Safa Sailing: October 2011

To back track a bit.

Thick ash from that pesky Chilean volcano

After another luxury, bed trip back to Buenos Aires and a sad goodbye to the sisters, we headed off down south to the land of ice and snow.

Our day starting before the sun's

We stayed in Le Estepa where they organised our activities for us and we had a driver who took us there.

First up was the Perito Moreno Glacier for a hike.

The Perito Moreno Glacier face

This is one of the few glaciers that is still advancing. Over time this face advances to the land blocking the through flow of the water from one part of Lake Argentina to another. Eventually the water level on the one side increases (up to 30m above the main portion of the lake) and the pressure etc wears away at the glacier boring a tunnel through. Then the crowds move in and keep watch for the Rupture which is when the newly formed ice bridge collapses causing tidal waves which then trigger more calving and so on

Mom standing a bit too close to the glacier for our guide's comfort

The blue glacial ice

The older the ice gets the more ice there is on top of it and so the denser it becomes thus it absorbs the longer wave-lengths of light only allowing the shorter blue light wave lengths to reflect thus giving it a deeper blue colour. Some of the old icebergs that have flipped actually look purple they're such a deep blue.

Trekking up the glacier

Looking out over the ice field

More single file trekking

Whisky on glacial ice.

Crampons to get there

(The only time you'll drink whisky on ice that's older)

Perito Moreno Glacier

The next day's early start took us speeding over Lake Argentina, between the icebergs to a few glacier faces

Another blue iceberg floating in Lake Argentina

A field of pancake icebergs

The boat for 400 that carried the 80 of us

The small boat was in for repairs so we got to go out in the big one AND we were in the Captain's Cabin which was basically the bridge with private balconies. Ah the life of luxury.

Secco Glacier

(Dry Glacier...any guesses how it got named)

The relief Captain convinced Mom to helm the boat. Mom happily perched in the Captain's chair, holding the wheel, giving it playful tugs left and right. You should have seen her face when she was told that there was no auto pilot and yes, she was actually steering the boat. Then there was the fun game where the Captain didnt speak english, so through my dodgy translation Mom "Steered a bit more left" "No not so much" "Ok now a little to the right"

We made it to the glacier without hitting any floating iceblocks with our aluminium bi-hull

Perito Moreno Glacier from the Lake

More Icebergs

We couldnt get close enough to Uppsala glacier as too much calving has taken place and you cant get a boat through the icebergs.

The trusting relief Captain under a chunk of Iceberg

Perito Moreno

Flamingos

View from my room in La Estepa

Wow what a hotel!!!

A ranch farm house converted into a hotel, this place is stunning!!! With its high ceilings, wide open spaces and massive windows it is amazing how warm they manage to keep the place.

But being gorgeous yet cosy with breathtaking views is not the best feature. That would be the five star service we received. Ok we were the only guests at the time but wow were we treated like royalty. We had delicious three course meals that no restaurant could have bettered, every night, and lunch packs stuffed fill with yummy local fare every day. Really and truly they organised everything we could possibly want, advising us on the best way to do things too. Ok I think you get the idea

View from La Estepa

The President of Argentina's 'Home in the Country'

The current (and possibly future) president of Argentina has her holiday home in El Calafate and happened to be in residence when we drove past - couldnt stop as apparently her bodyguards are rather protective...

Then it was back to Buenos Aires and another trip to SoloMia.

Finally it was time for the sad goodbyes and my Around The Americas Trip back to Grenada:

Buenos Aires -> Santiago -> New York -> San Juan (Puerto Rico) -> Grenada

Layover visit included Times Square

Central Park.

Around about now was when i was calculating the times involved in the flights to come and realised the times didnt add up. On reinspecting my eticket i saw i had mixed up my arrival and departure times so while i was enjoying my icecream in Central Park, at least half an hour from the airport, my plane was about to take off...

So I missed my plane but managed to get on the next one to San Juan. But this meant i had missed my flight that night to Grenada so it was a sleep in the airport lounge then...Hurricane Irene blew in and all flights were grounded.

An um interesting restaurant in San Juan

So with a 2 to 4 day predicted grounding I decided to explore a little.

I caught a taxi to the historical district where the above bar is. It was full of Americans who were having down down competitions with the coaxing of the energetic DJ and all at 11am

Sightseeing when a hurricane is imminent is limited

The graveyard section of the Fort

Watching the precursor to Irene's arrival

Finally a doorman at a pub suggested I make the trip back to the airport hotel before Irene made her appearance.

The next day Irene had passed over, the skies cleared and I flew back to Grenada...finally

The plan for this post is mostly photos...since most of you were here...

But first I had to get from Grenada to Argentina. Of course the affordable way (the alternative to hiring a private jet) is Grenada -> Miami -> Santiago (Chile) -> Buenos Aires (Argentina)

So first stop, with a couple of hours layover, Miami.

South Beach, Miami

Walked the shopping strip, watched people watching celebrities (with one eye, through a slit in a hotel wall), visited the water's edge and had a drink

Everything's bigger in the USA...right?

My one Mojito

Gotta have a drink when you're on Miami Beach right? Well, one mojito wont keep me off the plane, right? So this was my one mojito. Half an hour later I HAD to leave or miss my plane. When I asked the waitress for the bill, her response "Would you like your second one now then?" Apparently it was a 2 for 1 happy hour. When I said no thanks she was most concerned and offered to put it in a takeaway cup for me...

Argentina, with a start in Buenos Aires of course meant a visit to our favourite restaurant...SoloMia!!!!!!

and of course for dessert...

The Mongo Cookie

Yes the picture is on its side but i could not get this blog program to post it with the correct orientation, sorry.

What is The Mongo Cookie, you ask?

Crushed whole Oreo cookies packed into the bottom of a giant cookie mould. Then a thick layer of icecream. Topped with another layer of crushed Oreo cookies. mmmm a giant icecream Oreo.

But we're not done yet. This is Argentina so there has to be Dulce de Leche in the recipe. How about mixing the Dulce de Leche with cream cheese and completely smothering the entire giant cookie in it. Mmmmmm!!!

1 between 3 to 5 people is recommended

Normally a 21 hour bus trip would make the most hardened traveller quiver but then there are the Via Bariloche buses. Imagine a bus where they forgo numbers for space and believe in 1st

class luxury for all. The seats recline...fully! Then there is the foot flap that turns your seat into a bed that is wide enough for me to curl up on and too long for me to touch the end.

But thats not all. Every 21 odd hour trip has food of course, and champagne and chocolates and sweets and more drinks. Where were we going again? Basically its not a bus. It's a bed with 5 star room service and a view of 21 hours across the width of Argentina.

Rest view

Dad casually doing his thing

Another Rest View

Spot the Chilean volcano doing its thing

The Chilean border is across the lake so at the top of one of the lifts you can see the volcano that caused so much trouble.

View 1 from the flat

'Modern' lift service...with a view

The Dental Floss Washing Line

5 people, 2 bedrooms, 14 days, no laundry. Understand?

Little Sis getting some air

The Morning Check

One of the advantages of staying on the slope is you can see if the lifts are open for the day, with a cup of coffee, through a window. If you cant see the lifts, well they are more than likely not running due to a wind driven white out.

The Chocolate Shop

Cold = Chocolate

Turns out there are chocolatiers down the hill in the town of Bariloche which means lots and lots of yummy chocolate and with all the riding/skiing in the freezing cold, a good excuse to eat them.

One guess what we did when the lifts were closed