El Calafate

 El Calafate 11th March to the 16th March

This is a very nice town, the main street is very busy with shops and eateries, bars and tourist operators. We stayed at the Bla! Hostel which has been good, a walk from town down a hill then back up but central enough. We are staying here a few days to consolidate, do a bit of forward planning and rest up a bit.

El Calafate is a nice town and we both liked the hostel and the town a bit like Hanmer with some good bakeries and chocolate shops and some that sold a good cup of coffee which is harder to find than you would think.

We booked a bus and boat ride to see the famous Glacier Perito Moreno and it was impressive. The boat goes as close as 150 metres from the glacier for safety reasons. We did see ice slabs shearing off the glacier and if you got away from others on the boardwalks or balconies you could hear the Glacier cracking. At its highest point the face is 60 metres above the lake and 5 km at its widest point. It moves forward 2 metres per day and also loses about that amount of ice from its face per day.  During winter it has been known to reach the land and form a dam on the lake causing the water on either side to be at different levels. Certainly well worth the visit with plenty of time to view from both the water and land.

Perito Moreno was a surveyor back when they were deciding the border between Chile and Argentina. He also set up the first National Park with the land he was given for his work. He has the lakes and other landforms named after him. There is not much information or anything said about the pre European people that lived here.

A nature reserve on the lake foreshore in El Calafate called Reserva Laguna Nimez we think means Nimez Lagoon Reserve has a large range of birds including a large flock of pink flamingos -about an hour walk around had an entry fee but well worth it. Saw all kind of birds and Maree saw a little grey fox. Jim was too slow taking photos of birds.

Went to the Glasierium, a sort of Glacier information centre that had lots of displays and a few films.

Funny - all the dogs want to take you for a walk when you are walking around they will walk along with you as though they are yours. Seems to make them happy and gives them a job.

Another town another sign

Lots of photos of the Glacier Perito Moreno 

Sorry if there were too many glacier photos it was bloody impressive
This sign was concerning

View of El Calafate from the wetland walkway

We became birders - Maree's favourite the flamingos

Not to sure but think its a Long tailed meadowlark.

Maybe the Chiloe wigeon a dabbling duck. we are not very good at IDs

Upland goose

Red shoveler

Black necked swan

Chimango Caracara

Don't know this one but mum and chick

Grey fox Zoro

Down town  El Calafate lots of pines and furs

Some cool street art

One for the firemen

Photo for Mike there were two or three of these in the main street.

There were some big street and not many buildings looked like a town that had forgotten to grow

The Glaciarium 

Lake Argentina that went from  El Calafate to the Glaciers

An iceberg that made it all the way to town