El Calafate
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For my final excursion in Argentina, I chose to go way down south to El Calafate. It is one of the southern-most points in the world and famous for its beautiful landscape: snow-covered mountains, majestic glaciers and crystal-blue lakes. Its proximity to the South Pole means the weather is a tad colder than in BA (actually, about 30 degrees colder), but the sheer beauty of the town makes the cold worthwhile – a bold statement from someone who sprints to the nearest fireplace at the first sign of snow.
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El Calafate has a quant little town center with plenty of novelty shops and yummy restaurants, but the main attraction is, of course, the glaciers. Most visitors to the area wake up in the early morning to spend the day climbing or taking a scenic boat ride around the glaciers and cap the day off by eating a hearty meal at one of El Calafate’s famous restaurants (trust me, it’s necessary). We opted to do the climb, but had very little idea of what to expect. For example, we learned the hard way that it often rains in the glaciers; so not only are you cold, but you’re also soaking wet. The combination is not a pleasant one, and if I had to pack for this trip all over again I would most DEFINITELY throw in a waterproof jacket. Additionally, we weren’t sure how much physical stamina was needed for this glacier climb, but it turned out we needed a great deal of chutzpah. Before we even got to the actual glaciers, we had to trek through what felt like millions of miles of forest; we finally came to a clearing where there were a few huts set up, which meant it was time to gear up and get on the ice. A few tour guides helped us put on special shoes that allowed you to grip the ice (be advised: it is still possible to fall, I speak from experience), and we went on our way.
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Climbing the glaciers is breathtaking; there is ice as far as you can see, and it is so cool to see every crack and crevice and really understand the way the ice formed around the earth. At some points you can even hear the water running underneath the ice – which is a bit disconcerting, actually, but still very cool. The glaciers are also a gorgeous blue color, which is great for picture-taking purposes. We finished the climb with only a few glitches (i.e. a couple falls and some pretty substantial rainfall), and raced back to our hotel afterwards for some crucial hot chocolate and a nap. We ended the trip exhausted and in awe of what we had just seen…and very happy to be back in warm BA!