‘Three Things in South America never improve: Chilean flexibility, Brazilian efficiency and Argentinian humbleness’
Our guide said on the way back from the glacier. We had noticed the Brazilian efficiency, or the lack there of, when we got stuck in Sao Paolo. This is especially true when compared to what we are used to in Switzerland. Similarly, our flights to Antarctica, the vaccination certificate and the ever changing coving regulations have also proved the aforementioned statement to be true, as the Chileans do not seem to be very flexible.. However, as we stood in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier, with its 30km length and 5km width, we could not feel anything else but be humbled by its size.
Our day started a bit later than usual, with an 0845 pick-up, and a 1h15 drive to the entrance of the Los Glaciares National Park, ~80km from El Calafate. We picked up the permits enter, and quickly boarded a boat that would take us along the glacier to the west side. Pertito Moreno, starts off in the Andes and works its way down the valley, before ending directly in a lake. While this is highly unusual for Europe, where our glaciers are usually found at pretty high altitudes, it is quite common in Patagonia, and serves as the backdrop for some stunning scenery.
As we sat on the boat, we were able to admire the South side of the glacier, as it towered up to 100m over Lago Argentino. The national park, one of the most popular in Argentina, draws over 2 million visitors a day, which can result in days with more than 10’000 visitors. This is felt, as our tour catered to 40+ people. Once we got onto land, the tour guide took us to different parts of the glaciers side, explaining the history and giving us interesting facts about it. At one point, we even got to touch the ice, much to the excitement of many of the Argentinians on the tour.
After finishing up, we returned back to land and made our way to the visitor center and the main viewing platforms of the glacier. As on the tour, there were hordes of people that turned going to the bathroom into almost a sort of slalom. We made our way along the pathways and were able to admire the Glacier from numerous different view points. The scale, and also the flow of the glacier into the lake, was something I had never seen before, and something I found very fascinating.
One of the biggest attractions of the glacier is witnessing the calvings: the moment when large parts of the glacier separate from the mass and drop into the water. We were lucky to witness a relatively large one in person, however, none that we were able to capture on camera. After a packed lunch viewing the glacier, and about 45min in the same spot in front of the glacier, we decided to turn around and head back to the car. Just as we were out of view, we could hear the biggest calving of the day happen. Even with this missed opportunity, the glacier and surrounding landscape were truly stunning and memorable.
Although the Perito Moreno Glacier is the highlight in El Calafate, we also had other experiences in our 1.5 days here. After landing at El Calafate Airport, a flight that was made much easier by the fact that we arrived from an inland flight, we made out way to the hotel. The hotel, Eolo Lodge, is situated magnificently in the middle of the Patagonian Steppe, far away from any other traces of civilisation. A perfect blend of luxury and wilderness, the hotel quickly welcomed us before sending us on our way for activities.
The day of arrival we embarked on a 4×4 tour of the area. Unlike the guide we had today, who was excellent in every facet, the guide that took us on the short tour was very quiet and did not seem to know his way around tourists. Nevertheless, he took us to a couple of view points in the area, and showed us around the area. We even managed to catch a small pack of Guanacos on the hillside. After the tour, we got back to the hotel and enjoyed a very tasty dinner before going to bed and resting for the Perito Moreno Tour.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. The Perito Moreno Glacier, located 78 kilometres (48 mi) from El Calafate, was named after the explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 19th century and played a major role in defending the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile.
Argentina is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), making it the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. It is the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. It shares the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, and is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south.
Argentina is a federal state subdivided into twenty-three provinces, and one autonomous city, which is the federal capital and largest city of the nation, Buenos Aires. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over a part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country’s reorganization as a federation. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration, mainly Italians and Spaniards, radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook; over 60% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry, and Argentine culture has significant connections to Italian culture.
The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh-wealthiest nation in the world by the early 20th century. In 1896, Argentina’s GDP per capita surpassed that of the United States and was consistently in the top ten before at least 1920. Currently, it is ranked 71st in the world. Following the Great Depression in the 1930s, Argentina descended into political instability and economic decline that pushed it back into underdevelopment, although it remained among the fifteen richest countries for several decades. Following the death of President Juan Perón in 1974, his widow and vice president, Isabel Perón, ascended to the presidency, before being overthrown in 1976. The following military junta, which was supported by the United States, persecuted and murdered thousands of political critics, activists, and leftists in the Dirty War, a period of state terrorism and civil unrest that lasted until the election of Raúl Alfonsín as president in 1983.
Argentina is a regional power, and retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs. Argentina is a developing country that ranks 46th in the Human Development Index, the second-highest in Latin America after Chile. It maintains the second-largest economy in South America, and is a member of G-15 and G20. Argentina is also a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, Mercosur, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Organization of Ibero-American States. Since January 2022 Argentina is an OECD candidate country.
Source: Wikipedia.org under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina
