Landscape or Escape? (with Paco the Guanaco!)

3-03-09 20:14
Bus en route to El Chaltén

We awoke bright and early to take a tour bus for the hour and a half trip from El Calafate to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, appropriately named for the 356 glaciers within the park´s boundaries. After a few scenic stops, we finally had the chance to get up close and personal (yet far enough away to avoid possible ice chunks falling on us) with the Glaciar Perito Moreno on a boat tour. To add perspective of how large this glacier is: its landmass is great than that of Buenos Aires (more than 5 kilometers in length and 70 meters in height, according to Wikipedia). We then had 3 hours of free time in the park so I hiked down a path with Henry and Lindsey to the lowest viewpoint, where we witnessed pieces of ice, probably as large as houses, calving as we sat and ate a picnic. I even caught a few ice falls on video! It was such a gorgeous sight, neither my words nor pictures could do it justice. I was content to stay there for several hours and observe nature in action. We then happily climbed back on the bus to return to El Calafate and decide what we wanted to do for the remainder of our free days.

Although we were a bit disheartened with the exorbitant costs of all the excursions, we discovered the cheapest option by far - transportation to the tiny town of El Chaltén, “backpacking capital of Patagonia.” Seven of us made a spur-of-the-moment decision to catch a bus within the hour to in order to hike there the following morning. We then scurried around booking our hostel for that night, paying for our bus tickets, and passing by the grocery store. We almost missed the 6:30 bus, but we are accounted for now and enjoying the most incredible views of the countryside.

I wish I could show you exactly what I see from the window now as I sit on the bus. It’s just sunset, no people, buildings, or trees in sight. From the road stretched out before us, there is a wide, flat expanse covered with shrub that colors the land sage green. The large lake beyond that is liquid mercury tinted with deep purples, blues, and melted creamsicle reflected from the sky. The sun itself is hidden behind the various clouds – an upper-layer of wispy sheets and others that appear as solid objects, heavy and immovable as the mountains in the distance. With the soundtrack of a soulful Argentine singer in my ear, the setting is complete and I can’t stop marveling at the landscape.

Our bus stopped partway through its journey at the estancia Hotel Leona, where we had the chance to use the clean restrooms and look out at the neighboring river that was moving at a surprisingly swift pace. The hotel is in the absolute middle of nowhere, without a single trace of humans in any direction, but it has its claim of fame as the hideout of Buth Cassidy and the Sundance kid in 1905. We even made friends with Paco the Guanaco (animal sort of like a llama but smaller), although our friendship waned after he started biting and chewing on my hair.

Until El Chaltén!
Coli