Patagonia

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Wow!  It is going to be hard to describe the things that we have seen and done in Patagonia, and our story may be better described through the photos, but we will do our best to give an overview of the last few weeks.

Because there are so many photos it will be easier to see them at the flickr sight, so the web address is: www.flickr.com/photos/ribeye We have strategically titled the set "Patagonia"

Suz Crossing the River
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We have basically been bouncing around from small town to small town just checking out all of the sights that Patagonia has to offer.  The geography of the area is amazing.  The Andes create a huge rain shadow over most of Argentina, so as you drive through these open plains you are surrounded by rolling fields of golden grasses and huge meandering rivers.  Looking west these fields come to an abrupt end at the base of the Andes where huge granite peaks shoot up into the sky.  The valleys of the peaks are filled with enormous glaciers that feed the rivers, so the color of the river water is a beautiful silty blue that can only be created by glacial runoff.  To our amazment we learned most of Patagonia is so pristine that you are able to drink the water out of any source you can find (river, lake, glacier) without any worry of bacteria poisoning.  Also, though not abundant, the wildlife of the area is pretty cool and interesting as well. The open grass lands are spotted with wild lamas, ostriches, and flamingos.  Bizarre...

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We both agree that our favorite spot thus far has been the town of El Chalten.  The town of 500 residents is located at the border of the Glacier National Park, so all of the trail heads for the park are located right in town.  We did some exploring on our own, but had the most fun on an expedition that we organized with a local outfit.  The guides took us on a one day, 18 mile round trip, hike up to, and onto, a glacier located at the base of this beautiful granite peak called Cerro Torre.  We spend four hours hiking across the glacier and even got the chance to try out some ice climbing.

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We are also proud to say that we have been to the southern most city in the world, Ushuaia, Argentina.  From there it was a quick, and expensive ($3,000 per person...maybe another time), two day trip to Antarctica.  Another beautiful town encircled by enormous peaks and beautiful sights.

In another few days we will be catching a three day ferry from Puerto Natales, Chile to Puerto Montt, Chile.  Weather dependant it should be awesome.  The boat threads a course up through the narrow passages of Chile's coast, and so the sights and wildlife should be amazing.  Pictures will of course be forthcoming.

Awesome
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We are seeing some amazing things and meeting great people, but missing everyone back home a ton.  What a different place it would be if you were also here to see it too.  We are already planning future trips back here with you guys, so we hope that everyone is up for it in a couple years.

We hope all is well with everyone this reaches.  Please keep the comments and emails coming, we really love to hear from everyone.  Take care.