I was sad leaving Puerto Natales. The people I met really made me feel welcomed. The light rain was still falling as I left Erratic Rock en route to the bus. As we pulled away, I fondly remembered laying on the rock under the towers with the sun in my face. This would end up being the highlight of my entire Patagonian adventure. All of the windows fogged up in the bus during the five hour trip to El Calafate. There is not much to look at during this stretch of road anyways, so nothing missed.
El Calafate is much different than Puerto Natales. Although both cater towards tourists, El Calafate seems more polished. Everything here is somewhat fancy and well maintained. However, it all comes at a price. I remember some of the prices from the last time I was in Argentina, but dude! Things here are expensive! Everything from accomodation to food to camping supplies cost so much more than I remember. I began to wonder if everything in Argentina became more expensive, or was it just here.
The main draw for tourists here is the Perito Morena Glacier. You all have seen pictures of it in postcards, travel magazines, and TV. However, seeing the glacier live is quite impressive. I booked a half day tour which is more than enought time to see the glacier. The thing is massive. It stands about 55 meters tall in some places. I opted to skip the boat tour since it doesn´t bring you any closer than the viewing balconies. From the miradors, the boat looks like a toy in a white porcelain bath tub with the walls towering overhead. As you stand there, you can hear pops and cracks as the ice moves slowly towards the lake. People stand for hours waiting for sheets of ice to fall into the water. I was not that lucky, but a Swiss couple I met filmed a giant piece fall which left a huge ripple in the water. No matter how many glaciers you have seen in the past, you should not miss the Moreno Glacier if you have a chance.
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