Saturday, 12 January 2019
El Calafate, Argentina
Woken at 0200hrs by the silver birch branches banging on the corrugated iron roof of the hotel, just above my head, due to the high wind. Sounds like being in a tent and the wind buffeting it.
70km to Perito Moreno Glacier National Park. Entrance to National Park is a faff. Normal entrances would have a toll booth to pay directly at the gate and then go on your way. Not so here. Young female staff run up to your car window, take the money, run inside the office, collect your ticket and change, run back to car window to give said ticket and change. Reminiscent of Margo in The Good Life collecting runner beans. Not very efficient way of doing things.
Panoramic walkways and viewing points along the front of the glacier. It’s the third largest in the southern Patagonian Ice Field. 70m high in places and….wait for it…5km wide!! Puts the Pia Glacier to shame in Tierra del Fuego, I went to last week.
Loud rumble of thunder through the trees and I just catch a massive piece calving off the front. Wow. Very impressive but too quick to happen to capture the event on video.
1hr boat trip to the glacier face. Really close up now. Wow. The colours of blue are staggering and you begin to appreciate how compressed the ice at the bottom of the glacier is due to the mass of snow above.
Another loud rumble of thunder and this time I manage to capture the final few seconds of another calving (see video below). Sends a large tsunami washing towards our boat. Unbelievable experience seeing the glacier calve so close.
Have a 600km drive tomorrow, then an 800km drive the following day. Having read all sorts of horror stories about the road conditions, 70km of tomorrow is on gravel dirt road, 2hr queues for fuel at intermediate fuel stations which only take cash, and a general lack of life between El Calafate and Perito Moreno town, decide to stock up on emergency rations and water. It’s going to be a long two days.
Check credit card statement online. Oooeeerrr. Shed loads of fraudulent activity. First time ever in 25 years of having a credit card surprisingly. Spend half an hour trying to resolve. Upshot is existing card is now cancelled but they will only send new card to home address. Not good.
So. Anyone want to fly out to meet me with new credit card?
3 responses to “21. Fraudulent Activity”
Pick me pick me – I ran past your house today could have picked up the post !!!
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️
Pick me pick me – ran past your house today could have picked up the new card!!
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️
Your photos and videos of the Perito Moreno Glacier are so professional. You should think about selling them to fund your trip and bring in some money. What a pain about your credit card…..We used more cash ourselves during recent trip. Only used credit card for big ticket items in reputable businesses.