22:30 - We had a fairly early start today as we were hiking about 20km. After breakfast and having packed our lunches, we set off by minibus so that we could be dropped off at Hosteria del Pilar were our walk started. Sunitta was not with us as she had booked yet another boat trip on one of the nearby lakes so that she could see more glaciers (and avoid the long walk). In addition she did also do a 1km trek on the ice which she was quite excited about. Our walk was split in 3 parts: 3 hours walk, lunch and then the choice of an additional steep climb for a different view point, and finally a 3 hour walk home via Capri lake into town. Unfortunately, but some would say not so unfortunate, the clouds and mist would have made it impossible to have any sort of view from the optional steep climb, so none of us went up and we just did the straight 20km walk. It was not a hot day so rather ideal for exhertion. We had lunch sitting by a stream and coffee, kindly offered by Leo the guide, by Capri Lake. Most things that had not been named by the initial spanish and english explorers have had names pit to them by italian and french climbers/walkers. So some of the names do sound out of place. The views were nice but because of the mist there was no view at all of Mount Firzroy which is the highlight in these parts. A bit of a disappointment and although being in the open air is nice the experience in Patagonia continues not to woo me in the way Bolivia and Perù what feels like a lifetime ago now. A highlight for today was having the room to myself for a couple of hours after coming back from the walk and being able to have a hot bath...the second only in 5 weeks of mostly showers!
The group is now pretty fragmented and the remaining oldies are mostly disgruntled and openly critical of Sunitta. It doesn't really make for a nice united, funloving group :-). I'm sticking with the terrible trio...and we are trying to teach, wherever possible, the ways of the NORMAL world to Sunitta. In some ways it's like having a child around, and although sometimes it is irritating, she doesn't actually mean any harm.
Les and Sue were not joining us for dinner tonight as they were tired after the walk. Me, Tina, Peter and Karen went for a beer before going back to meet the rest at 7.30. We had great food in a very cosy restaurant off the main drag (it looked like a small chalet in the Alps).
We have a very late start tomorrow as the flight time for Ushuaia has been moved to late afternoon: 12:30 pickup! It means either sleep in and relax (rooms have to be vacated by 10 anyways), or go for a short walk to a waterfall...I know what I'll be doing!!!