From Ashland To Argentina: The Adventure Begins--BsAs to El Calafate

   Alright, alright, i'm here, i'm blogging, can everyone settle down!? :) So i know I've been promising to blog about my adventures in the South with my two ridiculous, but loveable travel buddies: Callie and Alex....But it just seems like there is so much to tel,l how could i ever tell you everything?!?! But here i go, i shall attempt to impart my new-found knoweldge, prepare to be jealous....a little.
           So the first day of our adventure started as soon as ACA landed in EZE Buenos Aires, that would have been the 13th, for those who like dates. They piled us on the bus and took us back into BsAs proper because EZE is actually quite far from downtown. We grabbed our respective baggage, said our goodbyes, and then looked around in slight confusion as to where we ought to be going. About 80% of ACA was heading to the bus stop and my little group was heading off to find the first out of three hostels. After some grumbling, walking around, looking confused, and a general sense unsureness (is that even a word?) we got a taxi and found our place, Pax Hostel. It was small and in an obscure neighborhood but it felt safe and it had everything necessary, not luxurious but as far as i was concerned it was great. Anyways nothing exciting happened there so moving on....Next morning we got up early to catch our taxi that we had arranged, and paid for at the hostel the night before. We showed the driver the voucher, put our luggage in and were on the way to the domestic airport to catch our flight to El Calafate. So we get to the airport and the driver tells us that the voucher is no good and we have to pay more. The collective thought at the moment was *&$# that! No! I was still in my morning stupor so Callie, with a surprising amount of venom, informed the cabbie, in Spanish, that paying more was absurd, we had the voucher, he had seen it before we left and if it wasn't good he should have said something then. I couldn't have been prouder. So in the end Callie gave him the hostel number so he could go argue with them and we left without giving him a cent more.
            We got through check-in, which is what they call it in Spanish too, and through security, which isnt very secure, and onto our plane. I have never been so excited to be on a plane. I abhor flying, but this, my own adventure with just my friends and good luck, this was exciting. .....Flight was fine, blah blah blah....we napped blah blah blah....and then as i, having the window seat, saw the first view of Santa Cruz (the province where El Calafate is) and the beginnings of a giant, glacier fed lake. I think i actually wiggled around in my seat for a moment or two in excitement. It was spectacular, the water was opaque, almost creamy looking and oh such a beautiful blue. Pictures really don't do it justice. All the surrounding land was dry and mountaneous and from the plane i could see great plateaus with random pits at the top....land forms so near to familiar and yet so foreign. I loved it. When we finally landed after a very rough decent we were in the middle of nothing next to a big lake.....surprise!!! Apparently Airports should at all times be next to nothing....so you have to take a taxi or shuttle bus to get anywhere useful. But i wasn't going to complain, i was on an adventure!!! So we paid for a bus, hopped in and watched the scenery around us. In about 25 minutes we reached the outskirts of the town of El Calafate where roads are dirt and wind is in abundance. a short minute later we reached our hostel, America Del Sur...it is a long, red, unassuming, building which neither looks fancy nor run down from the outside, but the inside, oh i was pleased as punch. As prompted by the sign we took off our shoes to discover that the stone floors were heated, but thats not all, the staff were all friendly, accommodating, funny and not one man or women unattractive, i think it must have been a requirement or sheer dumb luck. The hostel was full of windows facing Lago Argentino, high ceilings, with exposed natural wood, a open spacious eating area, a common loft, and climbing plants hanging down. Seriously, it was awesome, i would recommend it to everyone. Even our shared dorm room of four, was very nice with a private bathroom and shower, we also happened to get lucky by having a very nice roommate, a Brazilian woman named Angelica...Honestly, i think most of the people i meet and like in S. America are Brazilian...clearly i should go visit, they are so friendly!!
           So after days of waking up at 3am, 4am, 5am and 6am to catch, planes, trains, and cars....literally, we took the first full day to sleep in like a bunch of teenages. Callie and i woke up for breakfast at 9 and then went back to bed until early afternoon...I slept till 12, Callie 1 and Alex slept the most I've ever seen... something like 11pm to 1 in the afternoon without waking up a minute. That day we did a bit of nothing then decided to go down to the "beach" at Lago Argentino....or at least i think that was all the same day....
So we grabbed our gear, it was super cold but man it sure was windy, and hiked about...oh maybe 5k down to the beach, alongside a nature reserve. We passed some funky looking birds, i'll put all the pictures at the end, and i think that was all the interesting wildlife we saw....i had been told there were flamingos but we never found them. So at the beach i just had to get in the water a little, so off went my shoes and i went to stick my feet in...glacier shmacier, it wasn't even that cold. Then the rest the the time we climbed on rocks, took a billion photos and did some gymnastics....Clearly seeing a bunch of young adults do shirtless gymnastics at the side of Lago Argentino is not a common site, at least judging by the amount or shameless staring we got. But for the record, the angel is a move you cannot do with slippery shirts, the guy can't hold on and you get dropped....no bueno. Entonces....by the time the gymnastics bout was over we were all freezing so we bundled back up and jogged back to the main road, and hiked our way to the groceries store.
          See each person in our group has their special uses, i was the primary cook and i cooked for most of the trip, Callie was my sous-cheff, one of the best i might add, and Alex is the most appreciative eat i have ever cooked for. Literally anything i made he munched through with mmms and ahhs and this is amazing, is there more....seriously. Then of course Alex washed the dishes, best trade ever. I made a chunky veggie soup one night, with Callie's special grilled cheese, pasta another night with the best sauce i could muster with next to no spices or herbs and then....i forgot what else i made....but it was good!!!

        The other exciting thing we did in El Calafate was the Cabalgata....horse backing riding in the national park close to the giant glacier Perito Moreno. That was a blast....in the beginning i was saddled with a punk horse who i couldn't control to save my life, so Callie, the horse whisperer, traded me for a much calmer horse named Estrella. After that we all had fun. We were allowed to move around the line, trot and do as we pleased. We saw a bunch of bunnies and a relative to the alpaca, which i forgot the name of....and saw in the distance the glacier. But the views were incredible, it was cold and windy but we all loved it...probably about 5 hours of horse back riding and a simple but delicious lunch; wine, stake and bread sandwiches and an apple. Near the end of the ride we were allowed to do a small canter/gallop...oh gosh Estrella was itching to run and run she did...in face i'm fairly certain my spine compressed a little, i was so out of rhythm with her, then my foot came our of the stirrup and i was sure i was going to go flying....thankfully i didn't but it was close. After we all got back, we got to play with the puppies and hang out for a little before our driver came to pick us up. It was truly an awesome day, i even napped in the car on the way back...this napping thing is really new for me but i like it!

    So here are some pictures and i'll get the rest of my adventure into blog form shortly, so don't miss out!!!