We travelled out to the Los Glaciares National Park and drove out to the face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. On the drive out the tour guide gave us a very interesting overview of the history of the area. Mr Moreno was a land surveyor that settled the border dispute between Chile and Argentina. Perito is a term of respect. El Calfate is named after the berries that grow here.
Amusingly, the guide referred to the sailors that settled in the Patagonia area from the time of Magellan exploration as "the pirates". "the pirates" settled here to farm sheep and this was a farming community until very recently when tourism bloomed. We were lucky enough to see some very woolly sheep nibbling on the scrubby bushes on our drive across.
We were dropped off at the area of the glacier and were left to walk the catwalks. A whole extensive walkway has been established through the Patagonian forest and down to the face of the glacier. The design is pretty tourist friendly with the walkways made with super foot gripping steel grids and stairs and hand rails.
We took some time to be silly and squash the snow through the grid making snow ice blocks. Then threw a few snow balls at each other. Then jumped through a few snow drifts and had fun kicking the fine powder about. Then with wet trousers and damp gloves, we proceeded down the stairs through the forest to the glacier
Despite the very pleasant sunny skies, the moment the wind blows from the glacier direction, the temperature of the air plummets. Very soon we were wrapped up fully with only our noses peeking out - there fore most of our photos show us as a blue and a pink snowman with red nose tips. We turned back to the main parking lot halfway through to go collect our packed lunch from the bus and behind us hear the loud cracking crashing noise of the glacier carving. We sprinted back but alas, the action was over. After lunch we returned along another path and saw a little bit of ice falling off the glacier front.
The glacier is a minty blue and the clinking icebergs below make a pretty noise and look very picturesque when the sun shines through them. The top of the glacier looks like it is white with deep blue stripes while the front has brown earthy streaks in it. All in all, I came away thinking about ice cream and chocolate and clear blue candy peppermints.
The forest itself made us think about movies like Narnia. The trees had mantles of snow and the branches and twigs were weighed down with their own handfuls of snow. (yes, i had fun taking the snow off and watching the branches spring back into the air). We were fortunate to be here at this time of the year as the weather, despite the chill is quite cheerful but the Park was not over crowded.
We took a brisk walk back up and up and up the stairs and walkway and cracked a nice sweat by the time we returned to the bus. We had time to purchase a few postcards and a fluffy sheep ornament for my collection.
It is apparent from the drive back that the snow is beginning to melt. It may snow here again but according to the tour guide, the snow is usually all cleared by August. Irrespective, Eben and I have seen touched and played with more snow today then we have in our entire lives.
Tomorrow we will be going by boat to see the Upsala glacier which is much bigger than the P.Moreno glacier. We have high hopes of filming some spectacular glacier carving. Right now, Eben and I are again exhausted from the extent of walking done today. We are eating the best of what ever looks tasty (which is most everything) but maybe with all this walking, I'll still fit into my wedding dress when I get back! Tonight we may try the patagonian lamb.
PS The crunching noise of snow underfoot is as satisfying as walking on bubble wrap.
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