I arrived in Argentina at one its two main tourist attractions, the Iguassu Falls; and I leave shortly (albeit temporarily) near to the other one. Apart from the thousands of people treading the boardwalks, and asking in different languages if someone could take their photo, the two places couldn't be more different. They both involve huge quantities of water I suppose, but one is representative of a sub-tropical climate, and the other a sub-polar climate. This sums up the huge variety in this country, and as a man in Salta pointed out, Argentina is like several continents rolled into one.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is not one of the biggest in the world. In fact, it isn't even one of the biggest flowing down from the Hielo Sur; but people flock here because it is easily accessible, and is such a fantastic example to see. And unlike most glaciers, it is advancing; sometimes at a rate of 2-3 inches per day. It regularly hits the peninsula opposite, blocking the outflow of two lakes, and I presume if it carries on advancing, then sooner or later they will have to move the viewing platforms further back.

It certainly is an astonishing sight, regularly displaying different hues of blue as the daylight changes, and you never wait too long before hearing a sound like cannon-fire as a block of ice (which can weigh a few hundred tonnes) falls off and crashes into the water below.

Tonight I intend to dine at an asado - a traditional Patagonian barbecue. And having seen the portions that are dished out, I will cross the border into Chile tomorrow with possibly more flesh in my stomach than on the rest of my frame. I will spend the next two weeks trekking the Torres del Paine circuit, so there will be no more posts until I return.