The bus ride was loooooong. I left Ushuaia at 5am in the morning, went through 2 immigration points (the road goes briefly through Chile), transferred buses at Rio Gallegos, and arrived in El Calafate at a bit past midnight.
Luckily, one of the girls on the Torres del Paine tour with me last week was also on the bus. Since our hostels were in the same vicinity, we decided to tackle the dark roads together. Mind you, Patagonia is really safe so not too much of a concern.
All I wanted to do once I got my bed was crash. And that's exactly what I did; couldn't bother with planning for the next day's activities.
I came to El Calafate to see the famous glaciers at Perito Moreno. It's one of the few remaining glaciers on earth that's still growing! Weird concept, huh?! Glaciers growing...
From El Calafate, it's about an hour drive to the glaciers – you can either catch a tourist shuttle or rent a car. So, I booked a seat on the afternoon shuttle (already too late for the morning one by the time I woke up!) and went back to my bed to bum around.
Two French girls, my roommates who were already asleep by the time I arrived last night, asked me whether I was headed to the glaciers that day. They wanted to see if I'd be interested in sharing a car with them and another French guy they just met. Sure!!! But only if I could cancel the shuttle I had just booked...which was easily accomplished. Yay! Before leaving the hostel, we managed to pick up another American girl to add to the group. The more the merrier : )
Group composition:
Severine – French girl, who like me, quit her job and is traveling around the world for a year
Edwige – French girl accompanying Severine for a few weeks
Pascal – Chef/owner of French restaurant in London. Also the designated driver on this trip. On his 2 week vacation around southern Argentina. Got to try his food out when I go back there!
Karina – Very young (20-ish) American backpacker.
Waru – You either know me or you don't. And if you don't, I'll leave it up to your imagination.
(The 5 of us in our first group shot at the glacier viewpoint outside the park)
The glaciers were absolutely amazing! Once inside the park (60ARP), we walked along the raised platforms to catch sight of the glaciers at different angles.
What we all wanted to see were huge chunks falling off of the main piece. We only got to see the little ones, though. But you know, the sound...even the small ones were loud and exciting! Speaking of sound, I noticed that you could constantly hear the glacier creaking – eerie yet awing.
Before leaving, we had a picnic lunch on the stairs along one of the platforms. Ham, cheese, bread, and apples – the scenery made everything more yummy than usual! And yes, we did block traffic a bit, but oh well! All fun!
I'd have to say that the Perito Moreno glaciers were one of the best natural sights in the world. Two thumbs up!!!
By the way, if any of you readers are interested, you can actually go hiking in the glaciers. I heard that the half-day ones are crap, but the full-day hikes are great. If I was willing to spend more time in El Calafate and had better planning abilities, I think I would've gone. But for now, I passed on the opportunity. Lets hope that one day, I have a chance to go back there (I wouldn't mind at all!) and do the glacier trekking thing.
On our way back to town, we decided to take a drive along the countryside and visit a hacienda.
The landscape, colors, and surroundings were so different from the glaciers we'd just seen! And it was only less than an hour away.
We stopped for some tea/coffee there and played with the animals – sheep, guanacos, and horses. Isn't that the ugliest baby sheep you've ever seen?! Poor thing.
That night, I had to move hostels. I only booked for one night at the hostel I was in, but they were fully booked for the next few days. Darn it; I should've booked in advance for at least 2 nights! The guy at reception helped me out though. He made several calls to find an empty bed for me elsewhere. And Pascal was nice enough to drive me and my stuff to the new hostel before dinner.
Luckily, one of the girls on the Torres del Paine tour with me last week was also on the bus. Since our hostels were in the same vicinity, we decided to tackle the dark roads together. Mind you, Patagonia is really safe so not too much of a concern.
All I wanted to do once I got my bed was crash. And that's exactly what I did; couldn't bother with planning for the next day's activities.
I came to El Calafate to see the famous glaciers at Perito Moreno. It's one of the few remaining glaciers on earth that's still growing! Weird concept, huh?! Glaciers growing...
From El Calafate, it's about an hour drive to the glaciers – you can either catch a tourist shuttle or rent a car. So, I booked a seat on the afternoon shuttle (already too late for the morning one by the time I woke up!) and went back to my bed to bum around.
Two French girls, my roommates who were already asleep by the time I arrived last night, asked me whether I was headed to the glaciers that day. They wanted to see if I'd be interested in sharing a car with them and another French guy they just met. Sure!!! But only if I could cancel the shuttle I had just booked...which was easily accomplished. Yay! Before leaving the hostel, we managed to pick up another American girl to add to the group. The more the merrier : )
Group composition:
Severine – French girl, who like me, quit her job and is traveling around the world for a year
Edwige – French girl accompanying Severine for a few weeks
Pascal – Chef/owner of French restaurant in London. Also the designated driver on this trip. On his 2 week vacation around southern Argentina. Got to try his food out when I go back there!
Karina – Very young (20-ish) American backpacker.
Waru – You either know me or you don't. And if you don't, I'll leave it up to your imagination.
(The 5 of us in our first group shot at the glacier viewpoint outside the park)
The glaciers were absolutely amazing! Once inside the park (60ARP), we walked along the raised platforms to catch sight of the glaciers at different angles.
What we all wanted to see were huge chunks falling off of the main piece. We only got to see the little ones, though. But you know, the sound...even the small ones were loud and exciting! Speaking of sound, I noticed that you could constantly hear the glacier creaking – eerie yet awing.Before leaving, we had a picnic lunch on the stairs along one of the platforms. Ham, cheese, bread, and apples – the scenery made everything more yummy than usual! And yes, we did block traffic a bit, but oh well! All fun!
I'd have to say that the Perito Moreno glaciers were one of the best natural sights in the world. Two thumbs up!!!
By the way, if any of you readers are interested, you can actually go hiking in the glaciers. I heard that the half-day ones are crap, but the full-day hikes are great. If I was willing to spend more time in El Calafate and had better planning abilities, I think I would've gone. But for now, I passed on the opportunity. Lets hope that one day, I have a chance to go back there (I wouldn't mind at all!) and do the glacier trekking thing.
On our way back to town, we decided to take a drive along the countryside and visit a hacienda.
The landscape, colors, and surroundings were so different from the glaciers we'd just seen! And it was only less than an hour away.We stopped for some tea/coffee there and played with the animals – sheep, guanacos, and horses. Isn't that the ugliest baby sheep you've ever seen?! Poor thing.
That night, I had to move hostels. I only booked for one night at the hostel I was in, but they were fully booked for the next few days. Darn it; I should've booked in advance for at least 2 nights! The guy at reception helped me out though. He made several calls to find an empty bed for me elsewhere. And Pascal was nice enough to drive me and my stuff to the new hostel before dinner.
It was cold with pouring rain the next morning. The group got together again to take a boat trip out for more glaciers. With the bad weather and the relatively high costs (close to $100 for the pretty luxurious boat and park entrance fee!) it wasn't the best idea, but it certainly beat sitting around in the town's cafes. At least I thought so. I mean, we got to see several glaciers really up close, and floating pieces of ice in various shapes and colors while hanging out on the boat. 
Plus, the boat went through some high rolling waves...ooooooooh, adventure! Obviously, the whole sightseeing experience would've been better with sunny weather, but I had a really good time anyways! And that's all that matters.
Plus, the boat went through some high rolling waves...ooooooooh, adventure! Obviously, the whole sightseeing experience would've been better with sunny weather, but I had a really good time anyways! And that's all that matters.
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