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On our one day stopping off back in BA we had to go to the best steakhouse in town. So despite more pouring rain (probably the same storm we only narrowly survived in Iguazu) we set off to La Cabrera. After about a ten minute wait outside with a glass of champagne (it's pretty popular, even in awful weather) we were at our table and slightly overwhelmed by the amount of meat on the menu. We haven't yet had a bad steak in Argentina but this was definitely the best so far; both for taste and for the amount of added extras it came with... not to mention the plates shaped like cows and the giant steak knives.
Then, in a happy steak and red wine induced coma it was off to bed ready for an early start for our flight to El Calafate. Three hours on a plane and we arrived in a completely different climate! No more tropical rainstorms, only bright sunshine and a VERY cold wind! The town itself looks a bit like the middle of nowhere as it's just surrounded by Patagonian steppe which basically means a lot of dust and one or two bushes. Our hostel, America del Sur, is a lovely log cabin building with heated floors (very welcome first thing in the morning!) and looks out over the lake and mountains so is a perfect place for sitting inside keeping warm and watching the sunset.
On our first day we (mostly Liz) were a bit too tired and grumpy to do much so went for a short walk down to the lagoon on the outskirts of town for our first sight of flamingos. After a lovely couple of hours walk looking over the lake and mountains it was back to the hostel for an early night ready for our excursion to the glacier.
We chose the "Big Ice" trip which allows you to go walking across the glacier itself wearing crampons. It was another early start and we got picked up at 7 on the bus to drive for about an hour into the glacier national park. We were dropped off at the main viewpoint where there are a series of balconies letting you walk around and view the glacier. It's an incredible sight watching the huge wall of ice and occasionally seeing bits drop off into the lake.
Then it was back on the bus to drive down to the port area where we caught a boat across the lake to the side of the glacier. We were met by a group of guides and hiked through the woods for an hour or so, only stopping to pick up our crampons ready for the ice. Then when we reached the edge of the glacier there was time for a quick lesson in ice walking and we set off across tyhe glacier.
The walk itself was amazing (if a little scary in parts - partlcularly J's right leg disappearing through a hole in the ice) and we were constantly making our way up and down ridges, past crevasses and over running water. After stopping to admire a particularly large hole that went all the way down to the bottom of the glacier (you are only allowed to peer in with a guide hanging on to you in case you fall) it was time for a picnic on the ice. Cold bums aside it was definitely the best picnic ever!
Then there was just time to walk a little further across the glacier before heading back to dry land. Taking off the crampons was definitely a highlight as we were really starting to feel the burn!
After all that exercise we decided we were entitled to a nice dinner and luckily the staff at our hostel were able to recommend a nice place all of 50 metres from the front door - probably just as well it wasn't any further as our legs weren't too keen for much more walking. After watching the sunset we decided to go for the local speciality of Patagonian lamb in calafate sauce (El Calafate is named for the calafate bushes growing all around and their berries are something like a blueberry). We certainly weren't disappointed! Just behind our table was an open fire, surrounded by three or four whole lambs roasting away nicely so we got to watch the chef hack off a leg for us and were quickly presented with two huge plates full of meat and (unusually for Argentina) vegetables. So full and happy we retired for another well-earned sleep!
So tomorrow we will be saying goodbye to El Calafate and heading north to El Chalten, hopefully for more walking, mountains and glaciers, weather permitting.
xx
- comments
ann Meat, glaciers and sunsets. Sounds great! Testing the Spanish?? A x
neckbeard guys sounds great. hope your having fun.....makes me want to go back. happy berfday j love rob