Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day --all day. In a land of wind and rain, sunshine is very precious. The wind here usually comes from the south and east so people even build their houses with no windows or doors on those sides.
We met our day guide, Pablo, boarded the bus and started into the National Park. An hour and a half later, we arrived at a lookout. There was Glacier Perito Moreno. It is huge--18 miles long and is unusual in that it stays the same size. It is 60 meters high above the water and has twice as much under water so it is very thick. It keeps building at the top with snow and at the same rate it ruptures (the term they use instead of 'calving') at the bottom into the lake. Finally we arrived at the point directly across from the glacier and started our walk down. I was surprised that there were metal steps with wooden rails. After walking down a flight or so, there was an elevator to take us down a couple stories, and then more flights. We did not go completely to the bottom, but stopped at a lookout and ate our lunch which the hotel had packed. You could hear and see the glacier rupturing --we were probably 500 feet from the face of the glacier. Then we started back up. The elevator operator chuckled at our puffing. Had a cup of coffee at the bar. Then the bus took us to an excursion boat, Victoria Argentina, for a close-up view of the glacier. We were 300 meters away and on side of the glacier. It is dangerous to get too close because of falling ice and the waves that are created when the ice hits the water. Back to the bus and back to the hotel. Last night was our farewell banquet with a delicious dinner of beef filets and plenty of red wine. Our guide, Nadia, briefed us on the rest of the trip and then we reminisced about everything we have done so far.
We met our day guide, Pablo, boarded the bus and started into the National Park. An hour and a half later, we arrived at a lookout. There was Glacier Perito Moreno. It is huge--18 miles long and is unusual in that it stays the same size. It is 60 meters high above the water and has twice as much under water so it is very thick. It keeps building at the top with snow and at the same rate it ruptures (the term they use instead of 'calving') at the bottom into the lake. Finally we arrived at the point directly across from the glacier and started our walk down. I was surprised that there were metal steps with wooden rails. After walking down a flight or so, there was an elevator to take us down a couple stories, and then more flights. We did not go completely to the bottom, but stopped at a lookout and ate our lunch which the hotel had packed. You could hear and see the glacier rupturing --we were probably 500 feet from the face of the glacier. Then we started back up. The elevator operator chuckled at our puffing. Had a cup of coffee at the bar. Then the bus took us to an excursion boat, Victoria Argentina, for a close-up view of the glacier. We were 300 meters away and on side of the glacier. It is dangerous to get too close because of falling ice and the waves that are created when the ice hits the water. Back to the bus and back to the hotel. Last night was our farewell banquet with a delicious dinner of beef filets and plenty of red wine. Our guide, Nadia, briefed us on the rest of the trip and then we reminisced about everything we have done so far.
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