This was my 'trip of a lifetime' to southern Patagonia to see the glaciers. Patagonia is located
in the southern hemisphere and is shared between Argentina and Chile. Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina,
is the gateway to Antarctica.
El Calafate
El Calafate is a town where a lot of people stay while visiting the Perito Moreno glacier, as well as
other glaciers in the area. It is still about an hour to an hour and a half to get to where you can see
any glaciers, but since this area is so remote, this is the closest available city. Don't expect any luxurious accomodations
here, but the rooms are clean and comfortable.
Glacier Cruising...
I went on two one-day glacier cruises during my stay. One was very crowded and had translations in
four different languages. The other one was a lot smaller, and we actually spent most of the day at a former
sheep-shearing ranch.
Bahia Onelli
On the larger cruise, we stopped here for lunch. I got to see some fall leaves, as well as the usual
Patagonian great scenery!
Ranch Excursion
These are from my day at the former sheep-shearing ranch. We hiked to a waterfall, then had one of the best
lunches I've ever had! On the way in, there was a big pit with a flame and some animal there that I thought was
just for display for the tourists, but when we left, it was gone! I guess that was lunch! They had all kinds of
salads, desserts, etc., besides that. Good stuff!
Perito Moreno
Ahh! What we've all been waiting for, the famous Perito Moreno Glacier! This one is still advancing,
and huge chunks of it, about the size of supermarkets, are constantly crashing into the water. It sounds like
thunder! We cruised by this one on both cruises, and I also got to hike/climb it. Very cool. Everyone should see this!
Bariloche
This is a popular ski area in the Andes mountains. They also have a lot of chocolate
factories...mmmmmmmmm...
Buenos Aires
This was the last stop on my trip, and my longest stay. It was quite a change going from the remote glaciers
to the big city, but it was a lot of fun!
Tigre
This is where a lot of Porteņos (people from Buenos Aires) hang out during the weekend.
It is located just outside the city, but still within the province of Buenos Aires
Return Home
Well, all good things must come to an end, so after a month of playing I had to return home.
I was starting to miss my furry children anyway, and they were probably running out of things at home
to destroy.
Back to Melody's Page
Glacier Cruising...
I went on two one-day glacier cruises during my stay. One was very crowded and had translations in four different languages. The other one was a lot smaller, and we actually spent most of the day at a former sheep-shearing ranch.
Bahia Onelli
On the larger cruise, we stopped here for lunch. I got to see some fall leaves, as well as the usual Patagonian great scenery!
Ranch Excursion
These are from my day at the former sheep-shearing ranch. We hiked to a waterfall, then had one of the best lunches I've ever had! On the way in, there was a big pit with a flame and some animal there that I thought was just for display for the tourists, but when we left, it was gone! I guess that was lunch! They had all kinds of salads, desserts, etc., besides that. Good stuff!
Perito Moreno
Ahh! What we've all been waiting for, the famous Perito Moreno Glacier! This one is still advancing, and huge chunks of it, about the size of supermarkets, are constantly crashing into the water. It sounds like thunder! We cruised by this one on both cruises, and I also got to hike/climb it. Very cool. Everyone should see this!
Bariloche
This is a popular ski area in the Andes mountains. They also have a lot of chocolate factories...mmmmmmmmm...
Buenos Aires
This was the last stop on my trip, and my longest stay. It was quite a change going from the remote glaciers to the big city, but it was a lot of fun!
Tigre
This is where a lot of Porteņos (people from Buenos Aires) hang out during the weekend. It is located just outside the city, but still within the province of Buenos Aires
Return Home
Well, all good things must come to an end, so after a month of playing I had to return home. I was starting to miss my furry children anyway, and they were probably running out of things at home to destroy.
Back to Melody's Page