Day 14 - El Calafate (2/23/13)

Today we go to see the Glacier Perito Moreno. The glacier was named after the discoverer Francisco Moreno (perito is an honorary term for "expert"). Unfortunately our luck has run out on good weather and we have to layer our clothing and get the rain gear out. Rainy weather in El Calafate is unusual as they get only 8-10 inches per year. I think they are getting most of it today. The mountains are covered in clouds and it will be a slippery walk to the glacier.

What a gorgeous sight. I only wish the photographs would convey the breathtaking beauty and size of this glacier. We are only a few minutes into our walk and we hear a loud CRACK. We are assured we will hear this sound throughout our stay in the park. There are metal walkways all the way down to the glacier. You can take many routes to see it from different angles. The glacier itself it 20+ stories high and covers more than 20 miles in area. We hear the cracks of the glacier calving and do manage to catch sight of some of the ice falling. This is one of the few glaciers that is stable. It recedes in summer, but is gaining the same amount of snow and ice during winter. This was truly one of nature's most awesome wonders.

Back to the hotel to take a hot shower, put our clothes up to dry and take a short siesta.

We met Santi for a talk on the Argentinian drink -- Mate. This is what I love about this trip. If you express an interest in something, Santi will do his best to educate you to the fullest of his ability. He is doing this on his free time. We had seen him drinking his mate and asked about making it. He gave us an hour-long lecture (which was really more like story-telling). Mate is not just a drink like having a cup of tea or coffee. It is a ritual. There is mate etiquette. It has a history. Again, like a lot of things in Argentina and Chile, it is almost a living thing. Mate refers to the herb, and also the cup you drink from, and also the act of drinking and sharing it. It is not a solitary experience. You don't ususally get up and make a cup of mate for yourself. It is to be shared with your friends and companions. It is not something you do in a hurry. One person is the servidor. He/she makes the mate and gives it to each person. You drink from the same cup and sipping straw. This was a great education and gave me a good insight into the "sense of mate."

Ron, Renate, Jim and I decided to walk toward the bay to the bird sanctuary, but it was raining so much that we gave up and went to visit some of the shops. Renate bought herself a nice mate cup. I think we will have to do the same thing. And, then you can come over for a mate experience with us.

We met Christy and Beth for dinner at a local restaurant, Pura Vida. We had a great dinner (all casserole type dishes) and really good wine.

Back to pack for our final flight. Fell sound asleep and did not hear the fireworks at 2:00 a.m. Evidently, they sounded like cannons.