Heading back down under...Patagonia

Things have most certainly travel-wise. I left you, on a photographic basis, at Heathrow airport and am now on the northern coast of Ecuador lapping up sun-rays, glorious sunsets and endless beach bars selling caiparinhas, pina coladas and other assorted beach drinks...but before that...



Following a few months of city-habitation, I made my mind up to return to nature and visit the southern lands of Patagonia in Argentina...a quick stay in Buenos Aires was enough to find a ways and means down to Patagonia...



First a very, very late plane and then a wonderful bus ride across the plains of Patagonia which are filled in by large ´estancias´ or ranches or farms...whatever takes your fancy...








A few hours on the bus then brought us to a beautiful valley with imposing mountains (the Andes) shadowing Lagos (Lake) Argentina...

My stay was in El Calafate...a touristy town of sorts...here is a shot from my hostel bedroom window...glorious!

El Calafate is a launch pad to visit some of the Andean glaciers....either by land or by catamaran...the latter of which I did and was amazed...despite the ordinary weather...here is a selection of photos from the trip including those of glaciers and icebergs floating in the lake which have broken off the glaciers...

The first time I have ever seen a waterfall from ice...phenomenal...

The boat also led us to a walking track which led us to Onelli Bay...itself the repository of icebergs from three separate glaciers...and hundreds of large and small icebergs...

I think this looks like a sheep jumping out of the water...