Saturday, June 1, 2013

Monday & Tuesday November 22 & 23, 2010 El Calafate, Argentina


 

 



 

I know, I know.  I missed a day.  Sorry ‘bout that.  We were too busy having fun.  When we left El  Chalten, the question of the day was if we were going to get wet from rain or snow.  It was rain, but not a lot of it, and only for about 10km.  The wind wasn’t much to talk about until we got back on Ruta 40 heading into El Calafate, and then it got to the point of being brutal.  Not only because it was stronger than anything we experienced before, but also cause the wind was coming across Lake Argentino which is fed by a glacier.  BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  I have a video somewhere that I haven’t even looked at yet, but it’s got to be funny with guys jumping into the wind and being blown backward.  I’ll see if I can post it here – if it’s worth it.

Calafate is another tourist destination for backpackers.  Everywhere you look, there are hostels and cabanas gearing to the hiker, and there must be hundreds of them here now and it’s only the very beginning of the season.  We had a day off from traveling today, but still needed the motorcycles for getting to Merino Glacier.  Compass Expeditions picked up the tab for our boat ride to the side of the glacier and our lunch.  I must have a good hour of video showing the glacier doing absolutely nothing other than being big and cold.  The best footage I have is of a fox running along the shore, but I can’t even load it to the computer cause I brought the wrong cord, but the pictures turned out great.  After we took a shuttle bus to the top of the visitor center, it was about 1500km back to where we had parked the bikes, so we sort of got our exercise in for the day.  The ride back from the glacier made Louise appreciate the ride in the Toyota Land Cruiser she’s been getting for the last week.  It was windier than anything she had experienced before.  She asked me about it after we got back to the hotel, and it really was quite mild in relation to what we’ve been going through, but she’s now happy that she has the job of co-navigator in the “Troopie”

I spent the afternoon catching up on this stuff, but didn’t get caught up till now.  It’s 11:00 and just getting back from dinner.  TYPICAL!  These late nights are killing me, but I’m lovin’ it.  The next 3 days we’ll be out of touch camping in what is supposed to be the most beautiful place on earth – Torres Del Paine.  I can’t wait – but we have to cross the border to get there.  Hope for no problems.  I’m beat.

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