Hola. El Chalten is a small town which is often the first stop when you head accross the border from Chile into Argentina. It was great to get into Argentina to enjoy some of the pleasures of home. Argentina has a strong European influence which means that coffee, chocolate, good food and wine (and of course the steaks) are abundent. El Chalten is also the gateway to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciers and particularly the Moreno Glacier. The Moreno glacier is one of the earths few advancing icefeilds which spans about 5km wide and 13km back. Itsterminal face is about 60mtrs high and very active. The ice sometimes dams the Brazo Rico (a side river of the lake) and when the ice can no longer support the weight of the rising water it virtually explodes. This had not occured for 16 years, but of course happened about 6 days before I arrived. b*****. The south is a lot colder than I had expected and this is no more apparent than when you camp down from a glacier with cutting winds sweeping down off it. Just as an example, I went to sleep that night wearing a thermal top and bottom, 2 pairs of socks, fleece pants, fleece vest, a down jacket and a beanie. This was while being in my (supposedly) -10 degree rated sleeping bag. I guess I'm not very good with the cold. I was camping with a great Swiss guy who seemed to be doing the Forest Gump of cycling. He left home 4 years ago to ride south through Europe on his bike. When he got to Turkey he though (seeing as he'd got that far) he'd head through Iran.....then Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Then (because he was so close) he thought he ride up the west coast then through the centre of Australia. And then..... New Zealand.....and Mexico down to Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, etc. down to where I met him. We lit a campfire and tucked into a bottle of red while I picked his brain about all the crazy stuff that happens when you are riding a bike around the world. Again the mice were everywhere. They were walking over you as you sat by the campfire and you could hear them run around and over the tent all night (little b*****s had a feast on my food.....again). I got up early the next morning and tried to hitch my way up to the glacier (no luck) so ended up walking the 7km (the road winds all over the place) with my heavy pack. The glacier was incredible. It was absolutely enourmous and very active. I could hear it from the campsite during the night, but when you a standing right beside it the sounds are incredible. There's regular small icefalls that sound like a big gun shot, but every now and then a big slice of the face (remembering it's 60mtrs high) collapses and hits the water with an enourmous thundering sound that just shakes the place. Amazing stuff.