Monday, January 21, 2008
El Calafate
El Chaltén to El Calafate is a short bus ride, only 4 hours. That´s with the driver driving slow and a half-way stop. In Bolivia this would be a 2 and half hour trip.
We were stopping at the Marcopolo Hostel just outside town up a steep hill. Well it seemed steep to me my back was not good, again. There was a good kitchen here and more important some good food to be bought in town. El Calafate has cash points which is good as it´s expensive here. But why spend 6 quid on a steak when you can get one from the super for 60p.
One of the main attractions here is the Perito Moreno glacier. The hostel had a trip and so did lots of agencies for 90 pasos, shop around you can get 60 paso bus there and back. There is an enterance fee of 40 pasos, again steep. The glacier speaks for it´s self. There are many glaciers around this area, I can´t coment on the others but this one is worth a visit if not the 60 pasos $$$. The glacier is moving into a lake and if you just wait you can see chunks falling into the lake. Even the smallest of chunks makes lots of noise. The bus back was at 1pm so just a morning, so I think two nights for El Calafate would be enough.
$$$: I think Agrentina is one country where renting a car could be benificial. The trips are expensive, this cost would off set the cost of a car and you can cram more in doing it your self, and see more. Many a time you pass places of interest on a bus where you could stop in a car, also there are free camp sites in fantastic locations.
We were stopping at the Marcopolo Hostel just outside town up a steep hill. Well it seemed steep to me my back was not good, again. There was a good kitchen here and more important some good food to be bought in town. El Calafate has cash points which is good as it´s expensive here. But why spend 6 quid on a steak when you can get one from the super for 60p.
One of the main attractions here is the Perito Moreno glacier. The hostel had a trip and so did lots of agencies for 90 pasos, shop around you can get 60 paso bus there and back. There is an enterance fee of 40 pasos, again steep. The glacier speaks for it´s self. There are many glaciers around this area, I can´t coment on the others but this one is worth a visit if not the 60 pasos $$$. The glacier is moving into a lake and if you just wait you can see chunks falling into the lake. Even the smallest of chunks makes lots of noise. The bus back was at 1pm so just a morning, so I think two nights for El Calafate would be enough.
$$$: I think Agrentina is one country where renting a car could be benificial. The trips are expensive, this cost would off set the cost of a car and you can cram more in doing it your self, and see more. Many a time you pass places of interest on a bus where you could stop in a car, also there are free camp sites in fantastic locations.
