22 4x4 Adventure

Holidays and short breaks
Argentina (2001)
Chile (2002)
India (2003)
World trip (2005-2006)
Libya (2008)

Pictures
1 Croydon to Paris
2 Paris to Iguazú
3 Yacutinga
4 Yacutinga
5 Yacutinga
6 Iguazú
7 Salta
8 Purmamarca
9 Bariloche
10 Bariloche
11 Puerto Blest
12 The long walk
13 Pesca a la trucha
14 Paragliding
15 Ushuaia
16 The end of the road
17 Tierra del Fuego NP
18 Beagle Channel
19 Tren del fin del mundo
20 Perito Moreno glacier
21 Upsala and horse-riding
22 4x4 adventure
23 Hot air balloon
24 Tango
25 Oh no, the trip home!
26 Home, via Paris
27 Back to normality

Argentina

El Calafate

Saturday 7 April 2001

A lie in! Our wake up call today was for 8:30 and we both had a really good long sleep. Today we’re off on a 4x4 adventure. We saw the video in the car rental place and it looked good. We were picked up at the hotel at 10:00 and went on to pick up the other four people. Our guide only spoke Spanish so we knew it was going to be an interesting day. The next two to get in were the Belgians we’d met in the Beagle Channel cruise in Ushuaia. Two Argentineans later and we were off.

The tour took us through the Huyliche Estancia to the south of El Calafate. We climbed up through the mountains until we were at the summit with a view down over El Calafate and Lago Argentina. Every time I thought we’d gone as high as we could we turned a corner and continued to climb. From one point you could see across the Perito Moreno glacier 80km away. Heading inland we went to the labyrinth, a collection of columns of rock in the middle of a flat valley. To our surprise the guide then indicated we had to walk on to the next point, while he drove the 4x4 Land Rover round. Stef and I looked at each other and thought “hang on, we’ve paid for a 4x4 experience not a walking tour!”

The drive carried on giving great views of the mountain range heading inland. The border with Chile is 200km away along the mountains. Again the guide stopped the car and said we could walk if we wanted. We stayed in the car as this was what we’d come for. Inland he drove down into a valley and the reason for the second walk became clear. It gave him time to set up lunch. Barbecue steak and tomato sandwiches and an apple washed down with vinegar – sorry wine. Compared to yesterday’s picnic it was a bit of a poor relation.

By this time we, and the Belgians, realised that we weren’t really getting what we thought we would. An Argentine 4x4 enables you to see countryside you couldn’t see in a normal car – it’s not a ride maximising the car in terms of steep slopes, stupid angles, fast speed, good fun. That said, the drive after lunch picked up and we did go up and down some pretty steep inclines. We headed back along the mountain top for more views and then back down to the hotel.

By 4:30 we were back and it was the first time we’d seen central Calafate in day light. Its larger than I’d thought and looks OK but pretty basic. I’m glad we’re staying in the comparative luxury of Kau Yatun.

Back at the hotel we slumped in the bar for a couple of drinks deciding on our plan of campaign for our last 24 hours in Calafate. If the weather is ok tomorrow we’re planning a hot air balloon flight but want a plan B just in case.

During the drive we also spotted some of the sparse wildlife on the plateau; a condor perched on the side of the mountain, got a splendid view looking down on it as it flew off, wings spread fully; a guanaco (small llama) on the way back, nearly indistinguishable from the brown/ochre desert backdrop (but it obliged by moving further up so we could take a picture of it against the sky).

We ambled into “town” to do a bit of shopping for pressies and came away with mate cups in hand. There is a small lagoon outside the village and we drove down hoping to see flamingo’s and black necked swans but by this time it was getting dark and the birds had all gone to sleep.

For dinner we went to Rick’s Café. It looked like the most popular spot in town and was very lively when we went in. They do a set menu for $11 – parillada or trout, chips and salad from a salad bar, and puddings. There is no menu and you just have what is going at the time. After last nights meal I opted for the trout but Stef had parillada and it just kept coming. It was as if they looked to see who had run out of meat and brought more until you’d had enough. Stef said the meat was fattier than last night – I find it hard to believe that was possible.

We headed back to the hotel and had a coffee in the bar then went off to bed.

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