How do you follow Antarctica?
The expedition ship docked back in Ushuaia on the 19th of December and the next major leg of our trip would be the Chilean Carratera Austral, beginning on the 3rd of January. In the meantime, there were still parts of Argentine Patagonia we wanted to see.
But before leaving Ushuaia we took a walk around the residential areas. I always like to do this in other countries if there is time because it reveals a lot that isn't in guidebooks and museums. Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego still feel very much like 'pioneer' regions. Houses are built from light materials that give them a temporary look. The economics of the region are as harsh as the weather, so most of the dwellings are very small. I'm not certain, but I think a lack of local, naturally occurring mineral-based building resources and the huge cost of transporting bricks and concrete from outside the region probably also contributes. A lot of pent rooves have acute angles so that snow will slide off rather than accumulate.
El Calafate & Perito Merino Glacier
Further north, El Calafate is a popular stop because of its proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier. It is said that there are more spectacular glacier faces in SA, such as San Raphael, but these are hard to get to and between Perito and Gray in Torres del Paine, we reckon we properly ticked the glacier box.
Also in Calafate, quite a good bird sanctuary...
And some decent restaurants, often with traditional Gaucho culture on hand.
El Chalten
El Chalten is a rapidly developing mountain sports/activity hub. It doesn't quite have the same heritage, but it has the feeling of a youthful Fort William or Chamonix. It's two main draws are the majestic Fitzroy peak (of which we had a great view from our hostel balcony) and masses of hiking routes, one of which traverses the southern Ice Field itself for two or three days. We did three day routes: Loma Del Pliegue Tumbado, Laguna Torre and Los Condores. And also walked up the valley to some waterfalls.
Xmas day itself, pretty quiet. Went out for a meal and had some WhatsApp time with family.
New Year in Coyhaique
We bussed up to Chile Chico between Xmas and New Year, then on to Coyhaique, which would be our base for Chilean Patagonia and the Carratera Austral.
Chile Chico is on the southern shore of Lago Gral Carrera. The water is crystal clear and many of these lakes are so large they kind of have their own weather systems with clouds forming above them. Not to mention tempestuous winds crashing down from the mountains, creating swell and surf to rival a small ocean. More on Chico later as we will pass through it again.
Coyhaique is a funny fish of a town. Very ordinary regional centre, which we grew to like. We had a favourite restaurant, again with a touch of gaucho culture. Went for a walk on New Year's Day, which was blistering hot and drew many locals to the river. But mainly we were planning and gear checking for the three weeks we would spend road tripping the Carratera.
