Update

I am giving up on the pictures for a while. They take forever to load, then get out of order, then disappear.

Yesterday we drove 22o kilometers to el Chalten which is a very tiny town and launching pad for trekkers. Lots of young adventurers with massive backpacks. Quite a few hostels and bus passengers.

We took our time driving there and stopped at every turn out for pictures as it was a beautiful day. No clouds, sunny, and little wind. We finally made it into town and pulled into the Ranger station and were greeted by Alex who saw us coming. He is a Canadian, in his 50's who has worked at National Parks most of his life and really likes Argentina as he drove down from Montreal for 2 1/2 months and got a job at the park. He suggest we climb this trail for 45 minutes.

It was like the Ray Betts death march in Palm Springs!! Just up the hill, no problemo senior! Well it was steep and we had a great view and even saw the condor on Condor Hill.

Came down the hill and found a place for pizza lunch with a couple of grande cervezas. Pam announced that she was done walking as her legs were not cooperating, so I said, how about I walk up to the viewpoint and meet you back at the car.

It looked soo close on the map, but three hours later I showed up and even though she had the keys, she was still there. The scenery was spectacular!!

Stopped by the only gas station in town as we were down to half a tank and it was closed. Reminded me of 1973. We saw Alex driving his Park Ranger truck and he said yeah they are closed, you can wait til they open, but I don't know when that will be.

So 225 km, I'll drive 55, coast down the hills, we should be okay. And I was right! Finally!! We pulled into town with 1/4 tank left, but our cerveza and vino tanks were empty, so to the grocery for supplies and a lunch for tomorrow's boat ride to the Upsala Galcier and ranch. It cost $17 US for lunch, or if you are a Hadley, $1.97 to bring your own!

So I tried blogging Wednesday night, but pictures didn't load and cervezas flowed and it was decided to wait another day!

I set a couple alarms for the morning as we had to be at the boat by 8 a.m. At 1:45 an alarm went off, but turns out it was the one set for Pacific time and performed correctly. So Pam got coffee and I got gas. Let me rephrase that! Never mind!

I picked her up at the hotel as the gas station was only a block away and off we went into the darkness.

It was about half an hour to the port where the catamaran left for the glacier. We found it and once again were the first ones there. The busses arrived with the 'tourists' and we were at the front of the line and got the front seats.

We were joined by three men from Milan, Italy who took a fancy to Pam and we had fun on the way up. They eventually produced their banners for Milan Football, tied them on to the Argentina flag pole on the boat. I took their picture and called them hooligans, and we were fast friends.

After about an hour we started to spot small ice bergs. About the size of a clogged ice cube tray in your refrigerator.

Then they got BIGGER and bright blue! We kept plowing ahead. We were told when we signed up for the tour that we wouldn't get to the glacier because it was jammed with icebergs. But we kept going and before long we were within a kilometer of the face (snout) of the glacier. The deck hands were all a tither saying this is the first time since 2007 that we have been able to get to the snout of the glacier, "you are soo lucky!"

Apparently some unusual winds came up for the last week and cleared the channel and we powered up for the first group in 5 years. Took a lot of pictures!! Hey when film cost $8 for 1,000 pictures, why not.

We met a couple from Holland with a dying battery on their camera, and I could relate from Iguaza Falls, so I told them I would cover. When we got to the Christina ranch at the end of the lake, we got in a truck (4 places in the cabin, or the rest in the bed of the truck) We decided that senority had it's priveleges and I got shotgun and Pam and Annette and Ad (the Holland couple) got the back.

45 minutes to go 5 miles. 4 wheel drive. bouncing, don't look down, why are we here type of 'road'. We were driving over glacier morans? Barren rock, fossil beds from the Pacific Ocean raised eons ago. Very windy, but not cold. You need to wait for the pictures! Spectacular views of multiple glaciers and birght blue lakes. Mountains and scrapped bare bedrock! Begining of time stuff!

Had lunch with the couple from Holland as they packed their lunch also. He is 52, she is 47. He is a Holland speed skater, as are his sons. They have a dairy farm in Holland and I will give them a chip with our pictures at the airport as they are also leaving tomorrow after they go to the Moreno Glacier.

He shared his website, http://www.hunsingo-dairy.nl/ as I shared mine http://www.riskyskier.com/ . I lose! But he has more gas!!! With his cows! or methane!!

Heading home in the morning for a marathon trip. Hope all is sunny and warm in Longview when we arrive!!!!!!!!!!

The Glacier Moreno

It was someone's bright idea to get up a 5 this morning in order to beat the crowds to the glacier. I thought Trip Advisor said you can go up early without having to wait for the park to open. Not the case! We packed up our ski gear and the gal at the hotel made us a sandwhich last night. Just waiting to see her today so she can say, "I told you so!"

Guess who was first to the Park? We arrived at 6:15 after travelling in the dark dodging jack rabbits. We dodged 20 of them, but about number 13 was a hare too slow! There was a 'guard' there who came out to ask us to park until 7. Finally at about 6:55 another car arrived, but it was the crew for the gate. At 7 they let us in.

Happy campers . . . at least one was. A timed photo.

First car in the parking lot and first ones down the walkways. We were the only ones to see the biggest calving of the day!! You can hear the glacier groan and pop. About once an hour some ice slips off, but this was huge! Cracking thunder echoing around as a 20 story chunk drops into the lake. It took a while for the chunk to settle, but when it did we could see a huge boulder caught in its grip.





Massive and very impressive!



Another piece hits the lake.



There were 30 tour busses scattered about on our way back to el Calafate. We left about 11:00 and didn't have much traffic. It takes forever to load these pictures on Blogger, so maybe I'll try Picaso.



El Chalten tomorrow then the Upsala Glacier boat ride all day Thursday. The patient is doing well and the legs are more of a flesh tone!

Happy Birthday Drew!

Happy Birthday Drew!

Yesterday was another quiet day for Pam. She spent the day reading and eating bon bons. I hiked around the city for 3 hours before I could find my way back to the hotel. Then went back out for Pam's 'receipe' or prescription for more anti biotics.

We went to the pool for an hour to cool off and for Pam to get some fresh air. Then got ready for the final dinner that was pretty fancy. A huge salad in an edible bowl like a taco salad. Dinner of a large tenderloin, potato and stuffed tomato. Desset of ice cream, berries and chocolate moose in an edible thick sugar bowl.

Sat at a good table next to a guy that started with Jones in 1982 and was still old school that was refreshing. We weren't the first to leave, but we were close.

Got a 1 a.m. skype call from Melissa as she was running the Tokyo marathon. Looks like she finished under 6 hours! Congratulations!

We are packed and ready to head for the airport for part II and the flight to el Calafate that will take about 3 1/2 hours. Another 1300 miles south and a little west. Not sure what the lattitude is, but it is down there.

Adios, amigos!

Looking good

The doctor stopped by an hour ago and said things are looking good. No fever no spreading, less swelling, and okay to continue on to El Calafate.

Happy hour has begun. Good luck to Melissa in the Tokyo marathon!!

Happy Birthday to Pam!

Sitting in the first row heading out for a birthday 'party' at the falls. Just didn't know who all would be invited.

First glimpse of the falls.

After lunch and a short train ride and about a mile hike (with sore swollen legs) on bridges we came to where it all just dropped away.

They call this the Devil's Throat. That's Brazil on the other side.

After a long walk it's time to drop in on the local airport first aid station and try out your Spanish.
Blankets please! Picked up two shots in the rear from some nice EMT's. And spent about 4 hours here waiting for the plane.

Birthday dinner of fries and the last beer at the airport!

Ain't I pretty!

We were met at the lobby of the hotel at midnight by Maritz travel and a doctor. After bringing ice, the butler stayed to help interprut. Another shot in the rear and the butler was off to the drug store for anti-biotics.

Breakfast in bed and feeling better.

Buenos Aires day three

A pretty quiet day. We found a sidewalk restaurant for dinner and had an okay steak. Tried the local beer, Quilmes, that is good and Pam found a good Chardonnay. She rarely finds a bad one.

A late breakfast and then the subway to the zoo. It wasn't the best zoo we've been to, maybe the worst. Dirty water and lots of liter. But it was good to escape the city.

Got back to the hotel early afternoon and turned on the tv to see 'el tran en dento' which looked like a train got a dent or wreck. Eventually switched to BBC that said by the way there was a train wreck in BA and about 50 were killed.

So I went down to the business center and shot off a quick we are ok message. The wreck was about 45 miles away from where we are.

Tonight we go to a dinner and tango show on Jones. 7 to 10:30. Then up early and catch a cab at 5:45 t go to the airport and on to the falls for Pam's birthday! They say it is very hot there. We will get back well after dinner, but looking forward to the adventure.

Having trouble so I'll try the pictures later.

Oops

Apparently I haven't figured out the picture order thingy yet!

Buenos Aries part two

We walked around the area Monday looking for ice cream and an ATM. It is carnival here which means most shops are closed except for the tourist traps. We first walked to a train station that was pretty seedy with lots of street vendors selling trinkets.

There was an ATM in the station. A free standing booth that you had to swipe your card just to get inside, then try to figure out their system. After a couple tries and a $4 charge (plus exchange fees from the bank I'm sure) I emerged to a line of people with my pesos.

We found the tourist pedestrian mall and ice cream. Only $1.25 US for a big soft cone. The purpose of the trip, besides keeping us awake had been accomplished, so we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner.

We were greeted by waiters with trays full of wine and even beer and went through the 'reception' line. One of the home office hosts was at our summer meeting at Alderbrook and we had fun with her. She has been with Jones for 12 years when they started in England. When they withdrew from England she was brought back to St. Louis.

Eric Brudi and I and anyone near by pass the time at those meetings by picking a speech tic of the speaker and the other picks an over/under for the number of times the speaker says that for a dollar. It's usually an 'um', or 'you know', or 'ok'. She was too well spoken, so we settled on her topic of BOA's. She must have caught on because she asked us at dinner what we were doing. She was worried what her flaw was, but was relieved what we picked, but was floored she said it 54 times in thirty minutes.

We met her husband in line, she was being held captive by one of the talkers on the bus and he didn't remember meeting us. Later that night he came up and said smiling, "I remember you. You were that bad man picking on my wife!"

Dinner was a fancy buffet with good salads and desserts. The main courses were good, but no unlimited steak. Found our potential older couple and sat with them and heard all about her.

It was back to the room by eight and quickly to sleep. I figured 36 hours of mostly being awake.

Tuesday morning was early breakfast and my meeting at 8:00 to 9:45. Then the spouses came in for introductions and tips from the local tour guides. Out by 11:45 and our meeting obligations are done!

We went back to the ice cream area and split a pizza then got on the bus for a three hour city tour. Learned a little and saw a few places, but nothing spectacular.

I'll head to the business center and attempt to post along with some pictures

Hanging in DC

We had a good Saturday with plenty of time to pack and left by 3:30 for Portland. Had a nice room at the Hyatt Place near the airport. Early dinner and lights out by 8:30.

The alarm, wake up call, and my phone alarm all went off within a few minutes so each other at 4:25 a.m. Took the hotel shuttle with all our bags (we decided to take bigger carry on bags to reduce the crap in my backpack and Mom's PURSE!

Got to the check in line and were asked to weigh the bags. At home mine was 35 pounds on the bathroom scale so I was feeling okay, but remembered about the books, coats, sweaters, gloves . . . So My bag was now 54 pounds and Mom's was 44! After exposing our unmentionables to everyone in the airport I weighed in at 49.4 lbs.

Got our boarding passes and an extra one said we would be upgraded to business class if space was available. Alright! I told Pam they were just probably teasing us. Got through the happy TSA people and to the gate and sure enough we showed as number 12 & 13 on the upgrade list for one open seat.

But we were in economy plus so had some extra room and no crying babies. Smooth flight and on time.

Upon arrival Pam wanted to try and use her expired $50 coupon to get into the United lounge. They allowed it, but I had to pay. They suggested doing it on line and it would only be $39. Yes I splurged as we had seven hours to kill. I did't think drinks were free, but again was wrong. And free Internet instead of paying for a T Mobile hotspot, So it all worked out!

STILL HAVE THREE HOURS TO GO, so I'll try blogging.

Hope all is well at home!

Getting Ready to Roll

Getting ready for the trip south after spending one hour on Rosetta Stone last Sunday. It's good, but there is going to be a lot of sign language and 'no comprende's'.

Libby took off for the Sound on Thursday morning and we are sure she is having a ball with Janice & Joel. Thanks guys!

Plane leaves at 7:30 am so we'll spend the night at a park and fly for the same cost of economy parking.

More later!