Today we had to wake up early to see Glacier Perito Moreno. The drive to the park was absolutely beautiful. The river water was white like one of those Glacier freeze Gatorade drinks. It was absolutely freezing when we stepped off the bus. We took a short boat ride to the face of the glacier. I being the forever comic felt the need to yell "iceburg dead ahead" at the spotting of any chunk of ice in the water. The glacier was blue... you see pictures of the glacier and you think yea, blue, probably computer edited. But it is that BLUE in real life. My pictures absolutely do not do it justice.
Iceberg dead ahead!
Blue like you have never seen before...
After the boat ride we stopped in the cafeteria to eat some food and fuel up for our "walk." It was freezing, and windy and SNOWING!! but amazing. We got to see the iceberg "calve" a few times. Calving is when huge chunks of ice fall off the burg and go crashing into the water. The berg itself gives off this crazy loud creaking noise. FREAKY.
Alyssa avoiding the rain
CALVE!!!
Back at the cafeteria we attempted to warm up and play some serious UNO. But apparently card playing in public is illegal and we were told to put them away (although we played again in public many times after that and were never told to stop.)
Back at the hostel we faffed about warming up in front of the radiator. Then we realized we had a short time before we caught our bus and still needed to buy food for dinner. Alyssa and Rob brought all of the luggage to the bus station while I bought food and sprinted up behind them. We caught our bus, but were told no eating aloud. We ate anyway – such rebels.
After arriving in Chalten and settling into our clean warm wonderful hostel we bundled up as if we were going on a Antarctic rescue mission and walked two blocks to the restaurant for dinner. I had yummy capriccio and Rob and Alyssa decided I have multiple diseases because I crave undercooked meat and fish. Before retiring to bed we, of, course finished the saved UNO game.
Today was another rest day. It felt like we had been traveling for ages, so we decided to spend the day relaxing. We wandered around the two-bit town and collected info about camping and excursions in the area.
We found a wonderful chocolate shop and proceeded to laze about for hours. We drank hot chocolate with all types of yummy adventurous additives like tia maria, hot pepper, and bailey’s, while enjoying a serious game of rummy. The next day we were going to go on a glacier trek, but decided that since rain was forecast that we would go camping instead. (Still unsure why we thought this was a brilliant plan.)
Later in the evening we did our grocery shop for our three day camping trip. Had a wonderful dinner of salmon raviolis and this great local brewery that served all you can eat popcorn – yes I was in heaven.
When we awoke this morning it was pouring rain. We began trekking up the mountain with our special waterproof pants. Turns out they aren’t waterproof in a monsoon. Everyone else on the trail is headed towards town, but we will not admit our folly in beginning a camping trip in the rain.
We arrived at the campsite (Laguna Capri) to set up our tents. Which look incredibly dinky compared to the fancy-pants expedition tents that are set up all around us. After sandwiches, made huddled under an umbrella, we decided they only way not to die of hypothermia is to tromp around. The musical genius of the group (that’s me) made up a song about tromping.
The hike took us along side a stream, through the Valley of the Wind (named by yours truly), across a swamp to Campamento Poincinot. (By this time Alyssa’s feet were soaked and I was never happier about my hiking boots.) We thought we saw glaciers through the clouds, but couldn’t be sure, just glimpses of blue.
Valley of the Wind and possible glacier glimpse?
On the way back to camp, it stopped raining and we definitely saw GLACIERS. I have never seen blue that blue. Just as we arrive back at camp and light the stove for dinner the rain begins again. We ate our now famous noodles with soup mix and cheese – delicious camp food. We also realized that there was no way for us to get our soaking wet bodies into the tents without getting everything in them soaking wet.
Caterpillar Boy - he will make a showing later on...
We decided that since there were currently no expeditions going on we would break into their kitchen tent to dry off and change into our pajamas. We laid our clothes over every available surface to dry. We also decided it was worth it to sneak into one of their tents with a fancy rain fly for the night. We made a cloud bed out of all the extra sleeping bags they were storing in there and ate chocolate. Alyssa and Rob fell asleep as I read out loud.
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