by Nanette Snel

It rained a lot overnight but this morning the sun came out! We are truly blessed.  Lunch here, visit to the Ice Bar this afternoon and an early evening flight back to Buenos Aires for one last visit before flying back to Canada on an overnight flight.  You can see by the trees that Fall has arrived here. There are still a few beautiful roses left on the bushes.  The statue is surveyor Perito Moreno. He determined the border between Chili and Argentina and was responsible for Argentina’s first National Park. The glacier we visited is named after him.

We visited The Ice Bar. You pay US $ 14.00 and it includes as many drinks as you want for precisely 25 mins.  The bar tender is slow…  It was great fun! Perfect way to spend an afternoon waiting for our shuttle to the airport . The  view is Beautiful!  Barren land and big open skies.
Goodbye Patagonia!

by Nanette Snel

Today we visited Estancia El Galpon, a lovely rustic ranch located on the shores of Lake  Argentino.  We saw a sheep shearing demonstration and enjoyed a guided walk to discover the remarkable local flora and fauna.   We enjoyed the famous Patagonian lamb which was prepared on the BBQ for our lunch.  Delicious!

Upon arrival at the ranch they provided fresh coffee and treats.  The ranch is a lovely place. It’s the end of season, so we are the only ones here!  Again! It is such a lovely spot. Great choice. Went were grateful the rains ended in time for our walk. Everyone enjoyed it but it was cold!   We saw a sheep sheering,  I felt sorry for the sheep as winter is approaching here, he’s going to be a little chilly until his wool grows back. It is Fall and we are one of the last groups. Just fabulous, because they usually have forty people in the morning and again the afternoon.  Today it’s only our group here .We lucked out again!  It was just wonderful.
Anne ate LAMB for the first time and she had seconds!!!, she really enjoyed it. It was cooked to perfection.   A great  day was had by all!

The Argentinians  drink a tea called Mate out of these gourds/leather cups. They all share the same straw. The tea is grown around the Iguazu  Area and is an acquired taste, quite bitter. They Carry these cups, the tea and a thermos everywhere they go. Water has to be at 80 degrees. The gas stations have thermos refill stations at 82. It is a social custom dating back to the settlers Here. We had to give it a try of course!

We saw lots of Animals. Lorece has an ‘eagle eye’ and spotted an eagle, a condor, we saw a skunk, lama’s, horses, cows, hares and lots of  birds!  Photos give an idea of the barren landscape this Side of the mountains.We were lucky the rains stopped. Lots of water everywhere!

by Nanette Snel

Today we took a boat tour.  It was raining but it didn’t dampen our spirits. It was wonderful to get so close to the Glacier. We all really enjoyed it.  We saw some wild animals, lamas, a dolphin, reindeer and a bull.  Sorry, I wasn’t able to get photos of all the animals, just the lamas.
This evening we went to Kam Kaleshen restaurant that I’d seen on trip advisor. The food was delicious, atmosphere perfect and we had some very good tango dancers giving their last performance of the season! A perfect Evening!

The following day we took at tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier. This area of exceptional natural beauty has been declared a UNESCO National Heritage Site for its unique glacial scenery. In our own small van, we drove 1 hr and 20 mins to the National Park. It was raining hard. All Day! But that could not dampen our spirits!
We drove part of the way and continued the rest of the journey by foot. We passed channels, fjords and bays that took us right up to the glacier. Walking along the catwalks brought us up close to the enormous 60-metre high wall of ice floating on the lake.  An incredible experience! The scenery is similar  to Canada in the Fall.

by Nanette Snel

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but no saucy videos of me dancing the tango.  We did have some lessons beforehand, but nothing too complicated! > The dinner and show were very good and great fun.  We flew to El Calafate this morning, 3 hrs and 20 mins.  Tomorrow we’re going to the glacier.  The ladies are excited and looking forward to this new experience.

by Nanette Snel

We also visited the Rodin display at a beautiful museum which is located in a palace built in the early 1900’s. The palace is French Neoclassical style.  They were playing music in The Great a room!  What a treat!

by Nanette Snel

Today we had a free day to explore this fabulous city.  We decided to visit the  Arbitration Peron museum. It was very interesting!  the had a lovely display of Evita’s clothing on display. We enjoyed  a lovely lunch in the courtyard of the museum.

by Nanette Snel

Mendoza is a beautiful city, with beautiful parks, fountains and architecture, This morning we went for a stroll to take in the sites before heading to the airport for our flight back to Buenos Aires.

by Nanette Snel

South of the city of Mendoza, the Uco Valley encompasses the highest altitude Argentine vineyards (average between 900 adn 1200 metres above sea level.) Known especially for Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Semillon, and Torrontes production, the Valle de Uco draws winemakers from all over the world.  We had the great pleasure of visiting wineries to tour the estates, and to taste the fine wines.

by Nanette Snel

A trip to Argentina would not be complete without a visit to Iguazu Falls, one of earth’s most unforgettable sights.  We had the the great pleasure of seeing it up close with an exciting boat ride and a walk near the falls.  Needless to say we got a little wet.

by Nanette Snel

Today we flew from Iquazzu falls to Mendoza, one of the most attractive provincial capitals in Argentina. It prides itself not only on the cleanliness of its streets, well-kept parks and elegant tree-lined avenues, but also its historic heritage, the excellence of its wines and the beauty of the surrounding Andean landscape. Set at the foot of the Andes in the Cuyo region, the town lies in a beautiful and fertile oasis formed by the Mendoza and Tunuyan Rivers.

The fountains are red! We are in the wine region after all !  The food and wine is fabulous!