scubacruiserx2

A Canon with a telephoto

Some photos from my Sony pocket camera . I use it for food , panoramas and video mostly . Mount Fitzroy . What I thought were shadows at a distance were just greenery . It's over 11,000 feet tall ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitz_Roy No gas lines at the only station

Before breakfast the sun out and we took the cameras for a ride . It looks like the mushrooms were sprouting While we were watching the lenticular clouds we were being watched You can hear how windy it is . It's always windy in Patagonia . Mount Fitzroy ( the Captain of the Beagle )

After dinner and a nice warm bath in the bubble tub we sat down to relax and check out the e mail and the weather . It was still raining a little but the wind was fierce . And yet we opened windows a bit . They tilt open at the top a bit but slammed shut . So a square box of dental tape wedged the window open . It sounded like a hurricane was coming , just like the last time we were here in 2019 - not long before Covid hit .

We were told that we had a free dinner at the hotel so we made it for the next night . The first night we wanted to go the place where we ate the last time that we were there . It's small inside and it's 2 stories with the wash rooms up a steep stairway . I had the soup of the day and someone else had Gunaco Berry Cheesecake and a sugar tower

When we checked into our hotel they were as nice as they could be with warm cookies and helping us with our bags , but refusing a tip . The shower The tub They even had a drinking fountain for our service dog , which we don't have . The view

We must be getting close to El Chal'ten now The turn marker at 23 , head West old man . Entering the town on a cold, windy , rainy day The strike had a far reach . The gas line was an hour long but the locals got a short cut . It had been 4 hours since leaving El Calafate so we stopped at the Tourist Reception for a map and to wash our hands . No maps , but I got lucky and got the handicapped stall . In many countries unlike the US , cruise and airline industry , people don't acknowledge the ADA by giving front row seats . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990

Thank you well spotted ! Our favorite spot was the cabin as it had a forward and a Starboard balcony . Our normal preferred spot is aft , out of the wind so Spice was a good spot also . Here's our video of the cabin.

At our first viewpoint of El Calafate it didn't look too promising We did see varied wild life We were hoping that it would not try this stunt that we saw the last time we were there As we had seen the results of a big fail this time

We had slept in a couple of hours and ate a later breakfast and it was busy . We had overheard some English speaking people who were upset that their flights had been canceled on Wednesday and they had to spend another night because of a labor strike . We had seen a gathering at a park when we had rented the car and we remembered that our guide told us that there would be a strike in Buenos Aries on Wednesday because a lot of the Trade Union people didn't like the new President of the country . We filled our gas tank before we left on our trip to El Chalten the night before because the stations wasn't busy and there are no gas stations in the 3 hour trip . I guess we should call them service stations since , in a Back to the Future moment , the attendant filled the tank and cleaned the windows . So with full stomachs and a full tank we set out East toward the airport . We turned North on the famous Route 40 , think Route 66 in the US . It runs 3,100 miles North and South . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Route_40_(Argentina) We would first pass Lago Argentino before crossing the Rio La Leona which links North to Lake Viedma where we would turn left and head West to the town .

On our last night in El Calafate we went back to Bocanada instead of Pura Vida . This was our favorite place to eat there . This time we had Curry and Pad Thai in addition to Sushi . As we left the Hotel to go to dinner we saw a rainbow in front of the hotel . It was better than what we ate on the Star . https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312851-d13004531-Reviews-Bocanada-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

When and how did you get a post cruise questionnaire ? We never got one and we were on the January 7th cruise . HAL sends one for each of us within 5 days and wants it returned within the 5 days .

So what was the single biggest thing that we disliked about this cruise to Antarctica on NCL and our stay in Patagonia ? Well the most obvious is the cost , the time and it being inconvenient . But the worse thing for us is the weather . Not there , but here . We hate leaving the good weather here this time of the year . When I woke up this morning it was 49 F in Punta Arenas , 48 F in Ushuaia and 47 F here where we live . The difference ? It will get to 68 F here today but the humidity is 98 % It's funny that when my FIL came to visit us one January from Michigan , he complained about it being cold and said that he would never come back in January . Pat and I used to work together at a place that made artificial Kidneys . She worked a 12 hour day shift and I worked a 12 hour night shift . There were some Russian people that worked with me and when we stepped outside for a smoke break one night they complained about the cold ! One of the ladies said that she had never been so cold ! 🤪 I had never been to Russia before or I would have quoted her the Russian Proverb . There is no bad weather , only bad clothing .

Returning from the glacier to El Calafate thru the lens of a different camera . Lenticular Clouds ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud

On our trip back to El Calafate from the glacier , we stopped at an area near the entrance to the park . It has restrooms and a place to eat near the river if you bring your own food . There are funny bushes that look like a ball that grow in the trees The river Funny rocks on the trip back Bird Sanctuary at El Calafate . This is the first time that I have uploaded a video on CC without using Youtube . C2198.MP4

Leaving the walkways in front of the glacier Blossom of the Chilean Fire tree also called Notro Moss on a limb under the canopy The Parking lot One last look before going up The 1st view from the parking lot All of the walkways have signs asking people not to climb on the fence but El Nino did it anyway with mom's encouragement for a photo while big sister watches . The Parking lot Puerto Bajo de las Sombras View from the Mirador In this aerial map you can see the glacier and where it makes contact with the land . The ice dam had broken and in the videos you can see the water from the Canal de los Tempanos slowly moving into the Brazo Rico . They are all fed from the larger Lago Argentino to the North . https://www.google.com/maps/@-50.4401176,-72.9841115,15473m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

Well our Covid is long gone but I think that my camera caught it . Well it is 12 years old and experiencing a number of issues so we agreed on a new one . In with new and out with the old .

The glacier is 200' tall , 3 miles wide and about 19 miles long A 3 story boat approaching the glacier

A close up of the glacier Water moving from lake to lake The ramp down

They use wooden pegs in holes and wet them so they swell .

Perhaps our favorite Glacier ,Perito Moreno because of it's beautiful blue color , accessibility and it is advancing unlike most glaciers in the world . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perito_Moreno_Glacier Should we use the stairs or the ramp ? The stairs are faster , good exercise and get you closer . Did I say accessible ? We have been there in 2013 , 2019 and 2024 and this lift for the Handicapped has never worked when we were there .

Lunch is served Squash Soup Lentil stew . We didn't see any beans but lots of Lentils We asked for a little pepper - lost in translation ? The ladies wash rooms were off limits so we shared

Setting out for Perito Moreno glacier about 48 miles away we were doing things different this trip - no lunch box . 1st Overlook of the glacier and both cameras of the same close up We had decided to try the dining there and we were not alone , parking was a bear .

Because our first 2 days in El Calafate had tours we didn't rent a car so on Wednesday we rented a car . It would require some extensive training since our new car is old enough to be an adult in all 50 states . It had Air Conditioning so we thought that we might sleep in the car that night ! The first stop was at a bank where we tried to withdraw the maximum 50,000 A Pesos , about $50 . The machine wouldn't work so we asked a bank officer for help . He said that the most that we could withdraw was 10,000 with a 7,000 fee . In other words to withdraw $10 would cost $7 ! We did like this mosaic on a wall across from the bank . Look out Argentina , here we come .

While we did enjoy our trip to Torre del Paine and our stay at the Hotel we would recommend the people that we used before . We used Get your Guide instead of Tours by Locals because TBL didn't offer a trip to Torres . La Cantera did not answer our requests but we would recommend them instead of where we stayed in El Calafate .