10/01/2020 – Buenos Aires to El Calafate, Argentina

We got up, finished packing and dragged all our stuff down to the lobby. Dad ordered a taxi through the hotel and we had breakfast whilst we waited (crumpets and marmite for me!) We loaded up and got the taxi to the local airport. We checked in and dropped our bags before security. Then a coffee stop in the Havanna shop, and more catching up. It was lovely to catch up with everyone yesterday but it is nice to have some time with mum and dad now! We boarded the flight and had some spare seats next to us, which was surprising considering it is holiday season as well as peak season for Patagonia. The flight to El Calafate was 3 hrs 15 minutes, and we all managed to fit a nap in alongside some reading. When we got to the airport dad and Josh ran through to be first to Hertz, the hire car company. Mum told us apparently there are stories of people reserving a hire car but arriving to no car as they get so booked up over summer! Mum and I picked up the luggage and got them through security before waiting in the airport for the lads to finish sorting the car. Mum managed to get onto the airport wifi and download the local map onto her mapps.me app to then navigate us to our hotel. It was extremely windy outside, and when we opened the car doors it felt like the doors were going to fly off! We just about managed to squeeze all of us and our luggage into the hire car. Mum navigated us through the barren landscape to our hotel, Alto Calafate. Josh and I are enjoying the luxury of these well attended hotels - I noticed the staff members straightening blankets out as we got off the sofas in reception! The hotel is just out of the town and up a hill, which provides incredible views across Lake Argentino. We checked into our rooms and dumped our bags before driving into the town to a restaurant mum had found called La Tablita. We had a seat and each ordered steak and vegetables for lunch. When they arrived they were absolutely huge, as in, we thought it was two steaks but it actually only counted as one! It was beautifully cooked and probably the best meat so far. After eating as much as we could manage, which was a lot, we drove to the glacarium. We walked around the glacier museum which included a 3D cinema showing (dad fell asleep to it immediately!) After the museum we went to the ice bar. We were given big silver hooded cloaks to wear, which dad and Josh put over their shorts, their bare legs must have been so cold! Mum tried the local fernet drink (gross!) and myself Josh and Dad played it safe and had rum. They were served in glasses made of ice! The bar man had no sense of humour, but to be fair I don’t think I would like his job either, it must be so cold! We posed with all the different ice sculptures and took many photos. After just the right amount of time, when it was getting a bit too cold, we were shooed out of the bar and thawed ourselves out again. We drove back to our hotel, again taking in the view of the lake and the surrounding landscape, which is pretty incredible. The air feels really crisp and clear, and the landscape almost looks like it is in HD. We got back to the hotel and into our swimming stuff, and went down to the pools. There are bath robes and towels to wander around in too. We quickly showered and went for dinner in the hotel. We all had ‘Cordero Patagonico’ or Patagonian Lamb, a traditional dish of the area. There was a LOT of food, especially after a huge meat late lunch. Even so, we did of course manage to enjoy it! It is a whole, opened and butterflied lamb cooked over an open fire, and seasoned. It was very tender and tasty, and came with two different salsas, which complimented the meat well. We shared some salad and pumpkin puree alongside it. After having eaten well for a good couple of days, we went up to our room to share some dairy milk chocolate for pudding! You just can’t beat a bit of Dairy Milk sometimes!