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Glacier and Tendedor Libre

From South America Adventure in El Calafate, Argentina on Jan 20 '06

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Glacier tunnel
Glacier tunnel
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Woke up early this morning with Nicola screaming, some weird dreaming she had been having.  Left at 7am for another long truck day.  The scenery was again beautiful (must be sick of me saying this) and we saw Rhea (ostrich type birds), hares and lots of horses.  About 3ish we hit the traditional postcard pictures of patagonia - the jagged mountain chains with snowy peaks.  Arrived in El Calafate around 6ish and checked into our hostel for the night.  Went and did some supermarket shopping with Jules and Kirsty and then went out with them and Andy for dinner at Ricks.  It was a Tendedor Libre, which is basically a free buffet or eat as much as you like.  It includes salad and loads of meat - cooked fresh and brought to the table.  We had steak, chicken, lamb, pork and 3 types of sausages.  Had lots of cuba libres as well and had a nice night.

Yet more glacier shots.
Yet more glacier shots.
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Left at 8.15 the following day and headed out through the Patagonian landscape on a bus.  Saw condors and stopped at a little cafe with cartwheels, little houses and mountains and lakes as a backdrop.  Continued on to the Perito Moreno Glacier.  This is an advancing glacier, and is absolutely massive.  It looked big from 8km away but up close it is amazing.  Arrived to hear big crashes as the ice fell off the glacier into the sea.  Spent about two hours looking at it and watching pieces fall off.  The noise is much louder that you would think for what actually falls off.  Went for a walk through the scrub, seeing the glacier from different angles and then boarded a boat for a closer view.  Had a dulce de leche (like a caramel baileys) with glacier ice in it.  Very nice!!!  Got back and went on a beer run with Jules for the next few days where we would not have access to much.  Ended up later than thought so we ended up meeting Kirsty for dinner at a Paprilla - a bbq place that has a large bbq and spit on it where whole animals are barbarqued.  Good food again.  Argentina is great for that and cheap at it.


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