Finding A Glacier

Day: 167

Finally a day that doesn’t involve a bus. I know it won’t last but I am going to enjoy the next couple of days before I have reservations to get on another bus further south.

I am currently in El Chalten, a tiny little town, dwarfed even more by the monstorous glacially formed mountains that surround it. It has a permanant population around 300, there are no cell phones, ATMs, or newspapers. The town is building like crazy though, trying to keep up with the constant rise in tourists. Yet even with what looks like 30% of the town under construction there are still people every night having trouble finding a place to sleep. This place feels like summer camp; dusty dirt roads and nature everywhere.

Now, the main reason I came here was to get in some hiking. On in the last few of days on the bus I meant another German, Marcus, who had a general idea of the best hikes for today and tomorrow. I got myself invited along, and we started giving out invites to all the other people we meant on the bus. By 10:30 am, in the lobby of the Rancho Grande hostel, we managed to have a group of 13 people (3 Dutch, 3 Germans, 3 Italians, 2 Danes, 1 Austrailian, and myself). All I can say is that we, as Americans, need to get out of our own country more often. I am horribly outnumbered down here by Europe, and woe to the world if I am the only representative of the States around. The 10 miles (round trip) up to Laguna Torre and Glacier Grande was fairly easy and we ended up getting back to the hostel until after six, by which time, the 13 of us had become 3. Everyone else heading back after lunch so they could get a bus south. We made plans to meet up in a few hours beers and all went to our different hostels for showers. I spent a couple of hours catching up on my blogging at the exobinately expensive $4hr, grabbed a sandwich, and found a few beers to finish off the evening.

I feel my writing hasn´t been up to par of late… I could use some sort of excuse as to why I haven´t been exceedingly witty, but I am pretty sure its just me being lazy.