PATAGONIA--Day 6

Because we got in soooooo late, we only had one full day to see it all.  We LOVED the little town of El Calafate.  Very cute and quaint.  After a late breakfast, we hopped in the car and drove to the National Park to see the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.  We heard it was worth it.  

We were driving along, rocking out to remakes of some 80'S greatest hits (someone had left the CD in the rental-- no manual, but they cared enough to give us some good tunes), when all of the sudden, we rounded a corner and saw this enormous glacier that looked like it was enveloping the entire lake!

We hopped on the boat so we could take a look at it up close and personal  

(Yes, we are all looking a bit wiped out-- remember that night we had last night???)

And then we went up and walked around above the glacier.  

This was our all time favorite part of the Perito Moreno Glacier excursion.  You had to pay for the boat ride, but the walk was free.  If we had known how great the walkways were, we would have just done those.  Maybe we would have felt differently if we hadn't just done the boat ride in Torres del Paine.  

He might look a little "iffy," but he was the nicest guy.  Wish I could remember his name.  He volunteered to take family picture after picture for us.  He started walking around about the same time we did, and so whenever we stopped for a photo, he'd jump right in and do it for us.  I decided I really like going on vacations here, from the aspect of speaking Spanish.  People look at you (stare in fact, for minutes on end) and they know you are foreigners.  So, if you know any Spanish at all, they think you are amazing.  Whereas, in Santiago, I feel like I'm expected to know it better than I do.  It was a bit of a confidence booster for me :)  

Our all time favorite past time while we were there was to watch and wait and listen.  The Glacier is constantly making these crackling noises.  Suddenly we would hear a big BOOM and we'd look in that direction and see a big chunk of ice break off from the glacier and go crashing into the water below.  It was incredible.  The first boom we heard, I thought there was an explosion close by and wanted to duck and cover!  Wasn't quite prepared for it!!!

one of my favorites

Love Love Love

Isn't that gorgeous?!!  

I guess this is the only glacier down here that isn't receding....it's still forming!!

Exhausted but happy

We left the park and headed back to town so we could try to have an "early" dinner 

(8pm, maybe 9ish)

Did I mention that they really like meat in South America?  

Back to the hotel (see the guard dog for the place?) for a really good rest.  

We'd be off again in the morning.