Argentine_El Calafate_Ushuaia_Puerto Madryn

 

I stayed 1 day in El Calafate to see the gorgeous glaciar Perito Moreno (see pics), large of 5 km, long of 30km and high up to 60m! And good news, it is one of the unique glaciars in the world that does not regress..

I left El Calafate to head to Ushuaia at 3am (ouch!) and enjoyed a nice 18 hours bus trip made principally of border crossing with Chile (2 times) and waiting for a ferry. I was a bit apprehending Ushuaia as I heard very diverse opinions about this city.

At the end I liked Ushuaia very much; well, yes it is quite touristic (easy of access because of its airport) but the landscapes are wonderful; the city still has a very personal character and it is nice to be at “the end of the world” (though I sometimes wonder why it is not called the “beginning” of the world ;) ... I rented a mountain bike and had some nice rides in the national parks (I was the only one to do it, which made it an even greater experience).

Afterward I headed north to Puerto Madryn to see the whales, sea lions, elephant seas etc...I arrived just in time, as the whales leave the bay at the beginning of December; they actually stay there to reproduce and wait for the babies to be old enough to leave.

I am now back in Buenos Aires and will stay a few days to enjoy the city and its nightlife again. After that, I will head to Iguazu to see the amazing waterfalls!

Link to the relevant Albums:
El Calafate: http://latinamericaltobelli.over-blog.com/album-1521295.html
Ushuaia: http://latinamericaltobelli.over-blog.com/album-1521313.html
Puerto Madryn: http://latinamericaltobelli.over-blog.com/album-1521308.html