Ahhh Patagonia,.. Yes I am in love with this place

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Oh my goodness, just take a look at the pictures below and this doesnt even do Patagonia the justice it deserves!
Patagonia is so so SO incredibly beautiful. I think, easily one of the most stunningly beautiful places I have ever been.
As you all know, I started my Patagonian travels in Bariloche, stepping out of the sun shine of Mendoza, back on my own again, trying desperatly to find my Blackpool roots and get used to the whipping bitter cold and tear myself away from the cosy sofa inside my large cabin and away from my equally large mugs of pipping hot choccie to actually discover the delights that Bariloche had to offer. Take alook at the pics from my little walks on the edge of the lake each day, the 1st day I arrived it was calm, and very lake like but for the nxt few days, the icy whipping wind picked up and really churned the lake up, making it resemble the sea, all waves and choppy. The sky was so incredible on these days though, the wind would blow in these heavy clouds, gthe sun wouold try and pieirce them but they were thick and dense, and deep grey and puffy bright white all in the space of an hour, constantly changing as I made my way, wrapped up, around the lake.
Well, the day I chose to explore was absolutly glorious (I had actually planned this by looking at the weather forecasts) bright blue sky, nippy so I wrapped up warm but heated by the sun shine. Auntumn leaves of reds, oranges, golds and aubergines hung delicatly on the trees and covered the ground leading all around the lake, where the long road winds & twists right through the hills and on the waters edge.
I arrived at Cerro Campanario where Natalia from the hostel had told me you get the best panaramic views Bariloche has to offer. Oh, and you certainly do. The day was perfect bright blue skies and crisp, I jumped on the ski lift (a bit easier without actually having skis on, I had a sudden flash back of the time I had proper difficulty hopping on one when I was attempting to learn how to ski at a dry slope in Rossendale before a guide trip to Switzerland, it didnt go well, I think there was a similar scene in Bridget Jones where she is being pulled half on and half hanging off up the side of a mountain) The views from this little chair lift were stunning, the air was fresh and I was happily snapping away, pictures of myself, my feet dangling, my shadow, oh and of course the surrounding mountains and lakes are to follow. Reaching the sumit 5min later, a quick hop skip and a jump off the constantly moving chair contraption, and I am confonted with such overwhelming scenary. Almost a little tear comes to my eye, not to sound cheesy but its not everyday when you see sights as breath taking as this!! Ooh and I made a little friend, in the shape of a bird, I named him Kes, he posed for loads of pictures of himself with the beautiful countryside as his back drop, theres a cute picture with him tilting his head to one side as if to say, ¨lady how many more do you need??¨ and he would stay for a while then fly off for a bit of excercise or to get a way from the crazy lady constantly taking his portrait!? and then when I returned, he returned, almost pet like. I stayed and wandered around the view point for easily 1.5hrs, then decided to hop on another bus to a hotel further around the lake which had more amazing views of snow capped mountains and lush countryside. The view from here was ok, but quite obscurred by tall pine trees and various world flags!! A realy really good day. I headed back into town for to try the ellusive wild boar Id read about, but no, couldnt get this anywhere, so treated myelf to some smoked trout instead and whipped up a tasty salad back at my cute hostel.
Early the next day I headed to El Calafate, v v south, as south as I was going to get and it would do for me, not that far from the tip of SA in the scheme of things. This was a long loooonng bus ride, 28hrs in fact. But I came prepared, smoked trout & avocado salad, choccies from my favourite chocolate shop, an apple - always, and water. I swig of wine would have gone down a treat too but I wasnt this prepared - damn! Lots of big blockbuster movies, some bus cookies, lots of sleeps, my pack lunch, little chats in Spanish with a friendly old Italian man called Giovanni & some photographs out of the window at the multicoloured trees and clouds hovering around the middle of grand mountains and lakes & we were there, at the our destination. Now, I had been recomended a good place to stay by a friend of Debbies that I had met a few days previusly, and low and behold, the lady from the hostel was there to collect and entice people into staying at the hostel, 1 free cab later and I arrive, it has great views over the local lake and the people are friendly, so I settle in, get myself a map and have a quick hot shower to wake myself up, Im a little dazed by this point, but its only 1pm so I go off into town in search of yumi food treats to satisfy my ever growing hunger and give me some much needed energy. I eat hot, lamb ragou stew and drink a large glass of red, ahhhhh blisssss at last.
A little wander around the small town, lots of encounters with lots of barking stray dogs, damn dogs, they always frighten the life out of me, and im always glad I got my rabies shot just in case! a little stroll to the nature reseve where I actually see long legged pink flamingos treding lightly in the water, arching their necks & dipping down to each the treats that lay beneath the waters surface. The sun is setting and I get a bit muddy trying to get closer in the boggy land to these elegant creatures, I have wet shoes and feet urgh! better head back to the path, bugger there is no zoom on my camera but ill attach a pic and you can see their siloette against the shimmering lagoona and pinky blue evening night sky.
The following day I set aside for The Glacier - Perito Moreno, the Huge main reason that people visit El Calafate. WOW WEE!!! I was so so bloomin excited to see this, I have never ever seen a glacier and today, I would actually get to walk on one too!!! On the bus early in the morning to head there, I bump into old Giovanni again, so this a friendly face for the day. We travel as the sun rises (about 09:30am) to the glacier which takes about 1.5hrs though stunning mountains and around glassy lakes, untill the driver stops, at our 1st look out to catch a our 1st glimpse of this extraudinary sight that is Perito Moreno, we all pile off the bus and almost run, skipping to the view point. Its sandwiched inbetween 2 montains, and there is a lake right infront of it, its a huge, jaggedy whitish bkue mass. I cant wait to get closer...
We take a boat, out onto the lake, which used to actually be part of this glacier, years and years and years earlier, were edging closer and closer, almost smelling the crisp ice as we all lay eyes on this wonderful natural sight. By the way, I look rather round & portly in all of these pictures because I am wearing 6 layes, some of which are quite chunky!! (nothing at all to do with my addiction to ice cream and dulce de leche in all meals!) I was actually a bit hot once trecking on the glacier but hey, better to be too warm than too cold, so for once I was prepared clothes wize and got it right horray!!
Everyone was eager and snapping away as we sailed accross the serene lake towards this icy beast. We meet our guides, they strap cramp ons to our feet to make it possible to walk on th eglacier and not slip& slide all over and off we go, cameras at the ready for our 1.5hr treck. This enourmas gigantic slab of ice, with jagged and smooth areas, deep but bright blue in its crevices and sheer white on the top as the sunshines light bounces off and around the surface. Its funny as its sat here right next to a regular dirt mountain, the contrast in colour & texture is amazing, it just floats, on the edge of this lake, huge slabs breaking off now and again causing a huge sound like gun fire to reverberate around the rest of the glacier and the surrounding area and a splash in th water and lots of tiny baby ice bergs are just left to bob around, helpless, detached now from their mum, all that is left is to sail, slowly away and melt melt, into the river, maybe one day rejoining the glacier in a different area, making a fresh layer on top.
We walk on the left corner of the gacier, its smooth and rolling rather than spikey and sharp and jagged like the right. This is good for ice climbing our guides let us know. You have to walk like your sat on a horse, legs spread shoulder length apart and you rest your weight on your heels, diging your feet into the top layer of the ice as you move slowly navigating your way up and over the crevices and smooth surface, trying hard not to skid or slip, you know me, always tripping and falling over, but, not on this occasion. With a little helping hand from one of the guides, and as I was always at the back with an Ozzie girl I´d met called Marie-Louise (she´d taken my picture earlier and we´d chatted since then) I could take my time, not feel rushed and potter along kind of at my own pace. It was truely amazing, standing, walking on this giant piece of ice. The colours of white with a light radiant blue hue skimming accross the top and then in the large crevices, metres deep, a really vivid bright electric blue nestled inside them, iluminating this crack, giving the ice a whole new depth. I loved it when I looked around and all I could see was ice ice everywhere and the bright blue crisp sky, it was like maybe being in the Antarctic. Then a little suprize was instore for us, we came down a slope & a small wooden table had been set up with little tumblers, bottles of whisky, and one of the guides was hacking small chunks of ice off the glacier, then he poured the amber liquid over the pure ice and offered us all a glass, we raised them, made a toast and all enjoyed a little tipple to warm our cockles, brilliant and much appreciated and I dont even drink whisky!! Then it was time to actually go underneath the glacier! in an ice cave, it was like something from superman, a smooth glowing blue cave filled with super powers... maybe...
Off we pottered then for our homemade pack lunches to dine in a picnic area by the waters edge and just stare at everything around us, then explore untill the tiny boat picked us up for a sail closer to the glacier. Then an hours look out from the balcony area, Marie-Louise, Giovanni and I all hoping for a large slap of glacier to crack and break off and go thudding noisely into the freezing waters, wait, wait, wait, but no, seems like the morning when the sun is hining directly onto it that you get the gun fire sound and bits break off, boo!
Ahhh, very happy and tired, a sleepy journey as the sun sets takes us home, all that is left to do is buy yet more chocolate, mmm, well when there is so so many chocolate shops still, be silly not to indulge and get lost on my walk home from town, should only take 10min for the person who´s inner navigation and sense of direction is fully tuned in, but for me, 1.5hrs later, walking the scrub land, up and down hills, nearly being attacked by viciuos dogs, bloody barking dogs!! in the pitch black, scaring myself and the lone wolf that I had somehow luckily aquired mid way, 3 sets of directions later I ended up even more exhasuted and very hungry at my hostel on the hill. Ahhhh sometimes I get it wrong, and it just keeps goiing wrong but I was very fortunate to have this lone wolf (he could have been a regular dog but did have the look of a wolf) by myside, fending off the other horrible pesky dogs and sticking with me intill I reached my correct path and was safey homeward bound.
I have more, but this will have to do for now, the next issue will be of tales of getting lost again, in El Chalten in lots of v prickly bushes, this time not on my own, seeing more glaciers, doing lots of trecks and drinking great red wine with new friends.
Im off to catch a long bus ride 15hrs... the count down is on for my time left in Latin America, sadly only 3 days left then up up and away to a whole new continent, New Zealand, or should that be down down and accross!? Adios Amigos xxxxxxxx