Puerto Marina Glacier & etc

Good evening Friends and Family!

I awoke early for my morning transport to the glacier, and used the extra time to indulge in El Calafate´s excellent caffe con latte, plus assorted and sundry breads and sweets -- carbohydrates designed to fuel a day trekking (sheesh, I could have climbed a mountain on those calories)!

On the full-to-bursting tourist bus I met two New Yorker attorneys, young women, sharing the excursion. We each strapped on our crampons, snapping cheezy pics the whole time, and our experienced guide leaped upon the glacier, with the lot of us in tow. It was a riot! The staff carefully prepped us in the proper use of equipment on the ice, advice largely ignored (or, frankly, completely misunderstood) by the quartet of Korean tourists, bent on securing photos of every minute. The New Yorkers and I chuckled quietly, indulgently at the attempts of our experienced Argentenian staff at reigning in the antics of the foursome, who skittered and slid across the glacier as if wearing ice skates instead of spikes, while they were recording every moment. At the end of our glacier trek, we were treated to a taste of whiskey on the rocks, aged (averaged) 200 years -- that is, 1 year for the whiskey, 400 years for the `rocks` which our guide harvested with an ice axe from the top of a nearby pinnacle. I don´t generally like whiskey alcohol, but this bit was absolutely delicious, and a fitting end to the wonderful day.

An extra souvineer, I am now evidenced with a bit of the glacier, my face now rosy red with the effect of the sunshine off the ice, and the strong wind. Shoudda worn sunscreen. Sigh.

This evening, my last in El Calafate, I began my painful goodbyes. I visited the receptionist from my hotel, learning German and preparing for an oral exam, whom I helped (not particularly helpful) with accent and vocab. I visited the baker with whom Murray and I connected, in appreciation of the precision of his crossiant and flavor of his scones. He pressed upon me the Argentenian kiss on both cheeks, four of my favorite scones gratis, and an offer for the disco tonight (I politely declined the last :-) ). Tomorrow I fly back to BsAs, heartbroken at leaving this most special of places, but elated to return to the city where my adventure began.

Sending you my love,

Tory