Argentina Trip Report, Twenty-Four Sixty Minutes Catamenia 5: El Calafate; Twenty-Four Sixty Minutes Catamenia 6:Glacier Cruise

DAY 5, December 2, 2013:

Took a cab to centro, asked for Fernandes Campbell companionship to volume our todos glaciares cruise for the adjacent twenty-four hours December 3^rd.

This is the Prestigio purpose where nosotros booked our all glaciers cruise.

Then nosotros walked to el chalten travels as well as booked our render omnibus tickets to chalten for December 4—5.

Then nosotros walked to LaAnonima to larn rice, leche, yogur, pan, fruits, tomato, avocado as well as started walking back.

Calafate's original drag Av. Liberatador san martin is so pretty.

The sign amongst the pic of the Sun shows the calafate bushes later which the town is named.

Our Lady of Patagonia...Nuestra Senora de la Patagonia...

This is Don Bosco (1815—88) ... Father John Bosco an Italian priest/missionary.

He dedicated his life to the betterment as well as didactics of street children, juvenile delinquents, as well as other disadvantaged youth.

He developed teaching methods based on dear rather than punishment, a method that became known as the Salesian Preventive System. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 follower of Saint Francis de Sales, he had 800 orphans inwards his dwelling at i signal inwards time. negotiated price of apprenticeship to boys from wealthy businessmen.

Bosco had a dream where he was on a vast plain, inhabited past times primitive people, who spent their fourth dimension hunting or fighting . Along came a ring of missionaries, but they were all massacred. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 2nd grouping appeared, which Bosco recognized as Salesians. the violent savages spot downwardly their arms as well as listened to the missionaries. Bosco tried difficult to spot the men as well as the dry soil of the dream – as well as for iii years collected data virtually different countries. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 asking from Argentina, turned him towards the Indians of Patagonia, as well as a study of the people at that spot convinced him that the dry soil as well as its inhabitants were the ones he had seen inwards his dream. Towards the destination of 1874, John Bosco received letters from the Argentine consul at Savona requesting that he convey an Italian parish inwards Buenos Aires. He did so as well as is a revered saint inwards Argentina.

This is Perito Moreno, the famous explorer later whom the biggest glacier is named ...

This is the Patagonian cypress—the largest tree species inwards South America, commonly growing to 40–60 m, but occasionally to a greater extent than than lxx k inwards Argentina, as well as upwardly to 5 k inwards body diameter.

Its crude oil pyramidal canopy provides encompass for the southern beech, laurel as well as myrtle.

Its wood is used extensively for the houses.

Awesome street sculpture above— lot of mapuche Indian fine art around...

This pinkish precious rock Rhodochrosite is Argentina's "national gemstone"

The Incas believed that rhodochrosite is the blood of their old rulers, turned to stone, hence it is sometimes called "Rosa del Inca" or "Inca Rose".

Dark bluish rock inwards the vase is beryl.

Green stones —malachite'; blue—turquoise.

Yet some other mile sign.

Love the store facade inwards wood...

Window shopping was never to a greater extent than fun.

Here is Perito Moreno inwards such a life similar form—fiberglass/ resin statue.

Francisco Pascasio Moreno (May 31, 1852–November 22, 1919) was a prominent explorer as well as academic inwards Argentina, where he is usually referred to as Perito Moreno (perito way "specialist, expert"). Perito Moreno helped inwards the Argentine incorporation of large parts of Patagonia.

Los Glaciares National Park is located inwards the Austral Andes inwards Argentina, inwards the due south due west of Santa Cruz on the edge amongst Chile.

Intendencia translates to quartermaster—an official.

We expose these boards inwards all offices inwards tourist areas, using the same word.

This is the most famous Argentine Power Couple Juan Domingo Perón as well as his 2nd married adult woman Evita Peron...

Juan Domingo Perón (October 8, 1895 – July 1, 1974) was an Argentine armed services officeholder as well as politician. After serving inwards several authorities positions, including Minister of Labour as well as Vice President of the Republic, he was iii times elected as President of Argentina, serving from June 1946 to September 1955

Evita who was the pitiable illegitimate fille of a nobleman married Peron thirty years her senior. She died at the historic stream of thirty as well as her biopic has been filmed amongst Madonna inwards the lead

The Peróns' followers praise their efforts to eliminate poverty as well as to dignify labor, spell their detractors consider them demagogues as well as dictators. The Peróns gave their mention to the political displace known as Peronism, which inwards present-day Argentine Republic is represented mainly past times the Justicialist Party.

October 17, The Loyalty Day (Spanish: Día de la lealtad) is a commemoration twenty-four hours inwards Argentina. It remembers Oct 17, 1945, when a massive labour demonstration at the Plaza de Mayo demanded the liberation of Juan Perón, who was jailed inwards Martín García island. It is considered the foundation twenty-four hours of Peronism.

Both inwards Rio, Brazil as well as In Argentina, nosotros notice streets/squares named later a item date.

Patagonian cypress trees again...

Though the distance betwixt centro as well as our hotel was merely nether 2 km, it became tough to walk inwards the mutual coldness wind. later reaching no 2600, nosotros entered a hotel as well as requested the reception guy to telephone telephone us a cab. We paid 20 pesos for the brusque cab ride as well as called it a day.

It had been en splendid conclusion to walk because when nosotros drive through these places nosotros miss all the beauty.

The temp had been 9°C—2°C.

Day 6, December 3, 2013: temp 10°C—4°C: Todo Glaciares Cruise.

Had paid 720 peso for the ship, eighty peso for hotel pickup/drop as well as so had to pay 130 peso entrance for the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

Got picked upwardly at our hotel at 7.50—we were the lastly to live picked up. reached the Los Glaciares Parque Nacional, paid the entry of 130 pesos as well as got on the Quo Vadis ship.

Quo vadis? is a Latin phrase pregnant "Where are y'all going?" or "Whither goest thou?"

This all twenty-four hours long boat tour takes us to the northern arm of Lago Argentino, reaching the peachy icebergs barrier. We run across Spegazzini Glacier, the Upsala Glacier farther, and finally Perito Moreno.

The boarding is inwards the port of Punta Bandera Private (47 kilometers from the metropolis of El Calafate).

Once aboard nosotros canvas across the North Arm of Lake Argentino until the Upsala Channel, where nosotros expose a peachy Ice Barrier.

From at that spot nosotros have got a panoramic thought of the Upsala Glacier.

Then nosotros canvas Spegazzini Canal, expose Seco Glacier as well as accomplish the forepart of the glacier Spegazzini, the highest National Park.

Then navigate the Iceberg Canal to accomplish the wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier , this beingness our lastly banking concern check point. The render to Punta Bandera Private Port is roughly at 04:00 pm.

Up on the top deck to choose care of our get-go glimpse of a glacier...

Upsala channel glaciers—some glacier caves...

Glacial H2O ice is a different color from regular ice. The H2O ice on a glacier has been at that spot for a actually long fourth dimension as well as has been compacted downwardly so that its construction is pretty different from the H2O ice nosotros commonly see. It is so bluish because the dense H2O ice of the glacier absorbs every other color of the spectrum except bluish - so bluish is what nosotros see!

It's Not Just Frozen Water!

Freezing cold... but the sight of the glaciers made it worthwhile.

After beingness on upper deck (near the flag) for a brace of hours nosotros decided to become downwardly to the cabin.

We knew we'll lose our spot but it did non affair — it was as goodness viewing from lower deck.

This is Spegazzini glacier—mixed amongst mineral matter—hence the grey color.

Lower deck is fine too— people were merely sitting within as well as at that spot was enough of infinite exterior dissimilar the ever-crowded top deck.

The lower deck proved to live much ameliorate for viewing. We had taken food, juice amongst us as well as had them at regular intervals inwards the warm cabin earlier returning dorsum on the deck.

As the warm cabins as well as seats were so close, people would become dorsum soon, leaving us amongst goodness photograph ops.

No ho-hum 2nd on the 8 lx minutes ride.

This is the entrance to the warm cabin.

Upsala Glacier—South America’s longest glacier at a length of lx kilometers (37.28 miles), a width of betwixt v as well as 7 km (3.1 as well as 4.34 miles), as well as a 60-meter- (196.85-foot-) high snout.

The Upsala Glacier H2O ice fields encompass some 870 km², as well as stretch the length of lx km.

Upsala is the 2nd longest glacier inwards South America, exceeded exclusively past times the Pius XI Glacier inwards Chile

Water fall—there are several on the sides of the mountains.

Perito moreno glacier—north wall...WOW!

The 250 sq km (97 sq mi) H2O ice formation, thirty km (19 mi) inwards length, is i of 48 glaciers fed past times the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located inwards the Andes system.

This icefield is the world's 3rd largest reserve of fresh water.

The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres (3 mi) wide, amongst an average tiptop of 74 k (240 ft) to a higher house the surface of the H2O of Lake Argentino, inwards Argentina. It has a full H2O ice depth of 170 metres (558 ft).

Perito Moreno Glacier is i of exclusively iii Patagonian glaciers that is growing.

Glaciar Perito Moreno (Perito Moreno Glacier), a twenty-mile-long river of H2O ice draining the Southern Patagonian Icefield (Hielo Sur). The Perito Moreno Glacier empties perpendicularly into a narrow, fjord-like arm of Lago Argentino called the Brazo Rico (or the Canal de los Tempanos).

The glacier’s iii mile broad terminal confront is composed of walls of fractured bluish H2O ice that rising almost ii hundred feet from the surface of the lake.

Because the Perito Moreno Glacier enters the Brazo Rico at a correct angle, it is able to surge across this narrow arm of the lake sealing off the upper part of the Brazo Rico from the original body of the lake. The waters inwards the blocked-off arm tin backup against the dam of H2O ice to a score i hundred feet to a higher house that of the original component subdivision of the lake. When the glacier is no longer able to concord dorsum the weight of the impounded waters, the H2O ice dam collapses inwards a magnificent spectacle that occurs every several years.

Front of Perito Moreno glacier is 5 km long, lx feet high.

The boat is manoevered on all sides so that all passengers larn a goodness thought where always they are seated.

Boat has started speeding away...

We scamper to the dorsum deck for seeing the glacier till it's out of view...as the boat speeds away. Just a affair of running to the appropriate deck depending on which way the boat is headed.

There are snowfall covered peaks...granite mountains, mountains amongst greenish forests as well as the awesome BLUE glacier inwards the expanse of H2O all around...

The board cautions virtually slippery surface...zona resbaladiza.

When the send speeds, huge volume of icy H2O splashes here...

On the pier getting off the quo vadis send later the cruise...

LAGUNA NIMEZ:

We got dropped off 1st inwards the grouping about 4.30 at our hotel Solares del sur as well as later dumping bags at the room as well as making rice, spot off inwards a cab (45 peso) for Laguna Nimez inwards centro.

Our hotel solares del sur is a lovely cabin—-kitchen, bath, dining/living room downstairs as well as sleeping room upstairs amongst a balcony overlooking Lago Argentina.

This is the dresser inwards the bedroom.

Paid the entry fee of twoscore peso as well as entered the trail of the plane sanctuary.

This reserve is located 1,000 meters from the local center, at the destination of Brown Street, perpendicular to the original avenue.

Pics / videos have got non done jurist to this wonderful plane sanctuary.

Very windy as well as mutual coldness as everyone had warned us. We sought out this nook for a petty recess from the biting mutual coldness wind...

Plenty of Calafate bushes here—-ate its berry. people who swallow calafate berry are supposed to render to this lovely place.

The city's mention is derived from a petty bush amongst xanthous flowers as well as nighttime bluish berries that is really mutual inwards Patagonia: the calafate (Berberis buxifolia); the give-and-take comes from the give-and-take "calafate", which is Castilian for "caulk".

The observatory matching the environment.

Saw all types of birds.

The entrance/visitor centre behind...

The house is non likewise frequented past times visitors, so nosotros had a peaceful fourth dimension observing the birds quietly.

Ticket of twoscore peso is valid for a whole year. The guy within fifty-fifty prepare the telescope as well as gave us peachy views of birds.

We used the ticket i time to a greater extent than on December seventh morning, the twenty-four hours nosotros left. viewed many to a greater extent than birds as well as heard a lovely concert past times a mocking bird.

Thoroughly recommend visiting the green inwards the morning time as birds are much to a greater extent than active.

We caught a cab from the taxi stand upwardly opp La Anonima as well as went dorsum to the hotel later having seen so many lovely birds at the Laguna Nimez.

AWESOME DAY IN ALL RESPECT!

Next postal service on our see to the lovely El Chalten amongst awesome views of Mt Fitz Roy, Mt Torre as well as treks to Lagun Capri as well as Laguna Torre is here:

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