Saturday, March 8, 2008

El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier

TreesGlacier0194-2.jpg

Ask anyone who has done the whole Route 40 excursion down Patagonia what their favorite place was and you will likely hear just one answer—El Calafate.

And the star of El Calafate is the Perito Moreno Glacier. While it is by far not the biggest Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, it is the most awe inspiring.

Perito Moreno Glacier

I was truly blown away by Porito Moreno. You are able to get really close up and hear it creaking, cracking and slowly moaning. You can physically see it advancing. Every so often a loud explosion and crash thunders across the lake as a large chunk of ice breaks off and tumbles into the water below. Words just can't describe it.

Perito Moreno Glacier Closeup

I sat for hours just listing and watching the glacier. It was a moving experience.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Only the Grand Canyon had moved me like that before. And I would put Perito Moreno above the Grand Canyon. It is that spectacular.

Perito Moreno Observation

However, there is one other reason that El Calafate is on the top of everyone's list.

The sunsets.

The first day we were in Calafate, we drove back from the Glacier during sunset. Suddenly, the sky was on fire with every color imaginable. Also, the lake which was already a unique shade of milky blue intensified with a deep turquoise color. The grass of the steppe became even more golden.

Calafate Sunset

I have never done ACID in my life. But, I have to say Calafate at sunset must be the closest you can come to being on an acid trip without taking drugs.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been reading your blog for quite some time now, and I have to say that I love your pictures, they're astonishing. Good work and nice blog!

Longhorn Dave said...

Thanks for the kind words Karine. I have to say I'm a daily visitor of your blog too.