Whilst we were having breakfast we noticed that Steve Fossett had stayed at our hotel. Photo to follow.
An uneventful day.....mainly. Traveled back up the RN-40 from El Calafate to Perito Moreno. Uneventful that is apart from a three hour wrong turn when we stopped at Tres Lagos for petrol. We accidentally headed up the RN-31 and it was an hour and a half before we came across a road sign that confirmed we had gone wrong!
Having lost three hours, we gave up on our attempt to get to Chile tonight and booked back into the Hotel El Austral at Perito Moreno. Same meal at resaurant next door, but without ham!
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Monday, 21 December 2009
Monday 21st December 2009
We were both a bit ropey today as Kevin has a cold and Joan had a bad stomach. Luckily we had booked a boat trip to see the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciars.
The landlady kindly both tickets for us and gave us an early morning tour.
We drover out to Punta Bandera, with lots of tour coaches and collectivos to catch a catarmaran.
Yesterday the weather was pleasant and warm, but today was wet and windy. It was nice to be able to stay in the warmth of the boat.
The landlady kindly both tickets for us and gave us an early morning tour.
We drover out to Punta Bandera, with lots of tour coaches and collectivos to catch a catarmaran.
Yesterday the weather was pleasant and warm, but today was wet and windy. It was nice to be able to stay in the warmth of the boat.
The Upsala Glaciar is the largest on the Southern Patagonian icefield. It is 60 km long and 5 -7 km wide at the front. Unfortunately the access to the glaciar was blocked by icebergs so the trip had modified so we didn't visit Upsala or do a walk over Bahia Onelli - a typical area of Patagonian rainforest.
Icebergs blocking the canal to Upsala
We then sailed to Glaciar Spegazzini which has the highest "snout" of all the glaciars. Depending on the day, it is is 80 to 125 metres high. There were lots of icebergs near it. 
The snout of Glaciar Spegazzini
Finally, to compensate the passengers for not visiting Upsala, the boat went up the Canal of Tempranos (icebergs) to see Perito Moreno again. It was bitterly cold, and we only ventured on deck for the briefest of moments.
Tonight Kevin bought home-made pasta from a shop - all in Spanish.
We are writng this at 10.30 at night. It is just going dark and has started to rain. It is the summer solstice here, tomorrow the days begain to shorten!
Tomorrow we are heading north to cross into Chile, and to drive the Carretera Austral. Not sure what internet connection there will be......
Tomorrow we are heading north to cross into Chile, and to drive the Carretera Austral. Not sure what internet connection there will be......
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Sunday 20 December 2009
Today we headed west to visit the Glaciar Perito Morena.
We took the scenic route on gravel roads past the Villa Anita where 121 striking farmworkers were murdered by the Army in 1921.
There were a lot of sheep.
The Glaciar is one of two advancing in the world. The rest are all receding. It sometimes blocks Lago Argentino, and it was when we visited.
We were surprised how close you can get to the glaciar. There are new footways, with plenty of viewing spots.
The noise the glaciar makes as it grinds forwards is astonishing and loud. To see ice calf off the glaciar is truly memorable. We stayed for about five hours, just taking in the views and waiting for ice falls.
Towards the end of the day, it was a lovely warm evening and it seemed as if we had the glaciar to ourselves. Joan captured some of the glaciar falling 0n video but has not worked out how to upload this yet.
Back in El Calafate, we went to Pura Vida which is a popular restaurant overlooking the lake. It does a fine selection of veggie dishes, that do not include the ubiquitous pizza and pasta. A very loud Australian youth held court on his theories about the world on the table next to us.
Kevin had butternut squash filled with cheese and corn, whilst Joan opted for an aubergine and potato pie, that was not going to agree with her later in the night!
We took the scenic route on gravel roads past the Villa Anita where 121 striking farmworkers were murdered by the Army in 1921.
Memorial to the murdered strikers.
There were a lot of sheep.
Chilean Firebush
The Glaciar is one of two advancing in the world. The rest are all receding. It sometimes blocks Lago Argentino, and it was when we visited.
Approching the glacier.
We were surprised how close you can get to the glaciar. There are new footways, with plenty of viewing spots.
The noise the glaciar makes as it grinds forwards is astonishing and loud. To see ice calf off the glaciar is truly memorable. We stayed for about five hours, just taking in the views and waiting for ice falls.
Argentinian birds.
Towards the end of the day, it was a lovely warm evening and it seemed as if we had the glaciar to ourselves. Joan captured some of the glaciar falling 0n video but has not worked out how to upload this yet.
Back in El Calafate, we went to Pura Vida which is a popular restaurant overlooking the lake. It does a fine selection of veggie dishes, that do not include the ubiquitous pizza and pasta. A very loud Australian youth held court on his theories about the world on the table next to us.
Kevin had butternut squash filled with cheese and corn, whilst Joan opted for an aubergine and potato pie, that was not going to agree with her later in the night!
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Saturday 19th December
The view from our cabana
If we said it was windy last night...it was an understatement. The cabana seemed to be in danger of taking us away to the Wizard of Oz.
The landlady was very assertive that we had to leave at ten, so we nearly did it. The weather was not good - raining - so we decided to head up the road to Lago del Desierto. On the way we passed a beautiful waterfall called Chorrillo del Salto. It is a 20 m waterfaall, framed by a moss green cliff and adorned by the skeletons of drowned lenga trees (according to the guide book. ) An old lady asked us to help with her zipper!!
We travelled towards Chile, and stopped at the disembarkation point for boats. The weather was furious and blowing a gale. As there was low visibility we gave up the idea of walking to a hanging glaciar and headed back.
At El Chalten, the ATM was out of money, but we managed to purchase a full tank of diesel.
The landlady was very assertive that we had to leave at ten, so we nearly did it. The weather was not good - raining - so we decided to head up the road to Lago del Desierto. On the way we passed a beautiful waterfall called Chorrillo del Salto. It is a 20 m waterfaall, framed by a moss green cliff and adorned by the skeletons of drowned lenga trees (according to the guide book. ) An old lady asked us to help with her zipper!!
We travelled towards Chile, and stopped at the disembarkation point for boats. The weather was furious and blowing a gale. As there was low visibility we gave up the idea of walking to a hanging glaciar and headed back.
At El Chalten, the ATM was out of money, but we managed to purchase a full tank of diesel.
We headed back to the RN-40 where we were assailed by suicidal armadillos. The Lago Argentina is unbelievably blue and beautiful.
Towards El Calafate, the wind increased even more. It took us ages to find somewhere to stay as all the Cabanas were deserted by their owners. We finally came to rest at the LindaVista ApartHotel which is just off the main street.
We ate in a modest restaurant - spinach & cheese empanadas and chips before retiring fom the wind and catching up on the blog.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Friday 18th December
We were awoken by a builder, building the other half of the house we were staying in.
The drive to El Chalton was only a couple of hours or so, and the roads were paved once we left Tres Lagos.
In the distance we could see the Fitzroy range of mountains looking up. We could also see Lago Viedma with its huge glaciar and icebergs floating. The wind was so strong that we could barely stand, but it was not cold.
The drive to El Chalton was only a couple of hours or so, and the roads were paved once we left Tres Lagos.
In the distance we could see the Fitzroy range of mountains looking up. We could also see Lago Viedma with its huge glaciar and icebergs floating. The wind was so strong that we could barely stand, but it was not cold.
At El Chalten we booked into a cabana, which was quite luxurious and headed off for a walk to view Cerro Torre. The views of the valley are good but the Cerro Torre itself was shrouded by cloud.
On the walk there was a monument to a careless walker who dropped a cigarette and caused a fire. Open fires are forbidden here.
We also saw a beautiful red bird.
With Koen above El Chalten
We visited an internet cafe to catch up on the blog, but the connection is quite slow so we can't upload as many pictures as we would like.
Thursday 17th December
Hotel El Austral, Perito Moreno
Breakfast in the hotel was slow, but the coffee was good.
As we were packing to leave, we were approached by a Dutch backpacker called Koen, who wanted to hitch a lift. He was doing a gap year around South America, and wanted to head south to El Chalten. We explained that we were going to visit the Cueva de los Manos, and therefore might not reach the desitination that day. He seemed happy to just tag along.
As we were packing to leave, we were approached by a Dutch backpacker called Koen, who wanted to hitch a lift. He was doing a gap year around South America, and wanted to head south to El Chalten. We explained that we were going to visit the Cueva de los Manos, and therefore might not reach the desitination that day. He seemed happy to just tag along.
We drove south and turned off to the caves. The caves are a UNESCO heritage site, and have vivid silohuettes of hands as well as pictures of guanacos, lizards and hunters. One of the hands had 6 fingers. The oldest were done 9,000 years ago.
6 fingered hand painting.
The cave was in a canyon that was green in the bottom.
On the rocks above the cave there was a cheeky vizcacha watching us.
We stopped at Bajo Casracoles for petrol. It was a very small settlement, and basic.
The road was virtually ripio all the way, and there was very little traffic. Maybe a car every half hour. It had also rained and it had made the road muddy and slidy.
The grey blob is a nandu
Guanaco
We were flagged down by a minibus driver, who wanted to know if we had overtaken another minibus on the way. We had.
Long evening shadows
As it was getting dark, and it would take too long to get to El Chalten, we stopped off in Tres Lagos and hired a cabana (self catering cottage) for the night. It was considerably cheaper than a hotel, and very new.
We cooked a meal with basic provisions from the store and talked with Koen who is studying to be an aeronautical engineer.
Wednesday 16th December
Es el cumpleanos de Joan.
We went to the railway station from where the famous Patagonian Express leaves. It had already gone! It is narrow guage and subsidised by the state as a tourist attraction.
We headed down RN-40 and were pleasantly surprised to find that the road was paved. There were some extended desvios, where they are reconstructing the carriageway.
We went to the railway station from where the famous Patagonian Express leaves. It had already gone! It is narrow guage and subsidised by the state as a tourist attraction.
We headed down RN-40 and were pleasantly surprised to find that the road was paved. There were some extended desvios, where they are reconstructing the carriageway.
In Tecka we saw a sign saying "The Malvinas are Argentina" together with a monument to a local lad who died in the Falklands War.
The roads were straight and long. It is windy but warm. We ate lunch in the back of our pick-up.
There are miles between houses and because of the wind, we noticed all the houses are surrounded by trees.
Suddenly at Rio Mayo, the paved carriageway disappeared and we found ourselves on "ripio" - that is, gravel roads. In some places it was quite smooth but there are some awful bumpy bits. We are glad that we hired the biggest 4X4 possible as it was alot more comfortable than the Suzuki Jimny we hired last time.
Guanaco
Along the way we saw guanacos, nandus (an ostrich type bird) and, best of all, an armadillo scurrying across the road.
It was growing late when we approached the town of Perito Moreno. We booked into a functional hotel, Hotel El Austral, and went off in search of something to eat. The restaurant we wanted to visit was no longer there so we ended up at Hotel Americano next door. It was a bit ropey and though K ordered a Mozzarella and Roquefort Pizza, it came with ham!
Tired. A long day's drive.
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