AEROLINAS ARGENTINA MUST HAVE SETTLED THEIR STRIKE BECAUSE OUR FLIGHT FROM THE TIP OF ARGENTINA INTO THE PROVINCE OF PATAGONIA WENT WITHOUT A HITCH...ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO LAND ON THE STEPPE SINCE THEY TOLD US THE FLIGHT WAS GOING TO BE 1 1/2 HOURS AND WE STARTED OUR DESCENT AFTER ABOUT 40 MINUTES! WE ARRIVED IN 1 HOUR SO I GUESS IT WAS A TRANSLATION PROBLEM! WE HAD SUPERLATIVE VIEWS OF THE ANDES MOUNTAINS LEAVING USHUAIA, LEAVING US WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT SOUTH AMERICA HAS GLORIOUS WILDERNESS TO STILL EXPLORE.
EL CALAFATE IS ON THE EDGE OF A STEPPE, OR PLATEAU ON THE SHORE OF LAGO ARGENTINO, INVITING IT´S VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE PARQUE NACIONAL LOS GLACIARES. WE ARE STAYING AT CASA GRILLOS, WITH OUR VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL HOSTS ALEJANDRO AND MARTA GRILLOS.
DINING WAS A DISTINCT PLEASURE LAST NIGHT AS WE SAMPLED THEIR ¨LOCRO¨, WHICH IS THE CHEF´S STEW OF THE DAY OR WEEK...TOOK US A WHILE, WE ARE NOW PLAYING BOTH CHARADES AND PICTIONARY, TO OBTAIN THE RECIPE! ONE OF THESE DAYS WE WILL REMEMBER TO TAKE THE DICTIONARY...BUT THAT IS NOT NEARLY AS MUCH FUN!
THERE WAS THE CUTEST STRAY PUPPY OUTSIDE, TO WHOM I FED MOST OF MY FLAN CON LECHE...THEN ABOUT SEVEN OTHER DINERS, ALL TEENAGERS, WENT OUT TO FEED HIM AS WELL! THE DOGS WANDER AROUND MOST OF THE TOWNS, APPARENTLY WITHOUT OWNERS, FOLLOW US AROUND AND HOME...ONE GUY SLEPT OUTSIDE OUR DOOR AND FOLLOWED US THE NEXT DAY! WE MUST SMELL GOOD!
ON JUNE 1ST WE STROLLED AROUND TOWN, ARRANGED TO PICK UP A RENTAL CAR, TO USE FOR TWO DAYS...YIKES! OUR FIRST DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA...BUT HOW BAD CAN IT BE THEY DRIVE ON THE RIGHT!
IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT...THESE ARE PINK FLAMINGOS HANGING OUT IN THE LAGOON, CAN YOU SEE THE SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND, THE TEMPERATURE HERE IS -3 DEGREES!
THIS EVENING WE DINED AT A FANCY RESTAURANT, AT A CIVILIZED ARGENTINE HOUR SO WE ACTUALLY HAD COMPANY!
BAILEY´S AND POLITICS WHAT BETTER COMBINATION, WITH ALEJANDRO GRILLOS.
ON JUNE 2ND WE HEADED OUT IN OUR TRUSTY RENAULT FROM EL CALAFATE TO EL CHARLTEN WITH THE RED SUNRISE IN THE NORTHEAST.
WE TRAVELED OVER 400 KILOMETERS THROUGH A VAST WILDERNESS OF SOUTHERN PATAGONIA, GLISTENING LAKES
VERTIGINOUS ANDES PEAKS AND BARREN PLAINS, EXCEPT FOR RACING HORSES.
THE GRAZING CATTLE AND SHEEP AND THE FOREVER WATCHFUL GUANACOS CROSSING THE ROAD OR LEAPING OVER FENCES PLUS THE OCASSIONAL ESTANCIA.
OUR GOAL WAS TO HOPEFULLY SEE MOUNT FITZ ROY AT ARGENTINA´S TREKKING AND CLIMBING CAPITAL. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AS WE ARRIVED EARLY ENOUGH TO VIEW IT, BY AFTERNOON IT WAS TOTALLY SHROUDED IN CLOUDS.
EL CHALTEN´S POPULATION EXPANDS FROM 500 IN WINTER TO OVER 65,000 IN THE SUMMER DUE TO THE REMOTE, EXQUISITE HIKING OPPORTUNITIES.
ALSO LOCATED IN PARQUE NACIONALE LOS GLAIERS IS THE LARGEST GLACIER IN SOUTH AMERICA GLACIER VIEDMA WHICH WAS SPARKLING IN THE SUNLIGHT AND CLOUDS FOR US TODAY.
JUNE 3RD, ON THIS FROSTY MORNING, UNDER FLIGHTS OF CONDORS (AND A 540 ON THE BLACK ICE!!!) WE HEADED OUT TO GLACIER PERITO MORENO.
THIS IS QUITE THE MOST SPECTACULAR GLACIER WE HAVE EVER SEEN AND HEARD. THE FRONT WALL IS UP TO 200 FEET HIGH WITH SOME OF ITŚ ICY, FROZEN PEAKS.
STARTING OUT SOUNDING LIKE A DISTANT RIFLE SHOT, ICE REVERBERATES SLOWLY, UNTIL IT IS LIKE A ROARING CRACK OF THUNDER, ESCAPING THROUGH THE GIANT SHARDS OF ICE AND CAUSING CHUNKS OF GLACIER, AS LARGE AS HOUSES, TO COME CRASHING DOWN INTO THE FRIGID BLUE WATER BELOW.
WAITING, WAITING, LISTENING, LISTENING...HOORAY! HAD THE CAMERA READY!!!
