El Calafate : Ice Ice Baby

The final stop on out tour down Route 40 in Argentina was the town of El Calafate.  It is a much bigger and touristy town than El Chalten and the main point for visiting the Perito Merino Glacier.
After a short (only 3 hour) drive from El Chalten we arrived and check into our Hostel : Ikeu Ken.  It was another really good hostel with great staff and a pet sheep and a very friendly dog.

Hostel Ikeu Ken and the Pet Sheep.

Gillians new friend.

The next day we took a bus out to the Perito Merino Glacier for the day.  The unique feature of this glacier is that it is a Stable Glacier.  This means that unlike most Glaciers in the world this one is not receding. It is actually still advancing but due to climate change issues is hasn't advanced or retreated for a number of years.  The Glacier is very active, its always cracking, snapping and big chunks falling off as it pushes forward.  Some of the sounds are like a bomb going off !!!!.  There are lots and lots of walk ways around the glaciers so there was plenty to see.

Perito Merino Glacier.

A bit of an avalanche.

Back of the hostel we got a great Asado (BBQ), to celebrate our last night in Argentina.

The local Gauchos set up the Asado.

Thats a proper BBQ !! (Our portable BBQs at home will never be the same again).

"Bloody" Magic !!!!

Thats it the end of our trip South from Salta on the Bolivian Border down to El Calafate, Patagonia on Route 40.  Next up Chile !!!!!!

Goodbye Argentina (Don't cry for me ;-) )