Big Cold Thing!
- Timothy McDaneld
- Dec 16, 2024
- 2 min read
When we went to El Chalten we visited the glacier there. It was called the Perito Moreno Glacier. Perito Moreno was a famous man because he created Argentina’s first national park. It was the first in all of South America. The Perito Moreno Glacier is 18,000 years old.
One day we decided to take some blankets and watch the glacier for a while. Occasionally a chunk of the glacier would break off and fall into the lake. It was very entertaining. Once my parents decided to go on a stroll and my brother and I stayed back. Then 3 huge chunks of ice fell off and made the water go every which way. Finally after a lot of falling ice and sitting we decided to leave. It was very interesting and fun. If there are any near you when traveling they are definitely worth visiting!
Once we went kayaking on the lake that the glacier was on. We couldn't get close to the glacier because an iceberg might flip on you. We barely got out before the bad weather started and we needed to go back. The tour guides said that we would wait for the weather to clear out and try again. Once the weather cleared out we went out again, this time it was sunny and pleasant even though the water was literally ice water.
A different time in El Chalten we tried to go kayaking. I had chosen it to avoid hiking. By the time we were all in the water and all set to go. The water picked up so much that when we had to go back one of the kayaks that had rocks in it blew away. So our tour guides took us on a hike, which was what I was trying to avoid. Although it wasn't what we had planned on the hike we saw some dinosaur bones and some petrified wood. Our guide told us that if you put a rock to your mouth and it doesn't stick then it is not a fossil and if it does then it is a fossil. Eventually we made it back to the van and drove back. It was quite a different adventure than we had planned.
Notable quotables from El Calafate:
Neil: Knock it off or I'll have your guanacco license revoked!
OMG - YOU SAW A CONDOR?! AWESOME! Glad you didn't get flipped by a falling glacier, Tim. That would've really dampened your spirits, eh? Was the cracking loud, or was it just something you were able to see without really hearing? I liked that your tour guide had you tasting rocks to determine whether something was a fossil - that's too funny. But again - what an adventure you're having out there (even if sometimes cold and/or wet)! Glad you all are having so much fun in your travels!