Ice Cold

El Calafate, Argentina

While other glaciers are shrinking the Perito Morino glacier is growing. This glacier was meant to be an attraction. Sitting around 80 km outside of El Calafate it’s easy to get to. From Buenos Aires it only involves a 41 hour bus ride covering 1,500 miles to Rio Gallegos. From there it’s another 4 hours and 200 miles to El Calafate. Hop on one last bus for 1 hour from El Calafate to Los Glaciares National Park and your there. Or, you can fly from B.A. to El Calafate but where is the fun in that?

From Patagonia 2011-02 The Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park

The further south I travel the weather gets colder, the places more remote and prices higher. In Patagonia I’m shelling out 100 peso notes (about $25) faster than the Fed could print bail out money. I wasn’t too happy, but also not too surprised, to dig in my pocket one last time to pull out another 100 peso note for the park entrance fee.

Finally I’m there and am confronted with one of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen. From the observation platforms the Perito Moreno glacier is 3 miles wide and towers 75 meters above the water with another 110 meters below. The sight leaves left me speechless as my eyes were feasting on the scenery. My ears joined in on the sensory fiesta when I heard thunder. Thunder? No, that’s a block of ice the size of a three story building breaking off of the main glacier and plummeting into the freezing waters of Lake Argentino. What a sight.

From Patagonia 2011-02 Ice breaking off of the main glacier