Day Seven in Argentinean Patagonia

I know I said when we left Buenos Aires that that was the end of civilisation but I don’t think the five star resort at Iguazú Falls could be considered particularly remote or off the grid – for proof look here. So I’ll say it again and with a little more sincerity, today was the day we left the city behind. Patagonia was just forming on the horizon …

We caught a flight to El Calafate, the gate to Argentinean Patagonia and on the southern border of Lake Argentino. The town reminded me of a ski village with lots of stone and wood buildings and a great number of bars. Given that its situated on the edge of one of the world’s greatest adventure destinations, most people here are in their twenties and thirties. It was cold enough that a Kathmandu puffer jacket was a functional piece of clothing and not just a fashion statement. We didn’t actually pull in anywhere at El Calafate but we’re staying there for one night at the end of our Patagonian leg.

It was almost an hour drive from town to where we would be staying but we weren’t complaining, the countryside was absolutely beautiful. It was the polar opposite of the jungle at Iguazú, a lush and somewhat crowded place. Here, huge sweeping plains were sheltered by tall mountains. Out of the corner of one eye I could spot the snow-covered Andes and from the other I could see the milky turquoise water of Lake Argentina. The grasslands between them are called the pampas and are an earthy mix of browns, yellows, oranges and reds. This was a certainly a change from the drought and fire stricken countryside of Australia.

We arrived at EOLO, which would be our home for the next couple of days. The homestead we moved into is part of a Poll Hereford cattle property called Alice. This estancia was relatively small for the area but still spanned an impressive ten thousand acres. I’ll sneak in a few pictures but the building really looked like a typical Western farmhouse and had amazing views of the countryside from every window.

Something that took me by surprise was the sheer amount of daylight hours we would have. We anticipated that since we were fast approaching the Antarctic circle that our sunsets would be later but we weren’t prepared for light until 11PM. Even though our bedrooms had heavy duty black-out curtains, we were certainly disoriented for our first day so it was a relief to stay at the same place for at least two nights.

The upside of this was we still had plenty of time to go on a short hike. There are a couple of huge hills – small mountains according to the staff – directly behind the lodge. We had a good chance of seeing wildlife including guanaco (Patagonian llama) in the forest at the summit here. It was a steep climb but it gave us some awesome panoramic views. Out of the corner of one eye I could see the vibrant Lake Argentina and from the other were the dramatic mountains. EOLO really was tucked into the pampas here and we really felt more connected with the world around us. We didn’t have much luck spotting any guanaco but there were plenty of large hares darting around in the thicket and various eagles, condors and other birds of prey gliding in the wind. Come to think of it, it was such a steep climb perhaps they were waiting for us to keel over.

By 7PM we were over at the estancia’s stables for a quick ride before dinner. As we grew up with horses we tended to avoid these excursions on holidays because they felt like tourist traps. But this was an entirely different scene. We felt like the traditional gauchos wearing our big leather chaps and sitting in a Chilean style saddle. It was a very easy ride and although we were only walking it was a great chance to take in the scenery from a new perspective. We traversed the hills, the cliffs and the valleys and over a few hours we had covered a lot more ground than what we had hiking that afternoon. However, our lodge in Chilean Patagonia offers a greater number of rides and caters for all levels of ability. I’m certainly looking forward to galloping across the pampas!

It was past 10PM by the time we reached dinner but the sun was still shining. The food was amazing and beautifully presented, it really showcased the best local steak and lamb. We were even lucky to see a typical gaucho style slow-cook BBQ at the back of the kitchen. The small smoke room was made of corrugated iron and had been cooking a lamb on a spit for the past five hours. It smelt and tasted divine, especially alongside a glass of Argentinean Malbec!

We were so excited to arrive in Patagonia and dive back in to our family’s typical wild adventures. There was a big day coming for us in the morning when we set out to climb the Perito Moreno glacier – look out for the next post, its sure to be one of the best!