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Fri 16/3
Today was my day for visiting the famous glacier Perito Moreno which is situated about 90 minutes from El Calafate. After considering the options I decided to just get the bus there rather than do a tour as it would be a bit cheaper and go out on a boat only if I wanted to once I got there. It's an expensive place to visit but is one of the "must sees" of the area and is well worth it of course! (Bus 120 pesos, park entry 100 pesos, boat 70 pesos = approx. £42!) Unfortunately the weather wasn't great but my schedule couldn't allow for waiting a day so I had to go. It was a damp, drizzly morning but I suppose my luck with the weather couldn't last forever! As you enter the park you get your first glimpse of the glacier and even in the gloomy weather conditions it looked amazing!
It turned out it's best to decide if you want to go on a boat before you actually go to see the glacier so I took the decision to go on the boat trip as I decided if I didn't I may regret it. I'm glad I did as I think it gives you another perspective of the glacier. We went quite close to the south face and the height of it is impressive at 60m tall. Unfortunately it was raining while we were out on the boat but the sight of the huge glacier was worth standing outside for. Apart from looking at it, you can also hear it- when big lumps of ice fall off the glacier and into the sea you hear a kind of explosion as it hits the water- it was a shame I didn't manage to catch any of these in a photo. You can see the crevices and the blue and 'white' colour of the ice and big lumps of ice floating in the water. After the 1 hour boat ride the bus collected those of us who had taken the boat and took us to the viewing area, which is a series of paths which give excellent views of the glacier and from here you can really appreciate the size of this glacier as from there you can see how wide it is- 5km and how far back it goes- it is 30km long. It really has to be seen to be believed, it is an immense and amazing sight. From the viewing platforms you can see the jagged top of the glacier and the crevices on its surface. The glacier is constantly advancing and moves 1 metre every day. I spent a couple of hours walking around, looking and listening to the glacier and taking photos- the weather did clear up and there was a bit of blue sky and sunshine but by then I was feeling really cold from being wet. I spent the last couple of hours trying to get warm in the café while waiting for the 4pm bus- had the weather been better I think sitting outside just looking at the glacier would have been a bit more enjoyable!
I had 2 evenings at the hostel in El Calafate and it was a nice, sociable hostel with everyone chatting whilst cooking and eating etc. I cooked both nights for me and an Australian called Michael which was nice- I supplied the food and he got some beers in :-) I miss cooking and also cooking for people. Also had a break from pasta and had rice for 2 nights for a change. After Ecuador wasn't sure I'd ever miss rice again but have eaten a lot of pasta lately!
- comments
Mariano Breathtaking pictures, Liz! I never even thuohgt about glaciers in Argentina! Freakin' unbelievable! Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful pics plus introducing me to a world I want to explore one day. (AND that whiskey and glacier ice picnic is on my list!). xx