Patagonian Peregrination Part 8

The next part of my day yesterday was actually walking through the Los Glacieres Parque Nacional. It was so nice. It was raining but there was something about walking around the paths and woods alone hearing the cracking of the glacier that was just really cool. The flowers that were blooming because it is spring/summer here after all, were just pretty and the whole thing seemed like it was a scene out of some National Geographic movie or something.

While the park is mainly to protect the major glaciers in the area it also protects the surrounding woodlands which is pretty awesome. There is a station sort of like in the states where you can stop and get lunch, so of course I did. And guess what I had.....Calafate flavored ice cream. As I was eating I think I heard "look at that" and "he's crazy" in at least 5 or 6 different languages. I mean it was cold and windy and raining a little bit but I was not going to pass up a chance to try the local ice cream.....I mean c'mon..... It was really good actually.

It was fairly reminiscent of what I imagine blueberry ice cream would taste like. Delicious...

What else can I say about this part of my trip...not much that the pictures I post won't say so I guess I am just going to post them and let you see for yourself....I'll post the flowers first and then the landscape ones....

This is a picture of the El Calafate berry, doesn't it even sort of look like a blueberry!

This is some glacial ice falling into the water!

Just a beach shot because I couldn't resist!

I realized in re-reading both of my last two posts that it appears I am on some sort of a vacation to the Glacier National Park in Argentina. Let me assure you this is not the case. I actually had a lovely meeting over breakfast at my hotel with a nurse from Great Britain who was expounding upon her perceived differences between the Argentine and UK health systems. Additionally, while trekking through the park I had an on the trail discussion with two nurses from New Zealand to understand their view of their healthcare system and make comparisons between Argentina and the US. So I repeat this was NOT a vacation, but rather a trip to have some meetings and discuss healthcare systems with different nurses abroad.

Patagonian Peregrination Part 7

El Calafate is all about the GLACIERS!! That and the things that you can make from the el calafate fruit....but mostly the GLACIERS!! What did I do yesterday then?? Looked at Glaciers obviously! Well not Glaciers so much as one Glacier called Perrito Moreno. 


My first expedition was on a  boat to see the South face of the glacier. I will admit this was a little touristy, think the boat at Niagra Falls, but I got some great pictures and it was the first time I have ever seen a glacier so who cares. For those of you who have never seen a glacier and are unsure of what it actually looks like in real life let me assure you that it really is just a huge chunk of ice. I mean an ENORMOUS hunk of ice. Like think the size of a mountain, but made of ice. It's crazy!


The boat ride was actually really nice it was only about an hour or an hour and half but I got to see the whole south face. I even got to see some of the glacier splitting off and falling into the sea. 


For a little background on the Perito Moreno glacier. It is one of several glaciers found in Los Glacieres Parque Nacional....(for my non-Spanish speakers that would be Glacier National Park, but if you could figure that one out you probably can't speak English either). The glacier received its name after the explorer Francisco Moreno who actually helped explore Patagonia and then lay claim to the region and protect it from Chilean hands. Quite literally if you translate the name Perito Moreno it means like Expert Moreno. The Perito Moreno glacier is actually, if I am recalling correctly, the 3rd largest reserve of fresh water and is only one of 3 glaciers that is not retreating in Patagonia....yes that's right it is beating the Global Warming odds and simply staying stagnant in a process known as glacial balance, which basically means it grows and equal amount to what it ruptures....okay enough with the boring glacier information that I learned here are some pictures:

The company that took me on my boat trip.

The mountain leading up to the glacier.

I love this picture because it looks so fake the way the water transitions colors.

Yes that is ice just floating in the water....it was pretty weird seeing it.

Me in front of a glacier.