Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Cuenca Perspectives by Jim: CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK: Well, I need to progress toward completion of my trip to Argentina, even if no one is traveling at this time.  There is always hope for ...

CALAFANTE, ARGENTINA: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Well, I need to progress toward completion of my trip to Argentina, even if no one is traveling at this time.  There is always hope for another time in the future for those who enjoy traveling.

When Paul, Juana, and I arrived in Buenos Aires, they spent a couple of days with me.  Paul and Juana, being from Ecuador, had only seen snow once before in their lives in the high altitude area of the Andes in Ecuador.  They were excited to go to Calafante, Argentina to the National Glacier Park. The National Park is located southwest of Buenos Aries almost to the tip of Argentina and close to the Chilean border.  In air miles, Calafante is approximately 1,266 miles from Buenos Aires and takes about 3 and 1/4th hours to fly.  

I have seen all the ice and snow and cold I ever want to experience in my life being from the Midwestern U.S.A.  I chose to remain in Buenos Aries, and complete our plans for the last part of our trip in Argentina.  Paul and Juana were off, stayed the first night upon their arrival, explored the National Park the next day, slept in Calafante that night, and by the following afternoon, they returned to Buenos Aires. 

Juana, being older, took a different trip from Paul.  Paul went with a group who were allowed on the glacier itself.

The silence was something to behold, and the quiet and stillness was greatly enjoyed by both Paul and Juana, especially after their time in the large noisy cities of Lima and Buenos Aries and being around such large crowds of people. Often the sounds to be heard were from voices in the group, or the crunching of snow as they walked.

The tranquility and beauty of the ice and snow made Paul and Juana's visit to the glaciers the highlight of their trip to Peru and to Argentina.  Both very much enjoyed the town of Calafante, and wished they could live there as well.

In the photo below, you can see the group as they trek through the glacier surrounded by its open isolation.

People often think that South America is hot the year round, which is generally not the case.  The Equator, located in northern South America and running through Ecuador,  and the attitude of the Andes,  as well as ocean currents all play a role in the heat index in South America.  The further one moves south of the Equator the more likely, like in Argentina, one will experience the four changes of the seasons.  Buenos Aires, for example, can get snow and get cold in their winter months, which would be the North American summer months; but even then it will not be as cold and snowy as the North American Midwest or Northeast in the United States.  As one continues south toward the tip of Argentina, which is also the tip of South America, one is getting closed to Antarctica; and therefore, glaciers like in Calafante become a reality.

Naw, there were no penguins in sight.  I just threw this photo in to amuse you or to amuse me.

*Photos taken and provided by Paul Tacuri.