El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier

After traveling to Tierra del Fuego we flew to another small city nestled next to the Andes Mountains. This area has become a popular tourist destination because of the large number of impressive glaciers. We visited the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is one of three that is still growing in the world today. It is very unique because every 4 years it has moved enough that it hits a land mass, peninsula and blocks off water forming 2 lakes. The strength of the lake waters rising eventually break a hole through a section of the glacier and it eventually wears away enough that it forms an ice bridge between the glacier and the land. This bridge breaks away in a dramatic way in the late summer/early fall. We were witness to some "calving", ice falling when we were there and could see how the glacier had hit the land--probably this March the bridge and fall will occur. Blake, Russell, and I all did an expedition of "mini-trekking" on the ice and wore "crampons" on our shoes for stability and easy walking. The blue coloration of the glacier is caused by a particular bacteria that grows in the ice. The lake color is then formed into a blueish-green color that looks almost like a cloudy swimming pool color.

Penguins and Sea Lions

We took a 6 hour boat trip out into the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia at the base of Tierra del Fuego Island. We were able to get very close to the islands that were home to many sea birds, sea lions, and our favorite...penguins. These penguins are the Magellenic species and are very small, only about 15 inches high. The teenagers were in the middle of losing their fur--molting--and getting ready to swim up along the coast of Argentina to warmer weather in the fall and winter. They only live on this particular island for a few months of the year to make their nests, have their babies and then learn to swim and fish before moving northward.

Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego

The second week of my parents' visit we traveled to the southernmost tip of Argentina to the southernmost city in the world called Ushuaia. The island that is at the tip is called Tierra del Fuego, which means "land of fire" from when the early explorers first discovered the area and thought they saw smoke coming off the land (it could have been smoke from the early natives' fires or the fog and moisture surrounding the island). This area of the world is referred to as "the end of the world" of fin del mundo. We rented a car and drove the one road on the large island along the coast, stopping along the way to capture the unique landscape of wind torn land, marshes, bay, coast, and mountains. The wind swept trees are very distinctive and recognizable for this area because of the high amounts of wind from the collision of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans at the tip. We rode a train, called "tren del fin del mundo". It was originally established as a way to transport prisoners from the penal colony of Ushuaia to the logging areas and back to town. We went to 3 different museums where we learned a lot about the shipping, discovery, natives, prisoners, and history of the area.

Colonia with the Poes

We traveled to Uruguay for one, very hot day to a little town, called Colonia. We rented motos and rode around the countryside, stopping at interesting places like an old bull fighting stadium, antique shops, the beach, and a golf resort. We enjoyed looking at all the old buildings from the Colonial period when Spain occupied Uruguay.

Russell and Vicki's Visit

My parents, Russell and Vicki, came down for 2 weeks to visit. We spent the first week touring around Buenos Aires and seeing the markets and unique neighborhoods of the city. We have met another couple here and met up with their family for brunch one morning. My parents rented their own apartment for one week of their stay, so they could feel what it is like to "live" in Buenos Aires. We walked a lot between places and enjoyed the warm weather, it is still in the 80s here everyday.