El Viento

The word for wind in Spanish is “el viento.” It would be virtually impossible to not include this term in the daily vocabulary because it is the consistent forecast in the heart of Patagonia. Through constant exchange of travelers tales I have learned that farther south the streets are lined with ropes because people have been known to blow away without the lifelines. It is decidedly so that this world is not for the faint of heart.

Inclimate weather did not deter Patagonian explorers such as Chris and myself from finding our way to El Calafate, although it did shatter the top windshield of our double decker bus during our 30 hour jaunt from Bariloche. Interestingly enough we had a front row seat for the excitement. Argentina knows how to liven up a busride.

5000 km of road make up the infamous Ruta 40 that stretches North to South deep in the vast expanses of land that we know as Patagonia. To sum up the journey: it is stony dirt roads, harsh winds, and complete solitude.

We have left behind the cozy alpine town Bariloche. A few goodbyes were essential before our departure. We said farewell to our friends at Tango Inn Hostel and the delicious eggs they served every morning at breakfast, waved goodbye to the rivers and streams where Chris successfully found fish, and made sure to say hasta luego to our new friends, Dan and Leanna that we met up with during our final days in the lake district.

All of this was replaced with El Calafate, a new area to explore. A visit to Los Glaciers National Park was already paid in the first days. This park holds the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier… a glacier larger than the city of Buenos Aires. Incredible. As this massive structure continues to build up in size, walls of ice shatter off of it. Thundering noise caused by the ice hitting the lake waters can be heard miles away. The lake is a museum of ice sculptures thanks in part to the glacier. Quite possibly one of the most visually pleasing views of life.

2009 looks promising. Tonight we will ring in the new year at an asado (bbq) hosted by our friends at Marco Polo Hostel, and tomorrow the wind will blow us to EL Chalten for some more trekking, camping, and picture snapping of glaciers. Prospero Ano to everyone!