Southern Argentinian coastal area is a somewhat boring and desolate environment. There is no end to the dry grasslands of the Patagonian stepe and just every two hundred kilometers or so a river brings some water from the other side of the continent allowing some green to break up the sandy brown colors of the surroundings. The coastline itself doesn't seem to be any different. The waters in this part of the Atlantic are cold, there are no trees to offer shade and so there is not really much of a beach atmosphere around. Apparently the marine animals have a different opinion and every year these parts of land are attracting large colonies of seals, whales and penguins to serve them as a breeding point. A colony of Penguins at Cabo dos Bahias was first of our stops. We could stroll among the penguins on metal pathways that offer a very close and genuine experience for the people while leaving the penguins with their personal space on the ground. Mixed in between hundreds of Magellanic penguins there were plenty of nandus and guanacos and in the ocean in front of us a couple of orcas were proudly showing off their fins. It was pure luck to see them at this point, because they usually patrol the waters around the famous peninsula Valdes where we were headed next.
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The winds have apparently finally blown our health away and after a long time we were feeling a bit worn-down. We decided to slow down a bit and take a couple of days off to rest and relax. The oldest national park in Argentina - National Park Perito Moreno (not to be mistaken by the glacier of the same name that we saw a month ago) is also the least frequented and we took advantage of it's solitude. The landscape of the park is similar to what we've been seeing in the last weeks - dry Patagonian steppe with plenty of wildlife that ends at the Andes with mountains and lakes. The reason why we've decided for more than a 200 km detour into the park is a system of charming huts that are free to use for visitors. The brand new wooden cottages had everything we needed. A simple bunk-bed to rest, sleep and read books, a wood stove with plenty of firewood to keep us warm and a table for an occasional game of cards. Combined with the ambient of the surroundings, we liked them better than any five-star hotel :) We stayed for four nights in two different cabins but since there was no one around we really couldn't feel bad about it. We arrived to El Chalten and met with Klara and Mitja - our Slovenian friends that we actually got to know during our stay in Munich. They stayed in a hostel where the friendly staff allowed us to use its amenities while actually sleeping in our car at the parking lot (We are saving on every step of our trip :) ). In the next days, we did some warm-up hikes and organised everything for the Huemul Circuit - a four day trekking through beautiful landscapes that gets you right to the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice field and includes some zip-lining to cross the glacier rivers. Of course we decided to make the already difficult trek even tougher and added a significant detour on our first day. A couple of hours of walking and we arrived to the Laguna Toro where a gale almost blew us of it's shores while we were watching the stranded ice-bergs that broke off from the glacier at the end of the lake. We were accompanied by dozens of people that came for a day-hike from El Chalten. For them it was already time to turn around while for us the adventure just began. We successfully crossed the first zip-line which crossed the river just at the edge of the lake and then continued to cross a mountain pass into the neighbouring valley. The path was unmarked and with some insecurity we managed to find a way to the other side. Pretty tired, we set up our tents, made dinner and collapsed onto our mats keeping our fingers crossed that the strong wind doesn't brake any of the suspicious looking branches above our heads. We finished our last blog with impressions of Perito Moreno glacier and the idea of a perfect day in Patagonia. But we quickly found out that perfection is easily found in Patagonia and it is impossible to choose one of the experiences to be the best. In the days that followed the competition would get even fiercer :) We were on our way back to Chile, towards the national park Torres del Paine - one of the most visited places in whole Patagonia. The trails in the park are crowded, the campsites in high-season need to be booked months in advance and the prices are insultingly expensive, but with a little luck and planing one can still enjoy pristine moments in the park. There are legitimate reasons that people from all over the world want to see this amazing piece of land. The panoramic views over the mountain massif with many lagoons and lakes reflecting the beauties are breathtaking. Despite the numbers of tourists, the park still contains plenty of wildlife and has the highest concentration of pumas of all the parks in Patagonia. Unfortunately we didn't see one, but Gašper was delighted to be able to creep-up on a proud condor that was fearlessly showing off on a rock - it's usually impossible to come this close to these magnificent creatures. |
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February 2019
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