Glacial Delights

If those of you in the northern hemisphere aren’t jealous of our trip yet, you should be now. Our first full day in Calafate introduced us to Perito Moreno Glacier, wind burn, and a stuffed leg of lamb. Hotel Imago is our current host and has graciously welcomed us to Patagonia. This morning before we departed for Glacier National Park we found our packed lunches in the lobby and met with Ignacio, our new favorite tour guide who interestingly enough learned his English form an Irishman. His accent is to die for and he has been great thus far.

When we caught our first glimpse of the glacier, I couldn’t quite get a grasp of what I was seeing. After we embarked upon our trek to the refuge before the glacial hike I began to soak in the magnitude of what we were experiencing. The water of Lake Argentino is wha

t they call glacier milk and is a cloudy, but beautiful, greenish blue because of the sediment in melting glacial waters. The spires, crevasses, and walls of the glacier radiated an indescribable spectrum of blues and whites which were magnified by the gorgeous sunlight of the day.

Following a brief introduction to the park and strapping into our clamp-ons we began our journey. Luis was our fearless leader and Gabriel was his spritely companion who pounced around the glacier, aiding us in traversing questionable spots. After finally getting to a clearing, stomping my feet into the ice, and taking a look up, it occurred to me that I was actually having a once in a lifetime experience and it was clear that everyone else felt the same. While our windbreakers were protecting us from the elements, the magnificence of it all permeated their surfaces and we soaked it in. During our traverse this natural wonder we drank from glacial waters, peered into a sink hole from a foot away, and toasted the completion of our trek with a splash of whiskey over Perito Moreno’s own ice.

There is a legend in Calafate that says anyone who eats a Calafate berry will return to the spot they ate the berry one day. Considering we all consumed one of these delightful treats it looks like we are all wishing to return to this amazing place one day.

-CeCe