Argentina 2011

March 12, El Calafate, Argentina 

On tour today at 8 am!  That means on the bus and moving!  Oh nice to be back on tour!  NOT!!!!

But it will be good.  

The tour headed out of town on gravel roads for about 25 km.  Not many cars around!  Nice as along the way saw a black breasted buzzard eagle, the local emu and many rabbits.

Stopped for coffee at small place and they had a guanaco as a pet!  Actually inside the restaurant!  Very cute.  They are related to the llama, alpaca and camel.

Then on to Los Glaciers National Park.

Stopped along the road and we went on a short walk down to the Lake Rico.  This is the lake that floods with the Perito Moreno Glacier when it hits the land on the opposite side of the lake.  

This gave us the first view of the glacier.  We are 8 km away and it looks huge!  Walked maybe for 1 hour along the lake.  

Then onto bus and to the view point over the glacier.  Very nice walkways providing many angles to watch the glacier.  This glacier advances about 2 m each day so there are many pieces falling off the front and into the lakes.  Big splashes and big waves follow loud cracks as the ice falls!  Saw a few small ones but apparently did not see the big one.  Some of the trails hide the glacier behind trees! 

Then onto a boat for a close up view of the glacier.  It is huge.  About 50 m above the water level.  The pictures do not do it justice.
Dinner was with some of the tour group at a roasted lamb restaurant.  The lamb is roasted, split, over charcoal.  It was very good and was so tender!

March 11, El Calafate, Argentina 

Spent the day wandering around the city again.  

Hired a taxi and went out to Ceuvas de Walichi, caves which have paintings dated back 4500 years, they think!  About 8 km out of town.

Very interesting, similar to Australian aboriginal art and surprising that natural paints can last that long.  

Again the guide did not speak much for English but did a great job with sign language and our limited Spanish got the message.  The site had also reproduced several paintings located in other areas of the southern part of Chile.

Then walked to the Nimez lagoon, a nature reserve located on the edge of town.  Here they are many birds and horses!  Horses are not supposed to be there, but they do get in!

Nice walk, but very windy!  Saw some geese, carcara, coots, black headed swans, ducks and snipes.

Also went to the Archeological museum.  Learned something about dinosaurs but have forgotten it.  Not a bad place but way too much information for me to absorb.

Also went to the Glacier Museum.  This was great.  Interesting displays, movies and even a 3D movie of the glaciers in the area.

Had a very late dinner after a meeting with the tour guides for this part of the trip.  Nice couple, Australian and a trainee from Chile.

March 10, El Calafate, Argentina 

Up fairly early to get to airport for 9 am flight.  3 hours later we arrived.  Flew over many snow capped mountains.  

Airport is way out of town so caught a taxi.  The land is fairly barren.  Short grasses and a few shrubs.  The city is not that big at about 8.000, and situated on the lake Argentina.

Spent the afternoon wandering around the main street.  Doing some window shopping but also went to the local museum next door to hostel.

The woman did not speak much if any English but she showed us around the small museum.  In some places she was using sign language to describe some of the photos, but ended up laughing so hard she would loose her thoughts.  Pretty funny!

Sun shone, but temperature still cold at about 12 to 15 degrees.  The wind makes is feel fairly cold.

March 9, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Did not do much, got up, had coffee at small shop around corner from hotel as was too early for breakfast at hotel.

Went to airport and got back to hotel in Buenos Aires about 6 pm. 

Out for dinner and then back to hotel as have an early start tomorrow!