No words can explain the beauty of this place

Another beautiful iceberg.
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The funny thing about being in this region is that you would be travelling on the bus for hours without seeing a single development in the land (all plains and desert-looking lands) - no people, buildings or any sign of life.  Just about when you have lost hope and think that the bus driver must have taken the wrong turn somewhere, comes a city!!  This is because the patagonia region of Chile and Argentina is the most sparsely populated in the continent, mainly because of the cold weather and conditions, and because things in this region are more expensive (everything from housing materials to fruits has to be transported from the north).

The catamaran on Lago Argentino, on the way to view the glaciers
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El Calafate is one of these places.

...........NO WORDS!

However, to see and do what I did whilst here, I would have paid 3 times more.

This place is undescribable.......beauty oozing out of every side.  After getting here on Wednesday afternoon, I acquainted myself to the place and relaxed.

A small iceberg
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Thursday was the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE THAT I SAW GLACIERS AND ICEBERGS.  Needless to say, it was a breathtaking, shocking and almost emotional experience.  I took a catamaran tour into Lago Argentina for the day and saw 3 different glaciers - Spegazzini, Onelli and Upsala - all which had different sizes, characteristics and colours.

The Spegazzini glacier was the highest glacier in the region.  It is unique because it shows no signs of receding (a common phenomenon in large glaciers).  On the contrary, its front wall seems larger every year.  It is considered to be one of the most charming ones due to its natural surroundings.

One of the catamarans by the first glacier.....look at the size of the boat compared to the glacier!!
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The Onelli (and Bolado and Agassiz) glaciers were surrounded by the typical patagonian forest of the Andes.  They flow into the Onelli lake and fill it with countless icebergs of various shades of blue that dazzle the scenery and intensify the experience.  The boat stopped in the forest here for lunch......a rainy but unforgettable experience!!

The Upsala glacier was the largest one in the region, and the longest one in South America.  It is a "branched-valley" glacier and is fed by several other glaciers.  Its basin has a surface of 1000km2 so one can imagine the look on my face when I saw this monster glacier from so close.

MMmmm.....Iceberg!!!!
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The whole experience lasted the day and was a new, exciting and refreshing (and freezing) one for me.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, came Friday, when I went to see the Glacier Perito Moreno.  The saying "jaw on the floor" was characteristic of the experience.  Being on the various viewing balconies at different heights and distances from the glacier was phenomenal.  What was even better and exciting was the spectacle of seeing the various bits of icebergs falling off the glacier and making an huge splash and noise as if a fireworks display (or full on war) was going on........SPECTACULAR!!!!!

Lake of icbergs!!!
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On Friday evening, I left for El Chalten