Patagonia and glaciers

Stunning vistas provide the setting for a visit to El Calafate in Patagonia.   Flying in there is nothing but rolling brown hills with no roads, no signs of human habitation, for an hour.  Until the big jet is 2 feet off the ground and the runway slides under our wheels there is no sign of life.  Then there is a modern airport only 12 years old and already being expanded and a 25 minute ride to El Calafate.  From descriptions we expected a rough mountain town.  A pleasant surprise awaited us.  Since the airport was built El Calafate has tripled in size to a city of 28,000.  New shops, great little restaurants, clean streets and charming new homes and hotels.  The economy is totally driven by tourism as it used to require a flight to an airport 315 km from here plus a 4-6 hour bus ride over rough roads to reach here.  This is the easy explanation for the boom.  We had chosen to stay right in town and that was a great choice.  All the tourism infrastructure is new also including great decking facing the glacier and boats and vans.  Nice way to to see a spectacular spot.  Our visit here also included our first all day flight on Aerolineas so we got two meals of the dreaded box lunches.  One of our guides said "you have to be starving, brave or stupid to eat those sandwiches".   We were all three.

Fears of snow were unfounded.  We felt the bite of the dreaded wind but temperature was high 50's low 60's.

El Perito Moreno Glacier, one of worlds most famous.  The fame due to the easy access.

When planning the trip we knew the rupture would be soon. Our first night in BA we met some people who had just come from El Calafate and they said it just happened one day earlier.  This is the remnant of the ice wall that fills this channel.  It takes 2-6 years approx to fill up and when it closes the lake section we are sailing on will be anywhere from 20 feet (this last time) to 90 feet (1988) higher than the lake in the background.  Eventually the water works it way under the glacier and creates a bridge.  When that happens it will be 2-5 days until it ruptures so everyone including nature photographers from all over the world rush here and spend all day watching and waiting.  This time it ruptured on the 5th day, rather the 5th night at 4 AM in the morning when the park is closed plus it was raining.  No pictures, no video.  Mother nature had the last laugh. 

The walkways and balconies are in the foreground.  the glacier face is 15 km wide.  It travels rather quickly for a glacier composed of tons of ice, about 2.2 meters a day, for 30 km to reach this point then, as the ramparts of ice are pushed slowly forward, every so often silently a huge section slides slowly off and falls with a huge roar.  We learned to watch for the telltale signs of a few small pieces falling and then in slow motion the large sheets slid away.   

Our excellent guide, Martin.  He really became our favorite when, as we were leaving, 4 young people in their early 20's came swaggering down the walk way smoking.  They are very serious about ecology of this park and he took after them, chased them firmly up the path and made them put the cigarettes out.  Interesting point was that they were Israeli's who have just completed their military service.
Lots of back pay and they head off to see the world.  He said they are one group they consistently have trouble with.

 The section in the center where the ice is bluer was the most spectacular calving we saw.
We were standing near the bottom of the walkways directly opposite when all of a sudden a few hunks fell.  In a few minutes the huge top section slowly pulled away.  We could not believe our eyes,  as it sighed gently, slipped forward and then crashed with a huge splash and the thunder of tons of blue ice hitting the water.  No one even lifted a camera, only wanting to be in the moment and live the experience.

 Farewell as Jim and Kaye have to leave to go back to work.

We carefully explained about the flag as Chile is only 40 miles away.  Being the first Texans to stay at this hotel we are on their website with the Texas flag.

This restaurant had a buzzer so we could call the waiter whenever we wanted. Love that idea.  Also had fabulous Italian food.  We ate there both nights.  Since we had had little except cold breakfast, snack at park, and two Aerolineas sandwiches the day before we might not have been totally objective. 


All glaciers tour

8 AM and the sun is just rising, streaking the eastern sky with gold and sending shimmers of pink and orange rippling  across Lago Argentina.  As we drive out to the Marina to catch our boat the sun shoots fire across the snow capped Andes in front of us, tinging  the peaks with crimson.  This is a taste of the day to come.  A day that is built on light and water and ice.  Perfect weather with the sun dancing in and out of the clouds.  Sailing on the icy milky waters we float among the crystal galleons created by the great  glaciers as they give up their sovereignty to the water.  The ice gathers sunbeams and distills it into a million shades of blue.  We are in the Upsala glacier ice field. 

Now we are 4 

Sunlight throws rainbows across the mountains

 An iceberg grabs a sunbeam to become a glowing aquamarine lantern.   

Fragile as glass, frozen bubbles, float from the heart of the glacier.  How could they escape the grinding of tons of ice?

In a moment the color changes to glow in shades of blue.   A floating lantern shimmering for a minute in time.                                                            


                                     
A hunk of ice 
( now I know why diamonds are called that) 
                                 

                                

                                                
After wine and lunch we were sure we saw the Titanic going down in the middle of the ice field.




Spegazzini Glacier 

The ramparts of ice creep, crawl and claw there way across the mountain only to be bathed in a gentle rainbow.
                                    

Then the sunshine is captured within the glacier sending blue lights dancing in the ice.  The lights are on in the palace of frozen glass.
                                

                           

                                

Our ride on the Lake of light and ice.
                                 

Charlene made devoted friends with her little sheriff's badges.  These were two happy recipients.  Daddy was hotel manager.
                                     

 Perfect end to the day.  Wonderful food, stunning memories, great bottle of wine and a buzzer to call the waiter.  I had my hair blow dryed in the howling Patagonian wind.