After nearly missing our bus out of TDP to return to El Calafate, we arrived back to our hostel as the moon was rising.  That is the last of the moon we've seen.  It has rained 8 of the last 13 days and the forecast for the next 7 isn't looking so great either.  EVEN when we head north out of Patagonia!  BOO!

We spent 3 nights and two days in El Calafate.  The two full days were spent in Los Glaciares National Park.  And even with wind, rain and clouds - these parks the glaciers were impressive.  We took a million pictures and felt like we were on another planet.

The first day we signed up for the All Glaciers boat tour.  This tour spent the day on Lago Argetino (which we have sinced learned is the largest lake in Argentina and is oer 4,000 square kilometers) and took us to see four different glaciers.  The first couple were hanging glaciers in the Onelli Bay and weren't all that impressive after seeing Glacier Grey in TDP.  We were a bit skeptical about the day given the length of time we spent at this bay and our initial reaction to the hoards of people on the boat.  It was bigger than a 747.  BUT after the time we spent in the bay, it got really cool.  About 6 months ago an enormous part of the Upsala Glacier broke off and those icebergs are now floating in the lake.  They warn you that the tour may get cut short if unable to navigate past these glaciers.  Our navigation was just fine, and gliding past these ice bergs that were larger than multi story buildings was incredible.  We loved it!  They also brought us up close to see both The front side of the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers.  Both of which were 60 - 100+ metres tall.  SO COOL and so blue.

Our second day was even cooler.  We paid for the BIG ICE tour which took us out on the Perito Mereno glacier for a full 3 hours.  We first got to stand at the balconies and observe this enormous glacier (one of the only ones still advancing) before crossing the lake on a boat to start our trek.  They gave us the world's oldest and heaviest crampons, and off we went.  We had a 45 minute hike to the glacier and then spent 3 hours on the ice.  IT WAS SO BLUE!  We saw drain holes that looked like waterfalls, small streams, blue lagoons, and endless ice.  At some points we felt like we were walking on water when it was just blue blue ice.  It was an incredible day.  We loved that with each day we got closer and closer to the glacier and ended up actually walking on it!!!

We didn't do much else in Calafate.  Walked around the little shops and bought a couple souveniers and that was pretty much it.  The 15th was a special celebration for the Lake and so there were festivities and parades and 3 nights of fireworks.  Sort of a fun atmosphere.   We're now in El Chalten and had hoped to see Fitz Roy.  It doesn't seen likely.....   We still have 20 hours so keep your fingers crossed.