Small waterfall along the hiking trail
We were shocked when we went to check out this morning to find that if we paid cash in Chilean Pesos that we were charged an extra 19%. No where had we seen anything mentioned about that. If we paid with our credit card it would be tax free (in American dollars). However we wanted to get rid of our extra Chilean money so we had to pay the extra. My opinion of this very, very overpriced hostel, for it is no better quality than that, though it charges 5* prices. At the conversion price it will have cost us almost $70 apiece for one meal a day and that a buffet. My trip advisor review when I write it will be very negative.
Wind storm in the water
However we did have a very nice hike this morning. We walked toward Lago Nordernskjold and just after passing a small lake along the way turned and walked cross the open plateau toward the large lake. It was sprinkling rain a bit though the clouds were broken enough to also let the sun through.
Most importantly, there was little wind. However out on the lake far away at the end we could see such heavy winds that the water was being lifted like most into the air. It almost looked like a water spout. We did not go right to the shore of the lake as it was steep and though we could have made it, it would also have been a longer walk back uphill.
Andean condor
We’d seen some condors flying high above us and one landed on a rocky point half a kilometre or more away. They are such large birds that could see it clearly. As we walked back up the hill from the lake it flew right over us, very close. They are impressive birds.
We were not at all confident about the transfer to El Calafate as things seemed rather sketchy. We knew we were to get a transfer at 4pm to Laguna Amarga and that there was to be a bus at 4:30 for El Calafate. But we really didn’t know which bus it would be and there were several there. I asked an English speaking young couple and they said they thought there were two buses that went to the border, and then we would transfer to a bigger bus.
At about 5 the second of two small buses arrived. A guide was there and sure enough our names were on his list. However our luggage went on the other bus. We left first but a way down the highway the second bus, with our luggage, passed us. We wondered if we would ever see our luggage again, especially after we stopped at the Chilean border and our bus would not start again. Finally, to loud cheers and applause, we got going and reached the Argentine border. There was no big bus there, and the bus with our luggage was also gone.
But, about kilometre down the road, we did come to a highway bus. When Enid asked about our luggage the response was “no problemo” but since we hadn’t seen it we were getting less and less confident. It was now 11pm and getting dark. We had no idea where our hotel was but suddenly the bus stopped near the outskirts of town at a different bus. We asked the tour guides for a group of Dutch tourists and she checked with the driver
Yes, this was our bus and they took us directly to our hotel, luggage intact. That was very nice since we are a long way from the town centre. Though it was late, almost midnight, the desk clerk was there and took us to our room.
However when he opened the door someone was already there! He did find us another room. Though it was the most worrisome day of our travels, once again all has been well arranged.