“The chill of a glacier is a reminder of the beauty of the world.” Unknown
After a successful trip to El Chalten to see Fitz Roy and survive the bug-choking incident, I made my way back to El Calafate for two nights via the bus.
Look who I found. Isn't that the cutest dog you've ever seen? Ah, be still my heart.
Kidding. James (England) from the W trek and I (intentionally) crossed paths again in El Calafate. The duo is back in business.
The big event in El Calafate as I stated in the previous blog post is to visit the Puerto Moreno glacier. It's huge and, fun fact, it is one of the only glaciers in the world that is still growing. A Ranger told us this info in the park but you can read about it and more interesting facts about the glacier at this website.
This block of ice is massive and impressive. It's three miles wide by 19 miles long. The blue hues are gorgeous and the cold takes your breath away.
I “borrowed” the photo below from the internet so you'd have a better view.
Getting to the glacier requires either a tour group, a bus ticket, a rental car, or a taxi. The ride is about an hour and a half or so each way.
James, discovered that it would be cheaper and more convenient (to come and go as we please) if we had 3-4 people and hired a taxi. That guy is always thinkin’ which means I don't have to. I'm in the delegating phase of my life so he’s a good one to have around.
Being the natural salesman that James is, he found two nice young women to join us on the excursion. Meet San (L) from Belgium and Martina (R) from Italy.
Martina set up the taxi for us. Unfortunately, we had a little trouble getting in contact with the driver the morning we were to leave. After waiting almost an hour we decided to walk to the station and hop on a bus instead. About five minutes or so into our walk and a random car pulled up next to us and the woman driving said that she was the mother of the man we booked with and he had worked the night before until 6:30 in the morning and she couldn’t wake him up. She said she would be our driver for the day. Ha! This woman was resourceful. Let's go, Moms.
James did well with his recruitment efforts. San and Martina made the car ride and walk around the glacier so much fun. We had such a great time during the day that we enjoyed dinner together later in the evening.
Sidebar: James and I each tried a Guanaco burger. It tasted a little “gamey” in my opinion. I wrote about this animal in a previous post. They’re part of the llama family. I know, I know don’t judge me for eating it. It's the cycle of life and part of embracing the local culture. At least I saw one before I ate one. When I visited Australia years ago, I ate a kangaroo before I saw one. I’m not sure which was a better decision.
I digress.
You'd think a big hunk of ice wouldn't be that interesting to see but I was mesmerized. It's a living thing so it makes popping sounds and moves as if it’s breathing. Every so often a loud crackle sound would echo and a chunk of ice would fall of the side.
After waiting with our cameras set on video mode for what seemed like an eternity we finally saw a brief calving moment! I barely got it on video. It was a highlight.
After the glacier, Moms drove us to another remote area that was known for caves. Don't ask me where or what it was, I wasn't interested in this leg of the journey. James, Martina, and San wanted to see it but I was on the “A-Team” (Artifacts Team) in high school and I have been in a ton of caves. I didn’t need to see another one. As it turns out, I made the correct decision. They all came back and basically said it was an overpriced scam.
I hung out by a beautiful lake while they walked around what James described as more of a lean-to shelter and not a cave.
After dinner, like ships passing in the night, I said my goodbyes to everyone. The three of them would be traveling up to El Chalten to see Fitz Roy and I was on my way back to Purto Natales to catch a flight to Santiago.
These adventures are fun but always too short. Just when you get to know someone you have to say goodbye. That's the craps about being on the move so much.
On the bus back to Puerto Natales I was seated next to five Americans from Minnesota, “dontcha-know.” They were very funny and started quizzing me the moment I sat down. Turns out that two of the guys had connections to where else but…Kansas City. One guy lived in KC for a few years for work and the other guy (born and raised in South Dakota) went to my Alma Mater, Kansas State University to study architecture. That makes numbers 7 and 8 of people I've met in South America with ties to the Kansas City area. Wild.
When I arrived in Puerto Natales, Jose was so kind and gave me a free upgrade to a private room again during my final stay at Hostal Camino De Santiago. My extra bag was even waiting for me in my room when I arrived. Rubio (the neighborhood dog) and the neighbor’s sheep, whom I've named Baaaad Braaaad with the blue collar, were there as well.
Much love & gratitude from Argentina and Chile! 🇦🇷 🇨🇱 Namaste 🙏
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View from the hostel.
The Argentinians drink a hot tea called Mate (ma-teh). Everyone drinks it all the time, no joke, not exaggerating. They have special cups and straws that have a filter on the end (basically a tea strainer). Well, one of the traditional cups is made from cow hooves. I thought I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t show you this unique treasure. Slurp, slurp.
Love the pictures! The detail in the pictures is amazing. I never knew glaciers were like that - I always think of glaciers as mountains made of ice. Gorgeous! 🌬️
Once again a wonderful story & photos