We were up early to catch the 7:30 bus back to El Calafate. We just had to walk across the street to the bus station so it was very easy. The bus was large and very comfortable. We stopped at the same rest stop and arrived at El Calafate bus station at about 10:30. From there we took a taxi to the hotel. I always feel quite accomplished when I successfully take local transportation.
The hotel proprietor took us about things to do in El Calafate. We did not go to the famous glacier called Perito Moreno because we thought we had seen enough glaciers. In hindsight that was probably a mistake because we saw others’ pictures and it looked amazing. Oh well! We walked down to the lake. Here are pictures of the lake.
Then we walked downtown and had a really great lunch at a little place called Vivre la Pepo recommended by the hotel. We took a leisurely walk around town which was very cute. Rick got a couple of t shirts.
We need to be back at the hotel in order to be picked up for our dinner trip to the ranch, Nibepo Aike. We wanted to do this to see some of the local culture. We were picked up by a taxi that was in rough shape. It needed a muffler, had a cracked windshield, and had rugs in the backseat doors to keep them sealed. It took about an hour to get out to the Estancia and over an unpaved, rocky and dusty road. Located in the Los Glaciares National Park, the estancia was beautiful.
The farm was established before the park was created. However since they are inside the park, the park authorities limited the number of animals they can have on the estancia. Today most of their revenue comes from tourism. They offer two tours/meals every day and they run a small bed and breakfast on the estancia.
Once the rest of the people had arrived we took a walk down to the southern arm of the lake, Lago Argentina. It was extra high because the glacier is blocking the water. Here are some pictures.
After the walk they herded the sheep into the corral to protect them at night from the pumas.
Then they caught one sheep and gave a sheep shearing demonstration.
Additionally there was a lamb whose mom was killed by a puma so we bottle fed her.
We returned to the dining room for lamb. Here are pictures of the lamb cooking.
It was delicious. After dinner we returned to our hotel via the bad roads and broken taxi. It was a fabulous evening.