Today was a travel day - we were up by 6.30 and went down for breakfast at 7am but they didn't start serving until 7.30 so I sorted out some emails and John brought the luggage down so we were ready to leave at 8 am.
As we arrived in the communal area Pia was having a cup of tea before heading off to Punta Arenas and her flight back to Santiago.
The wind was back with a vengeance and the journey to the border was quite chilly - the exit from Chile was painless then we drove a few kilometers through no mans land to reach the Argentinian border which was slightly longer due to a coach in front of us - it also seemed less automated. Anyway passport stamped we headed through a very flat and uninteresting landscape with the odd rhea and guanaco. After 4 hours travelling we arrived in El Calafate where we were dropped off at Visit Patagonia who were taking us to our hotel Eolo and also taking us to the Perito Mereno glacier tomorrow. As we were slightly early we went to the cafe next door and had a coffee and churro ( last eaten this time last year in an Argentian cafe at Lake Wanaka in New Zealand!
Marcelo our guide and Alberto the driver arrived and took us to Eolo - isolated in the middle of a U shaped River valley with extensive views across the Patagonian steppes to Lake Argentinas in the east ( the largest in Argentina - and due to the glacial waters a lovely duck egg blue ) and the glacial national park in the West. To the South on a clear day you can apparently see Torres del Paine. Our room faced west and we could watch the hares being mad, caracas and soaring condors - there were really great views. As our room wasn't ready we went straight into lunch - another gourmet delight by an excellent chef. After settling into our room I went for a swim in their small but functional indoor pool.....it was then time for afternoon tea and not much later dinner - I never felt full as it was always small portions, well prepared and very tasty.
Dinner over we returned to our room and sank into our lovely big double bed and made up for the lack of sleep over the last 6 days!
(Today's photo is of the Torres del Paine mountains and their reflection taken during the last 6 days)