Bed was good. Our room has huge windows with view over the lake. Very hot in daytime but ok at night.
Slept solidly and a little after 7.30 we noticed some colour in the sky. I got up and dressed to take a few shots. The moon was still up looking pretty good behind clouds over the lake and surrounds.
Breaky and time to chill before revised pick up time for tour. Only to find that they arrived early, so a bit of a scurry to get upstairs and get our boxed lunch and onto the little Rumbo Sur bus.
We headed off around a few hotels to pick up others. Solly is our guide and Diego our driver. We transferred to a far more comfortable coach for the 90 minute trip to Perito Merino Glacier. We travelled past Nimez Lagoon which had a number of flamingoes feeding and one flying by, then on through the harsh and hungry Patagonian Steppe farmlands. Estancias (Farms) are about 20 000 hectares.
We also drove alongside Lago Argentina for most of the trip – it’s a big Lake. The mountains either side were pretty huge, some snow capped, some were heavily scarred and scraped from glaciers of the past.
The bus stopped at entry to Los Glaciares National Park to check tickets and then on to our first views of the massive and spectacular Perito Merino Glacier
30m long, 5km wide. 70m tall above water 200 below lake.
The glacier is bigger than Buenos Aires city.
La Tabitha = restaurant reco.
Laguna Nimez NP headquarters in town near the corner in town also good.
Coming back on the bus I noticed a couple of small red ‘houses’ near the fences and one at the base of a big rock face. Then we saw a small group of these red houses – looks some sort of shrine. In our research Mary found this link which aligns to the explanation from Solly (which was a bit lost in translation)
Road Shrines in Argentina – nelmitravel.com
We went separate ways on drop off. Mary and I were dropped in centre of town, the fellas went back to hotel and I gratefully sent my backpack with them.
Wandered around looking at a few tourist shops and the centre generally and landed at Pietra’s pizza cafe. We later caught our ‘free’ hotel taxi home.
The note from Rambo Sur in Mary and Phil’s door confirmed our earlier text re departure time tomorrow. We were advised at airport that it was a 7.00 am departure. Thankfully the news now is 8.25, although we are doubtful as timing has been a bit ‘flexible’. Only time will tell.
Back to room to get organised, shower etc.
Travel adventures with Nicola & co. 