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Brenton Kovacs's Travels
16th
Its pack up time, and we have to be at the airport by midday. The taxi driver is an honest guy and doesn't try to rip us off (apparently its very common for them to rip tourists off.)
Flying with LAN again, and our flight departs on time. It’s a 3,000k, 3.5 hour flight as we head down to the bottom of South America. This is called the Patagonia area, and its full of Glaciers and snow capped mountains. Can’t wait to get there!
Arrive on time, and collect a rental car from hertz. It’s a 15 minute drive into Calafate. I have booked a small cabin and it turns out better than expected. Its off to the supermarket to get some food for the next few days and something for tea tonight.
While eating dinner the cabin feels like it is being pushed off its foundations. It lasts for about 5 seconds. Everyone in the cabin park comes running out of their cabins. Turns out it was a rather strong earthquake.
After tea we go for a walk up and down the main street. Sunset is not till after 10pm. Its because we are so close to the Antarctic Circle, about 1,800ks away. Sunrise is at 6am.
17th
With breakfast over with we make the 80k drive to Puerto Merino Glacier. It is one of the only Glaciers that is still advancing. The face is up to 70 metres tall and its over 3 kilometres wide. We arrive at the car park and have to take a shuttle bus down to the start of the walks.
As we get closer the enormity if the glacier becomes apparent. Its massive. We spend about 4 hours moving from one lookout to the next hoping to get a picture or video of parts of the face collapsing. The noise the glacier makes is as loud as a clap of thunder, and the noise doesn’t stop. We witness some chunks the size of a bus falling into the water. What a sight. I manage to video some of the action.
You have a choice of taking the shuttle or walking back to the car park. We decide to walk the 1.5ks. Turns out it’s the right decision. The path takes you past parts of the glacier that you would not see if you took the shuttle. We make one last stop to see if the glacier will give us that unforgettable photo. Well it delivers and Alan captures the whole event. We are lucky to witness a huge part of the face about 50 metres wide collapse into the water. The noise is deafening. Oh how lucky to be in the right place at the right time!
It was lucky we took jackets as the wind coming off the glacier is very cold. One of the most impressive acts of mother nature we have witnessed.
The drive back to town and get some tea. No earthquakes tonight.
18th
Today we drive to El Chalten. Its 220 kilometres north of Calafate. Traffic is very light and the road is very good considering how remote this place is. There are lots of photo opportunities along the way, and all are breathtaking. When we arrive in Chalten its lunch time, so we find a nice shady spot and eat our packed lunch.
El Chalten is at the base of Fitzroy Mountain, and has plenty of walks around the area. The place is packed with backpackers, hikers and mountain bikers. The walk we do takes 4 hours to complete, covers about 12 kilometres and climbs 800 metres. Its pretty warm, about 30 degrees. Whats at the end of the walk is a huge lake with a stunning view of Fitzroy Mountain. Its hot sweaty work and both our T shirts are soaked. At the lake there are a lot of people here cooling their feet in the water. With shoes off i dip my feet into the icy water. We both roll up our jeans and go for a paddle in the crystal clear water.
The view is amazing and we spend an hour absorbing the view, and smelling the incredible perfumed air from all the flowers and trees. The walk from the car park to the lake is through some heavily wooded forest with plenty of shade.
The area is part of the Glacier National Park, and the park is in pristine condition. After hiking back down to the car we drive about 3 kilometres up a dirt road and take a 10 minute walk to see a waterfall. The waterfall is pretty impressive and the place is packed. Its hard to get a good picture as there are people everywhere trying to do same.
Anyway its time to head for home, and we arrive back at the cabin around 8pm. Need to leave tomorrow for Santiago.
19th
After breakfast I called LAN as we want to change a flight. Well what a waste of 2 hours on the phone. They just kept putting me on hold for half an hour at a time, so I hung up and called back. Will try later tonight. The day only gets worse. Need to put fuel in the car before taking it back. Was going to do that last night, but changed my mind and thought i will do it on the way to the airport. There are 2 fuel stations in town, and both have queues of about 20 cars each. Takes over half an hour to get filled up.
Arrive at the airport and the Car is returned without a hassle. We find the check in line and there are lots of people in the queue, but nobody from LAN is behind the counter. Turns out the flight is delayed by 3 hours. This means we will miss the connecting flight in Buenos Aires. After a lot of discussion we are put on a different airline and we are told by LAN that we will be in Buenos Aires at 9pm for a connecting flight to Santiago. That was a lie. Turns out the connecting flight is leaving at 9pm. I don’t understand why the lied to us.
Anyway we arrive in Buenos Aires and head to the LAN ticket counter. The guy there is very helpful and books us on the flights we need and even changes the flight I tried calling about without charging me the $100 fee. He books us into a hotel nearby and books a taxi as well. We are given a dinner voucher as well.
It’s a little after 11pm when we get to the hotel, and as we have eaten dinner we use the voucher. Its just after midnight when we finish eating and then I am told I will have to pay for the food. Turns out the guy at reception was meant to tell me we only had one choice on the menu, but as we were unaware we ordered something different. I made it quite clear I wasn’t paying and went to the room.
It’s a Holiday Inn and is very new, and the rooms are huge. We both get some sleep. Need to be back at the airport by 8.30am for the 10.40am flight. Oh the joys of air travel.
Its pack up time, and we have to be at the airport by midday. The taxi driver is an honest guy and doesn't try to rip us off (apparently its very common for them to rip tourists off.)
Flying with LAN again, and our flight departs on time. It’s a 3,000k, 3.5 hour flight as we head down to the bottom of South America. This is called the Patagonia area, and its full of Glaciers and snow capped mountains. Can’t wait to get there!
Arrive on time, and collect a rental car from hertz. It’s a 15 minute drive into Calafate. I have booked a small cabin and it turns out better than expected. Its off to the supermarket to get some food for the next few days and something for tea tonight.
While eating dinner the cabin feels like it is being pushed off its foundations. It lasts for about 5 seconds. Everyone in the cabin park comes running out of their cabins. Turns out it was a rather strong earthquake.
After tea we go for a walk up and down the main street. Sunset is not till after 10pm. Its because we are so close to the Antarctic Circle, about 1,800ks away. Sunrise is at 6am.
17th
With breakfast over with we make the 80k drive to Puerto Merino Glacier. It is one of the only Glaciers that is still advancing. The face is up to 70 metres tall and its over 3 kilometres wide. We arrive at the car park and have to take a shuttle bus down to the start of the walks.
As we get closer the enormity if the glacier becomes apparent. Its massive. We spend about 4 hours moving from one lookout to the next hoping to get a picture or video of parts of the face collapsing. The noise the glacier makes is as loud as a clap of thunder, and the noise doesn’t stop. We witness some chunks the size of a bus falling into the water. What a sight. I manage to video some of the action.
You have a choice of taking the shuttle or walking back to the car park. We decide to walk the 1.5ks. Turns out it’s the right decision. The path takes you past parts of the glacier that you would not see if you took the shuttle. We make one last stop to see if the glacier will give us that unforgettable photo. Well it delivers and Alan captures the whole event. We are lucky to witness a huge part of the face about 50 metres wide collapse into the water. The noise is deafening. Oh how lucky to be in the right place at the right time!
It was lucky we took jackets as the wind coming off the glacier is very cold. One of the most impressive acts of mother nature we have witnessed.
The drive back to town and get some tea. No earthquakes tonight.
18th
Today we drive to El Chalten. Its 220 kilometres north of Calafate. Traffic is very light and the road is very good considering how remote this place is. There are lots of photo opportunities along the way, and all are breathtaking. When we arrive in Chalten its lunch time, so we find a nice shady spot and eat our packed lunch.
El Chalten is at the base of Fitzroy Mountain, and has plenty of walks around the area. The place is packed with backpackers, hikers and mountain bikers. The walk we do takes 4 hours to complete, covers about 12 kilometres and climbs 800 metres. Its pretty warm, about 30 degrees. Whats at the end of the walk is a huge lake with a stunning view of Fitzroy Mountain. Its hot sweaty work and both our T shirts are soaked. At the lake there are a lot of people here cooling their feet in the water. With shoes off i dip my feet into the icy water. We both roll up our jeans and go for a paddle in the crystal clear water.
The view is amazing and we spend an hour absorbing the view, and smelling the incredible perfumed air from all the flowers and trees. The walk from the car park to the lake is through some heavily wooded forest with plenty of shade.
The area is part of the Glacier National Park, and the park is in pristine condition. After hiking back down to the car we drive about 3 kilometres up a dirt road and take a 10 minute walk to see a waterfall. The waterfall is pretty impressive and the place is packed. Its hard to get a good picture as there are people everywhere trying to do same.
Anyway its time to head for home, and we arrive back at the cabin around 8pm. Need to leave tomorrow for Santiago.
19th
After breakfast I called LAN as we want to change a flight. Well what a waste of 2 hours on the phone. They just kept putting me on hold for half an hour at a time, so I hung up and called back. Will try later tonight. The day only gets worse. Need to put fuel in the car before taking it back. Was going to do that last night, but changed my mind and thought i will do it on the way to the airport. There are 2 fuel stations in town, and both have queues of about 20 cars each. Takes over half an hour to get filled up.
Arrive at the airport and the Car is returned without a hassle. We find the check in line and there are lots of people in the queue, but nobody from LAN is behind the counter. Turns out the flight is delayed by 3 hours. This means we will miss the connecting flight in Buenos Aires. After a lot of discussion we are put on a different airline and we are told by LAN that we will be in Buenos Aires at 9pm for a connecting flight to Santiago. That was a lie. Turns out the connecting flight is leaving at 9pm. I don’t understand why the lied to us.
Anyway we arrive in Buenos Aires and head to the LAN ticket counter. The guy there is very helpful and books us on the flights we need and even changes the flight I tried calling about without charging me the $100 fee. He books us into a hotel nearby and books a taxi as well. We are given a dinner voucher as well.
It’s a little after 11pm when we get to the hotel, and as we have eaten dinner we use the voucher. Its just after midnight when we finish eating and then I am told I will have to pay for the food. Turns out the guy at reception was meant to tell me we only had one choice on the menu, but as we were unaware we ordered something different. I made it quite clear I wasn’t paying and went to the room.
It’s a Holiday Inn and is very new, and the rooms are huge. We both get some sleep. Need to be back at the airport by 8.30am for the 10.40am flight. Oh the joys of air travel.
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