head for a beer instead! Thought it was safer!
Enjoyed a couple of bottles of stout and played some cards....im addicted to our new game....Yanif....or Penguin as i have renamed it, cause i dont speak israeli!
We then decided to head back to the hostal for food....cause it looked good and cheap and we hoped we might meet some fellow travellers to talk to. Unfortunately when we got back there was a huge group of pensioners in the restaurant...we thought we had made a big mistake in coming back.....but they directed us to upstairs...which was cute and quiet...bit too quiet but hey. We enjoyed steak....the biggest steak you have ever seen.....honestly and a bottle of nice red wine. Didnt find anyone to talk to.....but its ok....we talked to each other! Decided to call it a night....oh yeah after we had treated ourselves to pudding that is! Pancakes and icecream....mmmm
The next day we were actually going to see something....which makes a change from doing nothing or sitting on a bus all day! We were going to see the only thing you HAVE to see in El Calafate....the glacier. Now i have to say i was happy about it, cause snow and stuff is what i thought patagonia was all about and so far we aint seen any!
Anyway...had breakfast...and got picked up at the hostal...thankgod. After picking everyone else up....we headed off. Now it wasnt the most exciting of drives....the usual argentinian landscape....barren and boring. Still we did see some cool wildlife....we saw loads of birds all sitting on the fence by the side of the road....waiting for early morning roadkill! Also an armadillo, llamas and other birds. Kept the excitement up! Also went alongside the lake which is really pretty. Was a fair drive....but then we got our first glimpse of the glacier! Was really cool.....a wall of blue nestled in between the green and brown mountains around it. We drove a little further to the north of the glacier, where we all got out and began the "alternative" part of our tour. A walk through the countryside, on rough rocky terrain, getting ever closer to the glacier. WAs really cool, and great to be out enjoying the scenery and getting a view not many people get. We got closer and closer to the glacier, and despite being uphill....and pretty cold and windy you didnt notice because of the amazing view, which you just had to stop and look at every few steps! At the end we all stood mesmerised by the amazing blues and whites of the ice, and the huge icebergs floating below....it was transfixing. Eventually it was time to go and find our bus again, except it had disappeared! Our guide didnt know where it was and suggested we go to the viewing platforms till it reappeared, but i was starving and my lunch was on the bus! We went to the loo and hoped it would be back when we were done, wayhey it was...so i could stuff my faces with ham and cheese sandwiches and biscuits! That done we went to enjoy the glacier. We stood and watched it for ages....it was fascinating....as its a moving object, huge chunks of the ice are constantly falling off, so it makes for interesting viewing. Its one of those things that you just cant take your eyes off incase something amazing happens! We were betting on which bit was gonna fall next, sure that there was gonna be a huge fall very soon, we headed down to a lower platform....and were just intime to see the huge fall we had been waiting for. And it was worth waiting for! First a huge bit crashed into the water with an almighty splash, but then an even bigger bit below the surface....split away and came rising out of the water....like something out of a movie...before falling sideways and floating away down the lake....causing monstrous waves across the whole lake! Was so cool, we waited a while, hoping to see more action, but it had all gone quiet.
We headed back to the bus and went down to the shore again to take a boat ride close to the glacier. It was cool....the waves were quite big....it was pretty windy...not much action to see as far as the glacier breaking....but was really cool to be that close to it and to see the huge iceberg which we had seen break off. It was ginormous...and such amazing colours...ranging from snowy bluey white at the top to deep blue glasslike ice at the bottom. Was all very enjoyable. Before long it was time to leave...was sad to say goodbye....i could have stayed transfixed for days. The bus journey back was long...and sleepy....but noone seemed to mind!
Back in El calafate....was getting late....so we headed to Casablanca, our fav place...and had a beer....and then decided to eat there. Neil had the customary steak...and i had a burger. My burger came out...and i had nearly eaten it....before neil got his steak....and anyone that knows me and how slowly i eat would know neil was waiting a long time! Still he enjoyed it....demolishing the huge slab of beef in seconds! We went to bed exhausted and happy. Travelling is such fun
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