Walking on water

Ok, so technically, its compacted snow, but thats still water right?! It is quite difficult to find the words to describe seeing the glaciers in Los Glacieres National Park in southern Patagonia. When you see an impressive mountain, you think "ah, thats an impressive mountain, I know what mountains look like and thats a great one".. When you see a beautiful flower you say "wow, thats a pretty flower, I know what flowers look like and that is a beautiful one". But when you see the scarred, staggered and shimmering 100m face of a moving glacier for the first time you say "wow, thats a, er..." and thats about it! Its like absolutely nothing else you have ever seen before - it doesnt look like a mountain, or a river, or a snowy valley. The size, the colours and the unique oddness of it make it quite intoxicating.. Dont worry, I took about 400 photos, but it will be some time before I get to a computer decent enough to process and sift out the good ones to share. In the meantime, google it and take a look.

What I can say is that if you have ever thought of coming to see glaciers, my advice is book the tickets now. Its a humbling experience and being set in the vast emptiness of Patagonia its like a natural anomaly. Nowhere on earth will you find such giant glaciers, at such a low alititude (app. 200m above sea level) without having to don the artic explorer gear! The south patagonian ice field is the third biggest fresh water reserve in the world (after Antarctica and Greenland) and the size has some impact on you when you are there. I did a few excursions to try gather the impressivenes of the place, including a walk on the glacier, crampons and all! Was an unexpected experience - for some (now, seemingly very stupid) idea, I thought the top of the glacier would just be flat, white and boring. I dont admit this often, but boy was I wrong! Like a geography expriement in rapid erosion, the frozen snow is carved and sculpted by meltwater forming incredible crevasses, gulleys, holes and little rivers, that after stepping on you realise are actually still underneath the ice, but look like they are out in the open. The most amazing thing though, is the colour. The shades and translucence of the blues are amazing. I really hope my photos at least do it some justice...

The rest of the trip - To The End Of The Earth And Back - was just as breathtaking. Watching the passing ravines, dry river beds and massive glacial flood plains, I thought I could quite possibly write an entire university textbook from my Aerolineas window seat. Its an empty and harsh place, but for me that still holds some beauty. It is now spring, so temparatures were not too bad (around 5-15 during the day), but it is the "windy season".. And boy was it windy! Luckily, I had no hairstyle to start off with, so it didnt effect me too much, just lucky to have had two bright sunny days out of four. Took a 4x4 trip up to a local mountain, with stretching views of the north of the park, at the Fitz Roy massif and in the south at the Chilean Torres del Paine, some great views despite the cold of the wind making it hard to hold the camera steady! Some fresh snowfall on Monday painted the foothills in a soft powder and finally added some "colour" to the barren and rocky landscape.

I will never forget this trip down here, its only sad that I probably wont go again. I cant stress enough how much of an inspiration it is being there, mano y mano with these freaks of nature. Giant frozen rivers that effect everything on the planet, hidden away in a desert wasteland.

Cheating a little bit, because I am just back in the hustle and bussle of Buenos Aires, ready to start the next adventure tomorrow that will take me through Uruguay, to Iguazu and on to Paraty and Rio de Janeiro. Almost dont have time to breathe! Partly, this entry is long becuase I am waiting for my photos to download from the camera, so I can back them up... :-)