El Calafate, Argentina Nov. 2006

As you can see this date conflicts with the actual date of the post because I am a lazy procrastinator. But I am sure you would rather read more about my travels!

El Calafate is the wannabe Aspen of Patagonia, except there is nowhere to ski, just an extremely large glacier to see (and rumors of good fishing but I didn’t have the time to verify that). Laurie, Calla and I arrived with 3 days to explore the area when really you only need one day to see the amazing Perito Moreno Glacier. While the town has cute Bavarian-esque shops, art galleries, chocolate shops and cafes, it is not enough of a reason to linger in the seemingly ever present wind and dust.

To get to the glacier you need to hire a car or take a tour. Calla and I opted for the tour, which included a boat ride along the southern face and hike around the northern face, with a final stop along the viewing terraces. We saw some glaciers in Torres del Paine but they did not prepare us for the enormity of the Perito Moreno Glacier. As the tour bus descended toward the dock, the glacier field seemed to go on and on, the peaks of the mountains acting as tiny distance markers. Passing small icebergs, the catamaran made its way so close to the glacier face, that I became highly alarmed when a chunk the size of a 5 bedroom Socal track home fell into the water. The tour guide, upon seeing my face, assured me that we were perfectly safe but it didn’t
stop me from worrying especially after seeing An Inconvenient Truth…it seemed only a matter of time until a truly huge chunk fell in. From the trail and the terraces we could better hear the groaning and cracking of the ice as it moved and small pieces would periodically fall off. But this was apparently not often enough for a group of Japanese tourists, who, either ignoring or unable to read the signs that said no shouting in English and Spanish, began screaming at the top of there lungs thereby breaking the peaceful serenity of the moment. As we were leaving, the persistent wind of Patagonia moved the clouds in such a way that there seemed to be a spotlight shining down on various parts of the glacier, the colors of which alternated between white, blue and lavender.

The next day was spent writing postcards, shopping, and trying mate for the first time (a type of tea very popular in Argentina which is drunk through a straw from a carved out, dried pumpkin), while Laurie headed back to Punta Arenas, Chile to catch an earlier flight back. The next day Calla and I left for Punta Arenas via Puerto Natales where, surprisingly enough we met up with Omar, the friendly owner of Kawashkar hostel hustling up some business with the gringos at the bus stop for his hostel. The people I met on my travels, I think, are one of the most memorable aspects of my time in Chile and Argentina, so many friendly, helpful and interesting people, which brings me to my next encounter in Punta Arenas. By this time, I had a nasty cold and all I wanted to do was sleep, which was very easy to do in the Downtown Hostel, a historic building from the early 1900s that included an awesome cast iron stove. The next day our flight did not leave until 3, but the lady owner was kind enough to let us hang out in the living room. When I told her I had a cold, she immediately began to make me a special honey tea, which was surprisingly good and helped my sore throat. While she made that and continued with the household chores, her husband sat down and chatted with me, telling me about the history of the house, running a B&B, his own travels through the United States and how he was the owner of a sporting goods store that was the first to introduce name brands like North Face to Chile. It was quite a pleasant way to end the journey and as the plane cruised by snow capped volcanoes and over sparkling blue fjords, I felt re-energized and ready to get back to work

One of only THREE Patagonian glaciers that is not retreating.

Check back soon for One Day in the Life of a VE Volunteer.