More ice and snow

First an update on the disaster situation....turns out I hadnt lost my photos after all (but thanks for condolences vic and jez), just not looked very well in my bag!!! Looking for things doesnt appear to be my strong point on this trip. ipod still playing up but you cant have everything.

But onto my latest adventures, the weather gods do appear to love me after all and have just spent 4 perfect days taking lots of ice-realted photos in the heavenly place that is El Chalten....a small place in the middle of some spectacular mountains away from everything (including internet and mobile phones) and this, it turns out, is just what I have been craving for the last few days But before I managed to get here, had a fun hour in the bus station trying to get a bus ticket out. So you will probably recall (due to the fact i mention it every 30secs) that I was going to buy a luxury bus ticket for my hellish journey to Bariloche. Ha! No such luck. Turns out that the major internal airline was on strike and had been for 4 days so the airlines were hell and everyone was trying to get a bus (hence v long queue) and then as it is Patagonia there is one bus company who does the journey, they charge a fortune and only have the basic seats with no food!!!! Aargh. but at least thanks to the lovely woman in the office who sorted it all out for me, I finally got a ticket and have just got off from the following harrowing bus journey....

3rd Dec, 6pm Bus to El Calafate (4 hours)
4th Dec, 4am Bus to Rio Gallegos (4 hours)
4th Dec, 10m Bus to Comodoro Riviera (10 hours)
4th Dec, 10pm Bus to Bariloche (14 hours)
5th Dec, 1pm, Arrive Bariloche and collapse

Hands up who thinks travelling is fun and easy

but back to El Chalten. Its tiny.....didnt realise how small till i got here......bear in mind this is possibly the hiking capital of Argentina and it has a population of 500, one supermarket that is more a corner store with no hiking essentials (boiled sweets, chocolate bars etc), no internet (bliss) and 2 buses in and out a day. Its gorgeous though....everywhere you look there are snow capped peaks and, according to the lovely park ranger who welcomed us, the weather had been appalling until the day we got there......we were greated with clear blue skies, no real wind and views as far as the eye could see, hurrah. bear in mind the ranger refered to here as a small piece of Antarctica (thanks to the weather patterns) and you will begin to get a feel for how lucky we were.

So spurred on by his talk of our luck and how we should go and see the glacier while we could, I had a quick lunch and set off at 2pm on my first hike to the view point 90mins away. The walk was lovely and not tooo hard so reached it easily. And it was just gorgeous, plus had lots of fun taking self timed photos of myself infront of aforementioned view. So gorgeous was the view in fact that I thought, why not go all the way there.....its only another 90min of flat walking and the sun doesnt set till 9...you have time. And I was so glad I did (although my body wasnt thanking me!) Gorgeous walk through the glacial valley (v exciting....all those geography lessons coming back to me) looking at morraine and stuff with trees all around. And it was so quiet....hardly anyone else around so it was like heaven. Plus was amazing to see the glacier so close, had never walked through a valley carved by a glacier before and I put a stone on one of those piles that mark the way for the first time as have always wanted to add to one! The things that amuse me.

Then spurred on even further by the 1st day´s success and the good weather, the next day decided to tackle the 8hr hike to see Fitz Roy. Felt it in every muscle in my body as I started the first uphill but pursevered and the walk was even more lovely that the first one. Lots more people (if you want to know where all the middle aged Germans are, they are here) but still peaceful and lovely and generally refreshing to the soul, with lots more photo ops...have whole photo card full of the same 2 sets of mountains!!! So anyway, reached the beginning of the trail up to the last view point in fine form but then looked at it, and it seemed to stop in the clouds (in reality only 1km up with rise of about 500m but v tired by this point). But being me and not one to admit defeat I thought I can do this, and after an encouraging chocolate bar, off I set (ignoring the sign that said to only do it if you have proper shoes -i had trainers- and mountain hiking experience!). And despite being overtaken by a number of spritely OAPS and with some encouragement from a couple of guides, I did make it to the top. And wow. Not sure how to describe the feeling but it was one of sheer exhaustion mingled with complete pride in myself and utter amazement at the beauty. So ate my lunch in a daze, and then came to with the realisation hit that I had to get back again!!!! luckily all down hill or flat, but have never been so glad to see a village! It was all i could do to collapse into bed and sleep for a couple of hours and my body REALLY hated me the next morning.

But had plenty of thinking time on these walks and of the many fascinating and profound thoughts and theories I came up with, I have decided to share my "why i am nearly Argentinian" theory with you:
1) Have regulation large "rock star" sunglasses (see photo for evidence.....bought in Puerto Madryn)
2) Have regulation layered long hair that verges on mullet like if a bit shorted (thanks to Mendoza hairdresser)
3) Have passion for red wine, red meat and ice cream
4) Have new body clock where eating at 10pm is early

But reasons why I am not there yet
1) Cant conserve size 0 "disappear when I turn sideways" figure
2) Not fluent in spanish

Also decided to take up hiking (along with masters dissertation, salsa, spanish conversation and becoming more informed on world politics and history!!!) when I get back as seems to be perfect excuse to eat lots of chocolate.

Anyway, onto third day and you will be glad to hear (cause this is getting v long) that I did nothing but try to rest my poor body with lots of food, caffeine, reading and gazing at snow capped mountains. Couldnt do much else really as my legs were refusing to move. And on the fourth day i did another shorter walk to a lake, but the weather was starting to be mean by this point adn I was rather cold so didnt linger! Plus I needed to make sure i was back in time to raid the supermarkets of everything edible for my bus trip from hell ... no food was provided!

And so am now in bariloche where its cold but not snowing (hurrah!) and I am optimistic about getting in a couple of nice walks and things around here before heading back to Buenos Aires for some serious shopping......