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El Calafate

Thursday 19th March 2015

Lelia kindly helps me highlight the routes we have followed on my maps to help with the blog and then it’s off to take some great sunrise photos from the hotel.

Sunrise over El Calafate

Gail and I decide to walk up the hill to check out the shops at the Glaciarium Museum but really nothing of much interest on offer.

We catch the shuttle into town with the same driver as the previous day. Much happier today but I don’ t have the Spanish to ask him politely what had happened during the night to bring about this dramatic mood change!

Another snack at the local bakery in town and in contrast to the previous day the coffee does show a passing resemblance to a liquid produced from those little brown beans rather than the slops from the kitchen sink.

Set out in search of some likely looking shops sighted when we first arrived in El Calafate. Can’t find any trace of them. Mystery solved when we realise all too late that we have walked in completely the wrong direction from the bus station away from some very impressive stores.

Head off back to the hotel as it becomes clear that Gail is far more interested in walking along the shores of Lago Argentina than spending money in the shops. The question is ” how can I get Gail to maintain this philosophy when we return home?”

Time to leave the remarkable Patagonia and so it’s off to the airport and Buenos Aires.

Good flight of 2 hours 40 minutes with Aerolineas Argentinas at the end of which passengers applaud wildly on landing. A plane full of Americans or a reflection of the airline’s status alongside Aeroflot?

Trip to BA made very pleasant by chatting to an elderly guy( about my age) who is now retired and has a Phd in Chemistry.

Glimpse of the famous River Plate Stadium as we travel by taxi into the centre of this huge metropolis with its 15 million population.

The Lennox Hotel is in an excellent location and very well appointed.

Good snack and drink before turning in at 11.30.

That’s the end of the Aurora Adventure and now it’s freestyle travel with no-one to blame but ourselves if things go wrong.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Moreno Glacier

Wednesday 18th March 2015

Check out of the hotel for the long drive south to El Calafate, starting with a 3 hour drive along the shores of Lago Viedma following the Rio Leona to Lago Argentina. Along the way we stop for the usual lovely hot chocolate at La Leona also visited on our way north.

We stop briefly in El Calafate to buy snack food from the local bakery, a procedure that takes an eternity as the staff seem strangely reluctant to take my money. I enlist the help of Lelia and eventually I manage  to settle my debt!

We drop Shan off at our accommodation Hotel Estapa as she has no desire to  see the Perito Moreno Glacier, which just happens to be one of the most important tourist attractions in Argentinian Patagonia!

The drive to the glacier takes us along the southern part of the Magallanes Peninsula and the shores of Lago Argentino.

Some information on Perito Moreno Glacier-

Situated 78 kms from El Calafate in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world’s 3rd largest reserve of freshwater the glacier is named after Francesco Moreno who studied the region in the 19th Century and played a major role in defending the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile. He is known as the Father of Patagonia.

The 250 square kms glacier is a truly awe-inspiring sight, especially when it calves off huge slabs of ice, visible at close quarters from one of the many lookouts.

We stay a couple of hours to take in the majesty of PMG and then head back to El Calafate with the driver Julio kindly dropping some of us at the very fine Glaciarium Museum.

After a tour of the museum we catch the shuttle bus back to town and our request to be dropped off at La Estapa is met with a less than friendly response from the driver. Lyn, however, does manage to get a smile out of him or maybe it was just wind!

The hotel is situated on a hillside looking out over El Calafate and it’s a ideal venue to enjoy our last meal together.

Tom gives an excellent speech thanking Lelia for her splendid work. This educated, stylish young lady has been an absolute delight and the whole of the Patagonian experience, due in no small part to her efforts, has been unforgettable.

Many of the group linger in the restaurant, Mick and Heinz get half- sozzled and I sit up late in the lounge using an all-too-rare internet connection.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Tuesday 17th  March 2015

After breakfast and with gloomy forecast of wet and very windy weather we set off on a different bus along the Rio de Las Vueltas to Hosteria El Pilar. With slightly better weather we proceed on foot following the Rio Blanco in a southwesterly direction. At this point a decision needs to be taken as to which members of the group will tackle the very exposed and windy ascent to Lago de Los Tres to gain a view of Mount Fitzroy.

Only Shan, Mick, Tom, Sue, Ann and Cathy take up the challenge. I consider tackling the climb but after a chat with Mauro I very reluctantly decide to be sensible for once in my life. Mauro later tells me that although he was sure I could have made the climb the stress on my replacement knee would have compromised my enjoyment of the remainder of the trip.

Much to Mauro’s annoyance Shan and Mick decide to head off on their own at breakneck speed and M makes it clear to them in front of the other trekkers that they should no longer consider themselves part of the Aurora party. In other words he is taking no responsibility for them for the rest of the day.

This issue has been festering for some time and it’s good to see Mauro finally taking a stand against the very strong-willed Shan and a compliant Mick.

As the non-climbers set off the winds become gale-force and shortly before stopping at a shelter huge gusts bring Pat crashing down, I lose my cap( I chase it down in due course)and the wind is strong enough to move my fully laden daypack when I place it on the path for a few moments.

Lichen “Old Man’s Beard”

In spite of the unpredictable winds we enjoy a great walk back to El Chaltern with tantalising glimpses of Mt Poincenot but alas not of the elusive Fitzroy which refuses to emerge from the clouds.

Mt Fitzroy & Glaciers NP
Our sight from the air when we flew to Punta Arenas

Nevertheless I suspect that we get to see more than the climbers who are only able to view the Lago de Los Tres.

As we approach the town Lelia points out the first house built in the area belonging to Andreas Matsom, a Dane.

The long descent into El Chaltern truly excruciating for my knee, which vindicates my decision not to undertake the earlier climb.

Say our goodbyes to Mauro who has been an excellent guide.

Into town again to dine at another restaurant of Lelia’s choice and as usual Shan does her own thing ordering a different meal long before everyone else and while she can be a very kind, interesting and very generous companion some of her antics do little for team harmony.

Unfortunately, after so many fantastic meals at ‘ Lelia’s Choice’ restaurants the venue for our last meal together proves to be something of a disaster.

A number of the steaks ordered are returned ( the suspicion is that they are horse meat) and most of the group go hungry.

Pat with her choice of cannelloni and me with gnocchi are more than happy with our meal. If all else fails one can always trust Italians to come up with good food!

Lelia very upset but she is in no way to blame for the debacle.

Off to bed with my knee screaming at me and with me not having the energy to scream back.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Monday 16th March 2015.

Up by 6.45, breakfast at 7.30 and at 8.30 we meet our new guide Mauro who speaks perfect English , is a Chemical Engineer, accomplished mountaineer and is another Latino guide from Central Casting.

Set off shortly after 9 along a trail on the northern bank of the Fitzroy River.Early climb up above the river affords us fine views of the valley, especially now that the clouds are gradually lifting and the weather in general better than forecast.

Mirador( lookout) over the river quite superb and as we move along the trail we catch glimpses of Mount Fitzroy (3405 metres) and Poinsenot ( 3002).

To the west through light clouds we can see Cerro Torre (3102), Egger(2850),Philipe Heron(2750) Standhardt(2710) and Bifida(2394).

Photographic highlight when the paparazzi among us get a great shot of a small owl at close quarters.

Eventually a short climb brings us to Laguna Torre under Glaciar Grande and the above-mentioned mounts.

Enjoy a packed lunch but after a stay of about one hour we make tracks back towards El Chaltern as the wind picks up and the weather in general takes a turn for the worse.

On the way back we get a rare glimpse of a Torrent Duck pair who give a fine demonstration of swimming upstream into a very strong current- particularly impressive to this blogger who cannot swim with a roaring tailwind and a very powerful downstream current!

Nearer El Chaltern we take a fork to the east and arrive north-west of the town with a view of Rio de Las Vueltas to the north. Those who follow cycling will know that ‘ vuelta’ means bends or twists.

Return to the Hosteria for much- needed bath after a very rewarding day during I was able to chat to Mauro about football and his love of Maradona which knows no bounds. He even manages to put a positive spin on little genius’s ‘ Hand of God ‘ goal in the 1986 World Cup.

Finish of the day with a superb dinner at La Cervezaria.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Saturday 14th March 2015

Breakfast at 8 gets a pass mark but it is all a bit mass-produced.

The whole group leaves on foot at 9.00 am and after a short distance we say cheerio to Marg who is going on a shorter hike in view of her injuries.

As we head off up an increasingly demanding track, we are buffeted by very strong winds which at some points threaten to blow us off the narrow path to the waters of the Rio Ascencio far below. The line of walkers soon spreads as Shan, Mick, Tom and Sue make  up a breakaway group with Cathy, Anne and yours truly the next group.

On arrival at the rifugio the staff have for some strange reason decided to select this moment to clean the cafe area. With the hyperactive Shan applying the pressure on the trekking leader Cris a decision is made for one group to set off at once up to the base of Las Torres. Once again this comprises Shan, Mick, Tom, Sue, Kathy,Ann and I with Pat and Heinz also opting to join us.

As we are due to leave Lelia arrives at the rifugio with Gail and Lyn, both of whom are understandably  none too pleased that the group has split up in this way.

Nevertheless the leading group sets off, leaving Lelia to walk with Gail and Lyn to a rest area along the valley which affords a good view of the Tops of the Torres.

Pat and Heinz drop off fairly soon to walk with Leila Gail and Lyn, but Ann and I decide to press on up the mountain, albeit at a slower pace than the roadrunners at the front of the peloton.

I suffer from minor dehydration for a very short time but some water and trail mix soon do the trick.

As we climb the trail becomes increasingly difficult but Ann and I work as a something of a team and Cris does come back to check on us as we cross the shale close to the top of the ridge.

No words can do justice to the sight of the Torres del Paine and the lake at the base of these majestic peaks I have finally achieved a lifelong goal of standing in this spot.

The ‘Roadrunners’ ie, Shan and Mick are soon off back down the mountain but the rest of us linger to take in this truly breathtaking panorama.

Return to the rifugio with Cris looking after Ann and myself.

Eventually catch up with Lyn, Gail and rest of Lelia’s group lower down the trail and  our weary limbs finally get us back to to the hotel.

Gather in the lobby and hold a collection for Cris before wishing him a fond farewell.

Dress up into something bordering on civilised  and after dinner turn in by 10.30.

A day to remember and another one off the Bucket List.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Sunday 15th March 2015

Early start at 7.00 am.

Initially drive through very flat country to Esperanza where we enjoy a fine lunch. Traverse the pampas and encounter very high winds all through this very barren area.

It’s quite a relief to spend some time on the bus as the old limbs are recovering from the trek of the previous day.

Cross the Santa Cruz and La Leona rivers on the way to El Chalten.

The border crossing between Chile and Argentina is a real eye-opener with the Customs/ Immigration area on the Chilean side the epitome of efficiency and professionalism. In sharp contrast the checks and controls on the Argentinian side are carried out in ramshackle rooms with no heating or lighting where officials are forced to squint myopically at documents. Truly reminiscent of some Third World countries that we have visited.

During the subsequent drive we stop for a break at La Leone, famous for Butch Cassidy having been there. Photos also abound of famous mountaineer, Tony Egger who was the first man to climb Cerro Torre.

As we approach El Chalten we start to catch glimpses of Cerro Torre and the iconic Mount Fitzroy.

Arrive at El Puma Osteria in El Chalten late afternoon. A delightful spot with superb accommodation but almost non-existent internet connection.

We say goodbye to driver Luiz who has been absolutely marvellous.

I have to dig deeply into my memory bank to thank Luiz in Spanish for all his great work but it seems to work out OK.

As usual Shan is her demanding self , especially in respect of the decidedly lousy internet but when she sees that Heinz is still not well she surprises him and Pat with a bottle of red wine to help him on his way. She is quite mercurial , not say eccentric!

Situated in the heart of Los Glaciares Nat Park El Chalten is an attractive if very touristy town founded in 1980’s to strengthen Argentina’s  hold on this disputed area.

Dine at one of the many fine local restaurants which offers a set menu but very fine food.

Weather now taking a very definite turn for the worse and apparently more to come.

In bed by 10.30 with the amazingly high winds whistling around the hotel eaves.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Friday 13th March 2015

Rain most of the night and still very overcast when we get up. A combination of some very noisy travellers leaving the hotel early and G ‘s now familiar sinus problems were really not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Leaving the hotel we travel north following the Rio Serrano and eventually turn  northwest along the Rio Grey to arrive at a swing-bridge  a short distance from the Lago Grey.

From there a 7 kms round trip along the pebble- strewn shores of the lake takes us to the eastern bank of Lago Grey and a further relatively easy walk to the north provides us with some great views of the immense Glaciar Grey.

As we leave the Lago we gain a fine view of the Cuernos del Paine ( Horns of Paine) and the Paine Grande (3050 metres).

Retracing our steps we arrive back at the impossibly acqua Rio Paine and follow this north to the store and restaurant at Lake Pehoe (Secret Lake).

This location affords us a superb view of the famous Torres del Paine.

Some information on the animal life seen along the way- there are apparently 4 types of camel, namely llamas and alpacas, both which are domestic, and guanacos and vicuñas which are wild. The guanacos are ubiquitous, not surprising given that the puma is their only predator. Incidentally, if any guy out there is finding it a challenge to find a partner spare a thought for the puma who has only one month to find a female on heat or wait 11 months for the next opportunity! Maybe we have more in common with the animal kingdom than I thought. Just kidding, folks.

Continue our journey past the Mirador del Nordenskjold ( Lookout) to the Porteria Lago Sarmiento where the bus offloads us and we embark on an 8 kms walk which offers us the chance to view some ancient rock paintings.

In due course we are reunited with the bus and during the next stage of our journey we come across a condor at very close quarters patiently waiting for a caricari bird to leave his prey so that he can enjoy some of the spoils.

Further spectacular views of the massif as we move around to the east and finally check into Las Torres Lodge This is certainly the most touristy and expensive accommodation so far. When presented with the bill for a beer I at first thought that I had put in a bid to buy the local brewery rather than one bottle of the local brew! Once bitten twice shy.

Buffet dinner and then it’s off to bed by 11.00 Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Thursday 12th March 2015

Early breakfast at 6.30  and leave hotel at 7.30 after a very good breakfast we head off by bus to the ferry terminal . Here we take a larger ferry which we share with many other passengers. After initially sailing along the Senoret Canal we reach the mouth of the Fiordo Eberhard, where cattle ranching was started by German Captain Hermann Eberhard in the Ultima Esperanza region in 1887. We then proceed along the Fiordo Ultima Esperanza. About 90 minutes of sailing from Puerto Natales brings us to the Cormorant Colony. Hundreds of these birds use this point as their breeding ground, resting there and leaving only when the young have learned to fly 3 months later.

As we move along the fjord the landscape becomes more scenic and imposing and the mountains more majestic. Shortly after passing a sea lion colony we arrive at the spectacular Condor Cliff where we have a rare opportunity to view the world’s largest land bird at close quarters. Their wingspan of 3.2 metres is exceeded only by that of the albatross and the great white pelican.

More on this magnificent bird- the condor soars with its wings held horizontally and it’s primary feathers bent upwards at the tips. The lack of a large sternum identifies it as mainly a soarer flapping its wings to attain elevation but then relying on thermals to stay aloft. Being a scavenger and preferring large carcasses it requires to roost on high places from which to launch itself.

The ferry captain takes us very close to the cliffs which are home to some twenty condors who put on a fantastic display of gliding.

Next stop is Monte Balmaceda ( 2035  metres ) and the glacier of the same name. The glacier, in keeping with so many others is in retreat and it is interesting to note that in 1981 the foot of the glacier was at sea level.

After a 3 hour trip from Puerto Natales we arrive at Puerto Toro from where we walk to the Serrano Glacier.Our young ferry captain Francisco becomes our guide on our short walk ( 20 mins ) to the base of the Glacier.

Along the way there are posts indicating how much the glacier has receded over the last 50 years. In the scheme of things the recession appears less dramatic than at other glaciers.

We continue on to a lunch stop at Hosteria Monte Balmaceda where after a meal we change into our wet weather gear and board a zodiac for the onward journey up the Rio Serrano, stopping at an impassable waterfall, the Salto Rio Serrano,to circumvent the fall on foot, then re boarding the zodiac. The new zodiac skipper seems to take some delight in demonstrating how rough this part of the river can be and those of us who suffer from periodic lower back pain are searching for information on wheelchair access for the various tracks in the Torres del Paine Nat. Park. Fortunately the discomfort is short-lived and the Rio Serrano becomes far more friendly as we approach our final destination for the night.

By now we are catching tantalising glimpses of Torres del Paine  towers in between the clouds and with each bend in the river the scenery becomes more spectacular.

4 pm sees us at the Hotel del Paine on the shores of Rio Serrano with a superb view of the Horns and the Towers. In spite of its great location the hotel flatters to deceive and a ‘ mañana ‘ attitude is very much in evidence.

Shan is immediately at her feisty best ensuring that the wifi, hot water etc are all up to the standard she expects while Barb is not happy with her room as it faces away from the river, is too close to the reception and restaurant and too noisy. Complaints not entirely unjustified but some might say ” first world problems.”

Leisure time before dinner- just good to relax. G still not really very well but hopefully will improve over the next 24 hours.

Dinner a smorgasbord with the hordes of Taiwanese fighting for survival around the tables- ignorance personified. Don’t get between a Taiwanese and his/her food if you value your life! As Tom pointed out this is the inevitable result of the new bourgeoisie in  that region travelling the world but not yet familiar with the usual norms of interacting with other travellers.

Good chat  with Tom and Sue on the question of Craig and future career. Tom has worked in this area for some time so his insights were very helpful.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Wednesday 11th March 2015

Have the usual Cabo de Hornos underwhelming breakfast at 8.30 and get ready for a 9.30 departure for Puerto Natales.

Meet Luiz who will be our driver for the next few days and set off on a reasonably clear, mild  morning.  After going through fairly flat country the scenery gradually becomes more undulating and we enjoy acoffee/ toilet stop at a cafe with a fine view over the steppes.

Make our first acquaintance with a choique, an emu-like bird which we will see many more times during our trip. Other animal life includes flamingos, a fox, a llama, black-necked swan and we have the chance to view some gauchos move a large flock of sheep with the help from some collie hybrid dogs. It certainly makes a change from watching Lyn’s border collie Indi trying to round up any dog which has even a passing resemblance to a sheep along the beach in front of our house back home!

Choique

As we proceed further north we gain our first sight of the beautiful peaks which are part of the Torres del Paine national park, our destination tomorrow.

The magnificent Condor

Patagonia Landscape

We eventually arrive at Puerto Natales, a town on the shores of a fjord with the open sea to the west.

The accommodation at Weskar Patagonia Lodge is all that we could wish for and on arrival we are greeted with a free traditional Pisco Sour drink by Lelia and the new Chilean guide for the next few days Kris, a Diego lookalike. He provides us with a brief overview of our itinerary for the next few days, after which we check into our rooms and then head off to the pleasant, if unspectacular town centre with Lyn and and Anne. We lose track of Lyn for a while when she gets caught up in a long queue at the post office so Ann and I send out our expert search party (Gail) while she and I sample the rather average local ice cream. All reunited we eventually meet up with dentist Mick for coffee/ tea and light lunches.

Heading back towards the hotel along the foreshore of the fjord I come across a stone sculptor who is working on a large sculpture of a decidedly voluptuous naked lady. Just in case any red-blooded male is letting his imagination run away with him he is not using a live model.  Anyway he is happy for me to take his photo( see below).

Although our whole group had planned to eat at Ultima  Esperanza, an apparently fine seafood restaurant in town we decide to return to the lodge and with the exception of Tom and Sue we all eat dinner at the lodge. Lovely meal and nice ambience with a view over the fjord.

End the evening by seeing Chelsea beaten by PSG in Champions League round of 16 on away goals after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been sent off in first half. Joining us to watch the match was a fanatical French supporter of PSG who headed off to his room seemingly hell-bent on suicide after seeing Chelsea score first. He was then brought back to the TV and to life by his friends who had seen PSG equalise to seal Chelsea’s fate. In less than 5 minutes he had covered the whole gamut of a football fan’s emotions.

Turn in at a reasonable hour ahead of next day’s busy schedule.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Tuesday 10th March 2015

Late breakfast after which we sort out some things before meeting up with Lyn for a stroll around town with Anne Alexander ( one of our fellow travellers off the ship who is also going on the Patagonia trip) to buy a few extra clothes.Coffee and cake very welcome at local coffee bar and such experiences becoming easier as your old blogger’s Spanish ( studied from 1963 to 1965 ) starts to show signs of improvement.

At 7 pm Lelia, our Chilean guide for Patagonia arrives to tell us about the trip and plans for the next week.

She is very personable, professional and brings the average age of the group down by at least 20 years.

We also meet up with Mick, a dentist from Murwillumbah ,Qld who will be the only newcomer to our group apart from Lyn. The rest of the intrepid team is made up of the following gluttons for punishment from The Polar Pioneer : –

Shan Huang, Heinz and Patricia Gropel,Ann Alexander , Marg O’Toole, Kathy McEwan, Tom Hadkiss , Sue John, the Irelands.

Finish the day with a huge Hamburger at hotel and then turn in for the night after packing our bags in preparation for next day’s departure.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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