El Calafate: December 2015

The View from our room. El Calafate, Argentina.

We arrived in El Calafate and didn’t have a way to get to our guesthouse. The owner asked if we wanted to be picked up and we thought the price was a little steep. Javier asked about other alternatives and didn’t get a response. We figured there would be a local bus we could take. Nope! They only offer overpriced shuttles and highway-robbery taxis. We opted for the shuttle. There’s a whole lotta nothing in between the town of El Calafate and the airport. When we arrived, the shuttle was dropping everyone off. Javier and I tend to get dropped off last. Sometimes because we’re in the most ghetto place but not always. After he dropped off some people in the town center and started creeping up the hill we thought…well, I guess we’re in the hood again. Turned out, we were in a very nice location. It was quiet, away from the bustle of the small town, but only a 5 minute walk away. Our guesthouse was set on a hill and all the rooms faced the lake- a beautifully massive milky turquoise green color.

Stew stuffed in a Squash. delightful.

We walked down to a restaurant recommended by our host. We both decided on the stew-stuffed squash, and when we ordered, the girl looked at us and asked if we were really hungry, otherwise we should share. Good thing! The portion was huge! We ordered an empanada just in case, and didn’t really need to. We ate until we were stuffed. When we arrived back home, we stopped to talk to our host about taking a tour the next day. When I stood up to walk to the brochure table, she asked Javier if I was pregnant. HAHAHA! For those that don’t know, my stomach can distend quite unnaturally. After a big meal, this sometimes happens. I find comfort in rubbing my big belly during these times, and I guess it’s the perfect combination! She was really embarrassed, which was only made worse by our nonstop giggling.

El Calafate. Look at the clouds.

There have been a few times during our travels that Javier and I want a break. We want to sit around and do nothing. We don’t want to see a sight, don’t want to be part of a tour, don’t want to be on a bus with a bunch of strangers. This doesn’t happen often, and usually we end up doing whatever it is we don’t want to do. Perito Moreno was no exception. Javier had looked it up, but we had just been to a glacier in New Zealand. Neither of us felt the need to go, but in talking with the owner of our guesthouse, we were convinced. So, at 7:45am the following morning we were ready and waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to the glacier. Both of us had very low expectations.

Visiting an Estancia. El Calafate, Argentina.

We stopped at one of the Estancias for a bathroom and snack break. There were goats running around along with a couple of guanacos, which were very friendly and playful. We took pictures of the animals and watched the caballeros round up the horses. On the way to the glacier, we saw condors, horses, and lots of Calafate (the bush the city is named after). After an hour ride, we arrived at the lake where we could see Perito Moreno in the distance. We climbed out of the bus and walked down to the waterfront. Pieces of the glacier are constantly breaking off and some of those pieces make their way to the shore.

Parque National Los Glaciares. Argentina.

We played around with some of the ice. I was surprised how heavy it was. Javier posed for pictures. We walked along the lake back up to the bus where we continued our journey to the glacier. 

At the glacier, we were able to walk around the platforms to view it from different angles. Javier took off to take pictures from a higher vantage point, while I stayed put and waited for something amazing to happen. The thing with glaciers is…they’re really hard to catch mid-fall. Usually, it’s only once the glacier breaks off and falls into the water that you hear it, and therefore can see its effects. We were determined. A few chunks broke off and splashed here and there, and suddenly, while I was looking right at it, a huge mass broke off the side and crashed into the water. It was incredible and a bit intimidating. The sound alone was so powerful.

Glaciar Perito Moreno. Parque National Los Glaciares. Argentina.

I found Javier and he had seen it as well. There were other small crashes here and there, but none like the big one we saw. We stayed for a while longer and watched the sun move across the glacier, changing the colors and causing reflective glows here and there. It was so peaceful. And then…the rain started. We made a dash for the cafe where we sat, drank some hot chocolate, and waited out the rain. We still had a few minutes until the bus arrived, so we took a different platform to catch one final view of the glacier before returning to our bus.

Glaciar Perito Moreno. Parque National Los Glaciares. Argentina.

This was such a unique experience for us. WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE GLACIER!! Argentina does the most amazing job at getting you as close as possible to some very dangerous and amazing forces of nature. 

To see more pictures of El Calafate, click HERE.