Chile & Argentina: Andes To Patagonia Day 14

Day 14 - Sunday, March 29, 2015 - Overland to Calafate, Argentina; View Patagonian Steppe; Orientation Drive

Torres del Paine showed us her true colors today. We woke up to wind, rain, and snow on the spires. Our last morning in the park gave us weather that was typical of most days in the region.

We had our bags out at 8:30 and we were on the bus before 9:00. Christian checked all of our passports and documents that we needed to leave Chile and pass into Argentina.

As we drove out of the park, Cota went back over the overview of the topography and answered any final questions we had about this unique environment. She also described future security power that tour guides will have next year to protect the park and help prevent fires.

At 10:30 a pair of the National Police stopped us. One checked Roberto's paperwork for the bus while the other came on to check us. He reminded Cota to make sure we all had our seat belts on and were following safety procedures. We buckled up!

Our lunch stop was at 11:20 at Cerro Castillo a small oasis called El OveJero on the border of Chile and Argentina. This was our last opportunity to spend Chilean pesos, buy a post card, or other souvenirs.

While Gennie did a little shopping, Vic sat with the Chileans and watched Brazil beat Chile 1-0 in a friendly soccer match. Lunch was a chicken and vegetable stew – very delicious and hearty on a cold fall day.

At 1:00 we went through the border station, surrendered our Chilean documents, and had our passports stamped. At the Argentinian side we showed our reciprocity papers, got our passports stamped again, and transferred all bags and luggage to a new bus. We said goodbye to Roberto and Cota.

The new driver is Andres and Sebastian is to be our local guide. They will take care of us for our journey to Calafate and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Sebastian began by welcoming us back to Argentina.

He told us the legend of Gauchito Antonio Gil, a local saint who is known for answering prayers. The OAT guides have made a pact to stop each time to pay homage to this saint to ask for safe journeys and be thankful for the previous segments of the adventure. Legend says the saint really enjoyed alcohol; we all took turns pouring a little beer at the shrine.

Our afternoon stop was at a tiny crossroads called La Esperanza. There was a gas station and little café. The temperature was 57 degrees 48% humidity, and 14 mph winds.

The Patagonian Steppe was flat, with some rolling hills, and occasional fences and power lines. Sheep, rheas, and guanacos shared the dry pastureland.

Our destination was Calafate, a town based thoroughly on tourism. This is a relatively new town that was built to serve as the gateway to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

As we drove into town, Christian told us about a possible UTA transportation strike in all of Argentina. We might not be able to fly back to Buenos Aires on Tuesday as planned.

The unions have called a transportation strike. Nothing will move; planes, trains, buses and taxis will all be on strike. Of course, OAT is frantically making Plan B and Plan C so we are not sure yet what will happen.

We arrived in Calafate a bit earlier than planned. The bus driver took us on an orientation ride around the town.

This is the home of the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. It has a new modern hospital and heliport that she uses to go back and forth to the capital in Buenos Aires.

We were offered a welcome drink when we got to the hotel. It was a calafate sour, with fruit from the calafate bush, giving its name to the town. While we were having our drink, a gaucho and his sheep dog gave us a demonstration of herding sheep.

Dinner was on our own this evening but neither of us were too hungry after our big lunch in Cerro Castillo. We walked to a minimart and bought sandwiches for a light meal.

The room is very cozy and the Internet was strong making for a good night to get the journal posted early and get a good night‘s sleep before exploring Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in the morning.

Accommodations: Kau Yatun Hotel - - - Meal: B & L

Oh my goodness....you left me hanging - are we going to get out of here? How long do they expect the strike to last? Look for a drone and put up a sign with your thumb up - saying "U.S.A" - LOL Glad you got your tummy full and you can walk to a minimarket. How exciting. Please let me know how we are getting out of here. TTYL

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Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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