ALTA VISTA AND LOS GLACIERS NATIONAL PARK

On arrival at the El Calafate airport, there seemed little to recommend this part of Argentina. As we drove through the town there seemed to be new buildings cropping up everywhere! When we asked tour guide she said the reason for this is the surge in interest in the area as the President of Argentina has a house in El Calafate and is pumping developement money into the area!
El Calafate is in the far south of patagonia skirted by Los Glaciers National Park. There is some stunning scenery in this area with vast rivers of ice gouging through the valleys of the Andes. Here we are at a view point several kilometres from the Upsala Glacier in the distance.

We also visited the Perito Moreno glacier. On this boat trip we could get much closer to the glacier which towered 50 metres above the lake. Just after this picture was taken a huge chunk of the ice broke off and fell into the lake below creating tremendous excitment on the boat!

We had a lovely stay at Alta Vista. We all felt like it was a home from home with beautiful hikes and horseback riding every day.

James has a future as a "Horse Whisperer" All the children have come on with their riding under the cafeful eye of the Baqueanos or Gauchoes. This is a wonderful moment from a day full of beautiful moments.