How do you talk to a Glacier?

Since I last wrote I have been to El Calafate which is quite far south and sits on a milky turquoise lake. The town is an architect´s dream with random houses all over the place with no need for planning permission for colour, shape, size or position. Lots are pink, mauve, purple, yellow and green of the most extraordinary shapes and sizes. It had a feeling of being temporary but is growing daily as I noticed big hotels half finished and others under constrution. The hostel was run by two lovely young guys with dreadlocks and great smiles. Very friendly. Met people from all over and shared a dorm with a great English couple. The guy reminded me of Rupert a great friend of mine.

So the point of coming to El Calafate was to visit the Perito Moreno glacier. No, I have never seen a glacier before and especially one this size. I took a boat trip to get close and still couldn´t really comprehend this wall of ice towering above me. Inside the ice there are fabulous reflections of blue, purple and turquoise making it seem even more unreal. I just found it very hard to relate to but recognized that it was extraordinary. It is miles long and a kilometre wide. It moves 2 metres a day which is amazing. There are long walk ways that take you close to the glacier. After some lunch I went back again and walked a distance, mostly on my own in a small peaceful wood that ran alongside this white monster that cracked and rumbled like gunshot as parts broke and fell into the lake. It was quite mesmerizing and I have taken endless photographs somehow trying to understand the nature of it. It was a bit like drawing, once I start then I begin to understand the subject matter more and more - so with photographs of the glacier. It was truly awesome.

From the same hostel I spent a day in El Chalten - a town not dissimilar to El Calafate. The idea was to walk for most of the day up into the mountains and see the famous peak of Fitz Roy but the mist came down and the snow and it was not to be. However I found lots of wild flowers I did not know and met a charming Swiss family. Two sons and mother and father on a holiday together. We all ended up having lunch together to recover from the cold. The younger one and I walked together quite a bit. He was on an exchange in Buenos Aires and was fascinated by how emotional the Argentinians were compared to the Swiss - he told me this with a wistful touch to his voice. I wondered whether some countries are ruled by their heads and other countries by their hearts. Switzerland and Argentina seem two good examples - not that I know many Swiss people so that is a huge value judgement!

To reach Bariloche it was a 2 day bus journey up the legendary Route 40. An amazing road which is mostly untarmaced and stretches miles into the distance bordered usually on both sides by ridges and outcrops. Vast stretches of sky that changed as we moved through the landscape. Our bus drivers were called Nelson and Andy - very chatty and relaxed. The rest of the busload turned into a family as we trundled up Argentina. I sat initially with a french guy who had just hitched a lift on a french boat for 20 days, a loner who disappeared half way through the journey to take his own route. The next guy was also French in his 70s but very sweet natured and easy to be with. You learn people´s life stories when you sit on a bus with them for 24 hours. We stopped at a hotel for the night and I shared a room with two young Israeli girls who had just finished their 2 years national service -perhaps not a good thing to mention that most of England supports the Palestinians! However they were well able to defend their position. Apart from being asked out by Nelson the bus driver the journey was just about snoozing, chatting, reading, stopping at Estancias for a break and wondering if it would ever end.

I am now in Bariloche which is on an enormous beautiful lake with crystal clear water and reflections of snow capped mountains. This is a big town which is the haven of the rich to ski, sail, ride, trek, water raft and climb. It is also the centre for chocoholics - this is a speciality of the area - what a shame I don´t like chocolate. The main square has men standing around with St. Bernard dogs - and today they had 2 puppies. The dogs are a lure to have your photograph taken - no thank you! I am not sure if they still use them for serious rescuing - the poor dogs were paraded around with the barrels under their chins.

I am off to the mountains tomorrow hiking with a group from the hostel ........... more of that next time.

I feel a bit more in sympathy with the bad weather you have been having - snow and sleet, but we do have sun too.

Big hug and much love to you all

Sal xxx





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